Listener whistled again and slapped Albatross’s flank. Beating his wings, the white dragon lifted into the air. Grackle followed, apparently not needing a command. As soon as they rose above the tree line, the top of Mount Elijah came into view far away, its decapitated profile obvious in spite of thin fog veiling the landscape and the miles between them and the volcano.
As expected, Listener kept Albatross on a low trajectory as she leaned over and peered through the thick tree canopy below. Grackle stayed a few feet higher but still close enough to the trees for his wings to fan the tops as they raced by.
Listener extended her finger downward, apparently pointing out a skinny dirt trail through the underbrush, but the rushing wind kept Billy from shouting his understanding. She had found the path and would stick to it for as long as possible.
Billy looked back. Thigocia trailed them, flying much higher as she skimmed the bottom of the thickening clouds.
After nearly half an hour, the trees thinned out, giving way to gray and black lava fields dotted with scrubby trees. With sparse pinelike needles and twisted trunks, they looked like they rarely benefitted from the eclipse-cycle mists that once watered the land.
As light drizzle dampened their faces, the terrain gradually sloped upward, signaling their approach to the highlands, but with the cloudbank now obscuring the mountaintops, and the trail imperceptible in the lava beds, Listener took Albatross down for a landing. Grackle again followed and came to a stop nearby. Both dragons beat their wings and scattered droplets over everyone. Apparently they had not yet learned how to politely carry riders in this kind of weather.
Billy dismounted, and after helping Acacia down, he searched the sky. “Do you see Thigocia anywhere?”
Listener snatched the spyglass from her belt. Peering into the eyepiece, she swept the tube slowly from one side of the horizon to the other. After a few seconds, she pointed. “Over there. I think she’s showing us the way to Mount Elijah.”
“Okay,” Billy said as he tightened his scabbard belt. “Let’s hoof it from here.”
Listener stroked Albatross’s neck. “If Vacants show up, go ahead and leave without us. We’ll all ride Thigocia if we have to.”
Albatross spat a spray of ice on the ground and blew a series of whistled notes, low and chaotic.
Listener giggled. “That’s a challenge to fight. He’s telling me he’s not afraid of the Vacants.”
“Good for him.” Billy nodded at the sky, his hair now dripping. “Better keep track of Thigocia. The rain’s getting heavier. We don’t want to lose her.”
Listener raised the spyglass again. “We won’t. I can see her red eyebeams.”
“Perfect.” Billy set a hand on Listener’s shoulder. “Keep watching and lead the way. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
With Acacia following, Billy and Listener marched across the lava field—furrowed rock that made for good footing as the rain fashioned crooked rivulets in the gaps. Soon the terrain steepened, and the field narrowed. The surrounding mountains funneled wet wind that bit through their inadequate clothes.
Now shivering, Listener stopped and lowered the spyglass. “I lost her. Maybe she’s not blowing fire anymore.”
Billy pulled her closer. “Thigocia’s around somewhere. She would never—”
A sudden burst of wind made them turn. Thigocia landed behind them and shook out her wings. “The path to the volcano is clear,” she said, “but the wind is fierce as you go higher. Once you reach the top, a firestorm might be impossible. Perhaps another day would be better.”
Billy looked at Acacia. “What do you think? Are you feeling okay?”
She pushed a strand of wet white hair from her eyes. “I don’t think my dizziness will affect my fire. I once created a firestorm in a swamp, so I don’t think wind will stop me. As long as we have plenty of time to get back to the village before evening, I think we should try.”
“Very well,” Thigocia said. “I noticed an encampment of Vacants on the far side of the mountain to your left, but they seem hunkered down for the weather. I will keep an eye on them.”
“It’s good to have you around.” Billy shielded his eyes as he surveyed the misty landscape. “How far to the base of the volcano?”
“The upward path becomes clear about a hundred paces in the direction you were heading, so you should have no trouble.”
Billy nodded. “I’ll recognize it when I see it.”
