The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 72
They walked for hours without talking. The scorching heat in Brinatin was a feeling she wasn't used to. Her home in Aleva was often chilly and, even in the summer, it never reached anything like the heat she was experiencing in Brinatin. She had been so looking forward to it but now she was beginning to resent the weather, particularly since she was still dressed in most of her winter clothes from Glacio.
By midday her brow was sweating profusely and her calves were burning. As they rose to the crest of a cliff, she pulled back firmly on the rope attached to Hector.
"Stop. I need to catch my breath," she demanded, panting.
Hector turned and nodded stiffly, dropping slowly down onto a rock as if he were in pain. She collapsed to the floor and let her head lay back in the soft grass.
The cliff overlooked a turquoise sea and far below them was another sandy beach that ran for miles along the coast. There wasn't a soul in sight.
"I suppose you're never going to tell me where we're going, are you?" she tried for the hundredth time.
"I don't suppose I am, no," Hector said, dropping his pack to the floor and rifling through it.
He retrieved two bottles of water, walked over and took her chin in his hand. She let him tip her head back and pour water down her throat. It was warm but she was grateful for the hydration. He took the water away and sat down next to her in the grass, pulling out a bag of nuts from his pocket. He ate a few then dropped some into her mouth and repeated this until they were all gone.
Hector took out a cigarette and Quinn watched him while he smoked. Unlike the vile smell of cigarettes in Aleva, Hector's had a sweet aroma that was starting to grow on her.
Hector stubbed out the butt and his hand moved to the gun in his waistband absentmindedly.
"Are you going to kill me?" Quinn asked more bravely than she felt.
He frowned at her again. "No."
Her shoulders dropped and she felt a little foolish for asking. If he had wanted to kill her, she'd be dead already. "I don't get it. What use am I to you?"
"Let's keep moving," he said, returning to his feet.
Anger burned beneath her skin. "No. Tell me where you're taking me."
"Get up."
"No. I won't."
Hector grabbed her by each shoulder and lifted her onto her feet. He began walking away so the rope tugged at her. She leant back with all her weight but he continued to drag her forwards. She dropped to the ground and Hector pulled her a few feet before he stopped and looked around.
"Get up," he growled.
"No. Not until you give me some answers," she said, clenching her jaw.
He stormed back towards her and she jutted up her chin as he towered above her. She squeaked in surprise as he lifted her over his shoulder and held her by the legs. She wriggled furiously but it was no use. She thumped him with her bound hands but he didn't respond.
"Put me down, right now!" she demanded.
He ignored her and kept walking, adjusting his hold so her stomach lay over his shoulder. She began kicking furiously but he held her in such a way that she couldn't get in a good shot.
"I really hate you," she muttered, defeated.
12
The Experiment
Wallace placed his fingers on the door handle to the basement, glancing around at them. "Stand back."
Oliver, May and Ely took a hesitant step away. May was holding a basket which had two rats inside, both squeaking and scratching.
Wallace unlocked the door and twisted the handle. He wrenched it back and tensed, ready to fight.
When nothing appeared, Wallace descended into the basement and Ely followed him at a distance. Oliver and May held back for a moment then headed after them into the burnt-out room below the house.
"STOP!" Ely shouted back to them. "Don't come down here- there's a Pincer vark!" He cried out with effort and a flash of red illuminated the staircase.
Oliver froze and put an arm out to stop May coming down the stairs behind him.
The vibration of the creature thrummed inside Oliver's head, blurring his vision. He turned and pushed May back up the steps, making her stumble as she moved.
Oliver remembered the sharp blades on the Pincer vark he had encountered back in Aleva and moved quicker up the stairs.
An eerie, high-pitched screech sounded. A shadow was cast on the wall of the six-legged vark then the vibration disappeared. Oliver paused at the top of the staircase and turned back, his heart galloping in his chest.
"Ely? Are you alright?" he called.
