Free Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott

into the earth. But they will surface again once the signal reaches them.”
    “If we’re trying to avoid them, why are you sending them a signal?”
    “The signal is for the waiting souls. They must prepare for our departure.”
    “Because we’re taking them back to your realm?” I ask.
    “Yes. They’ve waited long enough to go home.”
    I keep quiet for a while, thinking about Nuru’s plan and the unlikely turn my life has taken. If I had found Nuru a few months ago, could she have cured my mother’s cancer? But Nuru said she chose me because I had no one to lose. So I guess Mom had to die before any of this could happen to me.
    Lullwater winds like a snake, but it’s really the tail end of the big lake at the bottom of the park. There’s boating in the summer, though the boathouse is now an Audubon Center. I used to go there with my mom. There’s a café inside, and in the summer folks sit out by the water and feed the ducks. Mom used to say the boathouse reminded her of Venice with its white pillars and fancy lampposts. I’ve never been to Italy, so I just took her word for it. The boathouse and the bridge definitely look like they’re from another time.
    Having waterways in the park is important because it creates habitat for all kinds of birds. If I were a migrating bird, I’d definitely stop here. There’s a stream that feeds the lake, making a little waterfall at one end. Large rocks embedded in the ground serve as steps that lead down to the water’s edge. I carefully follow these over to Lullwater Bridge.
    Nuru starts shifting from one foot to another. I can sense that she’s about to take flight, so I quickly ask, “Will they mind that I’m coming, too? The souls of the dead, I mean. They won’t be mad or anything, will they?”
    Nuru settles on my shoulder once more. “Mad? They will sing your praises, D! These souls are nothing like the nether beings. They embraced death when it came to them, and have waited patiently for this release. They will bless you for ensuring the return to their homeland.”
    “Why are the nether beings so different? Don’t they want to go home, too?”
    Nuru sadly shakes her head. “They do not recognize my realm as their place of origin. They suffer under a cruel delusion that traps them in a kind of purgatory. The nether beings are souls that do not seek release. They cling to the earth on which they died.”
    “What? You mean the nether beings died here—in the park?”
    “Long ago this was a battlefield, D.”
    “I know—the British fought the patriots here during the Revolutionary War. There’s a boulder over there with a plaque on it.”
    “There are two boulders and two plaques, and both are portals into the netherworld. One doorway leads to their realm, and the other leads to mine.”
    “So…once we’re underground, we won’t see them—will we?”
    “It isn’t likely. With the aid of allies, I was able to construct a network of secret tunnels during the long years of my captivity.”
    “Allies? Why didn’t they help you escape?”
    “They were animals—burrowing creatures. Only a human can be my host.”
    I used to think a host was someone who invited you over to their house for dinner. But I’m starting to realize that Nuru uses the word to mean something else. I’m about to ask her about my host duties when Nuru whispers in my ear, “We’re not alone.”
    I freeze and quickly scan the ground for another trap. Then I take a deep breath and look over my shoulder. Nyla and Keem are standing on the far side of the lake.

11.
    N uru hops off my shoulder and into my hands. “You have to stay with me from now on, D.”
    “You mean you have to stay with me ,” I say. I know all too well what can happen when Nuru flies off, even if it’s just to look around. I can feel Nyla and Keem staring at me, but I turn away from their gaze and try to reassure Nuru of my loyalty. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “We are bound to one another, D.