“Would you like a Sahara treatment before you continue?” Thigocia breathed a stream of dry air that bathed his face in warmth.
“It feels great, but we’d be wet again in just a few minutes. No use wasting time.”
“As you wish.” Thigocia beat her wings and lifted into the air. After flying in a low, tight circle, she ascended toward the clouds. “I will be watching.”
Chapter 11
A New Lake
Billy withdrew Excalibur an inch or two from its scabbard, then slid it back. Even without a shield, they would have enough protection—his sword, his fire-breathing, and a dragon’s flames from above, not to mention the firestorms Acacia could whip up.
With a wave of his hand, he nodded forward. “Let’s climb.”
After a minute or so, a steep path came into view, smoother than the surrounding lava field. It switched back and forth across a vertical rock face, obviously cut intentionally to provide an easy way to climb the volcano. Although he and Walter had already climbed it before, the misty gloom made it look like a path through the unknown. They could see only several paces in front of their feet, not exactly a comforting view.
Without a word, the trio ascended the path, Billy leading the way as they pushed against the wet incline, and Acacia trailing, one hand on Listener’s back.
When they reached the vantage point where he had first seen the Vacants on the volcano’s top, he halted. As fog streamed past his eyes, he searched for the flattened cone above, but it was shrouded in clouds. An odd pinch in his gut sounded a weak alarm. Was it danger? To this point only one of his former dragon traits had returned, his fire-breathing, but a tingling sensation hinted that another trait was trying to live again.
“Is something wrong?” Acacia asked.
“Maybe.” The cloud at the peak thinned, allowing a veiled look at the top. Nothing. Just the heap of stones still plugging the volcano’s throat. He nodded forward again. “I guess it’s safe. We can trust Thigocia to watch over us.”
When they reached the top, Billy stood at the edge of the rock pile. Although he would have to carry the larger stones himself, most were small enough for the females to carry and throw down the slope. There was no need to call on Thigocia or the native dragons for help. As she had warned, a bitter wind cut across the peak. This would be a pain-filled job.
He detached Excalibur’s scabbard from its belt and laid it on the ground. “Okay. Let’s get to work.”
Acacia set down the rope as well as a hammer, an iron spike, and a small roll of mesh, while Listener added her spyglass to their pile. Then, retying their outer cloaks and keeping their gloves on, the trio began clearing the stones.
While they labored in the cold rain, now mixed with snow, Thigocia appeared below the clouds from time to time, her eyebeams bright. During one of her visits, she reported on the encampment of Vacants. They seemed to be stirring, as if getting ready to break camp, so she would keep an eye on them.
After a few minutes, only a few stones remained jammed in the volcano’s throat. Hot air rose through the gaps and transformed into streams of white mist as the cold breeze swept it away. Although the wind had diminished somewhat, and the hard work had warmed their bodies, the air brought a piercing chill.
Billy picked up the scabbard and withdrew Excalibur. “Better stand clear.” He pushed the sword’s point into one of the gaps between the stones.
While Acacia and Listener backed away a few steps and huddled close in the frigid wind, Billy dislodged the stones. They dropped silently for a moment,
then a plume of steam burst forth, a brief but vivid surge of white.
Billy scanned the valley. Did the Vacants notice? Would the steam be a signal that might rouse their curiosity?
Gesturing for the girls to rejoin him, he looked into the hole. “See anything?”
Listener peered down with her spyglass. “Yes. I see the tree I saw last time.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Acacia said. “I’ll try to open the portal.”
While she created a swirling column of fire within and over the hole, Billy drove the spike into the ground and tied the rope to its exposed head. The wind whipped the cyclone of flames but not enough to blow it away from the volcano’s throat.
“We’re ready,” Acacia called. “The portal’s open. I can see the tree now.”
“Just a second.” After stretching the rope between the spike and the firestorm, Billy selected a spot near the hole and wrapped the rope with the roll of mesh—a fibrous, asbestos-like netting—covering a three-foot section. He tossed the remaining coil through the wall of fire and into the volcano’s throat. When it tightened, the mesh sizzled in the flames, but it seemed to stay intact.
