Secrets of Stone and Sea, page 20
“Everything has its weakness,” Grandma said, spinning around to blast a new group of creatures with the flashlight. “If you look carefully, you see what it is.”
Peter was the careful one. If he’d been here, would Kai and Grandma have gotten into this mess? Was there something Peter would have seen that would have let them reach that seal on Bigfoot’s chest?
“We have to get the seal,” Kai said.
Grandma smiled at him. “Leave that to me. Just hold the light right there.”
Kai took the flashlight, balancing it and Grandma’s pack in his hands. Grandma pulled a road flare out of the bag, and, grinning, lit it.
Then Kai watched as his grandmother, wearing a sweatshirt that said FUN IN THE SUN with a picture of a smiling beach umbrella, and carrying her cane sword and road flare, yelled, “For the Library of Alexandria!” and leaped at Bigfoot, bad leg and all.
Kai didn’t expect it. And clearly Bigfoot hadn’t, either. Bigfoot collapsed as Grandma struck him right below the seal. When Kai shone the flashlight on them both, he saw Grandma’s sword stuck in Bigfoot’s shoulder. It was in deep, pinning the beast to the ground.
“I’ve got him!” Grandma said. “Go, Kai! Take the light. Find your brother. Let’s end this.” She swept the flare along the ground beside her, lighting a fire and keeping the creatures at bay.
Coolest. Grandma. Ever.
Kai tore away, the flashlight in one hand and Grandma’s bag in the other. Kai had been useless during that fight, unable to act. Without Grandma’s help, he would have been toast.
And now Grandma was still there, fighting off those creatures alone. What if Kai couldn’t find Peter in time? What if getting the seal cost them Grandma?
Kai ran harder, chasing the place where he’d seen the blue light. If it was weird and magical, it was probably Peter.
He skidded to a stop when he saw Sophie sitting by a large hole in the ground, trying to twist vines into a rope. “Sophie! Where’s Peter?”
Sophie pointed into the hole. Sick, afraid of what he’d see, Kai looked down.
“He’s fine,” Sophie said. Her shirt was covered with burn marks, and she looked exhausted. “We both are. We found the seal and activated it. But then the ground fell. He’s down there. I didn’t want to leave for help, in case I couldn’t find this place again, but we need a rope.”
“I have Grandma’s.” Kai handed her Grandma’s backpack, and Sophie pulled out a length of rope. “I’ll go get him,” Kai said. “You tie this up so we can get out.”
And then Kai climbed over the side and slid down the wall into the pit below, flashlight tucked under his arm.
He had to find Peter. Grandma needed his brother now, and after Kai had failed her so badly, he could actually do something.
Kai turned a corner and found Peter, sticking colorful crystals into a metal matrix. “Peter!”
His twin turned around. “Oh, hey, Kai. Look at this.”
“We don’t have time. Grandma’s in trouble. We found the seal, but—” Kai noticed the mural on the wall. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah, it’s the sinking of Atlantis. I think this metal thing is part of it, though.”
Kai examined the mural. The sea creature was depicted on the left side, rising from the water over the island. Atlantis itself was crumbling, a deep crack cutting through its center as it split apart. But what Kai found interesting was that at the bottom of the crack was a structure that looked like an ancient Greek temple, with an empty pedestal inside it. It too had split in half. Tiny human figures stood on each side, but whether they were trying to put the temple back together or tear it apart, Kai didn’t know. Without a written language, he couldn’t interpret the story the mural was telling.
“What was that about Grandma?” Peter asked.
“Grandma needs our help, like, immediately. Once Sophie finishes tying off the rope, we need to leave and help Grandma. I don’t know how long her fire will protect her.”
“Right.” Peter bent and picked up another crystal.
Kai wanted to strangle him. “What are you doing?”
“This is the last one. It will only take a minute. And I need to see.”
Peter put the last crystal in its slot. Nothing happened.
“Okay, you fixed it,” Kai said. “Let’s go.”
