“Are you all right?”
Samuel lowered himself to one knee. “I think so. You tell me.”
His father chuckled and knelt beside him. “You’re insane, you know that?” He looked up to see tears in the old man’s eyes. “That’s what they tell me.”
Dorn grabbed his son and embraced him furiously. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. You hear me, boy?”
“I’ll try not to.”
A truck pulled up beside them, and the still-terrified children were loaded in the back. “You do realize Clara’s going to skin you alive.”
“In that case, I think I’ll walk.” His legs felt weak, but as his heart rate slowed and his fear subsided, he was able to stand.
“The hell you will.”
Seeing that his father would not be moved, he relented and climbed into the back, where he took a seat beside one of the young boys.
“Thank you,” said the older girl. A younger girl Samuel believed was her sister was weeping openly in her arms.
Samuel smiled. “Thank my father. He’s the one who saved us.”
The ride to the barrier pylon only took a few minutes. Six of the vehicles not out on rescue patrol were parked in a neat row. The passengers from the truck had already crawled through the opening to the far side and were being given food and water in a pavilion a few more yards further down. Samuel and Dorn waited until everyone was through before following.
By now, all the adrenalin had worn off and the pain from the impact was beginning to set in. The side of his face throbbed, and his chest felt as if someone had stomped on it repeatedly.
“Sorry about Shel,” he remarked.
“She’s tough,” said Dorn. “I’ll have her back on the road in a few days. You, on the other hand…”
Before he could finish the sentence, Clara appeared seemingly from nowhere. In a blur of motion, her hand smacked across Samuel’s face.
“What were you thinking?” she shouted. “You promised not to go out there again.”
Samuel winced from the blow, which had landed in the exact same spot as the steering wheel, sending sharp waves of pain through his skull. “If I promise again, will you stop hitting me? Besides, the hellspawn aren’t drawn to me like we thought they might be. Not unless I use magic.”
“And you know this how?” she demanded. “It didn’t chase me until I shot it.”
“Take it easy on the lad,” said Dorn, grinning. “He’s a hero.”
She planted her hand on her hips and looked him up and down. “He’s a mess. That’s what he is. And an idiot.”
“You know, since your wound healed, I don’t get to have any fun at all.”
Clara stepped in close. “Go out there one more time and you’ll never have fun again.” She glanced downward. “And I mean it. Ever.”
Dorn threw back his head and laughed. “I knew there was a reason I liked her, son.” Samuel reached out and pulled her close. Though she still looked angry, she did not resist.
“I’m sorry. Really. But no one else was here who could handle Shel.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I did save some children.”
Gradually her scowl faded. “Then I suppose I have to forgive you.” She kissed him lightly on his bruised cheek. “Come on. Let’s get you tended to.”
Six pavilions, three on either side, housed most of the people from Exodus, with the exception of one where food and water was given to new arrivals. A bit further back was an area where food was prepared, along with a medical tent. It was primitive, but functional.
The doctor, a woman they had saved on their second day, checked him out and gave him a pill to help with sleep.
“Two days’ rest,” she said. “That’s an order.”
Clara walked with him back to the pavilion where they were staying, Samuel’s hand grasped firmly in hers.
“If I didn’t know better,” he said, casting her a suspicious look. “I’d say you arranged that ahead of time.”
“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard,” she replied. “It doesn’t take a doctor to see that.” “I hear they think it might be possible to draw power from the pylons,” Samuel remarked.
Clara shrugged. “Maybe. They should leave them alone, if you ask me. Why risk damaging them? We don’t need power here.”
Samuel nodded. “I agree. It’s not like we’ll have it later anyway.” Clara leaned her head on his shoulder. “I won’t miss it. Will you?” “I thought I would. But now…no. Not at all.”
She forced him to take the pill before helping him into his cot. By now the soreness of the crash had taken full hold and was making every movement painful. Clara sat on the floor beside him, holding his hand until he began to drift off.
“You really are a hero,” she whispered, kissing his brow. “You bet I am,” he said, smiling.
A few minutes later, the pill took effect and sleep took him completely.
* * *
There was constant noise pervading through camp. With the steady stream of people fleeing through the barrier, this was to be expected, and for the most part Samuel was able to ignore it. He was typically exhausted at the end of each day – physically, mentally, and emotionally, though Clara helped to keep his wits from fraying completely. She seemed to know precisely what to say to take his mind off the desperation of their plight. It was good to see people arrive from the provinces to safety, but he knew that for every one who made it, ten had not. The children he’d saved had been holed up in a warehouse, put there by parents who had likely met a brutal end.
