Burning Falls

PART I

CONSEQUENCES OF FREEDOM

Love is the emblem of eternity; it confounds all notion of time;

effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end.

Madame de Stael

PROLOGUE

August 26, 2210

The holographs in the security office vanish one at a time as their lifelines are cut.

I thought there were only a handful of these Outlanders, Doctor Debbie Chamberlin says in a doubtful tone. Her heart lodges in her throat, and her knuckles whiten as she clutches the back of the security officer’s chair.

There are too many, the officer says, swallowing convulsively. Should I tell Red Lightning to retreat?

Red Lightning were created twenty years earlier in preparation of the Time Bender’s arrival. And now that they’re finally up against her, they’re failing in spectacular fashion. Mostly, though, it’s her friends. This gathering of people who’ve instantly become devoted to the small, blonde girl.

Debbie hesitates before dispatching Red Lightning to their deaths. But then she pictures Doctor Zhar’s reaction if she did such a thing as order them to retreat. The Secret Clock Society is all about sacrificing anyone and everyone to apprehend Summer Waverly.

Do whatever’s necessary to capture her, Debbie says.

The security officer doesn’t argue as he commands the team to keep fighting. Though many of the Red Lightning are being slaughtered, they easily outnumber those protecting the Time Bender.

Then one of the holographs hones in on their target. A girl Debbie recognizes as Jaden Redleaf fights to guard Summer. She moves in fluid motions and easily cuts down her attackers. More surprising is the tiny Summer, who grips a knife with determination, even though her face is hard and exhausted, hair wet and sand stuck to her clothing and skin. She’s fierce, like a warrior. Debbie wasn’t expecting that. Something flutters in her chest. Excitement and a touch of pride.

The flickering holographs reflect in Debbie’s eyes, her focus strictly on Summer, who’s so full of strength and grit. There’s a moment where everything melts away when their eyes briefly meet. As if Summer can see Debbie. Something dark, stormy in a way, flares in the girl’s eyes, and then she vanishes.

The world around Debbie snaps back with shouts and bangs, and the rest of the holographs shut off all at once.

What happened? she quietly demands.

I don’t know. The security officer pulls up the stats on Red Lightning. They’re— He hesitates. They’re dead, Doctor.

What? That’s impossible. Her voice bursts with skepticism. All of them?

Yes. All of them.

CHAPTER 01: MONSTER

August 26, 2210

Drying blood coats Summer’s knife—the blood of Red Lightning.

Guilt tugs at her insides. These Red Lightning are creations of the Secret Clock Society, just like she is. The Society is full of mad scientists who plan to engineer a superior human race, then go back in time to literally restart civilization. Summer’s pivotal in their scheme because she’s a biological time machine, which is one of many reasons the Society has been searching for her ever since her mum, Mindy, took off with her when she was five.

The Society hired human traffickers to abduct Summer, and instead of giving her to the Society like planned, she was tortured into silence and sold to Captain Travis Jones of the Cosmos. For nearly eleven years, she was a slave on the pirate ship, where she was subjected to beatings, starvation, and mental trauma. Her life was hell until Landon sold himself to pay his family’s debts and joined her in slavery when she was twelve. Still, she never spoke or laughed. Only recently has she found her voice, though it’s been an uphill battle. Sometimes she still reverts to silence and hand gestures to communicate, especially in moments like this. When the world around her feels out of reach, when pangs of guilt erode her insides as she replays the moment she sliced through the necks of dozens of Red Lightning in a matter of seconds. Or the moment she realizes those creations she killed were also slaves in the cogs of the Society’s ticking clock.

Before today, Summer had never taken a life. Though her friends gave thanks, she’s sick inside. She hates the Society for forcing her to become this monster. The monster who grips her blade with white knuckles in preparation for what’s to come.

The sun dissolves on the horizon just as the boat glides onto the shore of Forsaken Harbor, an island where the Society dumps their failed experiments for further study in what appears to be some kind of twisted social experiment. Their plan: to expose the Society by recording exactly what they’re up to here.

The four soldiers in the Canadian League prepare to disembark. The first to jump down is Gage Appleton. Though everyone in the Federation must dedicate five years of their life to the League once they turn seventeen, Gage is what the others call a Lifer. He’s trained with the League since he was eight and had planned to make the military his career. Despite his role in the League, he disobeyed his superiors to help Summer and her Outlander friends escape the camps. During their rough and tumble journey together, she’s fallen in love with him—an emotion that’s just as new to her as her newfound freedom.

