Arija’s eyes locked on the staircase. It was her only out. Every fiber of her being wanted to be on that staircase and out of sight of Adal’s judging eyes. Before she realized what she was doing, she had already reached the stairs and fumbled up the first few steps.
“Wait. Arija? Wait for me.” The sound of Adal’s voice broke her trance and Arija spun around to see him standing right behind her.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“It doesn’t need to be weird between us. We can just go upstairs and see where things go.”
When had Adal become the adult? Arija scrutinized her boyfriend’s face before she turned and headed up the stairs with him in tow.
When they reached the hall, Arija didn’t know if she should go back to her bedroom or to Adal’s. The thought sent her into another panic attack.
Ever since they’d slept together, Arija had wanted to do it again. It was all she could think about but, now that it was potentially going to happen, she couldn’t help the shaking that wracked her body.
Why was this so hard? Last night they’d just kind of done it but, now that her brain had time to worry about all the ways she could screw this up, she realized she was terrified.
After what seemed like an eternity of standing in the hallway, Adal laced his fingers through Arija’s. “If you’re having second thoughts, we don’t have to do anything. We can just sleep. I don’t want you to feel pressure from me or anything.”
“No, I want to,” was all Arija could force out.
Downstairs she couldn’t get her mouth to quit moving, but now it was like she was pushing each word through molasses.
They drifted towards Adal’s room. Adal stopped with his hand hovering over the doorknob. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
Adal pushed the door open and they stepped inside.
They sat on the edge of Adal’s bed, thick tension adding weight to the silence.
“Arija, I love you,” Adal finally said.
The words summoned a calm to Arija. She looked up at her boyfriend, the tension in her body melting away. “I love you too, Adal. More than you could know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I really do want to be here with you. I just…”
“Kiss me.” Adal cupped Arija’s face, sending sparks of electricity down her body.
Suddenly, Arija couldn’t catch her breath.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
It was like she’d just run a marathon.
Adal pulled her towards him, shivers racing through her body as their lips brushed. He traced his thumb across her cheek and down to her lips, and Arija closed her eyes, her body taking over for her.
Arija wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his.
She needed to be closer to him. The familiar scent of musk and lemon soap filled her with a feeling of home.
Parting her lips, Arija relished in the sweet taste of him but it wasn’t enough.
Her breath came in short gasps, her heart thundering inside her. She felt like her whole body was on fire.
The startling sound of pounding made Arija jump and she pulled away from Adal.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Ypsilon yelled from the other side of the bedroom door.
“Screw you, Ypsilon,” Adal shouted back.
This time, Ypsilon’s words drifted down the hall. “You couldn’t handle me.”
Arija’s heart rate slowed, and she suddenly realized how exhausted she was. Every muscle in her body throbbed and she was pretty sure she had a welt on her back, though how she’d gotten it, she didn’t know. She sucked in a deep breath.
Adal sighed, placing his hand on Arija’s knee. “Yeah, let’s get some rest tonight.”
“Yes please.” Arija stood and headed for the door. “I think I’m going to go back to my room. It’s not that I don’t want to stay. I just don’t think I’ll get much sleep if I stay here tonight.”
“I know, I’m irresistible,” Adal said, leaning back on his elbows.
Arija rolled her eyes as she slipped into the hallway but the smile on her face gave her away.
7|Crazy Train
“Thanks for cleaning out the rail car last night, Van. I appreciate that,” Arija said as she tossed another bag of equipment into the storage bin under one of the seats in the train.
“I figure it was the least I could do. Kip was doing all the other work with processing samples and repairing things. I thought maybe cleaning out a car full of the blood of his people would be a bit much for the kid.”
“Sorry I wasn’t much help yesterday,” Maza grumbled as he leaned against the doorframe. He looked a little better than yesterday, but he still seemed to be lacking energy. Between the blood loss and beating he took, it was a wonder he was still standing at all.
Van eyed her older brother. “You look a little worse for wear, brother. Maybe now I can kick your ass.”
Maza’s laugh echoed off the metallic walls of the small train car. “You couldn’t beat me in your own dreams, little sister. Anyway, you should tighten the straps on those racks. If the samples that Kip collected go flying, I’m not taking on more of those things for replacements.”
Arija had to agree with him on that. Though she was rested and fully kitted out with ammo, she wasn’t trying to run into another fight if she could avoid it. Fighting Kleinmasch and other Dwellers was one thing, but the Prowlers were something else completely. Their rage and strength made them extremely dangerous.
Kip swung in around Maza’s legs, dropping his tools on one of the seats. “Almost ready.” He made his way to the captain’s panel at the end of the car and fussed with the knobs and switches.
“Hold up. I remember the last couple times you drove for us,” Adal spoke as he stepped into the train car with Ypsilon and stormed up the aisle. “Maybe I should drive.”
“You know how to drive this thing?" Kip asked.
Arija remained silent. She knew Adal didn’t know how to drive the train, but anything was better than letting Kip drive.
Adal grunted and then plopped into the seat next to Arija.
