The Rising (Darkness Rising 3)

"We wouldn't need it once we made contact. Before we get on that train, we need to make sure she's there. Call again tomorrow and see if she answers--don't say anything, just confirm she's home. I don't know if she would be--she thinks you're dead, and the funerals . . ."

He trailed off. By now our parents might have

buried us. Buried empty caskets, our remains lost at sea. We tried not to think about that, and sat there for a little longer, staring into the night.

"I know you're worried about Rafe," Daniel said at last. "You haven't said anything, but you must be."

I nodded. "He double-crossed the St. Clouds to protect us. I'm afraid they'll punish him. Not just him, though; I'm worried about everyone. Sam, Hayley, Kenjii, Nicole."

Did he notice I said my dog's name before Nicole's? I hadn't meant to, but the truth was that I wasn't at all worried about Nicole. She'd killed my best friend because Serena was dating Daniel. He didn't know that. Worse, at the time of Serena's death, he'd been ready to break up with her and if he'd just done it a little sooner, she'd still be alive. I hadn't told him because I didn't want to put that kind of burden on him. So I had to pretend I was still concerned about Nicole, too.

"It's not just worry," I said. "I feel responsible. Like they're waiting for us to rescue them and we have no idea how to do that."

He put his arm around my waist and pulled me, so I could lean against him. "We'll do our best."

I closed my eyes and tried to block the mechanical roar of the city and imagine my forest instead, the sigh of wind through redwoods, the buzz of thrush and the whistle of marmots, the soft drip of rain. It took awhile, but soon I was able to hear them, and when I did, exhaustion took over and I drifted off to sleep.

There was still no answer at my grandmother's place. She volunteered at the heritage center, most recently in project management. She was Haida, like my mom. Mom wasn't really active in the Native community, but Grandma was. I help her out with festivals and such, but I always feel a little out of place. I'm adopted and I am Native, but Navajo, not Haida. I don't know much about that part of my heritage, except that it doesn't usually come with the ability to shape-shift into a wildcat. I'm just special. Unfortunately.

There was a really good chance, then, that I knew the woman who answered the phone at the heritage center, but not well enough to recognize her voice. And, thankfully, she didn't recognize mine.

"Hi," I said. "My name is Joy. I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm trying to get in touch with Maya Delaney's parents."

A sharp intake of breath on the other end.

"I know what happened," I said. "My mom saw it in the paper. We have a cottage near Salmon Creek, so I'd met most of the kids who died, and I wanted to let Maya's parents know how sorry I am about everything. But no one's answering the number I have. I remember she said her grandma worked at the heritage center in Skidegate, so I'm sorry to bother you, but this was the only thing I could think of."

"I'm afraid I can't help, either," the woman said. "Her parents are in Vancouver for the funeral."

"Vancouver?" I thought I'd misheard and she'd said Victoria.

"Maya's grandmother was hoping it would be on the island, but the people who ran the town are in charge, and I guess . . ." She trailed off. "I know they took the parents to Vancouver after the crash. Maybe they think going back to the island would be too much of a reminder. It's all such a horrible tragedy. I think everyone's just relieved someone else is handling the arrangements."

Yes, I was sure the St. Clouds were happy to make the arrangements. Get the families to Vancouver--farther from us--after the crash. Hold the service there so it would be smaller. Get this charade over with as fast as possible, then whisk them off to parts unknown.

"Have they had the funeral already?" I asked. "I was kind of hoping to go."

"It's the day after tomorrow. You should be able to find details in the Victoria newspaper. Maya's grandmother has a cell phone, but she's spending the day on Galiano at a friend's cabin. A retreat before the funeral. She'll be out of touch while she's there."

We'd spent time at my grandma's friend's place on Galiano. I could get us there, and it was a lot closer than Skidegate.

THREE

GALIANO IS THE SECOND largest of the Gulf Islands, between the mainland and Vancouver Island. It was an hour ferry ride, after catching a coach bus down to the terminal in Tsawwassen. From the ferry stop, we had a five-kilometer hike to the cabin, which was about as remote as you could get on the island.

By the time we arrived, it was after five. The cottage was a tiny artist's studio on a small windswept bluff overlooking the strait. There was an empty cabin about fifty meters away, and that's where we took refuge, hunkering down in its shadow to watch the studio and wait for my grandmother to come out.

Her car was in the drive, and a thin line of smoke rose from the wood-stove chimney, so I knew she was there. I expected her to come out at any moment. It's a tiny studio and Grandma hates being cooped up inside as much as I do. When we came here for weekends, I'd wake to find her already gone--walking the beach or gathering berries or just sitting on the deck, drinking tea and enjoying the morning. Yet today, despite the rare break of fall sunshine, the doors never opened.

"She's not coming out," I said.

This was stupid. Foolish. We should have stayed in Vancouver.

And done what?

That was the question, wasn't it? And done what? Hide forever? Give up dreams of a reunion with our families and reconcile ourselves to a life on the streets? None of us suggested that. We'd sooner take our chances with the St. Clouds and the Nasts. Corey and I would never surrender the hope of being with our families again. Daniel would--his father was an abusive alcoholic, his mother long gone--but he still wanted to return to some semblance of a normal life.

Corey scanned the quiet road. "There's no one around. Maya, why don't you go knock on the door. It's not like anyone's going to be watching the place."