Hunter obediently pulled his clothes back on.

“Back to work, huh, Hunter?” Edilio said with a wretched, forced smile.

Hunter nodded. “Yes. I have to get Albert some meat or he gets mad.”

“No I don’t,” Albert protested weakly.

Hunter started to walk away. Albert called after him. “Where did you see this flying snake of yours?”

Hunter, eager to answer Albert’s question, smiled because he knew the answer. “They’re all over on the morning side.”

“The what?”

“That’s what I call it. On the other side of the hills. There’s a cave. By the road.”

“The road to Lake Evian . . . the lake where we get water?” Albert asked in a quiet voice.

Hunter nodded. “Yes. By the dirt road that goes there.”

“Thanks,” Edilio said, dismissing Hunter, who looked relieved and walked quickly away without looking back. Edilio turned to Astrid. “Okay, Astrid. What are you thinking?”

“I think the reason Lana couldn’t heal him is that it’s not a disease.”

“It sure looks like a disease,” Howard said. “Like a disease I don’t want to get.”

“It’s a parasite,” Astrid said.

“Like when a dog gets worms?” Edilio asked.

“Yes.”

“But they’re coming out through his skin,” Edilio said.

Astrid nodded. “He should be in excruciating pain. They’re probably secreting something that deadens the pain.”

“What’s going to happen to him?” Dekka asked.

“There’s a type of wasp,” Astrid said. “That’s why I asked him about wasps. It lays its eggs inside a caterpillar. The eggs hatch. The larvae then eat the living caterpillar from the inside out.”

Lana felt sick herself. She had long since learned to protect herself by affecting a certain indifference to the pains and wounds she healed. But this was awful beyond anything she had ever seen. And she had been powerless to help.

“Everyone keep this quiet till we figure out what it is,” Edilio said. “No one talk to Taylor, that girl can’t keep quiet for . . .” He trailed off, noticing a stony glare from Astrid. “Council meeting tonight,” he finished lamely.

Lana called to Patrick, who was sniffing around in the weeds beside the road, and headed toward home.

Astrid caught up to her.

“Lana.”

“Yeah?” Lana had never been Astrid’s biggest fan. She admired Astrid’s smarts and looks. But they were very different people.

“It’s Little Pete. He . . .”

“He what?” Lana demanded impatiently.

“He has a fever. I think he has flu or something.”

Lana shrugged. “Yeah, one of the Jennifers has it, too. I don’t think it’s any big deal. Take him to see Dahra, I’ll stop by there later.”

Lana expected Astrid to nod her head and take off. But Astrid glanced down the road to make sure no one was coming toward them. This got Lana’s attention.

“I need you to come to my house,” Astrid said firmly.

“Look, I get that you’re more important than, you know, normal people,” Lana snarked. “But I’ll take care of him later. Okay? Bye.”

Astrid grabbed her shoulder. Lana turned back, angry now. She didn’t like being touched, let alone grabbed.

“It’s not about me,” Astrid said. “Lana . . . I have to ask you. The gaiaphage . . .”

Lana’s face darkened.

“Can it see what you see?” Astrid asked quietly. “Can it know what you know?”

Lana felt a chill. “What is going on, Astrid?”

“Maybe nothing. But come with me. Come see Petey. Help me out, and I will owe you one.”

Lana laughed derisively. She was the Healer: everyone owed her one. But she followed Astrid just the same.

Chapter Seven

60 HOURS, 30 MINUTES

CAINE HAD FOUND a telescope in the house. He carried it out to the cliff on the eastern edge of the island. It was afternoon. The light was pretty good, low, slanting rays that lit up the far shore. Sunlight glinted off windows and car wind-shields in Perdido Beach. Bright red tile roofs and tall palm trees made it seem so normal. As if it really was just another California beach town.

The nuclear power plant was closer. It, too, looked normal. The hole in the containment tower was on the far side, not visible from here. The hole he’d made.

He was startled by the sound behind him but didn’t show it. Much.

“What are you looking at, Napoleon?” Diana asked.

“Napoleon?”

“You know, because he was exiled to an island after he almost took over the world,” Diana said. “Although he was short. You’re much taller.”

Caine wasn’t sure he minded Diana tweaking him. It was better than the way she’d been lately, all depressed and giving up on life. Hating herself.

He didn’t mind if she hated him. They were never going to be a cute romantic couple like Sam and Astrid. Clean-cut, righteous, all that. The perfect couple. He and Diana were the imperfect couple.

“How did it work out for Napoleon?” he asked her.

He caught the slight hesitation as she searched for a glib answer.

“He lived happily ever after on his island,” Diana said. “He had a beautiful girlfriend who was far better than he deserved.”