Ypsilon placed one hand on Maza’s chest and checked the bandages around his ribs. Something had changed in Ypsilon. She looked almost soft, like a new person. When Maza hissed in pain, Ypsilon laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Quit being such a baby.”
Arija laughed. They were probably going to need the psychopath on their side when push came to shove. Arija looked out the window. In the distance, she could see the metal shutters had all been closed and the house was securely locked. They didn’t want another wave of zombies to pay the place a visit while they were gone. And if Webley came back, he would know they had been there and hopefully see the note they left on the table.
“Let’s get this party started,” Kip chimed in.
Adal elbowed a button on the wall and the doors slid shut, locking in place. Butterflies fluttered in Arija’s stomach. She had no idea what to expect when they got to Aparat. The sprawling mechanized city was amazing and she couldn’t wait to see more. But if the town had been taken over by Prowlers, there was no way they could handle that many zombies.
“How long is this trip?” Van asked, settling in to one of the seats at the end of the car, closest to Kip.
As the train gained speed, Kip swiveled towards Van. “Not too long. Especially once I kick this monster up.” He pulled a lever all the way down and the car jerked forward.
Van pulled her feet up. “What all can this thing do?”
“Watch this.” Kip grabbed another lever.
“No way! Let go of that thing!” Arija yelled from the back of the car. “I’m not about to get sick, derail and die, or fly right into a trap at full speed. Keep this heading but we all need to keep an eye out.”
“Uh oh. The fun police just showed up.” Adal laughed.
“Listen, this fun police has saved your sweet ass more than once, so eat me.” “With pleasure.”
<
br /> Arija’s face warmed and her heart skipped a beat. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but her mouth was a desert.
“Hook up on your own time,” Ypsilon called from two rows up where she sat on Maza’s lap.
Arija shot her friend a scowl and, when Ypsilon raised her hands in defeat, she turned her attention out the window.
Adal wrapped his arms around Arija and she snuggled into his embrace as she watched the rising light bring dawn to the World Machine. The tension in her muscles slowly dissipated, replaced by the warmth of her boyfriend’s body. As much as Arija liked teasing him, she knew she could always count on Adal to be there for her. After their awkward encounter last night, it felt good to feel normal again. She watched the beams and platforms pass as they roared down the suspended track.
Murmurs filled the confined space as Kip walked Van through the various controls. Maza and Ypsilon talked in hushed tones and, when Arija shot a glance in their direction, Ypsilon kissed the sharp edge of Maza’s jaw, letting her teeth drag across his skin.
She let her mind wonder back to Adal as she leaned against his chest, letting the rhythmic rise and fall of his breath comfort her. Arija let her eyes drift closed as he ran his fingers through her hair, his touch sending jolts of electricity across her body. Her mind raced back to the feeling of his fingers on her and she desperately wanted to reach up and kiss him.
The car swayed as they rounded a bend and Arija opened her eyes just as open fields of crops rolled into view. Rows of pipes and intricate machines spread over miles where crops were grown for the millions of Dwellers living within the Machine. The lush greenery offered a stark contrast to the cold metal of everything that surrounded them. Though they were easily a few hundred feet above the farms, Arija thought she could smell the fresh produce.
She let her eyes unfocus and the world blurred into a wave of emerald and bronze. Closing her eyes, Arija sucked in a deep breath and tried to center herself. She couldn’t let Adal distract her. Not when their lives were in danger.
Van gasped. “What’s that?” Her words brought a sudden silence to the car. Everyone stood and walked toward Kip and Van.
Black smoke billowed across the horizon. A wall of shadow blocked their view of the World Machine’s capital city.
“Shit,” Arija and Adal said in tandem.
Kip stood. “Well, this isn’t good.”
The train swayed, grinding on the rails. Explosions like rumbles of thunder drowned out the shocked gasps from inside the car and Arija gripped Adal’s arm, needing to feel him near her.
As the rail car sped into the cloud of smoke and sparkling embers, Arija slid into the nearest seat to stare out the window.
“Get ready,” Adal slid behind Arija. He pressed against her back as he leaned towards the window. “It’s him.”
Arija looked over her shoulder. “Has to be.
Beams of lights flickered through the smoke like flashlights in a dense fog. Adal and Arija joined Kip at the front of the car.
“We’re coming through it,” Kip shouted as the train broke through the smoke and approached the loading dock at the entrance of Aparat.
Everything was on fire.
Chaos reigned as Dwellers ran across the dock carrying buckets of water to throw on a burning airship. Stacks of wooden crates, cars, and cargo ships roared, their bodies crumbling under the unrelenting scorn of the fire. Small explosions sent shockwaves through the air and rattled the windows of the rail car.
At the center of the chaos, the familiar shape of Kleinmasch slid around the structures, unnoticed in the hectic environment.
Arija’s face scrunched as she watched Dwellers killing each other amid the panic. Whatever was happening here, it was the same thing that had happened at Aesop’s Station. The same thing that had happened at Webley’s house.
The rage.
The destruction.
Pajak had called them Prowlers, but the word didn’t seem to fit the thought that Arija tried to push out of her mind.
No, not Prowlers.
Zombies.