Hellspawn were indiscriminate killers. They spared no one. And once they set their sights, they would not stop. Samuel wondered if Salazar had known in advance how it would be. Did he realize the sheer savagery of the method he had used to rid himself of an entire population? Or was it an abstract for him? Death viewed as numbers rather than people. That he would not be held to account was nearly as great a crime as what Salazar had done. He would tell those in Troi that the hellspawn had come from beyond the barrier, and they would believe it. Why wouldn’t they? Who could imagine anyone unleashing this horror on their own people; people he was sworn to protect?
He heard footsteps approaching, but he doubted anyone was coming to bother him. Clara would have seen to it that he was left to rest. Most of the people sleeping in this pavilion were on duty. Unless he’d slept longer than he’d thought.
“Samuel?”
Samuel’s eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright. “Lenora!” Ignoring the nagging pain in his head and chest, he rose from his cot and threw his arms around her. “We thought you were dead.”
“Dead?” she repeated, returning the embrace. “It’s been months.”
She released her hold and stepped back. “Yes. I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do.” Samuel took a quick look around. “Is Drake with you?”
“He’s delivering messages,” she replied. “He’ll be along shortly.” He checked to see no one was listening. “And the Nelwyn?”
“They’re here. And they’re prepared to help us.”
A wave of relief nearly had him falling back to his cot. “Zara has been keeping them a secret as best she could. As things are, we didn’t want to get people’s hopes up.”
“Yes…as things are.” Though it did not show in her expression, her eyes were burning. “How many have died?”
“There’s no way to tell. Hundreds. Perhaps thousands. We can’t get into some areas until after the hellspawn move on. But there are usually not too many left alive by then.”
“Salazar will pay for this,” she said in a hissing whisper. “I swear it.”
“Right now revenge is the last thing on our minds,” said Samuel, darkly. “I’ve spoken to Zara about it. We weren’t sure they were coming, but if they did, it occurred to us that now that the hellspawn are free, they might not be able to help. Unless you have guns, since mana only makes them stronger.”
“We can worry about that later. For the time being, they can aid us in le
arning to survive in the forests.”
“So they haven’t made it to the barrier yet?”
“Not yet. Given the challenges, we were unsure how many should come and how many stay behind.”
“How many are you?” “About a thousand.”
His shoulders drooped. “Even with weapons, that would not be nearly enough.” “I think you’ll be surprised. The Nelwyn are quite remarkable.”
Drake bounded up, a broad smile splashed across his face. “I hear you are quite the hero.” Samuel gave him a firm embrace. “I see that you ran into my father.”
“Not yet. But when I asked where your tent was, no one wanted to tell me. They were afraid I’d wake you up.” He looked to Lenora. “Did you know he’s saved at least thirty people so far on his own?”
“That’s not as many as some of the others,” Samuel said.
“Yes. But you drove your car into a hellspawn, then got out and fought it bare-handed.” “I did nothing of the sort,” he protested. “I ran like a scared kid.”
Drake slapped him on the arm. “I know. But that’s not what the children I ran into said. To hear them talk, you’re the greatest hero who ever lived.”
“I was lucky,” he said. “If my father and the others hadn’t been there, we’d all have been killed.” He paused for a moment and regarded them both. “You mind telling me what you’re wearing?”
“Nelwyn clothing,” replied Lenora.
“I can get you some if you like it,” added Drake.
Samuel held up his hands. “No, thank you. Maybe when we’re all living in the mud. But for now, I’m fine. So, how much do you know?”
“Enough,” Drake answered. “The people you sent across the barrier wastes told us what happened.”
“So you know that it’s over. Salazar won.”
“Not yet he hasn’t,” said Lenora, with firm resolve and seething fury in her tone. “Come.
Zara is waiting.”
Samuel took note of the way Drake and his cousin walked hand in hand. “I’m glad you two decided to be together again. I was wrong to suggest you shouldn’t.”
“At the time, it didn’t seem like a good idea,” said Drake.
Lenora cast him a disapproving frown. “Not a good idea? When did you decide this?” “When I thought you’d need to marry a noble.”
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore,” said Samuel. “Salazar killed them all.” “He… he what?” Lenora gasped.
“We found a magistrate officer hiding under a pile of rubble at the Antwerp station. He saw hundreds of nobles being led into the forest just before the hellspawn were released. Our guess is that Salazar decided to get rid of them all at once.”
Lenora lowered her head. “I see.”
Drake wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry. I know some of them were your friends.”
“They may have been arrogant fools,” she said, fresh tears falling. “But they didn’t deserve that. No one does.”
“We’ll stop him,” said Drake. “I promise.”