"Yes," Ely panted. "Wallace caught a glance though. You can come down now."
Oliver hurried back downstairs with May close behind and turned the corner into the laboratory. Wallace was leant against the wall. His face was screwed up as he tightly gripped his forearm. Green light emitted beneath it and blood squeezed out between his fingers. Wallace gasped with relief and let go of his arm.
"Right, bring the rats here. Let's get on," Wallace said, wiping his bloody hand down his trouser leg.
May reluctantly placed the rats on a worktop that was mostly intact.
Wallace tutted. "Let me clear up a bit," he muttered, waving his palms over the surface.
The ash disappeared and the worktop returned to a clean, wipe-down surface. He opened the basket and took out the first rat, wrapping his palm around its middle. The rat was black with white streaks and seemed docile as if it were often handled. Wallace stroked its head and its eyes lolled.
"You're not going to hurt them are you?" May asked as Wallace fished the second rat out of the basket. This one was cream.
"If this works the first time they'll be fine. But the track record is pretty grim for the rats I'm afraid." Wallace frowned.
May looked disgruntled, folding her arms.
"The problem is we need some way of attracting a vark to the rat when we send it through to Vale," Wallace said thoughtfully.
"Is there anything varks like?" Oliver asked, eyeing the cream rat as it climbed up onto Wallace's shoulder.
"Blood?" Ely suggested, raising his eyebrows at Wallace.
"Hmm. That could actually work," Wallace said, snapping his fingers. "That's what they love about the human worlds, spilling blood. Hold these." He held out the rats.
May took the black and white one and began tickling its chin fondly. Oliver took the cream rat and it scrabbled up onto his shoulder, seemingly feeling safer at a height.
Wallace took hold of the rat Oliver had, gripping its leg and raising a finger above it. "I'll just make a small incision..."
Oliver placed a hand protectively on his rat, stepping away. "No way. Not happening."
May gasped and hugged her rat to her chest.
Wallace sighed and shook his head. "I knew I shouldn't have given you the rats."
Ely chuckled softly.
"If the rat needs to have blood on it he can have mine," May said, stroking the animal's head.
Oliver frowned. "What? You're not cutting yourself. I'll do it."
"You can't protect me from everything Olly." May thrusted her hand out to Wallace who shrugged, slitting her thumb open in a flash. She rubbed the blood around on the rat's fur then he healed her.
"A girl who bleeds so a rat doesn't have to." Wallace shook his head in amusement, taking the animal from her. "Perhaps human blood will be more effective anyway."
He plucked the cream rat from Oliver's shoulder and placed them next to each other on the counter.
"I'm afraid I'll have to cut them a little but I'll make sure it doesn't hurt, alright?" Wallace said.
May frowned but nodded.
Wallace ran a palm over both rats so they immobilised then ran a green light down each of their right legs. He made a small incision on their limbs and the rats blinked uncaringly, their whiskers twitching as they looked at each other.
Wallace muttered under his breath and held his palms over the tiny cuts on their legs. Blood travelled from the black and white rat on a wave of light then touched the wound on the other rat's leg. Black veins slithered up the limb then travelled under its chest.
Wallace dropped his palms. "All done. Now we send the black and white rat through the rift."
"How do you do that?" Ely asked, eyeing the rodents.
Wallace placed the cream rat back inside the basket then picked the black and white one up and moved to the back wall. He lifted his palm and waved it slowly through the air at head height. He closed his eyes and side-stepped, working across the wall.
"Here," he said, stopping abruptly. "Let's hope this works." He lifted the rat up to meet his other hand which was hovering just in front of his face then dropped it in mid-air. It fell half an inch then disappeared as if it had fallen into an invisible bag.
"Now what?" Oliver asked.
"Now we wait."
"For how long?" May asked.
Wallace shrugged. "Could be minutes, could be hours. You can go back upstairs. I want to make some notes and monitor the vital signs of the cream rat."
Oliver hesitated, looking at May.
