Nick James - The Pearl wars

My fingertips pulse like they’re ready to shoot lightning bolts. I feel like I could single-handedly power an entire Chosen City.

The others stumble out from behind the pile of boxes, mouths agape.

Skandar moves to the edge of the trailer, staring down at the sea of unconscious bodies before looking over at me, dumbfounded. “Jesse, you’re the man.”

Eva moves to his side. “Have you done this before?”

I ignore her, and turn to Avery. “It didn’t hurt this time.”

She nods, flashing an encouraging smile.

Eva steps down from the trailer, laying her hand on the unmoving shoulder of the nearest soldier. “Jesse, you just destroyed a Pearl.”

I scoot closer to the edge. “Now you can see why I have to find answers. The Unified Party’s not gonna like what I can do.”

Avery joins me. “Neither is the Tribunal, for that matter.”

“You’re like a human bomb or something,” Skandar whispers.

“I have to have a Pearl,” I reply. “But I can sense them… control them. I brought one straight to me in Portland, without even realizing what I was doing.” I step out onto the pavement, trying to ignore the bodies below me. “And I think there’s something inside.”

“Inside what?” Avery follows me.

I turn to face her. “Pearls. Something or… someone. I’ve seen it twice now, with both explosions. Flying up out of the energy, there’s a figure. It’s like I’ve hatched something.”

Skandar cranes his neck to look at the sky. “I don’t see anyone.”

“It’s gone.” I stare at the wispy layer of clouds above. “If it was ever there.”

Avery backs away, curving around the trailer until she comes upon a pair of bodies lying on the ground beside the cabin. She crouches, pressing her fingers on George’s neck. “They’re stunned. Both of them. They won’t be waking up for a while. I hope they get some good dreams out of this.”

I sigh, relieved that the soldiers hadn’t killed George and his son. Without them, we’d have never made it over here. Without a word, I make my way through the pile of soldiers, stepping over limp arms and dodging legs. The air’s thick with remnants of chemical smog. Not enough to be lethal-at least for a couple of hours-but enough to keep a deep, sulfurous smell in the air.

The van had stopped on top of a maze of crumpled roadways and overpasses surrounding the city. Colossal slabs of concrete rest in heaps around us, crushing anything beneath them. Colorful bits of vehicles lie smashed between boulders-confetti on an ever-dark background.

We stand on one of the only remaining elevated highways. The ground’s caved in from the dividing lines on, joining the pile of jagged boulders below us. The road itself has a nasty slope to it. A narrow strip of concrete travels down into the city to my right. It’s the only accessible route.

I move to the edge of the highway cliff, staring down at the remains of Seattle. Several skyscrapers stand like skeletons around the edges of the city, chunks missing from all sides. Most buildings are toothed stumps now, poking up from the carpet of rubble lying in piles around them. Farther away, water seeps in from the coast, creating dark, disease-ridden rivers between islands of junk. A gray smog hangs over the city-an incessant, unmoving drizzle replacing the once-red chemicals from the bombs. I can’t see much beyond the water.

Far off to the right, surrounded by a septic sea of green, are the remains of the famous Space Needle, reduced to a pointed spire. There’s not a hint of vegetation in sight. No trees, no bushes, no grass. The clouds keep their distance but the dark mist drifts into the city like a runny watercolor.

I try to picture the city that once was. People lived here-and worked and went to school. Then came the Scarlet Bombings. No warning. Not one person knew what had happened. One moment they were going about their normal business, the next they were dissolved into nothing. I can’t imagine being dissolved from the outside in. Can’t even go there.

The others join me at the edge of the cliff, staring out at the wreckage. Nobody says a word. Words can’t really describe it.

After a moment of silence, I turn to face them, speaking softly. “We’ll need weapons.”

Eva nods. “There are plenty back there with the soldiers.”

“Find a pair of com-pads, too. You guys need to stand watch up here.”

Skandar groans. “Man, that is not cool. I wanna do something.”

“If anyone shows up, I’ll need to know,” I say. “If all four of us are down there, it’ll be too easy for them to take us by surprise.”

Avery grabs my hand, clutching it tight. “I’m going with you, Jesse.”

I nod. “Avery and I will go down alone.”

Eva glances at our hands, muttering. “Yeah, I bet you will.”

“Please don’t argue,” I reply. “For once.”

She sighs, reaching over to Skandar and pulling the com-pad from his belt.

“Hey!” He scowls.

She ignores him, tossing the device to me. “You don’t want Pearlhounds tracing you. It’s safer to use Skyship-issue.”

“Fine.” I clip it to the side of my frayed pocket.

“I don’t like this, Fisher,” she grumbles.

“Yeah?” I let go of Avery’s hand. “Well, you’re gonna have to deal. All this time protecting me, you should be pretty good at it. Protect me now by standing watch.”

Skandar frowns. “No offense, buddy, but maybe you need us down there. I mean, that Pearl trick was mass impressive, but you’re running on empty. We can help.”

“You’re more helpful up here,” I say. “You can see everything. Once we get down below the smog it’s gonna be a mess.”

“Jesse’s right,” Avery starts. “We need eyes above the city.”

Eva sighs, crossing her arms. “You’re right. For once in your life, you’re actually right.”

I smile. “Right when it counts, huh?”

She lays her hand on my shoulder, shaking her head. “Just… be careful down there. Keep in contact. If you need us, don’t hesitate.”

I nod.

“Come on, Harris.” She turns to the pile of soldiers. “Time to get suited up.”

Skandar pauses for a moment, then steps forward and smacks my arm. “Good luck, mate. I hope you find what you need.”

Then he’s off, joining Eva beside the van.

I meet Avery’s eyes. She smiles, weaving her fingers between mine. “You ready?”

I reach up and tuck the silver key under my shirt. “Let’s go.”

We stumble down the road, careful not to wedge our feet in any of the cracks.

Five steps down and the screeching of tires on pavement interrupts us. Something screams from the top of the highway.

I spin around to see a red sports car come speeding down the uneven road like an out-of-control monster. A cloud of dust trails its pathway, kicked up into the already coarse air.

I don’t have time to think-to move, even. The strangeness of seeing an old-fashioned car in such nightmarish terrain knocks me off guard. For a moment, all I can do is stare.

But as the vehicle draws closer, shock turns to dread. I recognize the driver immediately. No mistaking the gritty expression on his face.

It’s Cassius, and he’s headed straight for me.

If I was thinking clearly, I’d react. But all I can do is watch his face until it’s too late.

“Jesse!” Avery dives out of the way.

My feet are glued to the ground. He found us. So close, and he found us.

Cassius slows down, then peels out to a stop right in front of me, the bumper of his car inches away from my legs. He sits there for a second, staring at me, hands gripping the wheel. I shake the fog from my head and prepare to strike a bargain.