“You first,” Acacia said. “Then Listener. Then me.”
“You bet.” After refastening Excalibur, Billy pinched the fringe of his cloak. “I hope the stuff Ashley painted on these cloaks works.”
“It will,” Listener said. “She tested it.”
“With normal fire, not Acacia’s.” Billy raised his hood, grasped the rope, and faced away from the hole and its surrounding fire. Listener did the same at a spot two paces in front of him.
“Let’s do it,” Billy said.
Ducking low, he backed through the fire and began sliding down the rope, glad for the thick gloves protecting his skin. Just a foot or so above, Listener followed. With her spyglass back in its harness, it dangled only inches from Billy’s eyes. Obviously this little girl had spent many hours climbing the vine-covered trees of Second Eden. She kept pace with Billy effortlessly, apparently unafraid of the flames that swirled all around them.
As the heat dried his clothes and warmed his skin, he looked down, trying to find a place to set his feet. The fire illuminated the chamber below, the museum room Acacia had told him about. The cylindrical wall of flames enclosed the Tree of Life. Still on fire but not burning up, it would likely be too hot to stay close to it. They would have to move fast.
As soon as they reached bottom, the rope reeled up and disappeared. Billy and Listener burst through the wall of flames and hustled to the museum room’s bookshelves. They grabbed one of the tall ladders, and when they pulled it away from the shelf, a scroll of parchment fell to the floor and rolled through the wall of flames, stopping at the base of the Tree of Life. An edge of parchment near one of the scroll’s dowels caught fire.
Carrying the ladder, Billy and Listener punched through the vortex and pushed the top of the ladder toward the portal opening.
“It reaches!” Listener shouted.
“Shhh!” Now sweating, Billy leaned the ladder against the edge of the hole above. “Let me get that scroll before it burns up.”
Wrapping his fireproof sleeve around his hand, he reached under the lowest branches and grabbed the unlit end. He batted the flames away and hurried back in time to help Listener support the ladder for Acacia.
When Acacia climbed down with the rope coiled over her shoulder, she looked at the scroll. “Why are you carrying that?”
“It fell from the shelf.” Billy ran a finger across the scroll’s skin. A thin film of white residue coated his fingertip. “This stuff is strange.”
“It glows,” Listener said.
Billy peeled back the scroll’s edge. “Maybe we’d better take a look at it.”
“You should move the ladder first,” Acacia said, taking the scroll. “It will fall when the firestorm dies away.”
Billy pulled the ladder down and dragged it toward the shelves. “Better get away from the tree,” he called back. “Your cloak won’t keep you from roasting.”
As the portal flames dwindled, Billy walked with Acacia and Listener through the museum’s exit, a partially broken doorway. When they emerged into cooler air, he mopped a sleeve across his brow. “That plan worked perfectly.”
Acacia’s brow dipped down. “If I had thought of the ladder last time, we could have avoided a lot of trouble.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I thought the rope would work, too.” With light from the flaming tree illuminating their surroundings, Billy took the scroll and pulled the parchment out several inches. “Most of it is blank, but there are a few lines written in a strange language.”
Acacia looked on. “It’s in Hebrew. When Sapphira and I took turns going on scavenger hunts in the world of the living, sometimes we were able to pick up scrolls and books that had been discarded.” She pointed at a line near the edge. “This says it’s from the book of Jeremiah. It must be a Bible text that a scribe was copying. He likely threw it away because he made an error.”
Billy touched the ragged edge with a finger. “It’s burned up to this point. Can you make out the rest?”
“I’ll do the best I can.” Squinting, Acacia read, pausing at times as she translated out loud. “Is there no … ointment in Gilead? Is there no … doctor? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people … restored?”
“Any idea what it means?” he asked.
“Maybe,” Acacia said. “It’s already damaged. Why don’t you tear off that part, and we’ll talk about it later.”