The metal web, now full of crystals, looked like stained glass. Was that the answer? Kai raised the flashlight and shone it through the matrix.
There was the mural showing the Sea, raging over the island of Atlantis, sinking it. But, a second image, created from light, had appeared on the right side of the island.
It was a tall, humanoid being that looked more like a tree than a person. Leafy vines covered its body like clothing, and it stretched long, knotted arms over Atlantis. While the Sea flooded Atlantis with waves, this creature seemed to be tearing it apart with stony claws.
Kai sucked in his breath. “What is that?”
Peter walked toward the mural. “I don’t know. But I think that’s what we’ve been releasing with all these seals.”
“No, no. We’ve been sealing away the Sea. Why else would the Sea try to destroy the seal at Dogtown?”
But the answer came to him as soon as he asked the question: It hates that thing. It wanted it locked away for good. He could see it in the way the waves rose against the other creature, in the way the tree creature swiped a clawed hand at the Sea. They were fighting each other. Atlantis just got caught in the middle.
All the strange pieces that didn’t fit came together for Kai at that moment. The way the sign for “sea” also meant “twin.” All the doubles and pairs in the messages and poems. The riddle the last woman at Salem gave him: as alike as land is to sea.
The way the Sea only seemed to lose its temper when Kai referenced what it called the “filthy” land.
These two beings were Sea … and Land.
“They both sank Atlantis,” Kai said.
But why? How did the island fall victim to a fight between gods—the literal embodiments of Land and Sea? Kai looked at that image of the underground temple again. He rummaged in Grandma’s bag until he found her camera. He snapped some pictures of the mural. Maybe later, he could compare them to the scans Mom sent and figure out what he was missing.
By the mural, Peter touched the creature made of light. “Every time I activate a seal, I feel a release. Not a binding. We’re letting something go. We have the whole time.”
Kai nodded. Peter was right. All this time, he’d been right.
Peter ran his hand along the picture, stopping at the small figure of a human at the heart of the light image, its hands raised in a strange echo of the land creature’s grasping reach. “We have to stop activating the seals,” Peter said.
Kai was about to nod again, and agree, but then he remembered. “No! We have to activate one more. Grandma’s in danger. If we activate the sixth seal, she’ll be safe.”
“And after that?”
“We stop.” Kai looked at the mural, of Sea and Land fighting, tearing an island apart. “We can’t let this happen.”
But what about the Sea? How do we stop it?
Kai would have to figure that out later. For now, Grandma needed Peter, and they needed to prevent this Land creature from escaping its prison. They’d already raised one monster. Kai wouldn’t do it again.
“It can’t escape with only six seals broken,” Kai said. “Right?”
“I guess,” Peter said. “Okay. Let’s help Grandma.”
Peter ran back toward Sophie, but Kai lingered a moment longer. They’d almost set this other monster free, all because Kai wouldn’t listen to Peter. He could have unleashed another creature that would have cost them everything, all because he didn’t stop to think.
But now he knew better and everyone would be safe. They had a whole extra day to find another way to put the Sea back.
Yeah. They could do this.
Kai switched off the flashlight, banishing the Land creature, and left the chamber.
CHAPTER 26
THE SEVENTH SEAL
PETER
Sophie was waiting with the rope by the time Peter got back to her. Without a word, he jumped up onto the rope and started climbing, bracing his feet against the wall of the pit. Sophie helped, pulling him up.
“Where’s Kai?” she asked.
“Coming,” Peter said. “I have to find Grandma, now. Kai said she lit a fire?”
They both looked around until Peter noticed a column of smoke through the trees. “There. I have to go. You stay and help Kai up.”
“Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?”
Peter shook his head. “I’ve got this. See you soon.”
With that, he ran into the trees toward the smoke and, hopefully, Grandma. He made sure not to pass the parking lot where Dad waited.
Peter didn’t want Dad involved. Not with his bad arm. And he wasn’t going to let Grandma get hurt, too, because he was late arriving with his ability to activate seals.
