by R. D. Brady
The Unwelcome who had killed his mother and sister was Anixquold.
57
Anger roared through Miles, a tidal wave of unending rage. But the shock cut through it like a knife. Anixquold stared up at him, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. A deep gash ran along her chin from where the helmet had struck her.
Even as Miles took in all the damage he’d done, he had an overwhelming need to do more. “You took them from me! You killed them!”
Anixquold said nothing, but a single tear rolled down her cheek. That tear was like a bucket of cold water falling over him.
For the first time, Miles looked into her eyes and saw fear and maybe regret. “Did you do it? Did you kill them?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. But I’ve killed others just like them.”
She was right. She might not have killed his mother and sister, but she had undeniably killed someone else’s. She didn’t deserve to live.
Anixquold stared into his eyes. “Do it, Miles. Do it.”
The words weren’t said with anger. They weren’t said with hostility. They were said with acceptance that this was what she deserved.
Miles flung himself back from her, knowing he needed to put some space between them. He scampered backward, his back slamming into one of the walls of the obstacle course. He dropped his head and took deep breaths. He wanted more than anything to rush back across the room and finish what he’d started. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this wasn’t him. What they had done to him over the last few horrific days was somehow interfering with his emotions, his control. They wanted him to do this.
And for that reason alone, he wouldn’t.
Alan’s voice called out over the speakers. “You need to kill her, Miles. If you don’t kill her, she will go and kill others just like your mother, just like your sister. You can protect them by killing her.”
Miles looked up at the observation window. The Naku leader was there, as was Alan. Alan glared down at him. And then all of Miles’s anger had a new target. He got to his feet and crossed the room toward Anixquold. She scampered back with a small whimper. He reached her side and turned to face the observation window. He didn’t look at it as he spoke. “I forgive you.”
Without waiting for her reply, he sprinted across the room. With a giant leap, he landed on top of one of the obstacles, using it as a springboard to vault himself toward the observation desk.
Alan’s look of smug satisfaction quickly turned to fear. Miles threw himself at the window. The glass shattered, shards raining down into the room below and cutting through Miles’s skin. But he felt none of it as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet.
Unwelcome swarmed toward him, but not before Miles reached out and slammed his fist into Alan’s face. The man went flying back, crashing into the Naku leader, who let out a wail. Romag blasts crashed into Miles, hitting him over and over again.
He pictured his mother and sister as his eyes closed.
I’ll see you soon.
58
Sleep eluded Lyla that night. There were so many variables that they needed to consider, not the least of which was Meg, who had agreed to join them in their fight. Meg was undeniably someone who had ambitions.
Providing them with the abilities of the Cursed could be problematic down the road. Who knew if the abilities would work the same way they did in the Cursed? What if the abilities had changed somewhat? What if it allowed the recipients to target anyone with their abilities? She thought it unlikely, but Ta’Chiko hadn’t expected a child to visit him first. Apparently, as bright as he appeared, he wasn’t omniscient.
She needed to do some testing. She needed to see for herself exactly what the ash did and to whom. And Thor’s idea of using the ash on the Unwelcome—that was beyond intriguing.
At the same time, they would have to make sure that the ash was used on only their forces. They couldn’t risk the residents of New City actually being given abilities and then being able to fight against the Unwelcome on their side. Truth was, she needed some volunteers. She needed some people who were willing to take the ash and then see what effects it had.
“Why are you still awake?” Arthur asked.
Lyla glanced over at him. He lay on his side, his eyes staring up at her. Lyla rolled onto her side as well so she was facing him. She had given the girls the bed. She had started the night up there with them, but they both had been moving around too much for Lyla to get any sleep, especially with her mind full of ideas and plans, so she had moved down to the floor.
Now she faced Arthur. “I’m thinking about the ash. It could give us an edge.”
“Thor told me about your conversation. Are you thinking about trying it on us?”
Lyla nodded. “Yes. It could be a huge benefit to us.”
“But?”
Lyla sighed. “But … we don’t know what it will do to you. The Cursed were created to defend humans against the Naku’s greatest weapon: you. If you were to receive the ash directly, who says that it will work the same way? Who says it wasn’t created to harm you?”
“I suppose that’s possible. It would be a risk. But we are open to the suggestions of the Naku. If the ash could remove that weakness, we would be of much greater use to you.”
“But I’m not sure the risk is worth it. If something were to happen to you …”
He gently took her hand in his. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I will be by your side for this battle and for all the battles to come, be they big or small.”
A lump formed in Lyla’s throat at his words. He meant so much to her. He had started all of this by saving her boys. He had already proven time and time again that he would put his life on the line to protect any of them. He had become especially close with Maisy. “We are very lucky to have found you.”
Arthur shook his head. “No, I am the lucky one.”
Lyla laid her head against his chest. She knew he wanted to take this chance. But Lyla couldn’t let him. If something were to happen to him, Maisy would be devastated. Arthur was the father she’d never had.