Gage moves inland and scans the shore for any signs of life, his shoulders rigid as he holds out his gun. There isn’t a soul in sight that Summer can see, but her vision is disintegrating in tandem with the dwindling twilight.

Gage approaches the boat. I don’t see anyone, he says just loud enough to be heard over the lapping waves, then gestures for the others to follow suit.

The thud of something against the bottom of the boat startles Summer. A kid she doesn’t know mutters an incoherent apology as he picks up the torch he dropped. The wind shrieks, whistling past her ears. Trepidation weaves its way through her muscles as the last bit of daylight vanishes.

Next to disembark is Cameron Steen, a Leaguer who’s been training to be a doctor for fifteen years. At twenty-one years old, she’s the eldest of the group. Following behind is Emma and Ethan, their forms merely shadows. They help the others off the boat. As they shuffle forward, Summer lines up between Lucy—Landon’s girlfriend—and Julian, who’s warm hand rests on her lower back.

Julian. His story still feels like a mystery to her. He grew up under the Society’s thumb and was created for the same purpose as she was. Unlike Summer, the Society managed to keep him in their twisted labs and programmed him to love her before they ever met. Their way of attempting to locate her with his help. Instead, it backfired. After he taught her how to travel—where she can slow time—he left. She chased him, but in the end, it was he who found her. That’s when he finally admitted what the Society did to his mind. Now Summer wonders if they also did something to hers as well. Julian’s touch brings her peace in a way she can’t describe, which has put a kink in her relationship with Gage.

Ethan and Emma each grab for her, then lower her to the sand. The darkness turns the unknown into a fathomless black hole. A hand finds its way into hers, and Gage’s voice fills her ear. You okay?

The answer to this simple question should be as easy as yes or no, but she’s still shell shocked from killing so many. She nods anyway.

Some of the Outlanders Jaden, Rob, and Avery helped rescue from the Canadian Federation’s camps remain on the boat. Ethan and Cameron help push them to deeper waters, then wave farewell as the boat reverses and heads out to sea. Soon, the vessel is nothing more than a dot in the infinite abyss.

Now what? Jaden asks.

The salty breeze sweeps through Summer’s hair, lifting the blonde tendrils. She shivers. Faint screams sound, and Summer squeezes the blade in her free hand all the harder.

What’s that? asks Cameron, whirling around.

I don’t know, Gage whispers. He releases Summer’s hand and holds up his weapon, pointing it toward the blackness. Leaguers, turn on your night vision.

Wild cries echo through the night as they make their way inland, searching for a place to rest for the evening. The undergrowth seems to keen and snarl as they move forward. Three people use torches to carve out a lighted path.

Summer shivers with each step she takes, but Julian’s warmth at her back calms her frayed nerves. Her hand automatically reaches back for his, and the touch multiplies the calming sensation.

A low, throaty growl spews from the shaking bushes beside them. Adrenaline surges through her an instant before something jumps in front of them. It’s a girl, her hair a dark, matted tangle, her clothes torn and dirty. The foul scent wafting from her is so potent it could peel paint. Blood runs down the girl’s filthy face, seeping from her eyes like sadistic tears. She crouches, hisses, and lunges for Summer.

Instinct takes over, and Summer ducks to the side just as Jaden kicks the bloody-eyed girl in the leg, sending her crashing to the ground. Julian yanks Summer out of the way just as the girl reaches for her ankles.

What’s wrong with her? someone asks, voice choked.

No one has an answer.

The girl rises and launches herself at Summer, trying to bite and scratch. Jaden slams her fists into the girl’s chest, and she flies back into the bushes. At first, no one knows what to do. The feral girl is probably only twelve or thirteen, but her rotting teeth, with pieces of flesh wedged between, are broken and form sharpened angles. Her hands are curled into talons, and her knees are bent, ready to attack.

Calm down, Cameron says, holding her hands up in a placating manner. We won’t hurt you.

