A-19

Chapter Five

  You can't save them.

  My eyes flash open and I sit up, gasping. Scanning my surroundings (I'm back in the barracks, in my cot), I take deep breaths to calm myself.  

  It's just a nightmare, I tell myself, trying not to remember the suffocating feeling when Commander Alvaria had grabbed me by the throat and began to squeeze. Nightmares aren't unusual to me, just ones that bad were not frequent.

 It's daytime, the sky its normal, morning bright purple. Helios is shining through, looking much too merry for the day ahead of me.

  Oh no, I realize. It's the Maze day.

  Panic flares in my chest as I leap to my feet, checking the time. It's 5:42, five minutes earlier than I'm supposed to be up. But there's no way I can go back to sleep now, after knowing that someone I love might die today. 

  Mom and Onyx are both still sleeping, and Heath is most likely as well. So are Sloan and Pandora, across the barracks. But Iva is missing from her cot.

  I glance around, making sure no one sees me, and begin to creep around the barracks, looking for her. It's not like, sweet, caring Iva to just disappear.

  Finally I see her, sitting with her back turned to me, in the corner of the barracks, watching the feeble light shine through the tiny window. I join her, sitting down on the ground beside her.

  "This must be hard for you," she says without looking at me.

  "Isn't it hard for everyone?"

  "It's especially difficult for you," Iva whispers to me, grabbing my hands. "You have so many people you care about here. I know that if one of them gets chosen, it'll be so heartbreaking for you."

  I swallow back the lump in my throat, trying to hope for the the best. "Well, you know, maybe they won't get picked."

  Oh, who am kidding, there's a four out of twelve chance someone I care about will be picked.

  "I just really hope it's me before anyone else," I whisper softly. "Especially Onyx."

  "Some people I used to know said they hated their siblings. But sisters are the greatest gift, aren't they?"

 I nod, trying not to cry.

   "Don't worry, Marina." Iva looks at me, her eyes watery. "No one you love will be chosen today." She sighs. "I have the feeling it's my time."

  "No, Iva!" I cry, unable to hold on my indignation. "Don't give up like that. Remember, you have Sloan."

  The mention of her adopted daughter brings her back. She shakes her head like she's trying to get a bug off of it. "You're right. But... you can't hope you're picked either. Imagine what it would do to Heath and Onyx and your mother if you died."

  My gaze flickers back to the cots, where Mom and Onyx are peacefully dreaming. The truth is I'll cry no matter who we lose. All we've got is each other now, the last humans alive. It's like we're all one family. 

  "The alarm is going to go off any second, I should probably pretend to be sleeping," I say, trying to change the subject.

  Iva nods. "Good idea."

  We both head back to our cots, and I settle down under the thin cotton blanket. Originally, the supernaturals didn't want to give us cots or blankets, wanting us to have no comfort, but a few pointed out that it would be useless for us just to freeze to death.

  You can't save them.

  I gasp again, more quietly this time, remembering the words that dream Commander Alvaria had taunted me with. I try to tell myself it's just a dream, but the sentence has the heavy promise of reality.

  If someone I love gets picked, there's nothing I can do to save them.

  The jarring, startling alarm wails, making me jump. It's 5:47, right on time.

  I pretend like I'm yawning and stretching and just waking up like the rest of the humans, and stand up next to Mom, who's helping Onyx to her feet. Everyone seems to be just now realizing that it's Maze day, their faces forming to worried frowns. Iva winks at me, though her face is just as somber as everyone else.

  Here they come. Brook and his squadron of supernaturals are headed our way. I suck in a deep breath, trying not to let my terror show.

  "Good, you're up, duckies!" Brooke cackles. He scans our concerned faces. "Why are you all so unhappy? It's Maze day! It's a holiday! You should be celebrating!" He turns away from us with a gleeful smile on his face. "Come come, join your other friends in the plaza!"

  Unwillingly, we all follow after him. Mom has her arms protectively draped around me and Onyx, her skin pale and her fists clenched. Onyx is glaring at Brook's turned back. Iva is walking beside Sloan, whispering comforting things in her ear. And Pandora is tramping through the sand with a resigned expression.

  Finally, we reach the plaza. There all of the men are standing, waiting for us. Heath gives me a nervous thumbs-up, but I'm too worried to return it.

  "Maze choose time!" Venom bellows, laughing like a complete idiot.

   Brook paces up and down between our lines, glancing suspiciously at all of us. "I'm sure you're all very eager to be picked for such an honor as this."

  I grasp Mom's hand, but my palms sweating and slippery.

  "Unfortunately, we can only choose one of you," Brook declares with a mocking baby face. "But don't worry if you're not selected, you will have plenty of chances to participate."

  "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for."

  The entire group of humans all seem to draw in a gasp. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the worst news of my life.

  "The human chosen for..."

    It's coming.

  "The Maze is..."

  It's going to be me.

  "... Pandora Revale."

  I gasp, opening my eyes as hot tears fill them. Somehow this is better and worse at the same time.

  Pandora has always been like a grandmother to me. She's like that to everyone. And now... she's going to die.

  The old woman nods and sighs with a determined countenance, like she mildly doesn't want to do this. Her eyes aren't even watery as she stands next to Brook.

  "Any last words to your human pals?" he sneers, breathing down her back.

   She turns to face us. "I've had a long and... interesting life, but I have lived it with the best people alive." She smiles sadly at us, and tears start to roll down my face. "Good luck, my family. Farewell. It is time for me to rest."