The narrow tunnel opened and Eureka entered a walled pond. Rain fell on her skin. Its salt tasted like the lightest kiss of poison. She was surrounded by white peaks of rock pinching a purple-clouded night sky. Stars twinkled between the clouds.
Once, a few months after Eurekas parents got divorced, Diana had taken her canoeing on the Red River. For three days it was just the two of them, earning sunburns on their shoulders, paddling in time to soul songs, camping on the riverbank, eating only the fish they caught. Theyd borrowed Uncle Beaus tent but ended up sleeping in the open, at the bottom of an ocean of stars. Eureka had never seen stars so bright. Diana told her to pick one and she would pick one, too. They named their star after each other so whenever they were apart they could look at the sky andeven if they couldnt see the Diana-Star or Eureka-Star, even if Dad married another woman and moved her to a town where no one had ever been in loveEureka could see her mothers presence, stand in her mothers glow.
She looked up now and tried to feel Diana through the spaces in the rain. It was hard. She wiped her eyes and lowered her head and remembered something she wished shed never known Diana said
Today I saw the boy whos going to break Eurekas heart.
Dad had quoted Dianas line the other day when Eureka introduced him to Ander. Diana had even sketched a picture of a boy who looked like Ander.
Eureka had dismissed Dad. He didnt know the whole story.
But how much of the story did she know? Ander was a Seedbearer, but he wasnt like his family. She thought shed understood that. Now she was ashamed for doubting her parents. Diana had known that someday, some way, Eureka and Ander would care for each other. She had known that this affection would drain the life from him. She had known that this predicament would crush Eurekas heart. Why hadnt she warned Eureka? Why had she told her not to cry but never told her not to love?
Mom she moaned into the rainy darkness.
A pack of coyotes howled in response. She wished she hadnt left the cave. The lonely pond looked ominous when she wasnt imagining Diana in the sky.
Candles lit portions of the rock opposite the Bitter Cloud. Other caves, Eureka realized. Other people awake and alive. Was that where Solons assistants lived? She realized this pond was new. She must have cried it. Her rain had filled what used to be a valley connecting Solon to his neighbors. It was a Tearline pond. She wondered how Filiz and the Poet reached Solons cave now that shed washed out their path.
She let the canoe drift, lifted the torch from the prow. She held it toward the other caves. The light revealed evidence of desperation: remains of bonfires, abandoned fishing lines, carcasses of animals, bones picked clean of flesh.
She spiraled downward, caught in depressions seductive pull. The boy shedtrusted couldnt help her without loving her, couldnt love her without hurtling toward senility. She would have to give him up. She would have to face Atlas alone.
Hey, Cuttlefish.
Eureka scanned the rocks. Her heart pounded as she tried to trace the sounds origin. A shadow crossed a rock on the other side of the pond. She lowered the torch into its clip and let the stars light the silhouette of a teenage boy. Dark hair was matted to his forehead. His hand was raised toward her. His face was obscured by shadows, and he wore an unfamiliar raincoat, but Eureka knew it was Brooks.
And inside Brooks was Atlas.
A shiver spread through her. She became afraid. She picked up her paddle. She hadnt been thinking when she left the Bitter Cloud. Why had she abandoned the safety of its glaze? She dragged the paddle through the water, away from Atlas. Brooks.
Until he laughed. Throaty and deep, bright with shared secrets, it was the way Brooks always laughed at their many thousands of inside jokes.
Trying to get away from me?
She couldnt leave Brooks. Her arms reversed to paddle backward. If she left now shed regret it forever. Shed lose her chance to see whether Brooks was alive or a ghost.
Thats more like it. A smile lit his voice. Eureka yearned to see it on his face.
She drew closer. Gray starlight touched his skin, the white of his teeth. She remembered the last moment theyd shared before Brooks had been taken. She wanted to go back there and stay, even though shed felt depressed and afraid. Those final moments with uncorrupted Brooks shone in her memory like gold. Theyd been lying on the beach under a haze of coconut sunscreen. Brooks was drinking a can of Coke. They had sand on their skin, salt on their lips. She heard the swish of his bathing suit when he rose to swim to the breakers. Then he was gone.
He looked the same now. Freckles dotted his cheeks. His brow cast shadows over his dark eyes. Hed come all the way around the world for her. She knew that was Atlas, but it was Brooks, too.
Are you there? she asked.
Im here.
Atlas controlled his voice, but couldnt Brooks still hear her?
I know what happened to you, she said.
And I know whats going to happen to you. He crouched on the ledge so their faces were closer. He held out his hand. Ive got my boat. I know a safe place. We can bring the twins, your dad, and Cat. Ill take care of you.
This was a trick, of course, but the voice that spoke it sounded sincere. She met his eyes, torn by all she found in themenemy, friend, failure, redemption. If Eureka could not separate Brooks from Atlas, she should take advantage of being this close to the Evil One. Tell me what the Filling is.
