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  Propping Tray against the boulder, Hawk picked his way through the puddles, then hopped onto the wooden deck that led to the dome. Once on the deck, the full surface of the black dome became visible to him without the aid of his spirit eyes. There was a clear canopy over the deck to keep it dry.

  “Hawk?” Tray called, pushing off the boulder and looking around the clearing.

  “This is amazing. This is the most technologically advanced place we’ve been yet!” Hawk smiled. “At least from the outside.”

  “Where did you go?” Tray called, pulling a shock-dart from his jacket. His face paling, he tapped his Feather. “Saskia, I’ve lost Hawk!”

  Hawk didn’t hear the message in his ear, and he should have, so he jumped off the deck. “Tray!”

  Tray gasped and fired off a wild shot. The shock-dart blast hit the gravel a few feet in front of Hawk, sending rocks flying.

  “Whoa! Tray!”

  “Oh, Zive,” Tray cried, breathing hard. “You disappeared. You can’t do that!”

  “There’s a deck here in front of the dome gate. Come here,” Hawk said, waving Tray over. The shield technology must have been warping his perception, because Tray looked simultaneously ten meters away and thirty.

  “Is the dome in this realm?” Tray asked, holstering his weapon, keeping one hand on the glider.

  “I think it’s a technological cloak. Come see,” Hawk said again.

  “No,” Tray said, waggling a finger and climbing back into the glider. “No, I’m sorry, Hawk. I’m not taking this risk. This is…”

  Tray kept rambling as he fell back into the cockpit, and Hawk trotted back to the glider, frustrated. Hawk climbed onto the wing and folded his arms on the lip of the cockpit.

  “You’re just going to sit here?” Hawk asked.

  “Danny’s on his way,” Tray said, looking down at his hand. “I’m sorry. I can’t disappear now. I can’t…”

  “It’s not a realm shift. Feels completely different,” Hawk said, looking longingly at the deck. “How far out are they?”

  “Saskia, time?” Tray relayed, tapping his Feather.

  “The Captain and Sky are five minutes out,” Saskia said. “Is there enough space to land Oriana there?”

  “Not a chance,” Hawk said. “My boots are sinking into the mud. The ground is too soft for Oriana even if there were space.”

  “Can you take off?” Saskia asked.

  “No, but we’re not in danger. There’s no one out here but us, and there doesn’t seem to be any kind of automated offensive measures,” Hawk said. “There’s an invisible covered deck outside the dome, and once I’m on it, I can see the dome naturally.”

  “Did you hear the comms when you were invisible?” Saskia asked.

  “Don’t think so. Let me check,” Hawk said, jumping off the wing and walking toward the deck, this time counting his steps. Sixteens steps. About twelve meters. Nowhere near thirty.

  “Saskia, can you hear me?” he vrang when he stepped onto the deck. She didn’t answer. He peered curiously at the dome. The airlock on the gate was intense—one to rival that on Terrana, and Terrana didn’t have an atmosphere. Most domes they’d been to didn’t have that rigorous of an air containment system.

  “Hello!” he called, looking for a communication panel by the airlock. His spirit eyes picked up on a whirlpool of light that was probably a receiver, meaning the locals might use handheld remotes. “Is this Cordova? I’m looking for Jack Fisher. Dr. Jack Fisher. Sky says hello.”

  No response. What if these people had died out since Sky had last been? They wouldn’t be the first.

  The Bobsled descended over top of the glider, hovering to the right and the left before picking which side to land. Its thin landing legs sank into the mud as soon as the gravity-drive was turned off. The hatch opened and Danny slid straight onto the wing of the glider to check on his brother. Sky hung on the ladder, surveilling the clearing.

  “Hawk?” she called. “Where are you?”

  “Here,” Hawk said, stepping down onto the soft gravel. Sky ran to him and hugged him hard. The fear in her embrace worried him.

  “Did you know this city was invisible?” Hawk asked, pointing back to the deck.

  “I—Yes. Maybe,” she stammered, pressing her cheek to his, like she still needed reassurance that he was real.

  “This is why you knew Nola was wrong when we saw it from the air?” Hawk said.