They crossed the makeshift road to the area just behind the medical pavilion, where a round tent had been erected. Zara was inside, leaning back in a chair, eyes shut and rubbing her temples. “I see you found him,” she said, glancing over, then closing her eyes again. “I’d offer you
some wine. But unfortunately, the last of it was drunk a few days ago.” “We’re fine,” said Lenora. “Thank you.”
They pulled up chairs into a circle and waited until Zara sat up straight.
“So, I guess you know the situation. The Nelwyn can’t help. And we don’t have much time left. If the hellspawn come here, we won’t be able to get through to save whoever is still alive.”
“I think they can help,” Lenora countered. She explained the nature of the Nelwyn’s use of mana. Zara did not look enthusiastic.
“Burying them won’t work,” Samuel explained. “We collapsed a four-story building on top of one. It dug itself out in less than twenty minutes, with barely a scratch.”
“Bullets is all we have that can take them down,” added Zara. “And we’re running out. By our estimates, we have about three more weeks’ worth. Then we’re out of options. Whoever is left in Vale is on their own. We’ll have to start thinking about our own survival.”
A silence fell that lasted more than a minute. All eyes were downturned as the reality of defeat loomed over them like a fog.
“No,” said Lenora, finally. “I will not allow it.”
“Well, unless you can conjure up guns and ammunition, there’s not a damn thing you can do,” said Zara. “I’m sorry but we’re just going to have to face facts. It’s over. We can save as many as possible. But after that, we’re done.”
Lenora stood, fists clenched, and looked to Drake. “The Bomar.” Drake furrowed his brow. “Are you serious?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“What the hell are you two talking about?” demanded Zara, clearly losing patience. “Aren’t the Bomar the people you went to fight in the first place?”
“Yes,” Lenora replied. “But that fight is over. The Nelwyn have won.”
“Then why would you think the Bomar could help us? Or would even be willing to?” “I’m not sure they would. But I do know two things: They have weapons and soldiers. And
we are out of options.”
“Good point,” said Samuel. “If they have what we need, we should at least try.”
Zara shrugged. “Try, if you think it will do any good. But you’d better hurry. I’m not sending anyone out there without protection. We’d kill more than we saved. I hate to sound cold, but right now it’s about numbers. My job is to increase them. When I can’t, it’s over.”
“I understand,” said Lenora.
Drake pushed himself up. “I guess that’s it, then. A quick hello and we’re off.” “I was hoping to see Maliel,” said Zara.
Lenora nodded. “I’ll tell him. In the meantime, you should rest. You’re no good to your people if you collapse from exhaustion.”
“If our positions were reversed, could you rest?” “No, I suppose not.”
“Princess Lenora,” called Zara as they were about to exit the tent, her eyes wet with stifled tears. “Please…hurry.”
Lenora bowed. “I will.”
“She’s an amazing person,” remarked Drake, once outside.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sleep,” said Samuel. “Without her, I don’t think half of the people here would stay.”
“A true leader,” said Lenora, in a low voice. “Willing to sacrifice everything for the good of those who depend on her.”
Drake took her hand. “The two of you have a lot in common.”
“Not as much as you think,” she replied, sounding oddly introspective . “There are some things I wouldn’t sacrifice, no matter what might happen.”
Lenora kissed his cheek and then Samuel’s. “I should see if I can help at the medical tent.” “Don’t be long,” said Drake.
“Yes,” said Samuel. “My father will want to see you before you go.” “Where is that old rascal?” asked Drake, once Lenora had gone.
Samuel pointed up to the top of the pylon, where Dorn was perched, along with two other men, each with a rifle. “He only comes down to work on the vehicles.”
Drake laughed. “At least it keeps him busy.” Samuel rolled his eyes. “Not busy enough.”
They stood at the barrier and gazed out over the empty landscape. “Do you really think these Bomar people can help us?’
“I don’t know,” Drake replied. “Lenora thinks so. That’s good enough for me.” “I suppose it is for me too.”
Drake regarded Samuel. He looked troubled. “What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s just…let’s say we win. Let say we kill Salazar, and Lenora becomes queen. What then?”
“I don’t think I understand what you’re getting at.”
“It’s just that all of t
he sudden, the world became a much bigger place. Vale isn’t all there is anymore.”
“That’s true. But it’s our home. And it’s worth saving.”
“I just keep thinking… after everything that’s happened, that still has to happen… will it be ours anymore?”
“Yes. At least for me it will. However it changes, it’s my home. And I’ll save it if I can.” “Are you saying that because you mean it, or because you love Lenora?”
“Does it matter?”
Samuel shook his head. “No. I suppose it doesn’t.”
End Book Two of The Vale: Beyond the Vale
For more on Brian D. Anderson and his books, follow the links below. Also, be on the lookout for a new release with Tor Publishing in early 2020.
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