"Don't worry I'll call you back down if I make any progress," Wallace said as he spotted the look.
"Come on," Ely said, moving over to nudge Oliver.
They returned to the hallway and closed the door behind them.
"Let's find the others," May said, heading up the stairs as Ely walked off toward the lounge.
Oliver followed and they emerged in the wide corridor. He glanced at his sister and noticed her face had paled.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She shook her head. "What Wallace just did to the rats, someone must have done that to me."
Oliver frowned at the thought, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. "But you can't remember anything?"
She screwed up her forehead as if straining to remember. "Nothing. My first memories are of you and Mum. Before then it's like a haze. There's vague things. I can remember sunlight, but more the feel of it...it's hard to explain. Like the memories are there but I can't see them."
Oliver nodded. "Does it bother you? Not knowing where you came from?"
She frowned. "I'd like to know. I'm curious, but I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything because I have no memory of what life was like before."
Anna appeared around a corner before Oliver could answer. She smiled at them. "Hey, how'd it go?"
Oliver shrugged. "Wallace sent a rat to Vale hoping a vark attaches to it. You know, the usual."
Anna laughed. "How long before we know if it's worked?"
"He doesn't know," May said anxiously, fiddling with her hands.
"Let's get something to eat," Oliver said, steering her back towards the stairs. He knocked on Rogan's door as they passed it. "Get up you lazy sod!"
An angry grunt sounded in response and Oliver shook his head with a smile.
A vibration hummed inside Oliver's head and his blood ran cold. He blinked as a shadow loomed over Anna then darted across the ceiling. May snatched his wrist, dragging him back a step.
The vark dropped into the space between them and Anna, its body long and its gait low so its belly rubbed along the ground. Its face was shadowy and indistinct but, when it opened its mouth, a series of serrated teeth spiralled in circles inside it. Sweat gathered in Oliver's palms at the sight.
It had limbs all over its body so it could move in any direction. It rolled to one side then scuttled towards them. Its back legs crawled up the wall but its head remained in line as its body twisted about it. It ran along the wall, snapping its jaw with a metallic sound as the teeth clashed together. Oliver ducked and May tugged him over to the opposite wall, his heart thudding against his chest.
The vark changed direction and rushed towards Anna who screamed and darted aside to avoid its attack. Oliver gasped as the creature swung up onto the ceiling, its long body dangling down in front of her.
"MOVE!" Oliver cried, detaching May's hand from his wrist and running towards Anna.
Anna dodged two, jaw-snapping strikes and stumbled backwards.
"ROGAN!" May screamed in desperation.
Anna ducked and grabbed for something behind her. She swung the plant pot as the vark lunged forwards, detaching from the ceiling and flying through the air.
The pot smashed into the vark's head. It screeched a high-pitched squeal and disappeared. Oliver dropped to the floor and crawled forward to join Anna. She was panting heavily as he pulled her to his chest. She gripped his shoulders tightly and peered down the corridor.
The vibration returned, joining Oliver's thundering pulse inside his ears. He snapped his head around to search for the vark.
It appeared next to May's feet and lunged for her ankle. She screamed in pain and crashed to the ground. Oliver was on his feet in seconds, desperately charging towards her.
Streaks of lightning burst over his head and struck the creature with such force that the floorboards shuddered beneath his feet. The vark screeched wildly, writhed on the floor then vanished, leaving a large, smoking hole in the wood.
Oliver dropped to his knees beside May and gasped as he spotted the wound on her leg. Panic flooded him at the sight of the ragged skin that had been cut by serrated teeth. Blood seeped onto the floor. May cried out, her face screwed up from the pain.
"It's okay," Oliver said, trying to remain calm. He tugged off his shirt, pressing the material to the endless stream of blood. His heart pounded against his ribcage. He needed help. "Rogan?" He turned to see Anna and Rogan hurrying towards them.
