Traveller

by Abigail Drake

  Poppy shook her head so hard the blue spikes in her hair wiggled. “Of course not, but I knew there was something strange about her. Her reflexes were too fast, and she always seemed to sense when something was about to happen.”

  Lucinda huffed, and I held up a hand to stop them because I knew they would go on forever. “Look, ladies. I had to tell you everything because I wanted to keep you safe. I’m putting both of you in terrible danger just by being here. I’ll move into a hotel tonight.”

  Lucinda rolled her eyes. “Nonsense. We’ll lock the door, and we won’t go out at night until this is all over. We’ll be fine.”

  “If anything ever happened to either of you…” The tears I’d held in threatened to fall. I kept them in check by sheer willpower alone. “And because of me, Brooke is in very serious trouble, too. She’ll die if I don’t help her. She might be dead already.”

  “None of this is your fault,” said Lucinda. “But I think I can help you.”

  “How?”

  “You know I studied computer science as my undergrad major, right?” I nodded, confused. “Well, in all honesty, I had some skill as a hacker. I was being recruited to find new ways to track people using their cell phones and laptops, but I preferred sex to spying, and got away from it.”

  “Really?” I asked. A tiny glimmer of hope bloomed in my chest.

  Lucinda nodded. “If they used Brooke’s phone to contact you, I just might be able to track it.”

  I pulled my phone out of my backpack and handed it to her. “Thank you, Luce. I owe you one.”

  She didn’t look up, intent on finding Brooke’s number, but I heard the smile in her voice when she spoke. “I happen to be in an exceptionally good mood. I got laid last night. At last.” She glanced up from the phone and gave me a saucy grin.

  “You conquered Antarctica,” I said, and Lucinda grinned.

  Poppy squealed. “Finally.”

  Lucinda winked at us, and then grabbed her laptop to work on finding Brooke’s location. I curled up next to her on the couch. “Can you do it, Lucinda?”

  She put on her glasses, black and sexy with rhinestones dotting the edges, and started typing. “This is child’s play.”

  A few minutes later, she gave me an address. I wrote it down quickly, committing it to memory. “I can’t believe I have an actual physical address for a Moktar nest. I want to go and kill them all right now.”

  “But you promised Michael you’d be careful,” said Poppy. “Shouldn’t you call the police instead?”

  “And tell them what? My friend was kidnapped by a bunch of brain-eating monsters? I’m sure that would go over well.”

  “Then what exactly do you plan to do?” asked Lucinda.

  I opened my mouth to answer her when I heard a knock at the door. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and made Poppy and Lucinda stand back while I opened it. The sun remained above the horizon, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I looked through the peephole and stepped back in surprise before opening the door. Margaret and Audrey stood there, grinning at me, obviously very pleased with themselves.

  “What are you doing here?” I pulled them into my apartment, giving each of them a big hug. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  Lucinda and Poppy decided to leave to pick up groceries and supplies. It looked like we were going to spend a lot of time locked in the apartment. I sat down with Margaret and Audrey and poured them some tea.

  “What’s going on? You’ll be in so much trouble if the council finds out you came here,” I said.

  “We had to come. Right after the council meeting, Mavin disappeared,” said Margaret. “She’s not in the compound.”

  I frowned. “So?”

  “She left this behind.” Margaret handed me a small leather journal. Inside were dates and names.

  “What is this?”

  “A list of all the Travellers who’ve been taken. Look at the first name on the list,” said Margaret. “It’s Roseanne.”

  “Michael’s mother?”

  She nodded. “And look at the last name.”

  I flipped through the pages, and my eyes widened in shock. “Me?”

  Margaret nodded. “I told you one girl is taken every year, but now it seems like it was planned, like those girls are chosen as some sort of sacrifice. And you’re next.”

  “Someone is betraying you,” I said.

  “Us, Emerson. They are betraying us.” Margaret reached out and squeezed my arm. I swallowed hard.