Even as she thought it, and even though it was true, it was only part of the reason. Her world would end if something happened to Arthur. He brought her a peace, a contentment that she’d never known before. Selfishly, she didn’t want to give that up. She’d already given up so much in this world.
“I’ll think about it.” She took a deep breath. I can’t let you.
59
The group of eighteen was quiet as Lewis led them toward Lyla’s camp. Oscar rode at the back of the group. He could tell Lewis was not happy when he had volunteered to go along with them, but as Meg’s second-in-command, there was no way Lewis could refuse him.
He dropped another small colored rock before he shifted in his saddle, trying to find a more comfortable position. But there was none. His butt and thighs ached. He barely rode these days, and this long trip to Lyla’s camp was torturous.
He glared at the back of Lewis’s head. The man no doubt was taking them on a roundabout way, extending Oscar’s torture. The only way Oscar was able to bite his tongue was by picturing Lewis’s face when he realized what he had set in motion.
They had been traveling uphill now for at least an hour. Oscar removed another stone with a small drop of blue paint from his pocket and dropped it quietly next to his horse. Lewis, leaving the group, didn’t notice. Just like he hadn’t noticed any of the other markers that Oscar had left.
A small stir sounded from the front of the group. Oscar craned his neck, trying to see what had caused it. And then the structure came into view. Oscar pulled on the reins, involuntary bringing his horse to a halt.
It was a palace. Their new camp was a palace.
A tall, strong fence surrounded it. The building was three stories tall with statues along the rooftop. It extended to two directions. It must have at least a hundred rooms.
Oscar’s anger boiled high. While he and the people of Meg’s camp had been
toiling away, desperate to survive, Lewis had been lazing away in luxury.
Oscar nudged his horse forward, scanning the building and the grounds. It was well fortified. Even from here, he could see the soldiers along the roofline, and there were more stationed at the front entrance. There was no chance they would be able to take it with force.
But that was all right, because they were not going to attack Lewis’s new camp. No, Meg was too smart for that. And when she was done, they would open the gates and welcome her. After all, she was a proven leader in difficult times.
And soon this camp would be absent one.
60
After a night’s sleep, or at least in Lyla’s case a night passing, the same group minus Simon reconvened in the dining room. While there were concerns about what the ash could potentially do, it was decided that they would at least try it on one full human and one Unwelcome. Montel volunteered, as did Thor. Arthur volunteered as well, but Lyla was happy, selfishly so, that Thor spoke up first.
A contingent from Meg’s camp arrived with Lewis, and Riley briefed them on what they were planning. While the rest hashed out the final details, Lyla took the two volunteers down the hall to a room right next to the infirmary. Simon, Arthur, and Frank joined them as well.
Simon carried a bag with medical equipment, which he quickly set up in the room. If something were to go wrong, Lyla wanted to make sure that help was nearby.
And a thousand things could go wrong. The ash that had created the Cursed had been absorbed into the fetuses of the next generation. Even Maisy was still a child when she had been exposed. Who knew what the effect would be on a full-fledged adult? Children’s brains were still developing into their early twenties. It would seem logical that changes would be less difficult for a child’s brain to accept.
Simon looked up at her. “Everything’s ready.”
“All right, everyone outside.” They had agreed only Lyla and the individual being exposed to the ash would be in the room. No one knew how much ash would be needed to initiate the effect. And if a small amount of dust in the air could have an effect, only someone who already had abilities should be nearby.
Thor, Simon, and Frank each gave Montel a nod before heading out the door. Arthur paused at the door, looking at Lyla.
She nodded at him. “I’ll be fine. Go on.”
With one last look, he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Lyla lowered the sack she was holding to the ground and then gently removed the box. She unwrapped the rope she had tied around it. It might be overkill, but the last thing she wanted was the ash to accidently spill out and infect people.
She stood up, holding the box in her hand as Montel took a seat on one of the two chairs over by the windows. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
He nodded. “Someone has to be the guinea pig. And this could change everything when it comes to the fight.”
Lyla knew he was right, but still she hesitated.
“It’s all right, Lyla. Whatever happens, it’s all right.”
Lyla met his gaze and saw the determination there. He was committed to this. He hadn’t been coerced. He wasn’t doing it out of fear. He was doing it because he believed it was the right thing to do. And because he knew the future of their people, of their very planet, was dependent upon them defeating the Naku.
Taking a breath, Lyla opened the box. “Put your hand in.”
Montel didn’t hesitate. He plunged his hand into the ash. A small plume of dust rose in the air.
Lyla nodded. “That should be enough.”
He removed his hand. Lyla placed the box on the table next to him while studying his face, looking for any sort of reaction. But he looked fine. She frowned. “Do you feel any different?”
Montel shook his head. “No, I feel—” His words cut off, and he raised the hand that he’d plunged into the box. It was shaking. The trembling increased and then started to spread up his arm until his whole body was shaking. His eyes rolled back in his head.
