“She snuck out and was talking to him at night. You had no idea. And then she escaped with Spot.”
“Who cares?” Neci said.
“You killed all of the children she was caring for. She just wanted to be away from you. From us. They both did. We all have. I think I’ve pieced it all together. She thought she’d get through the gate before you. After the explosion. The one you made to break through. She wanted to get away with Spot. But you sent Taji after her.”
“Who cares?” Neci was shouting. “Let me in now, Syn.”
“Do it,” Blip said, “Just give me the word.”
Syn held up her hands. “Fine, but I can’t open the iris.”
“What?” Neci said, pressing the knife tighter against Pigeon’s throat.
“She never came back down from up here. I wondered what happened, but you wouldn’t let me come up here,” Pigeon continued, “When we found the wrong companion, I knew they were both dead.”
Syn pointed at the corner. “The entrance is there. The iris is broken. I think you broke it. But there’s a hatch down in that corner. Actually, a couple of passageways.”
“You lying little bitch,” Neci said, “I know every corner of this gate. There’s nothing but this.”
“It’s only for the bots,” Syn said, “Let her go, and I’ll show you.”
“Taji killed her. That’s what you sent her to do. Catch and kill,” Pigeon was still talking, her voice a deep growl, “I think Taji set her on fire. But she helped Spot escape. He fled to the other side. He knew how to get through. You let Taji set her on fire. How could you? She was a sister.”
“Shut up you whiny little… I need to think,” Neci closed her eyes.
Syn motioned again, “Okay, everyone, just go to where I’m pointing. Blip is going to—”
A creak sounded, and the entire room shuddered.
Syn continued, “Blip is going to get us through fast.”
“That’s not true,” Neci said.
Pigeon’s voice was now just a thin thing, and the words were coming out without any pauses—a stream of sounds propelled by years of resentment, “You killed Cord. You killed Laoule. You killed Tulce. You killed Ince. You killed Palim. Ret. Palcul.”
“Shut up!” Neci screamed.
But Pigeon couldn’t stop. The names kept coming. “Intes. Recik. Ojul.” The syllables bled into each other. “Chivah. Havah. Brile. Sol.”
“I did not.”
Pigeon stopped sharply. “Yes. You. Did.” On the last word, she yanked a knife from her belt—a thin piece of metal—and jammed it behind her into Neci’s abdomen. She roared the last names; the words grew into a stream from the girl’s small voice. “Rish. Una. Elaul. Casei. Iksen. Tral.” The ones after that become a single note screamed in rage.
Neci howled and let go of Pigeon. She fell back toward the gate. An arc of spraying blood exploded as she tumbled.
“Neci!” Syn cried, waving her hands wildly to swim toward the girls. The floating droplets of blood splashed across her as she moved through the crimson mist. In her next breath, she cried, “Pigeon!”
Syn had hated Taji. Despised the brute. She had cared for Kerwen. And felt pulled toward Pigeon. But Neci was different—Neci was her mirror. She detested everything Neci did because she saw the echoes of her own choices there. And now—Neci was dying. Maybe dead. And she realized she didn’t want that.
Syn snagged Neci’s bleeding body and cradled it close. She pressed against Neci’s wound, hoping to halt the blood flow.
She looked at Pigeon and said, “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”
Pigeon shook her head, shutting her eyes tight, and slammed her mouth closed on a scream. After a second, she pushed toward Syn and Neci and said, “Put pressure on it. We can stop the bleeding.”
“She was going to kill you,” Syn said as she pressed hard on the open hole in Neci’s stomach.
“I love her,” Pigeon said, “She’s horrible. But no more Sisters need to die.”
The needle creaked again—a grinding sound that filled every inch of the massive gate room. Syn eyed Blip and shouted to the Ecology, “Everyone! Follow Blip! We have to get through.”
Blip didn’t reply. His response was a bullet flight toward the far corner where he had opened the service passage a few days ago (what now seemed to be years ago). He shone a brilliant blue light to draw the other bot’s attention.
The mixed hues of the red emergency lights and Blip’s blue cast a pale violet across Syn’s face. She put a hand on Pigeon’s shoulder, “We have to go with them.”
Pigeon nodded.
The needle shook again.
“Will she live?” It was a high voice. Syn scanned and found Bear. He was followed by Arquella and Huck.
“You’re alive!” She smiled at the two, and they moved close against her, nudging her.
“Thanks to you! Your Blip told us what was happening,” Bear answered.
“How did you not die in the first explosion?”
“We had split off to go around back. It was Bear’s idea,” Arquella said, “He said that the Crimson Queen was tricky, and she was. We saw you all leave and raced after. But not many others made it. We couldn’t catch you, and we couldn’t save them. So many died. I’m sorry.”
From behind, a booming voice answered, “Now is not the time. Later we can grieve. Come along.” In the darkness, the lumbering shape of a familiar sewer bot floated past. The Barlgharel. He had lived too.
As he swam past, he said, “Place the girl on my back. I’ll get her through. You can hold her wound. She might still live.”
Syn’s stomach tightened. They had just tried to kill Neci. Syn had forbidden the girl from crossing over.
Before she could make a decision, Neci’s eyes shot open. “No!” she shouted and pushed off the Barlgharel’s body, toward the opening hatch of the cargo passageway, blood streaming after her.
“Stop her!” Syn shouted but Neci had surprised them and was at the opening.
Syn moved onto the Barlgharel’s back. Something along the bot’s hide gripped ahold and held her tight. Together, they swam toward the progression of bots exiting through the larger cargo passageway. Ahead, Blip’s blinding blue light served as a guide.
Neci pushed ahead and swam into the opening, kicking past Blip.
“Stop her!” Syn shouted again, but Blip was focused elsewhere.
“Through here. Go. One after another. Queue. Stay in the queue,” the companion bot insisted. The line flowed out from the entrance and streamed through.
Neci’s kick came as a surprise and sent him spinning in the air, unable to catch as she dove into the hatch and beyond any of their reach. Bots were already flowing in, and she fell into the fleeing throng.
Blip stopped his tumble and returned to his post, staring down the tube. He yelled back at Syn, “I don’t see her.”
Syn was near enough now and waved him off. “We’ll catch her. Keep them moving.”
Blip continued to usher them through.
They’ll arrive before me, Syn found herself thinking. She wasn’t sure why it mattered, but at one point, she had the image of her leading the Ecology to her Disc.
Instead, she trailed behind, her fingers bloody and wet from pressing against the gaping wound of Neci.
But she had kept her promise. Was their prophecy correct? She had done everything it said she would.
Minutes ago, Neci was the barrier to safety and peace. But now— “Will she live?” Syn asked Pigeon as the two stared ahead into the corridor.
Pigeon, her body seeming so much thinner in the passageway, whispered back, “I don’t know. I’m scared she will.”
You want her to die, Syn thought, I’ll be okay if she dies. But I don’t want it.
Olorun bucked and the passageway echoed a high-pitched squeal as metal strained.