  “I think you’re right. The Moktar are too aware of everything going on inside the compound. They knew I was a Traveller before we did.”

  “They did that by smell.”

  “But how did they know so much about Michael? They called him the Ceannfort. And how did they know Tad would be alone the night he was killed? He was set up. I’m sure of it.”

  Audrey flinched when I said Tad’s name. “They may have just wandered across him…”

  I shook my head. “It felt wrong, like it had been planned.”

  “You think Mavin is a traitor?” asked Audrey.

  I flipped through the book until I found something that made my heart drop in my chest. Written in the back was an address I’d seen before. I compared it to the one given to me by Lucinda only minutes before.

  “Well, this is pretty incriminating.”

  “What is it?” asked Audrey.

  “This is the address of the Moktar nest. Mavin knew where they were, and yet she did nothing.”

  Margaret put her head in her hands. “What should we do?”

  I gave them a sad little smile. “Both of you need to go back to the compound and tell Michael what you’ve discovered.”

  “We couldn’t. He wasn’t there.”

  He probably couldn’t face going back there right away, but Michael would never desert his people. He was a leader, through and through. “He’ll be back, and it isn’t safe here for you. I can’t believe you came on your own.”

  Audrey giggled. “We didn’t. Sean is downstairs standing guard. If anyone asks, he’ll say he never saw you and it’ll be the truth.”

  “You really do have him wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”

  She grinned. “Yes, I do, but this isn’t about me. You saved his life, and he owes you a debt.”

  Margaret patted my hand. “I know the council members didn’t stand up for you. They do whatever Monroe Skinner wants. But many of us were absolutely outraged about what happened, and we plan to fight it.”

  They got up to leave. “Just stay safe, okay?”

  Margaret gave me a steady look. “I finally understand what my dream meant, Emerson.”

  “The dream you had when you first met me?”

  “Yes.” She took a deep slow breath. “It wasn’t about a funeral. When I saw those candles in my dream, it came true the night you killed those Moktar and saved Sean and I. You aren’t here to hurt us. You’re going to save us all.”

  I swallowed hard. “I’m a former Junior Miss Kentucky who picked up a few martial arts skills. Please don’t make me out to be more than I actually am, Margaret.”

  “You don’t know what you are yet, dear little Emerson, but eventually you’ll figure it out.” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Can you promise me you won’t go to that nest and save Brooke on your own?”

  “I can’t do that. I’d be lying. But I do have a plan.”

  “What kind of plan?” asked Margaret.

  I bit my lip. “Let me just begin by saying, ‘All warfare is based on deception.’ It’s a fundamental truth.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Says whom?”

  “Sun Tzu, of course. I think it’s time to practice a little deception of my own.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Ain’t nobody going to mess on me and call it apple butter.

  ~Grandma Sugar

  Margaret and Audrey returned to the compound, but not before giving me a precious gift. A belt loaded with knifes, and a large d
uffle filled to the brim with other weapons. After they left, I opened the bag and went through the weapons one by one. Better than Christmas.

  Lucinda and Poppy came home with Indian take-out, and we ate dinner together. Poppy planned to stay with us until the danger had passed. They told Nigel and Sven we were having a much-needed girls’ night, and I wished that really were the truth. I had something completely different planned, however. I told them everything Margaret and Audrey shared with me. The time had come to take care of this myself, and I knew what to do.

  “I’m going to get Brooke back.”

  Poppy froze, a forkful of chicken tikka masala halfway to her mouth. “Are you mad?”

  Lucinda shook her head very slowly, her lips pinched. “You cannot go on your own. You’re the next name on that list. That means the Moktar plan to capture you.”

  “I’m not sure if the Moktar even know about that list. I think someone inside the compound arranges a yearly sacrifice, and they’ve chosen me as the newest prize.”

  “Aren’t virgins usually chosen for these sorts of things?” asked Lucinda, giving me a knowing look.