“Hang on, gang!” Kip shouted over the pop of gun shots, startling Arija out of her thoughts. “I’m going to switch us to the maintenance track. It circles the entire dock. That way we can stay in the air until we come up with a plan.” The Dweller boy motioned for Van to help him as he twisted knobs and pressed buttons on the large control panel at the front of the rail car.
Adal pulled one of the supply bags out and laid it on the seat next to him. “Looks like we’ll be having some fun after all.” He pulled out a revolver and handed it to Maza.
Arija scoffed. When would they ever get a minute of quiet? She yanked her rifle from the hooks that suspended it under the supply rack, pulled the bolt back and chambered a round.
Ypsilon pulled out her pistol. Running her thumb across Bangarang’s barrel, she caressed it like a lover. “When do we get to start shooting?” Her voice cracked with giddy excitement.
“Let’s figure out who or what we’re shooting at first,” Arija said, walking over to one of the windows.
The train car roared over a docked airship. Plumes of exhaust billowed from stacks that wound around the dirigible. A flicker of light caught Arija’s eye. Fire. The cabin of the airship was engulfed in flames and Arija took the smallest moment to hope no one was inside. The idea of burning to death sent an icy shiver through her body.
Airships were filled with highly flammable gas and it was only a matter of time before the ship exploded. Hopefully, they’d be far enough away to avoid the worst of it. She wondered if dying in an explosion would be less painful that being ripped apart by zombies. It would probably be quicker.
Pulling her eyes away from the giant bomb, Arija searched for the large metal doors that led into Aparat.
Sentries marched through the destruction, giving her the strangest feeling of de jà vu. The last time they’d visited Aparat something similar had happened. Pajak had sent his second in command, Fausto, and a fleet of Geartha to the docks to capture Adal and Arija.
They had to be cursed.
The chaos that first day had been terrifying and Arija had needed to convince Adal and herself that they should stay and fight. Back then, the gun had felt clumsy in her hands. The whole thing felt more like a dream than reality. Not like today. Arija squeezed the stock of the rifle, needing to reassure herself that she could handle whatever came next.
“On the real, what’s our plan here?” Adal asked, moving to stand next to Arija. “Can’t just keep throwing a brother in the meat grinder. I mean, this is some serious bullshit.”
Arija didn’t answer. She watched a Dweller in a giant sentry suit grab a Geartha and rip its arm out of its socket. She wondered if any of those fighting below were Captain Silny, Webley’s trusted captain of the guard and the man who had helped save Adal and Arija the last time they were in this situation. In all the commotion, it was impossible to say.
“What are our options, Kip?” Arija asked, unable to take her eyes away from the devastation.
“Well, we can’t really do much right now. We can keep circling, but we’ll either have to dock and get out, or ride the car into the city. But it looks like they have the entrance on lockdown.”
The train car swayed as it sped around a bend. Arija wondered if opening the window would allow her to reach out and touch the steel wall that protected the city.
Another explosion shook the train. Probably the airship they’d passed only minutes before. Arija gripped the bronze rack above her head and peered through one of the portholes in the roof of the car.
Geartha flew towards the city wall. They kept close to the ancient metal, making their way to the top of the enclosure. Giant coils of wire wrapped around the top of the wall. Bolts of electricity rippled and danced across the coils. As each potential raider attempted to breach the city, a lightning storm from hell ripped through them. Insta-death style.
“Holy shit. What the hell are those?” Arija aske
d, gawking at the death coils.
Kip grinned. “You like them? Electro-Magnetic Expulsion Atomizing Particleization Defense Modules. I call them Doom Towers. Best flytrap in the Machine by far.”
“No kidding.”
“Don’t you run the risk of charging the metal walls and killing everyone?” Van asked.
Kip pursed his lips. “Good point. Not sure on that one.”
A jolt shook the car, sending everyone to the ground. The whining sound of scraping metal filled the space. Sparks danced at the bottom of the windows. As Arija grabbed the side of the seat closest to her, the distinct form of a Geartha appeared in the window next to her. Pajak’s minions had found a new target: them.
8|All in The Family
“You people need a damn exterminator,” Ypsilon growled, hauling Adal off the floor by his arm. This place was a hot mess. No wonder Kip had run to Taraveil to get away from this bullshit. Her hell-hole of a world could have been a freaking resort compared to the dumpster fire they’d encountered here in the World Machine.
Ypsilon stomped to the window next to Maza and glared at their new friends.
The crazed mechanical insects swarmed, repeatedly slamming their bodies against the sides of the train car. Ypsilon might have been impressed at their strength and resolve had it not been for the fact that they were pissing her off.
“Over this.” Ypsilon stepped back from the window and fired several shots through the glass, sending shards of pointed projectiles over the closest seats. Her first shot tore a large hole through the top of a Geartha’s head. The insect dropped out of sight.
The smell of the smoke lazily seeping from the barrel of her pistol sent Ypsilon’s heart into a frantic drumbeat. There was nothing she loved more than that smell. The smell of power, adrenaline, and sweat all rolled into a single ball of fire.
“Everyone hold on!” Kip shouted as they rounded another curve in the track.
Ypsilon and the Plague Doctor Page 6
