Kayda shuddered. “It’s a miracle he survived.”
“He hasn’t survived yet.” The reminder came from Gorri.
“I wonder why he came,” Milo mused aloud.
“Obviously not to save us.” Guess who that comment came from.
“No, I doubt he came here for us.” Kayda didn’t disagree.
“Probably looking for treasure. Betcha he’s going to be sadly disappointed if he ever wakes up.” The guffaw from Gorri was more commiserative than cruel.
The rest of the journey was spent in friendly arguments about the fabled kingdoms outside theirs. The Ruby Kingdom was known to be that of vice and closed borders. In the early days of the volcano, the Diamond Enclave reached out for help and was rebuffed. Kayda never heard the reason why.
As for Sapphire, they couldn’t reach it. A shame because she used to love hearing about it. With its marshes, cliffs, and beaches that bordered the ocean, it seemed like a paradise.
When very young she’d seen the ocean at their own land’s edge. She remembered the ice floes and bergs, the fat bodies of whales that would rise to the surface to blow water from their spouts before opening their mouths wide and swallowing fishing vessels whole. But that was before the lava came. Now a perpetual mist hid the waters and the predators that hunted in the air above them. They’d stopped fishing a long time ago.
The network of tunnels they followed led them through the mountain, the path familiar and yet not safe. Despite the land being hard to live on, underground life did still flourish. A good thing or they’d have died of starvation a long time ago. There were only so many lichen and mushrooms they could harvest to feed those that remained. Less and less each year.
She wondered how long before her people died out. Would she even be alive to see it when it happened?
Approaching the gate that blocked the entrance to their home, the group paused to ensure those guarding it could see them—guarding it being a misnomer. The twins were only thirteen years old and armed with dull knives. With their dwindling numbers, everyone did their part, even the youngest ones— born after the apocalypse—who at six and seven had never seen a blue sky or a tree in bloom.
With a mighty groaning of old gears, the doors were cranked open, just enough for them to slip through before they slammed shut again. Curious eyes tracked their passage, and Kayda could just imagine the whispers. While they’d returned with bodies before—those of animals meant for the stewpot—this was their first time bringing back a stranger.
Not just a stranger but an outsider. They probably wondered what it meant.
Gorri pointed. “We’ll put him in Opi’s old place.”
Opi had gone mad a while ago and decided he could fly. He had found a high tunnel and, before his hunting partner could stop him, dove out through an opening. The worst part was he didn’t die on impact. Something snatched him midair. According to his partner, who witnessed the whole thing, he didn’t scream for long.
Kayda shook her head. “Given his injuries, he’ll need to be watched in case he develops a fever or goes into convulsions.” Not to mention, if he woke, they might only have a small window to get answers before he died.
“Guess he can come with me,” Milo offered.
“And freak out your sister?” Kayda shook her head.
“I’m not doing it,” Lila stated quickly.
“I wasn’t going to ask. Given what he is, I want him close to me.”
“Are you insane?” Gorri sputtered. “He can’t stay with you. It’s not proper.”
“Proper?” She snorted. “I’d say that’s the last thing we need to worry about. Not to mention, the man is unconscious. When he does wake, I want to question him.”
“Don’t you mean if he wakes up,” Lila just had to add.
“He will.” Kayda couldn’t have said where the certainty came from, only that if he’d already survived this long, he obviously had a will to live. Or one last thing to do before he died.
Her mother used to talk about fate. How everyone had a role to play in the world. How there was a perfect person for everyone. Maybe that was true when people had a future. Kayda would never know what it was like to fall in love.
For some reason her gaze dropped to the stranger’s face. Handsome. Strong. But there was no point in admiring a man who would die.
They brought the stranger to Kayda’s room, placed him on the bed, and then heaved a