by R. D. Brady
He glanced back up at the roof, but all of the guards were looking at the yard. There were no guards in sight at this part of the fence because there were no entrances. The fence towered eight feet above him. He quickly climbed up on a discarded wheelbarrow, holding on to the squirming child tightly as it let out a small cry.
He glanced around, but there was no one nearby to hear. The guards’ attention was still directed on the yard. He gripped the fence, placing the child on his shoulder, and climbed. He reached the top with a great deal of effort, his shirt soaked in sweat.
He didn’t hesitate as he reached the top, his grip already loosening. He simply rolled the child off his shoulder and over the side.
He didn’t even wait to see the child hit, jumping down and rolling to his feet. The child emitted a small cry, and then nothing. He looked around, sure he was going to get caught. But no one had seen him. The guards on the roof were still looking into the yard.
He refastened his cloak around his neck before he tucked his hands into his pocket, strolling back toward the backyard, whistling a little tune.
62
Before Thor was brought in, Simon checked Montel’s heart rate, temperature, blood pressure. He even gave him a cognitive test to make sure his memory was intact. Montel smiled good-naturedly through it all.
Everything was within the normal range. Montel seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the seizure. Lyla wasn’t sure what to make of it. Simon suggested that the seizure might just have been Montel’s body adjusting to the new abilities.
But it had still been terrifying to watch.
Montel stepped out of the room, and Thor, who had been waiting in the hallway, immediately straightened. Arthur looked between Montel and Lyla. “Well?”
Montel shrugged. “It was a little rough, but I feel really good now.”
“Did it work?” Thor asked.
“We don’t know. For the Cursed, the abilities are triggered when an Unwelcome is aggressive toward them. We don’t have anyone here that can help answer that.”
Lyla looked Thor straight in the eyes. “Thor, Montel had a seizure after he was exposed to the dust. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Thor didn’t hesitate. “I am.” He strode past her and into the room.
Lyla met Arthur’s concerned gaze. Arthur would have to stay outside again. She gave him a small grim smile and then closed the door.
Thor’s response to the dust was similar to Montel’s, although his seizure lasted longer. Simon thought that was because of Thor’s larger size, and said that perhaps it took longer for the ash to work its way through his system. But just like with Montel, Thor felt just fine afterward.
They both had survived the introduction to ash. Whether it had had the effect they wanted they wouldn’t know until the battle. So now the question was: Should they go ahead and expose the other volunteers who wanted a chance at those abilities?
Lyla knew that it was not a decision for her to make alone, so she left it up to the initial group that had been in the dining room. She was not surprised when all of them agreed that the risk was worth it.
She had just stepped into the main hall when the doors burst open and Maisy rushed in.
“Mom! Tarfax is missing!”
63
The camp was in an uproar. One of the children was missing. It was one of the children who did not have a mother, but he’d been watched by all the other mothers. They were beside themselves right now at the idea that they had somehow overlooked him.
Everyone had pitched in to help. They had scoured the backyard where he’d last been seen, checked the stable, the veerfinah. They’d gone through every room in the house.
Oscar had even offered to search outside the walls, just in case he had somehow managed to get outside. Lyla thought it was unlikely, but she couldn’t rule it out, so a group was now out scouring beyond the fence while the rest rechecked the house and yard.
An hour passed, and no one found him. Lyla was growing increasingly concerned. How could one child go missing like that? There were people everywhere. He should’ve been found.
Lyla stepped out of the stable, glancing around the yard, but everyone was still looking. Arthur stepped out of the schoolhouse across the way. Lyla crossed the yard to meet him. She shook her head.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “I know kids can get into small spaces, but how is he still missing with all of us looking?”
Arthur’s brow was furrowed as he continued to search the yard while speaking. “I don’t understand it, either. Tarfax is not a very adventurous kid, and he loves getting attention. Calling his name is normally enough to get him to appear. This makes no sense.”
A shout went up by the front gate. Lyla darted a quick glance at Arthur before taking off at a run. He was right on her heels. She rounded the front of the main building as Otto strode through the front gate. A small blue bundle was curled up in his arms.
Lyla hurried up to him. “How is he?”
“He’s hurt,” Otto said, his voice tense.
Lyla got her first glance at the child. Dirt and tears stained his face, and his arm was held at an awkward angle. She sucked in a breath. “Get him to Simon.”
Otto nodded, heading past her.
Lyla turned back to Addie and Jamal, who were following Otto. “Where did you find him?”
Addie nudged her chin toward the back of the camp. “He was outside the wall, beyond the stable. It looks like he fell from the wall.”
“He climbed the wall?” Lyla asked.
Addie shook her head. “That’s the only thing I can think of. There’re no entrances over there. And from his injuries, it looks like he fell from the top of the wall.”
“Is that even possible?” Arthur asked.
Addie’s gaze followed Otto as he disappeared into the house, her brow furrowed. “I mean, Judith told me about the kids climbing all over the place when they were little. But that fence is eight feet high. I just can’t see it.”