  I blushed scarlet. “I guess not. How did you figure out I’m no longer a virgin?”

  She snorted. “It’s so obvious.”

  Poppy gave me a worried frown. “Why would someone from inside the compound do this?”

  “Maybe Mavin figures one girl a year is better than ten. She must have made some kind of deal with the Moktar, but I have no idea how she chooses her victims. The first woman recorded in the journal was Michael’s mom, and she was Mavin’s friend.”

  “So sick and wrong,” said Poppy.

  “Another reason you shouldn’t do this, Emerson,” said Lucinda, her dark eyes sad. “Have you thought about how this will affect Michael if something happens to you? He lost his mother to them when he was a baby. He can’t lose you, too. It’ll destroy him.”

  I swallowed a lump the size of Texas in my throat. “I have to do this. Can’t you understand? It’s all my fault, and I’m the only one who can stop it.”

  They tried arguing, yelling, and even bargaining with me, but I knew I was doing the right thing. Poppy cried, which was an unfair tactic, but I refused to budge. I didn’t have a choice.

  I dressed in black, like Michael, and pulled my hair into a tight bun. I borrowed Lucinda’s leather jacket. She didn’t know I needed it for protection against Moktar claws. I doubted it would do much good, but every little bit helped.

  I called my daddy before I left. I needed to hear his voice one more time. I kept my voice neutral and complained about the English weather. He laughed and said I’d be home soon. That was almost my undoing, but I stayed strong, told him I loved him, and hung up the phone.

  I strapped the weapons belt around my waist, and put the duffle over my shoulder. Poppy, still teary-eyed, giggled when she saw me.

  “You look like Tomb Raider. It’s very badass. I may have to steal that outfit for my final project.”

  I hugged her, which was tricky with a row of knives strapped to my waist. “I’ve always been badass. I just disguised it under wool skirts and cardigans.”

  Lucinda turned very businesslike and serious, how she always dealt with stress. “Right-o. If we don’t hear from you in an hour, we’re calling the police.”

  “Three hours.”

  “Two,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

  I rolled my eyes and gave her Michael’s number. “Call him…if anything happens. Not the police.”

  She pursed her lips. “Nothing will happen,” she said, but took his number anyway, tears filling her eyes.

  I slipped out the door before she started crying in earnest. If Lucinda cried, I’d lose it for sure. I hung on by a thread.

  As soon as I stepped outside, I called Leo. I didn’t have a choice. The address was useless unless I had someone on the inside willing to assist me. Only Travellers could open the door to the Traveller compound, and I was certain only Moktar could open the door to their nest. Fortunately, Leo answered on the first ring. “Emerson?”

  I decided not to mince words. “I know what you are, Leo. I want to save Brooke, but the Ceannfort won’t let me negotiate. I need your help.”

  I didn’t have to wait long for an answer. We arranged to meet in front of the teashop. “Come alone this time.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m on my way.”

  Closed for business, the windows of Mrs. Burke’s teashop were dark and empty. Leo already waited for me. He appeared to be alone.

  “Emerson.” His face lit up the same way it did every time he saw me. I tried to control the bile that rose in my throat.

  “You look well. Better than the last time at least. You must have eaten recently.”

  Leo’s golden eyes darkened. “How did you figure it out, Emerson?”

  “Your eyes. Your strength. Your stench.”

  Leo sighed. “It gets harder to control those things if I am low on HT, but, as you can see, I’m fine now. I’m me again.”

  “Because you murdered someone and chowed down on their brains.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice. He was a monster.

  Leo gave me a crooked smile. “I thought you were here for my help. Shouldn’t you play nice?”

  “Like you did with Brooke?” I looked around. “Where is she?”

  Leo moved closer. I remember thinking Michael looked like a predatory beast, but I was wrong. Leo was the beast.

  “She’s safe. She’s in our nest.”

  Somehow, I managed to keep my voice calm and steady. “Did you hurt her?”

