My cheeks were flushed—my whole body must have been red. My heart shook me with every beat, too, but I was smiling. I felt like my feet were gliding over the floor, and the world was so big, and the junkyard was no longer scary in the least.
That’s why, when Mimi jumped in front of me from behind a large device—arms raised, screaming—I only laughed.
I didn’t stop running, slammed onto her instead, and we spun around a few times before we let go of one another again. I had yet to understand who this person I’d suddenlybecome was, but it felt like a veil had been lifted from my eyes and I could finally breathe easy here. Whatever this was, I continued to hope it never ended.
The others came out of their hiding spots soon, bored to have to wait longer than a few minutes to be found, and it suited me—right until they started hi-fiving me, grinning and winking, because of course Reggie toldeveryoneabout March and me.
Believe it or not, I was far less embarrassed than I would have thought.
We decided to stay a little longer, though, considered three o’clock to be the perfect time to call it a night so we could get some rest before the next day. Two, fifty-five found us going through a particularly interesting pile of devices because all the items discarded there seemed to be old.Veryold.
A handheld disc layered with rings that no longer turned, the symbols etched on the sides half blackened, and when you tilted it to the right, it emitted this faint ticking that didn’t really match any rhythm at all. Nobody had the slightest clue to what it could have been used for.
Then there was what Russ called apendulum rigmeant to measure the timing, rhythm and precision of a certain movement, depending on what it was being used for. It had two upright posts with a heavy metal pendulum suspended between them, its swing stiff and uneven, the metal of it completely rusted. A box full of mismatched gears was near it, and this shallow wooden crate full of small and chipped and warped things that looked too fragile to even touch. Not a single one matched the other.
Bundles of frayed ropes with knots at no specific intervals, and dented bell stands that held tarnished bells of different shapes and sizes—and you could just tell they had years on them by the way they were constructed, the lack ofprecision on the metal lines, the rust on the nails, the outdated way they’d mounted the gears. Old, but all of this had been functional at one point.
“Time to go, everyone. Wrap it up,” Silas said, and he was right. My eyes were burning and my energy levels were low. I needed sleep, I really did.
The others were already moving toward the lantern, exhausted, dragging their feet—except for March, who was still crouched over on the other side, looking intently at something. It had been hours since we’d shared that kiss, yet my lips still felt like they were burning. At this point I was convinced that the sensation would never-ever-reven go away—and I was glad for it.
That’s why, when I forced all that embarrassment off my shoulders and went closer to him, I was twelve-hours certain my freckles were completely invisible.
“Time to go, Heartling,” I said, and maybe it was just me, but even my voice sounded different when I spoke to him.Curiouser and curiouser.
“I wish I could take this with,” he said instead, his eyes still on whatever he’d seen down there at the bottom of the pile, so I had no choice but to go closer, to lean down and see.
It was the shape of a heart, bigger than my head, attached to whatever metal device was underneath all the junk they’d put over it. It had gears and cogs of all sizes that fit perfectly together, and I had no idea what it was, what it could have served for, but it was impressive. Every single circle, every shape, every nail was placed exactly right inside the heart mold, and it was also in near-perfect condition.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered—and it really was. I’d never quite seen anything like it, not even close.
“It would have made a beautiful gift,” March said. “But it’s connected to whatever machinery is under here.” Heslammed a hand against it, and the metal roared like a living thing.
“I think I can help with that,” I said, biting on my lower lip as I analyzed the shapes, the curves and the edges.
“Help how?” March said.
“Hey! C’mon, guys—it’s time to go!” Seth called from the middle of the junkyard, and we both jumped to our feet.
“You’ll see,” I told March and made to go to the others.
He grabbed my hand and stopped me, turning me to him again. Smiled in a new way, a different way I hadn’t seen before.
“What?” I breathed because his gaze was too intense, way too much for my poor heart.
“The next time I kiss you, you’ll see it coming.” He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “Let’s go.”
When I madeit to my room, I finally opened my sketchbook and drew—the mechanical heart March had liked so much. I thought maybe I could show it to him later, and if he liked it, he could have it, since he couldn’t take the real one with him out of the junkyard.
That night, and the one after it, I was convinced that nothing—nothingin the world could touch me. I’d come to this place expecting nothing more thansomewhere to be,away from home, away from heartache, away from memories. I’d found so much more, and I had a hard time imagining anything happening to take away this purejoyI felt in every waking second.
Then came the first trial.
10
They gave usdresses.
I didn’t understand what for—I’d seen recordings in the school archives. All Hands wore uniforms, not dresses—and especially not dresses with as many sparkles as the one Lida brought for me.
