CHAPTER SIX

I knock on the door to Counselor Levi’s office.

The sun has already risen. All the students are in their barracks, and classes are cancelled for the day.

Levi looks tired when he looks up. “Oh, it’s you. Do you need something?”

I’ve tried my hardest to keep it together after we were sent back to the barracks without any confirmation on who the missing student was. Deep in my heart, I know the answer. But I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t rest without being sure.

“Did you find the missing student?”

Levi’s expression goes blank and that gives me all the answer I needed to know. My heart sinks in cold fear.

“Go back to your barrack.”

“It’s Jesse, isn’t it?” I persist, my hands clammy. “Jesse is the one who’s missing.”

Levi gets to his feet, his expression tense. “I told you to return to your barrack!”

“He tried to save me!” I burst out. “He distracted them while I went to sound the alarm!”

“Taylor—”

“Is anyone even looking for him?!”

“Of course, we are,” Levi gives me a sharp look. “And don’t get any bright ideas. Do you understand? ‘Till we figure out how the islands were infiltrated, you are all confined to your barracks where you can be protected.”

“But—”

“Enough!” Levi gets to his feet with a roar. “What part of stay inside your barrack do you not understand, Taylor?! We have enough problems on our hands right now. Before anything, the safety of the many comes before the few. The islands have to be shielded first!”

“But what about Jesse?!”

“We’ll get to Jesse!” Levi looks like he’s on the edge of his rope. “There are more urgent things to tend to! Now go back! And don’t try anything stupid. We have enough problems without you students adding to them.”

I can see I won’t get anywhere with him.

To be honest, all the counselors guarding the islands are tense and snipy.

I decide to retreat.

Returning to the barrack, I see Quill sitting cross-legged on my bed. Beth and Isabel are sitting on their respective beds while Kathleen and Susan are perched on two of the desks.

“What did he say?”

I sink on one of the empty beds. “Nothing. They’re trying to enforce the security around the islands first. Jesse is an afterthought. They’re not even looking for him yet.”

“Did he say that?!” Susan looks outraged.

“No,” I shake my head. “He said they were looking for him, but the safety of the islands comes first.”

“Which means whatever search party is out there is barely doing anything,” Quill shakes his head in disgust.

“I’m sorry, Taylor,” Beth comes over to sit next to me.

“I can’t just sit on my hands,” I say, slowly. “The only people who’re interested in anything on this island are the ones from this organization that Rachel was a part of. They want those limbs hidden inside the vaults.”

It was Rachel who let spill this secret. The vaults each hold a severed limb from an ancient evil. This organization is trying to collect them to revive this evil.

“If that’s the case,” Quill looks at me, “why kidnap Jesse? Why not just go directly into the tunnels?”

“Because it’s not easy to open the vaults,” I admit. “Jesse seems to know a lot about these vaults, more so than anybody aside from the Director. Rachel probably knew that.”

“You think Rachel is involved with this?” Susan sounds wary.

“You don’t?” I shoot back.

A heavy silence follows my outburst and then Isabel finally speaks up. She doesn’t know much about anything but since we can’t kick her out, she’s now a part of this conversation, “Even if you want to save your boyfriend—”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Quill corrects her irritably.

She just rolls her eyes and continues, “Even if she wants to do that, there is no possible way of knowing where they took him. You would be going on a wild goose chase. They have a solid head start ahead of you. Maybe you should let the counselors deal with this.”

“I mean that’s not entirely true,” Kathleen suddenly speaks up. “There is a way to track him.”

All heads whip in her direction, and I get to my feet, all the breath leaving my body. “What do you mean? Do you know a way to track Jesse?! Can you track him?”

“I can’t,” Kathleen shakes her head, “but you can.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kathleen shrugs, “Well, the black orb from yesterday. It let you touch it. I’ve spent a lot of time in the library, reading. Black orbs are different from locator orbs. They link themselves to people allowed to touch them. They’re sentient beings. If you summon it, it’ll come to you. All you have to do is ask it to lead you to Jesse. It should be able to do that.”

“Are you for real?” Quill gapes at her.