Rogan knelt beside them wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
"Is it bad?" May asked, gasping in deep breaths and screwing up her eyes.
Oliver nodded at Rogan and gently peeled his shirt off of May's leg. May threw her head back, gritting her teeth to stop herself from screaming. Rogan placed his hands on the wound and her leg jerked but he held on tightly. He frowned with concentration as green light emitted from his palm and the wound healed.
May fell back onto the floor, sighing as he removed his hands. "Thank you," she breathed.
The sound of pounding footsteps came up the stairs and Wallace appeared. "Where is it? Tell me you didn't banish it?"
"What?" Oliver asked, his mind in a whirl.
"The vark. Where is it?"
"It attacked May. She could've been killed," Rogan growled, getting to his feet.
"But the experiment-" Wallace began.
"What good is the experiment if she's dead?" Rogan snapped, approaching his father and squaring his shoulders.
"It was an accident. Sometimes the varks escape the basement. I told you it was dangerous here," Wallace said, raising his hands up to warn Rogan off. He looked thinner than ever standing before Rogan's sturdy form.
"It's okay, I'm fine," May said, getting up and carefully avoiding the pool of blood on the floor.
Oliver stood, glaring at Wallace. Anna quickly gripped his arm to stop him from approaching the man.
Wallace eyed him warily. "You knew a vark was going to come through."
Oliver gritted his teeth. "You could've warned us to stay with Rogan or Ely. We can't defend ourselves against those things."
Wallace nodded, taking a small step backwards. "I'm sorry. I should have been more thoughtful. Rogan, stay with your friends."
Rogan grimaced at him. "Bit late now."
The vibration returned and Wallace ran past them. Oliver spun around and saw the vark reemerge at the far end of the corridor.
Wallace threw his hands up and a strange, blue light engulfed the vark, immobilising it in mid-air. He twisted his hands and threw them down purposefully. The vark disappeared with a screech.
"Where did it go?" Anna asked, wildly looking around the corridor.
"I've returned it to the basement. Don't worry I've got a good hold on it," Wallace said, wiping his sweaty palms down his trouser legs.
"What's next with the experiment?" May asked, protectively folding her arms across her body.
"I'll monitor the rats. Ely's idea worked perfectly. That Crawler vark is linked to the rat that came back from Vale. The other one is still alive. We have an exact replica of what we think is happening with you and Rimori, May." Wallace looked excited.
"May's life is in danger. How can you be so happy about this?" Rogan snarled.
"Forgive me. This is a breakthrough in my work. And if I can break the link on those rats so both survive I can do the same for you, May."
She nodded and smiled at him but it didn't touch her eyes. Oliver could tell she was overwhelmed.
"I'd better get back to it. I'll let you know if there are any developments," Wallace said and walked back downstairs.
"You okay?" Rogan muttered to May.
She nodded and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. He pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her head. She relaxed in his grip and leant against the bare skin of his chest.
Anna moved toward Oliver and he put an arm around her, planting a soft kiss in her hair.
13
Beneath the Waves
Hector walked for hours with Quinn held over his shoulder and, after screaming, kicking and wriggling, she had finally gone quiet and limp. She decided to try one more tactic.
Quinn sobbed.
She put on her best acting and even forced tears down her cheeks. She watched as they fell from her face to the sandy ground below. She whimpered a little when he didn't respond.
Hector kept walking and anger rose in her chest again. She stopped crying and several minutes later he dropped her unceremoniously to the floor.
"We'll camp here tonight," he said.
They had descended to a gap between two cliffs that led out to a golden beach. The sand ran in towards them mixed with high grasses that gave them good cover. Hector set about collecting dry plant material to burn. He walked out to the beach and returned a few moments later with a pile of driftwood which he arranged into a triangle in front of her.
Quinn sighed. Her feet burned with the heat and she longed to press them into the sand that she imagined would be cool under the shade of the cliff. The thick snow boots made her feet itch from a heat rash.