“Right. We’re wasting time.” After stripping off the section of parchment and folding it into his pocket, Billy scanned the area. The huge chamber was exactly the way Acacia had described it—big, empty, and lonely.
Acacia reached up and removed a lantern from the sill of an open window. With a nod, she ignited the wick. “Not much oil in this one, but it should last.”
“Right again.” Billy took the lantern. “Let’s make this quick.”
Acacia dropped the rope at the door and pointed into the dim chamber. “The exit tunnel is that way.”
After adjusting Excalibur in its belt scabbard, Billy lifted the lantern high and strode ahead. He passed under an arch and entered a tunnel, high enough to navigate without ducking and wide enough for all three to walk together. The light flickered on the side walls, revealing dark clefts and caves that gave no hint as to what lay inside.
All three stayed quiet, more from instinct than from fear. It would be senseless to make a lot of noise when they didn’t know who or what might be lurking around the next bend.
After passing through another chamber and two more tunnels, they reached a hole in the floor.
“Strange,” Acacia said. “This wasn’t here before.”
Billy stooped. As he peered into the hole, cool air dried out his eyes. At least fifty feet below, a river flowed from left to right, illuminated by the glow of what looked like hardening magma on either side. “An underground spring?”
Setting a hand against the floor, Acacia knelt next to him. “That’s very strange. The springs feed a reservoir, but we never learned where it flows out. We had a magma river down there that ran much farther below, and this new river seems to be running in between volcanic residue.”
“Maybe the reservoir sprung a leak,” Listener said.
“If so, then the water level might be rising.” Acacia rose to her feet. “We’d better hurry.”
Billy lifted the lantern again. “So what’s that way?” he asked, pointing beyond the hole.
“Our hovels and the springs.”
“That sounds like a good place to look.” Billy stepped around the hole and continued marching along the corridor. Calling for Sapphira and Bonnie, they checked the hovels and the springs to no avail. Further searching revealed a massive collapse in another tunnel.
“No way we can move that many rocks,” Billy said. “What next?”
“The mines level.” Acacia
started back the way they came. “This way.”
When they reached a shaft embedded in the wall, Billy grabbed a dangling rope and looked down. “I can’t see anything, but I hear water.”
Acacia shivered. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Billy spread an arm around her and pulled her close. “Sapphira knows what she’s doing. I’m sure she and Bonnie and Shiloh managed to get out. I mean, they’re not here. They wouldn’t have gone below and let themselves drown.”
Acacia let her shoulders sag. “You’re right. But now we have to go back to Second Eden without any dragons.”
A new voice broke through from the darkness behind them. “Not exactly.”
Billy pushed the lantern toward the sound. “Who’s there?”
Two women walked into the light, both so saturated, water streamed down their faces, their clothes stuck to their bodies, and their hair dripped. One of the women extended her hand. “I am Rebekah, also known as Legossi.” She nodded toward the other woman. “This is Dallas, formerly Firedda, daughter of Makaidos and Thigocia.”
Billy took her hand, noting a ring on her finger with a white mounted gem. “Oh, yeah. We met back in Maryland. Sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“Our meeting was brief.” Rebekah pulled her soaked shirt away from her skin. “And we didn’t look like this.”
“I was wondering about that. What happened?”
Before Rebekah could reply, Acacia piped up. “Have you seen Sapphira? Or Bonnie or Shiloh?”
“Not lately,” Rebekah said. “Shiloh was kidnapped, but that’s—”
“Kidnapped?” Acacia raised a hand to her mouth. “By whom? Where did they take her?”
“As I was about to say,” Rebekah continued, “that’s a long story. The rest of us were being chased by intruders, so Dallas and I hid in the springs. Sapphira was going to find another hiding place for her and Bonnie. She said something about the magma river overlook. When you came into the springs chamber, we heard you calling, but we didn’t want to answer until we were sure who you were. It took a while for us to get out of our hiding place, but …” She spread out her dripping arms. “Here we are.”