“Is there any other explanation?” Arthur asked.
Addie exchanged a glance with Lyla. “The only other option is that someone put him outside the wall.”
Arthur shook his head. “No. No one would ever do that.”
Lyla wasn’t so sure. But everything had been going so well with the mixing of the two groups. Maybe too well. Maybe her people weren’t as comfortable with the presence of the Unwelcome as she’d thought. Still, hurting a child …
Arthur looked between Addie and Lyla. “What purpose does it serve to hurt that child?”
“I don’t know.” Addie sighed deeply. “I’m sure somehow he just managed to climb, crazy as that sounds.”
“Well, he’s back,” Lyla said. “We just have to make sure we keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn’t climb anything else that could get him hurt.”
Addie nodded. “I’m going to go check on him. I’ll let you know what Simon says.”
“I’m going to go let everyone know that he’s been found.” Arthur touched Lyla’s arm before heading toward the Gatsby as well.
But Lyla turned and stared at the wall. Tarfax had somehow gotten over the wall. How was that possible? She knew kids could climb. And Addie was right about the Carolinas: They climbed over everything.
Lyla walked up to the fence, running her hand over the brick. If she had to, she could climb it, but it wouldn’t be easy. And her fingers would be a mess from the mortar. She pictured Tarfax in Otto’s arms. His arm had been damaged, but she hadn’t seen any blood on his fingers. And why would a child continue to climb when it hurt them?
Lyla shook her head. There was no proof anyone had helped him over the wall. He’d probably just managed to climb it, or maybe he found an opening somewhere. But he was safe now, and that was the important thing. She would have everyone double-check the fence and make sure that there were no little areas that people could escape through.
She headed toward the main building but glanced back o
ver her shoulder at the wall. It didn’t sit right. But with everything they were facing right now, figuring out how Tarfax got over or through the wall would have to wait for another day.
Still, a nagging feeling scratched at the back of her mind. She couldn’t leave the kids completely unprotected. She watched the people talking in small groups. They had a lot of people in the camp right now. And Lyla didn’t know a lot of them, not really. There were some people who hurt children just because they could. She prayed they did not have one of them in the camp.
I’m going to have to leave some Phoenixes behind to make sure the kids are safe. She hated to do it. She wanted as many people in New City as possible to make sure they succeeded. But that success would be hollow if it traded in another child’s safety.
She glanced up at the wall. It was possible he’d somehow climbed it and all this was for nothing. But she’d need to make sure she put safeguards in place, just in case. She started with posting a guard at the wall where Tarfax had been found.
A headache started to bloom at the front of her skull. She did not need this today. She needed to finalize plans, and in a perfect world, get at least a little sleep.
She sighed, heading for Montel to see who they could get to stay behind.
64
The woods were quiet. Oscar stepped on a fallen branch. The crack sounded like a gunshot through the trees. He went still, his shoulders hunching as he waited for someone to call out to him, but no one said a word.
He hurried forward, darting yet another glance over his shoulder. There were about two dozen camp members searching the woods for the child. As soon as Oscar had been able to, he’d slipped away from them, heading deeper into the woods. He hadn’t seen or heard anyone in the last few minutes, but it still didn’t make him rest easy.
He was not comfortable out in the woods. He would occasionally go on scavenges, but he tried to make sure they were short ones where he would be back at his home by the nightfall. He did not like the idea of creatures creeping around him that he could not see.
He scanned the trees but saw no sign of anyone nearby. Sweat had broken out along his forehead. Maybe he’d gone in the wrong direction. That was entirely possible.
“Oscar.”
He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his name. He whirled around, his heart pounding, his hand flying to his chest. Meg stepped from behind a tree, three of her guards with her.
Oscar tried to get his breathing under control, but his knees had weakened, and he was forced to reach out to a tree to hold himself up.
Meg raised an eyebrow. “Are you all right?”
Oscar nodded, straightening. “I had to run hard most of the way here. I just needed a moment to catch my breath. I’m good now.”
“What did you find out?” Her eyes were intense, even in the dimming light.
“Their new camp, it’s called the Gatsby. It’s a palace, Meg. It’s surrounded by a huge, well-fortified fence. They even have usable bathrooms.”
“Oh, do they, really?”
Oscar nodded quickly. “But that’s not the whole story. They are sharing the space with the Unwelcome.”
Meg’s eyes narrowed, and she went still. “What did you say?”
Oscar quickly described the residents of the Gatsby.
Meg remained silent as he spoke, but he could read the storm brewing deeper in her eyes. “So they’ve taken up with the enemy?”
Oscar nodded. “Yes. Even Lewis is friendly with them. And Lyla, I think she’s sleeping with one of them. I heard he disappears into the room with her and her children at night.
Meg’s lip curled with distaste. “Is there a way we can take it over?”
Oscar shook his head. “Not in a direct attack. It would have to be through a more subtle way. I was thinking maybe through a change of leadership.”
Meg smiled. “I like the sound of that. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Oscar quickly explained his idea. Meg nodded, making a few changes in solidifying the plan.