“Montel!” Lyla dashed forward as Montel’s body crashed to the side. “Simon!”
The door behind her flew open, and Simon hustled in, kicking the door shut behind him.
“I think he’s having a seizure,” she said. “What can we do?”
“Nothing. We have to wait until it passes.”
Lyla positioned herself so her lap was underneath Montel’s head to keep him from banging it on the floor.
No, no, no. She could not lose Montel. She never should’ve allowed him to do this. The risk was too great. It felt like forever, but the seizure only lasted about two minutes. Slowly the trembling stopped, and his body unclenched.
Lyla ran a hand over his forehead, her breathing uneven. “Montel?”
Montel let out a small groan. It took him a few moments longer before his eyes fluttered open. “That was not fun.”
He started to sit up, and Lyla helped him. “How do you feel?”
“I feel … good.” Surprise flitted through his voice.
“Good? You just had a seizure,” Lyla said.
Simon nodded. “You need to take it easy for a little while. Seizures are not something you just walk away from.”
Montel got to his feet. “Maybe. But I really do feel good.”
Simon studied him, his gaze searching his face before he placed two fingers on his wrist to take his pulse. “Dizziness, headache, light-headedness, anything?”
Montel shrugged. “Nope.”
“His pulse is … normal.”
Simon frowned up at Montel.
“Do people normally bounce back from a seizure this quickly?” Lyla asked.
Simon shook his head. “I’ve only seen a couple of people with seizures, but they tend to be laid up for a significant amount of time afterward. I have never seen someone get to their feet this quickly. And he looks … fine.”
Montel arched an eyebrow at Lyla. “So what are we thinking? Did it work?”
“There’s no way to tell until we come across the Naku or an Unwelcome.”
Montel flexed his hands. He grinned. “Would it be wrong to say I’m really kind of looking forward to finding out?”
Lyla smiled back at him. “Nope. Nothing wrong with that at all.”
61
Oscar had walked the entire perimeter of the Gatsby. There were no weaknesses in the fence. He could tell that there had been damage from the Before, but each place had been fortified. His initial assessment was correct: A direct attack on the Gatsby was not an option.
But now he had a greater problem. He couldn’t figure out a way to get outside the walls without drawing attention to himself. Lyla’s guards were too well trained. And it wasn’t just the ones along the wall. She had stationed guards along the rooftop. They had a bird’s-eye view of the whole area.
He needed to find a way to get outside. He could scale it, but that would attract the attention of the guards on the roof. Slipping through any of the entrances would require distracting the guards on the roof plus the guards at the entrance.
He needed another way. He stopped as he reached the back of the yard. Even from the back, the building was impressive. A long yard spread out in front of him with a few cottages to his right and the stable along the other side. His people would enjoy this space.
He narrowed his eyes at the people walking and talking amongst themselves in the green space. They were all blue. His eyes had nearly popped out of his head when he’d first seen them. All of his people had been shocked at their appearance.
And the one named Arthur had spoken to them, but that hadn’t been the greatest shock. The greatest shock was seeing the obvious affection that Lyla held for Arthur. In all the years he had known her, she had not been linked with any man. And now to see her panting after an alien, it was disgusting.
She was a traitor to her own species.
And here was more proof of that. She had taken in these creatures. She was feeding these creatures. And what about his people? Had she offered to
help them?
No, she hadn’t. Instead she was focusing her attention on making sure that these vile abominations were comfortable. If it were within his power, he would call the Naku down on all of them. And he was sure that Meg would agree.
Now he just needed to figure out a way to tell her what he’d found.
He walked along the edge of the perimeter, his gaze constantly straying to the blue creatures roaming around, smiling, talking. And their children. Another generation to devastate the human race.
He walked along the back of the stable, needing a moment to calm down. His heart was racing and sweat had broken out along his back. He rolled his hands into fists, barely able to restrain the urge to slam it into the side of the stable.
That bitch. She has all this, and instead of sharing it with her species, she’s sharing it with the enemy.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Not now, Oscar. Now is not the time. He had a job to do, and his anger would only get in the way. He walked to the edge of the stable and then leaned back against the wall. He took a few deep breaths, his pulse slowing, but anger still simmered within him. He knew the anger wouldn’t fully disappear until Meg was in charge of this camp. Until his people were living in luxury rather than these creatures.
A small gasp sounded next to him. He jerked his head to the side. One of the alien children, who looked to be about two years old, stared up at him. The child’s eyes went wide in shock, then he smiled up at Oscar and extended his arms.
Oscar looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed them. An idea sprang into his mind. He removed his cloak and put it around the child, holding him to his chest, and then he quickly walked toward the fence line.
A cry rose up behind him, and he turned, but no one was looking at him or coming after him. But they’d obviously just discovered that the child is missing. Oscar struggled to keep his pace normal. He reached the fence.
