by Leyton, Bisi
Aporia
(A Wisteria Novel)
By
Bisi Leyton
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
By Bisi Leyton
Copyright© 2012 Bisi Leyton
Cover Art by Olivia Smith, http://aivilo0.deviantart.com/
No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied for reviews.
ALSO BY BISI LEYTON
Wisteria (Wisteria Series #1)
Myopia (Wisteria Series #2)
Paranoia (Wisteria Short Story #2.5)
Aporia (Wisteria Series #3)
Criteria (Wisteria Series #3.5) – Coming Soon
Hysteria (Wisteria Series #4) – Coming Soon
DEDICATION
I don’t know where I’d be without my sisters.
We argued and cried about pretty much everything
We’ve shared a lot, especially our secrets and fears.
Thank you for everything.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Biel Core: A Black orb used by the Family, to generate power and heat.
Biter: A human infected with Nero’s Disease. Biters are extremely violent and only eat the flesh of healthy humans. Also called the infected, fleshers, and flesh eaters.
Bean Vine: The wisteria plant, also called Strangle Weed by the Family.
Blue light: See Pulse
Bridewell: The prisons underneath Jarthan castle.
Burnfruit: A brown fruit indigenous to the Family’s realm.
Cohort: Small unit of the Family, traveling together.
Concealer: A type of small boat used by the Family.
Converger: A type of small boat used by the Family.
The Cure: Euphemism for killing an infected biter.
D’cara: An insult in the Dialect.
Dark Glass: Substance of which thresholds are made.
Dark root: A spray or mist that forces Famila to regenerate.
Den: Houses or accommodations used by the Family while on Earth.
The Deep: A shadow realm in which nothing solid exists.
The Dialect: The language spoken by the Family.
Draug: Famila who are seemingly infected with Nero and have become violent and cannibalistic.
Dy’obeth: A race of powerful supernatural being believed to exist in the Family’s legends.
Elders: See Seven Elders.
Eminent: Title given to the Famila by the Thayns.
Emissary: Envoy or aide to a Sen.
Empiric: A Famila trained to conduct special investigations.
Empiric-Scholars: A Famila trained to conduct special research.
Famila: A member of the Family’s race.
Far Eye: Artifact use to communicate by the Family.
Faycard: Device used by the Family to renew humans. It looks like a playing card. It was also used for playing simple tricks on children and Terrans.
Flesh Eaters: Another term for biter.
Flesher: Another term for biter.
Future-Proof Plan: Isle of Smythe plan to train kids in arts and sciences to ensure in the future someone would be able to carry out these jobs.
Haro Caste: The lowest caste in the Family. They work with the Thayns.
Intended: The person to whom another Famila has been pledged.
Jade Ocean: A green ocean near the Family’s home.
Jaga: A racial slur used by some Famila to insult humans. It is even more offensive than the term Terran.
Journeying: To travel between realms via the thresholds.
Lead empiric: One of the five chief empirics in the Family.
Leviathan: A giant sea dragon that lives in the Jade Ocean.
Liege: The master/mistress of a Thayn, i.e., Famila who renewed a Thayn and to whom the Thayn is loyal.
Matula: Famila insult.
Mill Tea: A cold herbal beverage drunk by the Family.
Mongrel: A derogatory term for a person who is part Famila and part human.
Mordin: The third highest caste of the Family.
Mosroc: A deep emotional and mental bond between two people in the Family.
Nero Disease: A sickness that causes humans to turn into biters. Also called Nero plague, the madness, Nero illness.
Nighthawk: A type of bird found on the Famila home world.
Obsidian Coral: Red coral used by the Family that enables them to journey through thresholds without dying, as thresholds are very dangerous and will rip any traveler apart.
Obsidian Crystal: Synthetic obsidian coral, deadly if used to travel through thresholds.
Peeka: Nickname for a girl. Often suggests some attraction.
Perfection: The process of enhancing Dy’obeth nature, especially among injured Dy’obeth and mixed race Dy’obeth.
Pantheon: A group of Dy’obeth.
Pillar: A clan within the Family. There are seven Pillars in the Family. Each Pillar has four castes.
Piron Net: An artifact used by the Family to conceal their dens on Earth from humans.
Pledge: A long-term betrothal or engagement between Famila.
Pulse: A blue light that emanates for the Family. The blue light has many uses including: Converting humans to Thayns, healing the injured Family, healing humans.
Prime: The first child and heir of a Sen.
Qwaynide: An insult in the Family Dialect.
Regeneration: A period of long rest during which Famila heal themselves.
Renewal: The process of turning humans to Thayns.
Sand Wine: A strong beverage.
Shana (singular and plural): Tattoo-like dots on some Famila.
Sen: A chief and head of a Family Pillar.
Sen-Dra: The spouse of a Sen.
Sen-Filla: The daughter of a Sen.
Sen-Son: The son of a Sen.
The Seven Elders: The heads of the Seven Pillars of the Family also referred to as the Seven or Elders.