An unnatural snarl claws its way up the girl’s throat, and she charges after Summer again. With no other choice, Jaden rams her blade into the girl’s skull. She instantly goes flaccid and drops to the ground in a gruesome pile of death. Gage nudges her with his foot, and the limp body falls onto its back. Everyone gathers around, staring in horror. The blood leaking from her eyes makes the girl look savage, even in death.

Gage turns to the frightened mass of people. Don’t let your guard down, and stay together.

Murmurs ripple through them.

Let’s go, he orders.

CHAPTER 02: UNNATURAL

August 26, 2210

The howls of lost souls echo through the night. A cold finger of fear trails up Summer’s spine. As much as she wants to cower under Gage’s arm, close her eyes, and wish the world away, she knows that isn’t who she is anymore. Her knife has already seen blood this day, and so has her soul. Perhaps her own lost soul calls out to those on this island.

What was that? Lucy asks, jumping away from a bush.

They’re all on edge. Afraid. All they’ve ever heard were horror stories of this place, and now they’re experiencing it first hand. But in the dark, with hardly any light to guide their path, what lurks in the shadows is a faceless mystery, which makes their trip inland all the more terrifying.

Hush, Cameron orders, holding up a hand, telling them to stop.

Gage steps forward, and Summer has a feeling they’re using the earpiece in their heads that lets them communicate telepathically. At least the Canadian Federation’s earpiece has some perks. Julian moves up beside Summer, and it’s as if his aura surrounds her, relaxing her frayed nerves. She wants to be stronger—to prove the girl that slaughtered dozens in a blink of an eye isn’t this terrified little girl she feels like inside. A ripple of uncertainty washes through her as he moves away from her.

Landon’s hand touches her shoulder, and she jerks toward him. Though his brown eyes hold the same fears, he’s always been her protector. But even with everyone around her, all those who want to keep her safe, who will protect her from herself? Who will keep her from traveling and slicing everyone’s throats again? Is she just another one of the Society’s monsters? Maybe she belongs on this island.

Come on, Cameron whispers, waving them forward.

Their footsteps are loud in the night, even with the slight breeze rustling through the trees and bushes. Another lamenting cry pierces the night air, and Summer starts, gripping her knife so tightly her knuckles turn white.

She could travel, but the thought of repeating what happened last time fills her with cold dread. Julian falls back to stand beside her again, and his hand reaches for hers. It’s an automatic gesture, one that conveys how close they’ve become over the past months. When their skin touches, it’s like she’s dying of dehydration and he’s a refreshing drink, the only thing sustaining her. She squeezes his hand and gives Julian a small smile. He returns the gesture, but his gaze moves away just as quickly, scanning the area. If they’re attacked again, they need to be prepared.

Who knows what was wrong with that girl. Her eyes. They were so bloody. Dripping down her face, exposing her inner ferocity. Will that be what happens to them? Will they turn into bloody-eyed creatures, out for blood?

She squeezes Julian’s hand so tightly it probably hurts him. He doesn’t complain, but she lets up anyway.

Gage falls back, allowing Cameron and Jaden to take the lead. As if electrocuted, Julian releases Summer’s hand. An indescribable ache of loss lances through her. Part of her wonders if the Society did something to make her feel this strongly for Julian. These intense emotions feel real, but then again, they could be well-constructed lies deeply entrenched into her psyche. The reality is that she may never know the truth.

Gage grabs the hand Julian just released. Though Gage’s touch is tender and full of love, the affect isn’t the same. It pains Summer on a profound level that she feels like she’s lying to the man she loves every time they touch. Like she’s betraying Gage in some small way, even if she can’t help it. She should stay far away from Julian, but she can’t stop herself from going to him. From caring for him. She’s attracted to him like lodestone to iron.

The scrambling of feet causes everyone to stand back-to-back and hold his or her weapons in a defensive posture. Cameron and Jaden stop dead in their tracks. They exchange a look, but their faces are cast into shadow, emotions lost in obscurity.

Oh my god, Lucy cries. Landon hushes her as they search around them, trying to decipher where the noise is coming from.

A growl tears its way free of the kid’s chest as he stumbles into the group. Everyone backs up, propelled by the kid’s putrid stench. His eyes are bloody like the other girl’s were; trails of thick, crusted blood are caked in the creases of his face. Much of it dried and brown, nearly black in the night. He runs after Avery in a tackle position, snapping jagged teeth. Avery staggers back, trips, and falls on his butt. The kid collapses onto Avery, forcing him flat on his back, then crawls over him. The kid’s movements are unnatural, animalistic.