This would be six seals down, one to go. Six seals holding back another monster, broken, and only one keeping the line. But it would be okay. Peter wouldn’t activate the seventh, and Kai was on his side now. They’d stop, and no one would be hurt again.
As long as they stopped the Sea, too. Peter pushed his frustration into his feet, running harder. He had no idea how to stop the Sea. But there had to be a way, right?
Wow, he was thinking like Kai, expecting a solution to just exist. Odds were good they’d just have to sound an alarm and get everyone to move far enough inland to stay safe while the Sea threw its tantrum and hope it ended soon.
At least they wouldn’t have to contend with two monsters.
Peter turned a corner and saw Grandma kneeling on top of what seemed to be a huge, mossy log. Fire encircled her, as did a crowd of enormous spiders, snakes, and dogs.
Peter stumbled back. So this was what Kai had been facing?
Every time the creatures attacked her, Grandma hacked at them with her sword. Her face was stone, set in an expression of determination, but her arms shook and sweat gleamed on her face. She was tiring.
“Grandma!”
She turned to face him. “About time, Peter. Get over here!”
Grandma tossed him a bronze dagger, which fell at his feet. Peter picked it up. The weight felt almost too heavy, and its edge was stained with blood. He wasn’t sure he wanted to use it.
But what choice did he have? Swinging the blade in front of him, Peter raced toward Grandma. Spiders crunched under his feet, and a dog yelped when Peter grazed it with the knife.
The fire blazed in front of him. Peter hesitated for just a moment, and then gathered his will and jumped even before Grandma told him to.
Then he was on the log with her. Nope, not a log. The moss was thick hair, and the thing below it had arms and legs and a torso that bucked and squirmed. Peter was amazed Grandma managed to stay on for so long.
Peter looked at the thing’s apelike face. “Is this Bigfoot?”
“It’s on his chest,” Grandma said. “The seal. Get it!”
There it was. Dark brown, like a brand, against the fur. Peter narrowly avoided being thrown off Bigfoot and brought his hand down on the seal.
That smell of warm earth, stronger now. This time, as the images of the Sea poured through him, Peter sensed another mind, one burning with anger, watching the memories. And watching Peter.
It knows I’m here.
Then the connection ended, and the chaos of the horde of animals stopped like an instantly muted TV. Peter looked around and saw nothing but dust and ash floating in the air where the monsters once were.
Bigfoot stopped moving, too. When Peter looked back, the brown fur turned gray and Bigfoot, too, collapsed into dust. The seal was broken, and he and Grandma were safe.
“Very good, Peter,” Grandma said. The fire around them was dying, and Grandma stepped over the last embers to wipe her sword on the closest patch of nondusty grass. She examined the blade. “First time this thing has seen battle, other than some gentleman’s duel. Now this is how you respect a weapon.” She raised it high, arm still shaking, and then sheathed the sword.
Then she sank to the ground. Peter rushed to her, but Grandma waved him off. “Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I just overexerted this leg of mine. A small price to pay for getting another seal. One more to go, right?”
No. That was the last one. Peter brushed dust off his hands. “Let’s just go,” he said. “Is Dad at the car?”
“He lost the coin toss. Probably still pouting about it.” Grandma smiled, and she stood shakily. She wrapped Peter in a hug, and then they wandered back to the parking lot.
When Dad saw them, he got out of the car. “Where’s Kai?”
“I had him, but we had to make a switch,” Grandma said. “On account of Peter being the only one who can activate the seals.”
“Hey!” Kai was emerging from the trees with Sophie, carrying her fallen drone, at his side. “We got both seals. Time to leave.”
Dad smiled. “One to go, right? When it shows up, we’ll end this once and for all.”
Peter and Kai shot each other glances. “Um, about that,” Kai said.
“We’re not breaking any more seals,” Peter said.
The others stared at him. “What?” Sophie asked.
“Because you don’t know where the last seal is?” Dad asked. “The riddle said it would appear once the first six were activated. That should be anytime now. We just have to watch.”