Sleepwalker: What other humans call Thayns.
Sinion proteins: Used to artificially age members of the Family.
Strangle weeds: What the Family calls Bean Vine.
Terra: The Famila word for Earth.
Terran: What the Family calls humans. It means dirt people.
Thayn: A human who has been turned into a devoted follower of the Family by being renewed, also called Sleepwalkers.
Threshold: A Gateway used by the Family to travel between realms.
Vappa: Means jerk or ass in the Family’s Dialect.
Wahr-chart: First Pillar artifact used to locate loved ones.
PROLOGUE
Over five years ago, the Nero virus broke out, turning eighty percent of the population into violent, angry, and hungry biters. The infected wanted only one thing: to feed on the flesh of uninfected humans.
Within a few months, Nero had destroyed all forms of leadership--there was no government, no police, and no army. Soon after, the infrastructure that had held society together crumbled as people became too sick, too crazy, or too afraid to care. As a result, there were no hospitals, no schools, no internet, no mobile phones, and no country. There is no nation; only random groups of survivors, trying to stay alive.
Some of these people live on the Isle of Smythe. They’re not looking for a cure. They’re just trying to survive.
Two
Months Later
Thirteen Days to Christmas
“So, what are you getting Bach for Christmas?” Sixteen-year-old Amanda Weiss hurried up to sixteen-year-old Wisteria Kuti, who was leaving the ration center. “You know it’s your first Christmas with your boyfriend.”
“My boyfriend?” That still sounded weird to her, and after all they’d gone through, she wanted to take things slowly.
Bach of the Third Pillar was Wisteria’s boyfriend, but she wasn’t sure where their relationship stood. He’d never called her his girlfriend, and she didn’t know what to call him. Maybe they didn’t have boyfriends or girlfriends where he was from. He wasn’t from Earth, but a different realm he simply called Home.
“You guys make out a lot, for friends,” Amanda pointed out.
She stopped as her best friend, Garfield Simon, walked up.
“Wisteria was telling me what she got Bach for Christmas,” Amanda updated him.
“There isn’t much I can get. It’s not like I can go to the mall and get a CD.” Wisteria had written him a song, but it was pretty cheesy and she certainly wasn’t going to tell them about it.
Almost two months ago, Bach had almost died trying to prevent his people, The Family, from killing her. Normally, he was stronger and faster than an average human. He also had the ability to heal himself, and sometimes others. After the attack by his Family, he’d lost most of his abilities, but his addiction to music hadn’t changed.
“I’m still trying to figure out what to get for Poppy’s baby shower,” Wisteria continued. “I could knit her a blanket?”
Poppy Cheung was her brother’s ex-girlfriend.
“How’s your mother taking that? This must be totally insane for her right now. First her husband walks out, you get kidnapped by aliens, or vampires, and now have alien-mutant-vampire boyfriend,” Garfield added.
“Alien-mutant-vampire?” Wisteria scoffed. “Garfield, seriously?”
“He’s not an alien or mutant; Bach’s from The Family,” Amanda corrected. “A really, really twisted family.”
“Now, Poppy might be pregnant from your brother David,” Garfield continued. “And your mum’s pregnant too. She must be out of her mind.”
“Actually, she’s fine,” Wisteria admitted, but she couldn’t understand why.
Her stepfather, Major Elliot Coles, had blown up when he found out Poppy was pregnant, but as usual, Wisteria’s mother was calm.
“And Coles didn’t really run away,” Wisteria added.
He’d left the Isle of Smythe to find another safe haven for them to live. At first, Wisteria thought he’d been kicked out of the town by the Mayor, Charles Davenport.
“Now that he’s back, is he going to stay in charge of security? Or is he running the town?” Garfield asked.
Wisteria shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on in Town Hall now.” She was still unsettled that Coles was following through and having Captain Bruno Morel, his daughter Yvette, and another man in town, Quincy, evicted from Smythe. Coles wanted them out in retaliation for something. She guessed it was either because they’d kicked him out or because they’d treated her badly while he was gone; maybe it was both.
The eviction meant the group would have to face the world outside the island’s wall.
Publically, the men had begged on their knees to be allowed to stay, but her stepfather was unmoved. Interestingly, it’d been her mother who’d talked him around later that night and Coles had agreed to wait for three months, or until Yvette Morel was well enough to travel, whichever was sooner. Yvette was in a near-catatonic state and was barely able to speak. Her stepmother, Sabine Morel--one of the island’s doctors--had explained that it was a side effect of her stepdaughter being renewed.
Members of The Family had the ability to turn free-minded people into mindless, devoted drones. They called this ability the renewal. A person who was renewed was called a Thayn and the person who had renewed her was their Liege. In essence, it was like a master and slave relationship. Yvette’s Liege had been a Famila guy named Benet, but he died. It was his death that had caused her to go catatonic.