Avery cries out, but Jaden rushes forward and grabs the kid by his collar. He roars in displeasure, the sounds slithering up his throat abrasive and guttural. Wrong, somehow.

Summer wants to revert to a state of hysteria, turning in on herself. It’s what she’s always done to keep herself safe. But not anymore. This time she must keep herself sane by endurance.

When the kid rushes Jaden, she doesn’t hesitate as she holds up a knife and jabs it into the kid’s throat. Crimson coats Jaden’s hand as she yanks the blade free. A gurgle of blood pours out of his throat, and the kid grapples at the hole, falling back into the bushes he came from. Jaden moves into the shadows, checking to make sure he is dead.

What sounds like hundreds of mournful cries echo through the night, as if the other lost souls know they’ve lost one of their own.

We need to find shelter. Jaden’s hand trembles as she cleans blood off her blade, giving urgency to her words.

Agreed, Cameron and Gage reply at the same time.

Summer is still frozen, the scene replaying for her like a broken film reel. Over and over. The knife, the blood, the gurgle. Her hands go up over her ears, and she tucks her face between her elbows. It’s too much. Too much death; too much blood. A cry lodges in her throat, desperately wanting out, but she refuses. Silence is the only way. At least right now. She needs it like a comfortable blanket during a cold night.

Gage tries to soothe her. His hand traces down her back, the touch so gentle it’s ghostly. She counts to ten, hoping by then she can pull herself together.

One, two, three.

Summer, I know it’s a lot to take in, but we need to go, Cameron says, tone firm but kind.

Flower, he’s gone—

May I? Julian asks, cutting Gage off.

There is no reply, but the tension around them ratchets up a few notches. More pressure on Summer’s head.

Too much.

All too much.

A few seconds pass with no response, then someone touches her hands. She would know that touch anywhere. Julian. His soothing hand sends a relieved breath rushing out of her lungs. He carefully moves her hands away from her ears, clasps them between his own, then bends down to check over her face.

You’re okay, Julian says, his blue eyes finding hers. They look black in the dark, but the sincerity there isn’t washed away like the color. Right, Summer?

She nods slowly. Yes. The word is barely a whisper.

All right, let’s go, Gage says, his voice harsh compared to Julian’s.

Julian backs away. Summer can see how much this kills him, but things are different now. This isn’t like how it was during their journey through the Canadian Federation. Gage is here now.

They continue forward. Towering buildings are dark shapes in the night, crumpled skeletons of what used to be dozens of resort hotels and restaurants.

There, Jaden says, pointing to the one closest. It might not be the five-star hotel it once was, but we’re running out of options.

Noises of restless spirits surround them, and it’s only a matter of time before more bloody-eyed people are upon them. Just a matter of time before Summer is forced to travel again to save them. She’s not ready yet. She needs time to think. Time to absorb the magnitude of what she’s done. She hopes her friends will understand—that they’ll not let her deeds color her in darkness.

CHAPTER 03: NIGHTMARE

August 26, 2210

The ancient hotel reeks of decay and mold. The floor beneath their feet has been destroyed with time and the elements. They stay close together, though Lucy jumps at every noise she hears. Summer wants to as well, but she’s afraid of letting her body have reign over her senses right now. She’s already overwhelmed, and she doesn’t want to alert any unsavory people of their presence, though it’s obvious no one has walked the halls in a long time.

Here, Jaden says, pointing her torch at a room. She holds open the door with one hand, letting the tube of light wash over the contents. It’s as if the outside world has had no effect here. Besides a thick layer of dust and a cluster of webs in the ceiling’s corners, the place is relatively clean. This is probably the best they’ll find for tonight.

I’ll check for more rooms, Cameron says.

Summer drops to the creaky bed and stares forward. She wants to sleep but wonders if that’ll be possible tonight, in this place.

Cameron returns moments later. She’s found several more rooms like the first, giving everyone a place to sleep. Gage and Julian stay in the first room with Summer. Neither of them sits, and they stare in different directions, purposefully ignoring each other. She’s not sure what they want. Jaden returns to the room and looks at the two boys with a little half smile.

I’ll stay with her tonight, Jaden says. She’ll be safe with me.