  “Maybe,” she said, looking at each of the trail heads leading into the woods.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Someone should be here by now. Someone—”

  Nearby, a twig snapped, and Sky spun around, but she didn’t draw her grav-gun. Based on the way her eyes darted around, Hawk found it strange that she wouldn’t arm herself.

  Danny coaxed Tray out of the glider, and they walked together across the gravel.

  “Where’s the dome?” Danny asked, scanning the gravel-coated clearing.

  “Right there,” Hawk said, gesturing toward the cliff face that presented itself to Danny’s eyes. “It’s hidden.”

  “You brought me to the Hidden City of Elpis?” Danny asked, his face lighting up as he tapped Sky’s arm excitedly. “The invisible city of hope. The most technologically advanced city on Aquia! The seat of the Panoptica!”

  Hawk wasn’t familiar with the Elpis myth Danny referenced, but the Panoptica were rumored to be the first hybrids on Aquia, and it made sense they’d build a city only their kind could find.

  “There are no Panoptica here,” Sky said, hiding a cringe behind a smooth sneer. “I promise you, Danny. If I ever take you to the mythical city of hope, you will know. Besides, isn’t Elpis on Terrana?”

  “At one point, I thought it was the sister city to Elysia, but Elysia isn’t even in this realm,” Danny raved. “Maybe the reason we could never find Elpis is because they aren’t either. Elpis could be anywhere. Even here!”

  “Cordova is here, and in this realm,” Hawk said, pointing back to the city. “This is a trick of technology, not spirit magic.”

  A twig snapped behind them, making them all jump.

  “Get down!” Danny hollered, jumping between them and the source. A dart hit Danny’s chest, and he stumbled back, knocking Sky off balance. Grabbing Danny, Hawk pulled him onto the wooden deck, hoping they’d become invisible to their attackers.

  “Danny!” Tray hollered.

  Hawk leapt off the deck, grabbed Tray across the chest, and dragged him to the deck. “Sky, come on!”

  He threw himself onto the deck with Tray, and Sky nearly landed on top of them. She had her grav-gun out now and searched the deck for some kind of cover. Tray struggled against Hawk’s grip, and when he got to his brother’s side, he yanked a poison dart from Danny’s chest. Danny’s glassy eyes fixed on the dome, now visible to all of them.

  “I see it. I see it,” he slurred just before he lost consciousness.

  6

  “Who’s there?” Sky called, taking Danny’s stunner. The moment she stepped onto the deck, a jolt went through her grav-gun, and she didn’t it trust it to work inside the Cordovan shield. They’d found their destination, but her fear escalated the longer the Cordovans stayed silent. She’d thought she’d left this city on good terms. She hadn’t stolen much.

  “They can’t see us on this side of the shield,” Hawk said.

  “They can see us,” Sky said, then she raised her voice. “I know you can see us!”

  “Then why did they stop shooting?” Hawk asked.

  “Ryndam! Garcia!” Sky called. Cordovan greeting parties usually had a diplomat and two escorts, and most of them came from the same few families.

  A woman stepped out onto the path, then was immediately pulled back behind a tree by her unseen companions. Aside from the blue jacket, Sky didn’t catch any distinguishing features. When the woman reemerged, she was armed.

  “Granger?” Sky murmured, surprised to see a scientist. She recognized the woman by her tawny
skin, long nose, and pointed jaw. “Avery Granger, is that you? What are you doing out here?”

  “Botany,” Avery said, keeping her distance. She exchanged a look with whoever hid beside her. “We’re a science team. We’re not allowed to engage with strangers. But now you’re on our deck, and that presents a problem.”

  “I’m not a stranger,” Sky pointed out. Avery had been sweet and curious in nature, and the years hadn’t seemed to dampen that. “Who’s with you?”

  Avery glanced sideways again but didn’t answer.

  “Avery, this is Hawk, Tray, and the unconscious one is Danny,” Sky said. Hawk waved, but Tray stayed crouched next to Danny, clutching his shock-dart. “Do you have an antidote for whatever you shot him with?”

  The woman glanced at the weapon in her hand, then passed it to one of her companions before taking a few steps closer so she could see Danny. “It will wear off in a bit. You were all meant to sleep until we got past. But now you’re on our deck.”