The three kids strolled up the driveway to the farmhouse, where Wisteria lived with her mother Lara Kuti, her fifteen-year-old brother David, and Coles. Unlocking the gate, they headed into the house through the kitchen.
“Garfield? What does he have to do with this? This is your child, David Kuti!” Poppy stormed out of the kitchen, followed by David. “I don’t care what you say . . .” She paused when she saw Wisteria, then stomped her foot and stormed out.
“Hey.” David glanced over at Amanda.
“You should go after her,” Amanda suggested.
He forced a smile and raced after the red-head.
Amanda and David used to go out, but then David dumped her for Poppy.
Amanda had been a bit unstable about the whole deal, but she seemed to be getting over him.
This, of course, pleased Garfield, who’d been in love with her from the first day they met.
“Better her than me, right?” Amanda rummaged through the cabinets, pretending not to be fazed by David’s scene with Poppy. “I’m hungry. Do you have any grub?”
“Ask yourself: Do you really want to take food out of Coles’ kitchen?” Garfield asked.
Amanda paused. She, like most of the kids on the island, had a healthy fear of Wisteria’s stepfather, as he was sort of a jerk to everyone, but interestingly, never to Wisteria.
Wisteria paused to think about Coles and it dawned on her, even before he married her mother, Coles had never actually treated her the way he pushed everyone else around. Smiling herself, she felt weird as she realized her stepfather probably loved her in his own way. Well, she wasn’t sure if she loved him because she already had a father, a real father, and she was going to find a way to get back to him, if he was still alive.
Garfield shook his head at them, as if he believed it was a bad idea.
“No, you’re fine.” Wisteria laughed and left them in the kitchen. “Help yourself. We’ve got enough soup for the both of you and the rest of the house.” Reaching her room, she was stunned to see Bach standing in the darkness.
A grin spread across her face.
It was stupid, but seeing his tall, moody figure turned her insides to gooey mush and sent her heart racing in a way that made her happy. “Hey, what are you doing here?” Taking off her backpack, she hurried toward him. “You promised you’d stop breaking in—” She gasped and backed away. “—You’re not Bach.”
He looked like her boyfriend, but it wasn’t him.
“Hello, Wisteria Kuti.” Yordi of the Third Pillar stepped into the light. He was Bach’s oldest brother and the Prime of the Third Pillar.
Bach had explained to her that The Family was divided into seven clans called Pillars. Each Pillar was led by the Sen. He was from the Third Pillar and so he was a Sen-Son, because his father was a Sen. Yordi, the oldest child of the Sen, was the Prime in line to eventually lead the Pillar.
As she hurried to back out of the room, she was stopped by another Famila man.
It was Bach’s other brother, Lluc, who appeared behind her and closed the door. “I am Yordi, the Prime of the Third Pillar, and he is Lluc, the Eminent Sen-Son, and I believe you know Enric.”
Enric, Bach’s oldest friend, emerged while wearing a grim expression and stood with his arms crossed.
Wisteria detested Enric because ever since she’d met him, he’d made it his mission to harm her and if it served him, he’d kill her. The main reason Wisteria loathed him was because of what he’d done to Piper. Piper was a teenage girl who lived with the boys in London all those months ago, when Wisteria first met them.
Enric had turned her into a Thayn, beaten her until the girl was collection of bruises, and he eventually sent her to her death. He’d treated the girl with a level of disdain, Wisteria had never seen until she was captured by the rest of The Family. Even now, his general demeanor showed that he had no r
egrets about it.
“What are you doing here? How did you find this place?” she demanded, trying to sound brave. She’d set up a piron net, which was a type of force field that prevented anyone human or Famila from locating the island.
“Enric and I came here before you put up the piron net, remember? If a person is here before the piron net goes up, they will always be able to come back,” Lluc informed her, as though he’d read her thoughts. “So, we thought we would check in on our brother, since he decided to throw his life away.”
He was referring to Bach’s decision to leave his people and stay with Wisteria, after they tried to kill him.
Wisteria couldn’t understand why he would ever want to return to the Third Pillar or The Family. “He didn’t throw his life away. Your father tried to kill him. He stood by and watched Didan stab him over and over,” she reminded them. Was that why they were here? To finish what they started?
“Do not speak about things you do not understand,” Yordi snapped.
“I understand Sen Aleix hates humans enough to try and kill his own child!” Her voice wavered, but didn’t break. “What kind of father would do that?”
“Bach was never going to die from those wounds, if he regenerated properly. The Sen only wanted to scare him into begging for forgiveness and turning you away,” Lluc explained. “That is how our father is, but Bach was being stubborn.”
The members of The Family were able heal themselves from most illnesses and injuries by going through a deep sleep called regeneration. Sometimes, when they were severally injured, they needed other members of The Family to pulse them into a deep sleep in order to heal.
“I was there too, and they were going to kill him,” she retorted. “There’s something seriously wrong with your father,”
Enric grimaced in disbelief.
“Terran, I will break you—” Yordi lunged at her, but Lluc stopped him.
