“We understand that The Greening’s on the verge of bankruptcy,” Armonk adds wearily. “We understand how incredibly tempting it would be to collect a payoff.”
“I did no such thing,” Nevada spits. “Yes, that woman wanted to talk to me about some sneaky deal, but as desperate as I’ve ever been …” she snorts under her breath. “And I’ve been plenty desperate wandering alone in the desert, living on shale and spiders; I would never use my students as pawns. Never!”
“Okay, okay.” Armonk sighs. “Then explain how Jan got a huge stack of cash.”
Nevada’s eyes grow round and feral. “You see what he did to me!” She holds up her blood-streaked arms. “You see what he did to the doctor?” With this more tears fall. “Jan’s capable of anything, that murderous bastard. Truth be told, I was always petrified of him, him and that delinquent, Vesper. I tried to give everyone the fair shake I never had as a teen. But …” Releasing a bitter moan, she sags down again. “What happened to Thorn?” she whispers after a moment. “He’s not hurt, is he?”
Thorn steps forward from the shadows and plops down by Nevada, takes her injured hand in his little one. “Here,” he says simply, and gives her a hug. Oh, my, god. My brother is an angel here on earth. In a way he really is the second coming of Fireseed after all. As more tears fall, she mumbles about how relieved she is that he’s okay.
Armonk hauls Nevada to her feet, guiding her around the long way so she doesn’t have to traipse through Dr. Varik’s surgical suite and see the sheet over his body. As he helps Nevada into a glider, Armonk addresses us. “Listen, Ruby, Blane, I’m taking Nevada to Marney’s Depot. Marney can watch over her until we straighten things out. Nevada has no business going to the school right now as long as Jan and Vesper are there. Her condition’s way too shaky.”
“Meet us at The Greening?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“We’ll take the doctor’s glider,” says Blane.
With that, Blane, Thorn and I pile in and fly over the dunes to Skull’s Wrath. The skeletal rock faces glower in the purple slants of sunset. Pitting myself to face Vesper, Jan and the rampaging Reds, The Greening and its environs feel more like a battlefield than home.
Chapter 28
From the sky, it’s evident that the Fireseed has burned whole swaths of its own kind since we left. This must be the third time they’ve set themselves on fire. Our intense turmoil out on the coast must’ve upset them. Narrow coils of smoke still drift up from the field, though it looks as if the blaze is out. It’s a wonder how the plants can burn and then manage to tamp out before setting fire to the school. The human or plant in them?
Bea races down the path to the glider and folds me into a hug. Radius follows.
“Am I ever glad you guys are back,” she groans. “This place is falling apart.” Her face is set in a grimace of worry. I’ve only seen her this upset on the day I woke from my fever coma.
I hate that I can’t dispel her worries, especially after we tell her what Jan did to Dr. Varik and to Nevada.
She clamps a hand over her mouth. “My god! That’s so heartless.”
“I’m glad you took Nevada somewhere safe,” Radius says as we start to walk to the school. He snorts. “Jan and Vesper don’t relish following orders. They tried to convince me I was a fool to believe they did anything wrong, a fool to be loyal to you. When that didn’t work, they tried to bribe me with money.” He laughs. “But that didn’t work because we’re holding their money now.” Blane chuckles along with Radius. We need a little gallows humor now and then.
I glance over at the Fireseed field. “No Reds. Wonder what made them calm down?”
Bea stares up at the sky. “Wow, I’ve been so traumatized I haven’t noticed, but yeah.”
Thorn tugs on my arm. “They hear me.”
“They hear you?”
He nods, and on cue, dozens of Reds alight from the field and fly in that amazing V formation toward Thorn, their child king. It’s clear now that Blane was right: without the spiky NanoPearl bug in his head, Thorn can talk to the Reds and they, him. No more static interference, no more stealing his thoughts.
They settle on his arms, on the crown of his head, and a relieved thrumming commences.
At the compound, Radius cooks us a meal of sautéed Fireagar and sea potatoes. I’m not so hungry but I know the work I’m about to do will require massive reserves. I even remember to take a dose of Dr. Varik’s liquid vitamins with my meal. While we eat, Radius ferries food up to our captives. Bea has a helpful, reliable boyfriend and I tell her that.
We discuss the decision to transform in order to work collectively. Armonk is all for it. I hug him to show how grateful I am for his help, and how important he is to me, even though I’m bound to someone else. The fierce look of loyalty and love in his eyes tells me he gets it.