Gage scoffs. You might have skills, but you’re only one person. I’ll stay as well.

Me too, Julian adds.

Jaden folds her arms and steps between Summer and the boys. I don’t think so. You guys secrete testosterone whenever you’re around Summer. It’s annoying. There are plenty of rooms. I’m sure you two can find a place to sleep somewhere else.

The two refuse to move, and Summer knows she needs to speak up. Rubbing at her face wearily, she says, Let them stay.

Jaden twists around, eyebrows high. What? Why?

Because I’ve been dealing with this dance for a while now. Summer glances around Jaden and addresses her question to Julian and Gage. If Jaden kicks you out, you’ll stay outside the room all night, won’t you?

Gage nods, and Julian rubs a hand on the back of his neck before sighing and agreeing with a little shrug.

Jaden faces the boys and parrots Julian’s sigh. Fine. Then she turns away, a giant grin brightening her face. But you two are sharing a bed.

A second ticks by before Jaden’s words sink in. A tiny giggle escapes Summer at the boys’ expressions, all pale and sickly, like having to be anywhere near the other might cause them to catch a deadly disease. Maybe forcing them together will make them finally accept that the other is here to stay. Because Summer can’t let them go, no matter how much she should.

Exhaustion creeps in around the edges, and she brushes her hands along the dusty cover, making her cough. Traces of mold linger in the air, but she’s too tired to care. She collapses onto the bed; her muscles sigh in relief as she gradually relaxes. Gage and Jaden whisper in the corner of the room, discussing the bloody-eyed kids they killed.

Julian’s eyes find hers in the dark, weary and full of emotions she can’t even begin to describe. The lines of his shoulders are tense, and his gaze continuously moves from Summer to Jaden and Gage, then back. The bed opposite her creaks when he flops onto it; she sits up. He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. She wants to reach out and reassure him, but she doesn’t know how when she’s so adrift in her own mental turmoil.

He rubs at his face. I shouldn’t have brought you here.

Relapsing into taciturnity, she adamantly shakes her head. The moment she discovered her mum was here, there was no stopping her.

Julian’s eyes squeeze shut, regret manifesting in the lines of his face. He appears older, somehow. I’m sorry, he whispers.

Jaden drops her pack onto the bed, sending a sharp jolt of adrenaline straight to Summer’s heart. Jaden frowns in apology for startling her, then looks to Julian. You and Gage better figure out your sleeping situation. That devilish grin she’s perfected curls up her face again.

Payback, Gage mumbles.

Uh-huh, Jaden says. If it makes you feel any better, the bathroom looks disgusting. At least you can stand and pee.

Summer’s had worse, and she’s pretty sure Jaden has too. But the boys don’t need to know that.

Once they finally lie down, Jaden faces her then turns out her light.

Jaden? Summer whispers. What was it like?

What like? she asks just as quietly.

Being owned by the Society.

Jaden doesn’t say anything for a long time, and it’s too dark to make out her face. Then she lets out a long-suffering sigh. I don’t want to compliment them, but they treated me far better than any of my other masters. Her voice lowers so much that Summer has to scoot closer to hear. I was doped up on drugs and passed around by previous owners. They did . . . horrible things.

Summer hates that she brought this up and internally berates herself. I’m sorry. It’s little reconciliation, and her stomach knots.

Jaden reaches out and gently touches her arm. It’s not your fault. And, hey, it’s made me tough. After the Society purchased me, a lovely doc helped me detox.

Who?

Her name was Debbie, she says. She introduced me to Greenhorn. Then a guy named Michael taught me how to fight.

Michael. The name sounds familiar. Then it hits Summer like a jolt to the heart. Michael was in the cave that had been attacked. The Society killed everyone. She doesn’t know what to say—how to tell Jaden of his passing.

Go to sleep, Jaden says. You’re exhausted, and so am I.

Images of Michael, his kind face telling Summer that Greenhorn needs her, showing her footage of what was really going on in some of the camps, haunts her mind. Luckily, not long after, she falls into the abyss of sleep.

Sometime later, when all is eerily silent, an ear-piercing scream rips from Summer’s throat as she flies forward, startling from sleep. As much as she needs the rest, her mind refuses to listen. Instead, she’s plagued with nightmares.