Once, a few months after Eurekas parents got divorced, Diana had taken her canoeing on the Red River. For three days it was just the two of them, earning sunburns on their shoulders, paddling in time to soul songs, camping on the riverbank, eating only the fish they caught. Theyd borrowed Uncle Beaus tent but ended up sleeping in the open, at the bottom of an ocean of stars. Eureka had never seen stars so bright. Diana told her to pick one and she would pick one, too. They named their star after each other so whenever they were apart they could look at the sky andeven if they couldnt see the Diana-Star or Eureka-Star, even if Dad married another woman and moved her to a town where no one had ever been in loveEureka could see her mothers presence, stand in her mothers glow.
She looked up now and tried to feel Diana through the spaces in the rain. It was hard. She wiped her eyes and lowered her head and remembered something she wished shed never known Diana said
Today I saw the boy whos going to break Eurekas heart.
Dad had quoted Dianas line the other day when Eureka introduced him to Ander. Diana had even sketched a picture of a boy who looked like Ander.
Eureka had dismissed Dad. He didnt know the whole story.
But how much of the story did she know? Ander was a Seedbearer, but he wasnt like his family. She thought shed understood that. Now she was ashamed for doubting her parents. Diana had known that someday, some way, Eureka and Ander would care for each other. She had known that this affection would drain the life from him. She had known that this predicament would crush Eurekas heart. Why hadnt she warned Eureka? Why had she told her not to cry but never told her not to love?
Mom she moaned into the rainy darkness.
A pack of coyotes howled in response. She wished she hadnt left the cave. The lonely pond looked ominous when she wasnt imagining Diana in the sky.
Candles lit portions of the rock opposite the Bitter Cloud. Other caves, Eureka realized. Other people awake and alive. Was that where Solons assistants lived? She realized this pond was new. She must have cried it. Her rain had filled what used to be a valley connecting Solon to his neighbors. It was a Tearline pond. She wondered how Filiz and the Poet reached Solons cave now that shed washed out their path.
She let the canoe drift, lifted the torch from the prow. She held it toward the other caves. The light revealed evidence of desperation: remains of bonfires, abandoned fishing lines, carcasses of animals, bones picked clean of flesh.
She spiraled downward, caught in depressions seductive pull. The boy shedtrusted couldnt help her without loving her, couldnt love her without hurtling toward senility. She would have to give him up. She would have to face Atlas alone.
Hey, Cuttlefish.
Eureka scanned the rocks. Her heart pounded as she tried to trace the sounds origin. A shadow crossed a rock on the other side of the pond. She lowered the torch into its clip and let the stars light the silhouette of a teenage boy. Dark hair was matted to his forehead. His hand was raised toward her. His face was obscured by shadows, and he wore an unfamiliar raincoat, but Eureka knew it was Brooks.
And inside Brooks was Atlas.
A shiver spread through her. She became afraid. She picked up her paddle. She hadnt been thinking when she left the Bitter Cloud. Why had she abandoned the safety of its glaze? She dragged the paddle through the water, away from Atlas. Brooks.
Until he laughed. Throaty and deep, bright with shared secrets, it was the way Brooks always laughed at their many thousands of inside jokes.
Trying to get away from me?
She couldnt leave Brooks. Her arms reversed to paddle backward. If she left now shed regret it forever. Shed lose her chance to see whether Brooks was alive or a ghost.
Thats more like it. A smile lit his voice. Eureka yearned to see it on his face.
She drew closer. Gray starlight touched his skin, the white of his teeth. She remembered the last moment theyd shared before Brooks had been taken. She wanted to go back there and stay, even though shed felt depressed and afraid. Those final moments with uncorrupted Brooks shone in her memory like gold. Theyd been lying on the beach under a haze of coconut sunscreen. Brooks was drinking a can of Coke. They had sand on their skin, salt on their lips. She heard the swish of his bathing suit when he rose to swim to the breakers. Then he was gone.
He looked the same now. Freckles dotted his cheeks. His brow cast shadows over his dark eyes. Hed come all the way around the world for her. She knew that was Atlas, but it was Brooks, too.
Are you there? she asked.
Im here.
Atlas controlled his voice, but couldnt Brooks still hear her?
I know what happened to you, she said.
And I know whats going to happen to you. He crouched on the ledge so their faces were closer. He held out his hand. Ive got my boat. I know a safe place. We can bring the twins, your dad, and Cat. Ill take care of you.
This was a trick, of course, but the voice that spoke it sounded sincere. She met his eyes, torn by all she found in themenemy, friend, failure, redemption. If Eureka could not separate Brooks from Atlas, she should take advantage of being this close to the Evil One. Tell me what the Filling is.