Finally she nodded. “Good. I will get everyone in place. You make sure you’re in your place.”
“Oh, I will be.”
Meg smiled. “You’ve done well, Oscar. I will remember your loyalty.”
“That’s all I can ask,” he replied. “I should get back before they wonder where I am.”
Meg nodded. “Go quickly. And if all goes well, this time tomorrow we’ll be moving our people into their new camp.”
65
Late that night, the camp was finally quiet. The incident with Tarfax had shaken everyone. Montel agreed it was unlikely he had been able to climb the wall, but they hadn’t been able to find any spots in the wall that he’d be able to slip through.
Which only left someone helping him over the wall.
Even the thought of it left Lyla cold. She wasn’t sure how to handle it. She couldn’t simply accuse people, but the fact that they were wondering made the plan to administer the ash all the more complicated. They’d quietly set up a schedule for the Phoenixes and a select few Unwelcome to receive the ash, but they would not be offering it to anyone else, at least for now.
The Phoenixes and Unwelcome had had the same reaction as Montel and Thor. When they’d completed the administration, Lyla and Arthur had given the box to Frank. He would decide what to do with it should Lyla not return.
It had been a more stressful day than what Lyla had hoped for before the mission. It couldn’t be helped, but now she finally had a moment for some quiet as she sat next to the one Phoenix who had not elected to be exposed to the ash.
Addie sat next to her, staring up at the night sky.
“How are you feeling?” Lyla asked.
Addie gave her a small smile. Ever since the breeding facility, Addie had been a little more closed off, a little more reserved. Lyla had spoken with her a few times, but Addie hadn’t wanted to discuss what had gone on in the facility.
Now the two of them sat quietly, just watching the night sky. A shooting star shot across it. Addie watched until it was out of sight before she answered Lyla’s question. “I’m all right. A little worried.”
“Because of the ash?”
Addie nodded. “Montel looks fine. Thor looks fine. But you never know.”
“No, you never do.”
They were both quiet for a long minute. Lyla’s mind had just started to drift over the plans for the attack when Addie spoke. “When I was at the facility, all I could think about was what was going to happen to the baby.” She laid her hand over her stomach. “When I first found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be. Being a Phoenix, defending our people—it’s all I’ve known for years. I wasn’t sure I was ready to give that up.”
“You don’t have to give it up, at least not permanently. Once the baby’s here, and when you’re ready, you can always come back to the Phoenixes.”
Addie nodded. “That’s what Jamal said. But still, somewhere in the back of my mind I resented the idea that I had to change who I was in order to bring this life into the world. Pretty selfish, huh?”
Lyla shook her head. “Not selfish. If I had to radically change who I was, I’d be a little thrown too.”
Addie met Lyla’s gaze. “Yeah, I think with Miles, you were going through something similar.”
Lyla nodded. It was true. Her entire identity had taken a hit. In Lyla’s mind, she was the protector. She was the one who would keep her people safe. But most importantly, she was the one who would keep her family safe. And with Miles being taken, she had failed.
And she had not handled that well. She could see that now. But at the time, the emotions swirling in her made it impossible for her to behave any other way. Not to mention the fact that she hadn’t slept in days. But now that she was finally crawling out the other side, she knew what needed to be done.
“Jamal’s not the only one I’m worried about.” Addie rubbed her belly. Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “They did tests. They
injected me with some things. I don’t even know what they were. I don’t know what they’ve done and what the impact will be on the baby.”
Lyla took her hand. “Whatever comes, we’ll deal with it. Just like always.”
Addie nodded, taking a trembling breath. “Being responsible for another human being, it’s the greatest gift and the most terrifying one.”
Lyla nodded, completely agreeing. Her children gave her strength. They gave her drive and motivation, but the idea of something happening to them, of them being hurt, was absolutely paralyzing.
But she couldn’t allow herself to be paralyzed any longer. She needed to act. One way or another, Miles’s fate would be determined, and so would the rest of theirs.
The time for paralysis was over.
66
Miles recognized the sensation. He was floating. He kept his eyes closed but knew when he opened them that he would see that he was in the cylinder, the same type he been in when he first arrived.
For a moment he had been confused, thinking yet again that he was dead. He replayed the last moments he could remember. Crashing through the observation window and landing just a few feet from the Naku leader. If he had only been a little bit faster. If he hadn’t hesitated, he could’ve killed the leader and maybe truly made a difference.
But he had hesitated. And then the Unwelcome guarding the Naku had opened fire. He had felt the blasts rip into him. The burns had covered his torso. He had blacked out, convinced that this was his end.
But apparently that wasn’t meant to be.
He couldn’t understand why. Every time the Naku had tried to get him to follow their orders, he had resisted. He had found a way to subvert what they wanted him to do. What more could they want of him? Why would they think any other attempt was going to be any more successful than the last?
He supposed that due to the fact that they had gotten the Unwelcome to follow their orders, they figured it was just a matter of time. There had no doubt been some sort of learning curve for them when they had first taken over that species.