Summer! Summer! Jaden calls, gently shaking Summer’s shoulders. It’s just a nightmare, sweetie.

Gage kneels beside her a second later. Julian hovers behind him, a panicked gleam in his eyes. Summer’s chest heaves, and her body is covered in a layer of sweat.

The door flings open, slamming against the wall. Landon, Lucy, and Rob stumble into the room, weapons raised. Light spills in from their torches.

She’s okay, Julian says, waving them out into the hall.

When the door clicks shut, Jaden reiterates soothingly, Just a nightmare. She brushes strands of damp hair from Summer’s face.

But it wasn’t just a nightmare. Her mind replayed the incident with the bloody-eyed girl. Summer will never forget the look of starved need in her eyes. The way she reached out with claw-like hands.

Summer? Gage breathes, concern deepening his voice. She can barely make out his form.

She nods. Just a nightmare.

The truth is that this island is twisting her into all kinds of uncomfortable shapes, and they’ve only been here for a few hours. Is it because she’s a creation as well, or do they all feel this way?

CHAPTER 04: RUBBLE

August 27, 2210

Rays of sunlight slant through the tattered curtains and break through Summer’s uneasy sleep. Jaden’s already awake and strapping on her knives, looking more badass by the second. Summer sits up, her blonde hair tangled around her head. She attempts to finger comb through the mess, but it’s useless. Gage and Julian are still asleep, and Summer has to stifle a laugh at the pillows and backpacks stacked between them like a wall. Julian lightly snores, and Gage’s mouth is wide open.

Jaden stands over the two, a mischievous gleam in her brown eyes, her hand automatically touching the hemp necklace wrapped snuggly around her neck.

Vampire! she shrieks.

The two boys fly forward, scrambling for a weapon. Jaden ducks as a flash of light explodes from Gage’s gun. It collides with the wall, leaving a glowing mark that gradually fades.

Jaden breaks out into a fit of giggles as she straightens. Summer joins in, smiling for the first time in days.

Through squinting eyes, Gage asks, incredulous, Did you say vampire?

Yeah. It worked, didn’t it? Jaden grins, placing hand on hip.

Julian scrubs a hand over his eyes, shaking his head. Vampire, he mutters.

As they prepare to move out, Julian and Gage refuse to make eye contact as Jaden continuously makes cracks about their love tryst and the pile of stuff between them being their wall of love. When Cameron checks on them, Julian and Gage practically climb over each other to leave.

Cameron’s eyebrows furrow, and she points a thumb over her shoulder. What’s that about?

Jaden throws her head back and laughs.

She made them share a bed, Summer explains, lips quivering as she tries to contain her own giggles.

Cameron snorts. Wish I’d seen that.

After everyone gathers in the hallway of the crumbling hotel, Summer’s stomach tingles in anticipation and dread, though that might be hunger. After the noises of last night, and the people with the bleeding eyes, who knows what they’ll see in the light of day.

Landon approaches her, his hand entwined with Lucy’s. You’re looking better.

Yeah, Lucy agrees. No more blood.

Though the physical evidence of the gore from yesterday is gone, it feels like it’s seeped into her body, infecting her inner core with crimson brutality. Right. Her voice is deficient of energy.

Once everyone is prepared to head out, they exit the hotel. Outside is not at all what she expected. Palm trees sway in the slight breeze, giant, tropical plants grow densely around the hotel’s remains, and the clear green-blue water reflects the sun’s slanted rays. It’s stunning. The island, despite being called Forsaken Harbor, is luscious and beautiful.

The ghostly towering hotels and buildings are tangled with nature, morphing some into nothing more than massive piles of rubble. Almost all the windows are broken out, and the salt water has eaten away at concrete. Exposed rebar is twisted and rusting. The remains of the city appear vacant, but after last night, Summer knows better than to believe no one lives here.

Another shiver rolls up her back as Forty-Two’s words come back to her. Forty-Two was a creation of the Society. His body wasn’t humanlike; instead, he was made of plant cells and could manipulate plant growth. When he was found lacking by the Society—in that he didn’t have the strength to make acres of crops grow quickly enough—they dumped him here where he had to fight for his life. He was scared when he spoke of this place, and for him, it was die here or try to survive the savage ocean waters. He’d chosen the ocean, but, luckily, Forsaken Harbor isn’t far from the shores of