Peter shook his head. “The seals aren’t what we thought they were. They’re not sealing back the Sea. They’re stopping something else.”
Kai stepped in. “There’s another monster. We’re not activating seals. We’re breaking them. If we keep going, we’ll release another monster. One I don’t think the Sea likes very much.”
“What are you saying?” Grandma said, arms folded. Her gentle, grandmotherly demeanor had been replaced with the warrior Peter saw fighting off the giant creatures. “You’re just going to stop? You’re going to let the sea monster flood the land?”
Grandma’s house was just a taste of what would happen to her whole town if they didn’t stop the Sea. Peter’s stomach twisted and goose bumps broke out over his skin. He sat on the hood of the car.
“No, of course not! I’m just saying that Peter and I found this cave that told us there’s another creature and Atlantis got caught in a grudge match and that’s why it sank! See, look!” He pulled out the camera and passed it to the adults. “I got pictures. We don’t want the same thing to happen to Seaspire.”
Grandma took the camera and opened the image. Her brow crinkled, and she showed the pictures to Dad.
“It’s … concerning,” Dad said. “But I feel like I’m missing something. Why would the monsters fight over Atlantis?”
“We don’t know, but they did. Two huge monsters. Now we know activating the seals isn’t the right way to save the world. We have to find another way.”
“The full moon is tomorrow!” Sophie said.
“Are you sure you’re right?” Dad said to Kai. “Are you absolutely sure that your interpretation was correct?”
“You can see it. Make your own interpretation.” Kai rubbed his face. “From the start, something hasn’t been adding up. There was always more to the story. Now we know what it is.”
Peter’s head spun. He felt like he’d been swimming for too long, dazed without air. He pressed a hand against his heaving stomach and took deep, careful breaths. His skin prickled, and he wondered if he was about to throw up.
Dad touched Kai’s shoulder. “Did you see an inscription telling you all about this other creature?”
“No. But the mural is pretty clear.”
“It does look bad. But we don’t know why Atlantis got torn apart. Maybe they did something wrong, and we can avoid their mistakes.” Dad stepped back and rubbed his cast. “Look,” he said. “Let’s look into the history, and when the seventh seal appears we’ll make note of it. We’ll make our decision then.”
“It doesn’t matter where the seventh seal appears,” Kai said. “Peter and I aren’t going to activate it.”
“Not even to save the world?”
“It won’t save anything! It will only make it worse. Right, Peter?”
Peter fell off the car, clutching at his shirt.
He wasn’t nauseous. This was something else. His chest burned.
“Peter!” Kai was next to him in an instant. “What’s going on?”
“I’m … burning.” Peter felt like someone was carving his skin with a hot knife.
“Stand back, Kai.” Dad was there, helping Peter sit up.
The burning, itching feeling was unbearable. Peter, gasping, pulled up his shirt, expecting almost to see fire ants crawling all over him. Weirder things had happened in the past week.
Instead, the whole family fell silent, staring. Peter looked down at his own chest, at the bright red binding symbol vivid on his rib cage.
It was him. Peter was the seventh seal.
CHAPTER 27
PEACE OR TRUTH
PETER
The drive home from the Bridgewater Triangle was awkward, with Dad refusing to look anywhere but the road, Kai staring at the binding word but trying to pretend he wasn’t, Grandma talking a mile a minute about ancient rituals and how they worked or didn’t work, and Sophie holding Peter’s hands so he wouldn’t accidentally touch the seal and break it.
Not that he would. As tempting as it was to touch the seal, see if it felt like the rest of his skin, Peter knew very well that every other seal he’d touched had been destroyed.
And the rest of his family knew it, too. That’s why everyone was yelling now. They’d gone back to the bed-and-breakfast and locked the door while they debated what to do next.
Peter sat against the wall, hands behind his head, eyes closed, seal no longer painful but still there under his shirt, branded on his chest.
“If he touches that thing, he could die!” Kai said. “We can’t allow that.”
