Free Etherworld by Claudia Gabel Page B

try.
    â€œYou should stay behind,” I say. “Zared can teach you the code for the tunnels and portals. Just in case—”
    â€œRegan . . . ,” Josh begins.
    â€œIt’s okay,” I say. “I’ll come back, and then we’ll finish this together somehow, I swear.”
    â€œLet me be clear: There’s no way in hell you’re going in without me.” He gives me a half grin and then turns back to Nora. “Sorry.”
    Nora sighs in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you ever listen to reason?” she asks.
    â€œGuess I take after my big sister,” he says with a shrug.
    Nora rolls her eyes, playfully elbowing Josh in the ribs.
    â€œOuch,” Josh jokes. Nora barely touched him.
    â€œYou deserve a lot worse for being so pigheaded.” Nora smiles.
    As I watch them laugh and tease each other good-naturedly, I can’t help but think about how Patrick and I used to make each other stronger. How we never let anything or anyone come between us. I have Josh now, but I still miss having a best friend.
    â€œIf you won’t stay here, then I’m going back with you. Even though I think it’s crazy,” Nora says, letting out a great big sigh.
    â€œYou don’t have to do that,” Josh reassures her.
    â€œYes, I do,” she says. “Regan might be the reason you found me, but I’m the reason you came looking.”

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................
SIX
    I LEAP THROUGH THE PORTAL OF THE RED Canyon Escape and land on my feet. In front of me is a trail framed by two towering walls of sedimentary rock. Everything is a shade of red, tinged with Elusion’s golden shimmer. There are crimson pine trees and a narrow stream of water that looks like a long ruby ribbon; even the bright, cloudless sky looks like a canopy of rose petals.
    I let out a deep, cleansing breath and feel buoyed by a sense of hope. I stand up, noticing that Elusion has automatically outfitted me with deep-treaded sneakers, spandex shorts, and a pair of fingerless bike gloves. In my right hand is a sleek, transparent ball that gives me purpose.
    This time, I haven’t forgotten why I’m here.
    â€œHello?” I call out.
    I turn around, searching for the team that came with me through the tunnel that Zared secured for us—Josh, Ayesha, Nora, and Malik. But unlike in the previous Escape, there is no sign of the firewall, nor can I see anyone else. It’s as though I’ve just arrived out of thin air.
    â€œJosh?” I yell, cupping my hands around my mouth. My voice echoes through the canyons, fluttering along on a breeze and then returning to me like a boomerang. If he were in proximity, he would’ve responded. He and the rest of our crew were right behind me when the portal opened. How can I be the only one here?
    â€œDad!” I shout.
    Nothing.
    I’m alone, but I feel strangely comfortable, filled with a sense of déjè vu. I head toward a winding trail and follow it down and around the side of the cliff. I glance at the lush, red-hued ravine below. No wonder I feel like I’ve been here before. My dad showed me pictures of this Escape when he was developing it. But it’s even more beautiful than I could have imagined.
    In fact, it’s almost a shame we have to destroy it.
    I stop to inhale the comforting smell of pine, and feel a sense of unbridled gratefulness that the Escape is still intact. My dad couldn’t have found the trigger yet, or else I would have walked into a nightmare. I know he’s around, somewhere.
    There’s so much ground to cover, and I don’t have my bearings. I look at my wristband to see the time, but it’s just two sets of blinking double zeros.
    I stop as I see a row of black mountain bikes perched near a swath of blossoming shrubs. I hurry over to them,