  “Avery, we came looking for you. We’re not going to hurt you,” Sky said, lowering her stunner. She approached the edge of the barrier but decided to stay on the deck.

  “How did you find us? How did you get on our deck? Did you bring new technology that can penetrate our shield?” Avery asked, wringing her hands.

  Sky exchanged a look with Hawk. “Not exactly. I’m not sure how to explain.”

  Hawk rose slowly, coming next to Sky’s shoulder. He looked at her, as if to ask whether it was safe to discuss his hybrid power. She didn’t know. She’d never encountered a hybrid in Cordova.

  “How long before the door opens?” Sky asked, motioning toward the airlock.

  “Four hours. Unless it’s an emergency,” Avery said. “We were called back from our expedition when the red plane appeared on a collision course for the city. But it seems the pilot knew we were here.”

  “Four hours. That should be plenty of time for us to become acquainted,” Sky said, putting an arm on Hawk’s shoulder. “I brought Hawk here because we have a bit of a medical mystery on our hands. I thought a scientist might be able to help.”

  “Is this mystery related to how you found us?” Avery smiled at the temptation, finally stepping onto the deck. When she did, two others became visible beside her.

  Hawk swore and grabbed Sky’s arm, pulling her away from the three women. They were all Grangers, but from different generations. Tray fired his shock-dart, hitting the older one in the chest, and felling her. The younger one caught her and lowered her to the deck. Sky would have helped but Avery had her dart gun raised. Hawk’s hands came up, one toward Avery, the other toward Tray, using his hybrid power to jam both weapons.

  “Hawk, what are you doing?” Tray barked.

  “Everybody, stop firing!” Hawk ordered. “Put your weapons down. We came to talk. If you don’t want us here, we’ll leave peacefully and not return. Just tell us you won’t help and we’ll go.”

  “Avery, you know me. You know you can trust me,” Sky said, laying her stunner next to Danny. The wooden deck wasn’t that big, and if they stepped off, the Cordovans could go through the gate and disappear. They’d made it clear, there’d be no welcome.

  “Not when you’re in the company of men,” Avery said. “You told me you travel alone.”

  “I did,” Sky said. “Not this time.”

  “You shot Kyan,” the younger Granger said.

  “You shot Danny,” Sky said, motioning Avery to lower her dart gun.

  “How are there three of you?” Hawk asked. “There was only one a moment ago. Are you… hybrids? Panoptica?”

  “Their tech allows them to be invisible to predators,” Sky said. “Isn’t that right, Avery?”

  “You shouldn’t have been able to find this deck,” Avery said to Sky. “Even if you’d stolen an access chip last time you were here, it wouldn’t work now.”

  “My eyes detected the heat of the dome,” Hawk volunteered. The answer didn’t win any response from Avery.

  “You used to welcome travelers,” Sky said.

  “We’ve had enough of their foreign plagues in our city,” the younger Granger said, keeping both arms around the older one. Sky recognized the elder as Kyan, but she didn’t know the young one.

  “You haven’t asked us to leave,” Hawk said.

  When they didn’t answer, Sky realized they were actively ignoring him.

  “Answer him,” Sky said.

  Avery glanced at Hawk and took a hesitant breath.

  “Is it because he’s a stranger?” Sky asked.

  “And he’s male,” the younger one said. Avery shot her a look, but Sky appreciated the honest answer.

  “What’s your name?” Sky asked.

  “What’s yours?”

  “Sky.”

  “That’s it?” the girl huffed.

  “Sky, this is Lula,” Avery said, shooting the teen an annoyed look.

  “Lula?” Sky balked, doing a double take. “Baby Lula? Lula that I named?”

  “You’ve been gone fourteen years,” Avery said, her tone still serious. “We’ve changed. You have not. Your face hasn’t changed a bit.”

  Sky was saved from answering by a ruckus behind her. Danny’s legs kicked against the deck, like he was trying to run. Tray rolled him onto his side and stuffed a wadded jacket under his head.

  “Danny?” Tray whispered, his voice tiny as he leaned in close to Danny. “They’re here. There’s three of them. I think they’re telepathic.”

