The sea made a white streak across the horizon where rolling waves broke on the sandbanks. From the crest of Highdown Hill, one of the three highest points in the county, Cassie stood facing the ocean and kicking at the dirt, sending shards of flint spinning over the ledge. Darkness had drawn in. She hugged her arms to her body and shivered.
Her eyes rested on the Beach Lane Café, visible in silhouette against the light grey sea, its stilts holding it gracefully aloft above the stones. To the north, the dip, slope and soar of hill upon hill felt intimidating, sheer power trapped in land.
Cassie absently scratched at her arm. She glanced at the dark tattoo-like number, seven, distinct against the pale skin of her inner wrist. She couldn’t hide her sense of pride. Never would she have believed she could be a level seven. Her power gave her freedom. She was a Runner.
The ring of trees decorating the top of Highdown was a distinctive feature of all the hill forts in the south – sacred places for some, popular locations to congregate for others. A small campfire gathered momentum in the centre of the inner ring. Around the fire was a familiar scene: figures huddled for warmth, some sitting, some moving in the night air. Waves of energy flowed from the land. All three of the hill forts in the area attracted their fair share of visitors, including the spiritualists, chanting incantations to ward off the Devil, drinking wine to ward off the cold.
As she watched, Reuben’s athletic figure came into view, skirting the ring of trees. He strode with a confidence that both impressed and annoyed Cassie in equal measure. The world seemed to make way for Reuben, to accommodate him. He was born lucky. He was a Runner, like her, but more experienced. He’d been making trips out of the Interland for over three years, whereas this was Cassie’s first proper mission, not counting the training excursions with Zadie Lawrence. Those early trips out of the Interland were simply to familiarise Cassie with the requirements of the Runners – the dangers and the importance of keeping out of sight and moving quickly. Get out, get the mission done, get home. The Interland was safety.
She noticed Reuben do a double take at the sight of the hooded figures around the fire, heads down as if in prayer. He had a smirk on his face as he approached Cassie. ‘Something odd going on over there,’ he said.
‘Someone has to keep the Devil out,’ Cassie said, returning Reuben’s smile. Out towards the sea, total darkness approached and Cassie was glad of Reuben’s presence. He stood alongside her so that their arms touched, the shiver that moved over her skin reminding Cassie of the strength of feeling that had once existed between them.
Reuben pointed to the west, to the estuary of the River Arun. ‘West Beach,’ he said. It was the place where Reuben first reached out to Cassie and her close friend, Jay, before they came to the Interland.
‘You never stopped to talk,’ Cassie said, a bitterness coming through in her tone that she hadn’t intended. However much she told herself that she forgave Reuben for leaving when they were young, she’d not forgotten. The Interland had drawn both Reuben and her grandad away from her without warning, and now her grandad was gone. Forever. He died just a few months after their reunion at the Interland. It was as if he’d reached the end of his journey and was happy to leave. She had to relive being abandoned by him all over again. Their reunion had not been long enough for Cassie to get to know him again, but long enough for his loss to hit hard once more.
She had loved Reuben when they were younger. As deeply as she could have imagined back then in her early teens. Now? It was complicated. They’d been apart for too long. So much had passed. She’d changed – turned twenty. Then there was Sammy, Jay’s brother. At nearly eighteen, he’d moved from being her best friend’s kid brother to something more. Their connection was undeniable. Even thinking of him now made a small heat blossom in her chest, followed quickly by a pang of guilt.
She turned to Reuben. ‘So have you figured out the route?’ her tone a little warmer than before.
‘We can train-hop most of the way. If we hit trouble, we get off and go cross-country on foot.’
Over the past year, the excursions of the Runners had become more dangerous. Rundown districts had enveloped entire towns. Frequent power cuts and empty supermarket shelves meant desperate, fearful people. Then there was the Given. Back before Cassie found the sanctuary of the Interland, before the Zadie Lawrence protest that fuelled the crackdown by the State, the Given walked freely among the public. They enjoyed similar rights and were respected. Now, the Given had been pushed into extinction. The few that remained outside the Interland were in hiding, scared for their lives.
‘How far?’
‘We’ll be there by lunchtime tomorrow. We can bed down here tonight, head off at first light.’ Reuben turned, motioning for Cassie to follow back to their camp.
Cassie touched his arm. ‘Hey, sorry,’ she said.
‘What for?’ Reuben stopped.
‘Just now. Didn’t mean to snap.’
‘Didn’t notice,’ Reuben said, turning away.
Cassie watched as he scuffed through the long grass towards the ring of trees, the fire now raging so that the tree trunks flickered orange. She followed in his path. They’d set up camp over the north ledge, out of sight and sheltered from the southerly wind. She caught up with him and linked arms as they passed through the ring of trees, avoiding the inner circle so as not to disturb the pagans. He glanced at her, but something over Cassie’s shoulder caught his eye. He stopped. Cassie turned to see the group of pagans stand and push down their hoods as they looked towards the two Runners. Cassie took a step back. ‘Can you feel it?’ she said.
‘Power,’ Reuben said. ‘Lots of it.’
‘They must have been shielding. These aren’t pagans,’ said Cassie. ‘We need to leave.’ Before they’d moved more than a few metres, more figures appeared at the outer circle of trees.
‘Readers,’ said Reuben.
Cassie’s heart raced, her mind spinning with questions. ‘How did they know we’d be here?’ she said as Reuben held tight to her arm.
Two of the figures stepped aside to allow someone through. A man emerged, a silhouette in the shadow of the moon as he approached Cassie and Reuben.