  Leo shook his head, but he seemed nervous. His gaze kept darting to the buildings surrounding us as the shadows from the dim light of the street lamps danced across his face. “You’re the one who’s in danger, Emerson. I need to get you as far away from here as possible.”

  He tried to pull my arm, but I planted my feet and stood firm. “I want to go to the nest. I know where it is. If you don’t help me, I’ll go on my own.”

  Leo ran a hand through his dark hair. It reminded me so much of Michael it made my heart squeeze in my chest. But Leo and Michael were nothing alike. Leo might look human, but inside he was just as much a beast as the other Moktar.

  “And what do you plan on doing when you get there?”

  I straightened my shoulders. “Trade myself for Brooke.”

  “Of all the idiotic plans…” He began, and then folded his arms across his broad chest. “I could force you to come with me, Emerson.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “And how did that work out for you last time?”

  He had the decency to look embarrassed. “The addiction…it’s a nightmare. It turns me into a stranger, someone I don’t even recognize. I honestly didn’t mean to hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”

  “Oh. You’re the victim here? I feel so bad for you.”

  He stared at me, his golden eyes furious and yet resigned. “You’re going to be stubborn about this, aren’t you?”

  I sighed. “I was born that way.”

  It only took him a few moments to make his decision. “I’ll take you, but only on one condition.”

  I didn’t like that very much, and scowled at him. “What?”

  He stepped closer, close enough I felt the warmth of his body. It took everything in me to remain still and not move away from him. He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, and I shut my eyes to hide my disgust. When I opened them, he watched me with a sad, little smile.

  “You have to trust me. Can you do that?”

  “Of course,” I said, and he laughed.

  “You’re a terrible liar.”

  “And you’re a terrible person. Can we go now?”

  We walked in silence through the dark streets of York. I checked my GPS several times, and we were definitely heading in the right direction. Leo kept glancing at me, his face a worried mask. When we were only a block away from the nest, he stopped.

  “Emerson, bef
ore we go any farther, there is something I need to tell you.”

  A noise from the rooftops startled me. Leo grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him just as Melo jumped down onto the cobblestone street in front of us. Several other Moktar leapt down as well. The road was still damp from an early evening rain, and the sky so dark with clouds I couldn’t see the moon or the stars. Pitch black, except for one streetlight shining down on Melo. He drew himself up to his full height, well over seven feet, and lifted his head to howl at the sky. He was even more terrifying than I remembered, much larger, stronger, and scarier than any of the Moktar I’d killed, and he was hunting me. I’d just made things rather easy for him, sort of like a rabbit crawling into a trap and begging to be eaten. But this bunny had a few tricks up her sleeve.

  He walked toward us, and nodding once at Leo. “Well done, brother,” he said, his voice somewhere between a hiss and a growl.

  “Brother?” I asked.

  Leo pulled me around to his side, his hand still gripping my arm. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. Melo isn’t just our alpha. He’s my brother. My twin.”

  “Twins?” I looked back and forth between then, one so beautiful and one so terrifying.

  “One human, one Moktar,” said Melo.

  “What happened to Roseanne?”

  Melo gave me a cruel smile, and moved closer to catch a whiff of my scent, his nose rubbing against my skin. “She was the first human I ever killed,” he said, and I shuddered.

  “She died giving birth to us,” Leo said, clearing his throat and pulling me closer. This time I didn’t protest. I wanted to be as far away from Melo as possible.

  Melo towered over both of us. “Why did you come, little Traveller?”

  Leo answered for me, which was good. I wasn’t sure if I could speak. “She’s here to negotiate for the Dweller’s release,” he said. “She asked me to bring her to the nest to meet with you.”

  Melo bowed to me formally, a gesture that struck me as comical, but I bottled up the hysterical laughter rising in my throat. “Follow me,” he said.

  The door to the Moktar nest opened in much the same way as the door to the Traveller compound. Instead of a finger, however, Melo inserted a single claw. I watched in fascination as the door slid open.