  Danny’s eyes opened and closed. His legs stilled and his hand reached for Tray’s. “Is this Elpis?”

  “Who cares? They shot you. We should leave,” Tray said.

  “Agreed,” Hawk said, touching Sky’s arm. “I’m ready to go.”

  Sky didn’t question it. Finding Cordova was Hawk’s quest, and Sky was happy to abandon it, given the lack of greeting. She pulled Danny’s arm over her shoulder and hoisted him up.

  “Wait,” Avery called, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “What about your mystery?”

  “It’s Hawk’s mystery. If you won’t talk to him, then we’re leaving,” Sky replied.

  Avery pursed her lips. “Jack would kill me if I sent you away,” she sighed. “I will talk to your friends.”

  Hawk was rattled by the mysterious technology that had cloaked the three women. The only assurance he had that they weren’t hiding an army was the fact that no one retaliated after Tray shot the elder woman. If he’d done that in Rocan—injured a woman—he’d have been put to death. The fact that there were three women out here told Hawk that these people weren’t as protective of women as they were in Rocan. They probably weren’t as scarce here.

  “Tell us your mystery, Douglas Hawk,” Kyan Granger said, having recovered from the shock-dart blast shortly after Danny woke. She sat cross-legged on the deck with a notebook open on her lap. It looked like a paper journal, but there was something electronic in the pages that gave off an orange glow. She had age spots and freckles from sun exposure, which suggested she’d spent some time outside the dome the past few years.

  “Douglas Hwan,” Hawk said, rubbing his thighs anxiously. “Hawk is a nickname Sky gave me. The mystery is that my people seem to have trouble conceiving and delivering full term babies.”

  “We can certainly help with that. We create babies all the time,” Avery said. Seeing the three next to each other seemed to magnify their similarities. They were too close in age to be parent and child, unless they bred young here. He looked at Lula, who was leaning against the dome, picking her fingernails. The teen only half-listened to the conversation, and Hawk wondered if she’d been through a pregnancy already.

  “We have so few women left,” Hawk said. “Not all of them are able to bear children.”

  “Any healthy adult can make a baby. Their gender is not important. Only their genetic viability,” Avery said with a wave of her hand. “Did you bring genetic samples?”

  “Only my own,” Hawk said, trying not to shrin
k back.

  “Our quest isn’t exactly sanctioned. Their culture doesn’t know about other surviving cities, and they became very pushy about… what I was and was not allowed to do. They weren’t going to let me leave,” Sky explained, putting an arm around Hawk. “I promised to bring him here if he got me out.”

  “He’s not even a medical scientist, is he?” Kyan asked, her expression souring.

  “If you have technology or resources, we’re willing to trade. We can negotiate based on your needs and theirs,” Danny said. He sat close to Tray, who was still wary. “We hope to start towards a solution. We don’t expect to solve this today.”

  “We only need DNA,” Avery said. “We can test easily from that, and if we get a viable offspring, he can take it back to his people. Have you had trouble conceiving?”

  “I have six children. Three living. One stillborn. The other two died a few weeks after birth,” Hawk said. “And that’s the other mystery. Even when they are born live, many die within the first few days. We can’t seem to find a cause. We’re not even supposed to name them until the second week.”

  Tears welled in his eyes, and Tray crawled over to him, rubbing his shoulder. “Take your time.”

  Hawk nodded and leaned into Tray’s touch. “Is it worth taking my DNA if I’m all you have?”

  “There are things we can learn from observing you that can’t be held in DNA,” Avery said. She exchanged a look with Kyan and Kyan nodded. “If we may take some samples now, we can begin to screen you for diseases. Then you will be required to go through decontamination before you would be permitted entry into the city. As Lula said, we’ve had issues with foreign disease in recent years.”

  “What if you find something you don’t like? Is there… quarantine?” Tray asked, his voice quaking.

  “It depends on the nature of the illness,” Kyan said.

  Tray’s jaw tightened, and he scooted away, but Danny blocked him from running.

  “Your dome looks different than regular moonslate,” Danny said, changing the subject. He was the only one still excited to be here. “Is that an effect of the shield, or is it enhanced with some other material?”