“But if that’s true,” Susan looks around at everyone, “wouldn’t the Director or the counselors be doing that as well?”

“I don’t know,” Kathleen looks hesitant. “They might be. But black orbs are attracted to raw power.” She gives me a meaningful look as she says that. “You can try and summon it. If it comes to you, then it will be able to help you. If not, then it’s pointless.”

“Why don’t you try it now?” Susan suggests.

“How?”

“You have to call for it in your head,” Kathleen doesn’t look entirely sure. “I think.”

I close my eyes and try, but nothing happens.

I’m drawing a blank.

Frustrated, I open my eyes. “Well, this is useless. I have to do something! How about tracking Jesse’s scent. We all have heightened senses. Surely, we can follow Jesse’s trail.”

Quill looks doubtful. “Maybe. But we don’t know which way they went once they crossed the water. Or if they had some car or something waiting for them. There are too many variables here. How will you even get off this island? I don’t think this is a good idea, Taylor. For once, I think we should let the counselors handle this situation. I mean this organization has no problem with killing students. They killed a counselor just a few months ago, remember?”

This organization is ruthless. Following a series of attacks on the students inside the tunnels, the Director has brought in someone to investigate, under the guise of a counselor. That counselor died at the hands of an assassin who had been aiming to kill me.

I look around at all the faces around me. They all look wary and resistant.

My jaw hardens.

I can’t leave Jesse out there, alone. There’s no knowing what these monsters are doing to him! However, if nobody will help me, that’s also fine. I won’t leave him to fend for himself.

In this moment, I don’t care what he did to me, that he walked away from me. All I know is that the guy I love is out there, probably being tortured. This organization that Rachel works for is no joke. They won’t care that Jesse is a student.

They’re willing to hurt anyone and everyone if it means getting this ancient evil back in this world.

Deluded little freaks!

I let out a shaky breath. I have to find a way off these islands, fast!

***

Everyone is asleep when I climb out of bed, my bag pack in hand.

As I head out, holding my shoes, bare feet barely making a sound, I close the door behind me. The shield around the islands has not been fixed yet. I should be able to sneak off. Heading to the Level Three island, I sift through all the various scents until I find Jesse’s. It’s faint since most of the counselors have been combing through this area.

I follow the scent to the edge of the pier and realize they must have taken a boat.

Looking across the water, I realize that the heavy fog that obscured the vision of what is on the other side is no longer there. Maybe I can take a boat across!

It’s dark, and the terrain is different on the Level Three island. Too many sharp, jagged rocks. I try not to injure myself as I flash my light around. There aren’t any boats here, and the ones I do see are motorboats which will raise far too much attention.

I need something that won’t make any noise.

Walking along the pier, I finally see a boat with a broken oar lying within it. I eye it for a minute. I can make do with this.

Jumping in, I make a face when the boat sways, a heavy splashing sound coming from the side. Picking up the oar, I set it aside and look for where the boat is tied. The knot is secure. A little too secure.

I try to undo it, but somebody really went to town on it.

“Who were they trying to protect this boat from?” I hiss as my fingers ache as I try to pull the rope free.

When nothing works, I unleash my claws and begin slicing at the rope. Finally, its thread begins to fall in the boat.

I’m nearly done with one piece of the rope when I hear shouting and footsteps.

Panicking, I quickly duck down in the boat. However, it’s too late.

“You, there!” comes a harsh voice. “Out of the boat!”

I don’t recognize all the counselors surrounding me as they stand on the pier, their eyes furious. “Out, now.”

I have no choice but to climb out.

“I told you not to do anything stupid,” Levi’s voice floats over, and he looks annoyed when I glance over. “Why can’t you just listen for once?”

“How did you know I was here?” I ask begrudgingly, as I’m forced out of the boat.

His gaze is inscrutable. “I just did. You’re one of the few troublemakers in this camp.”

“I’m trying to save Jesse!” I burst out. “None of you are doing anything about it!”

“And I told you that protecting the islands takes priority!” Levi says coldly. “Come on. You’re going to have a chat with the Director. Maybe she can knock some sense into you.”