by Leyton, Bisi
“How did you know he drove a blue car or used a crossbow if he was climbing out of a ditch?”
“We ran into him on our way here and he was going to join our convoy, until he got run off the road by a swarm of the infected.”
“You didn’t help him?”
Alba sighed and shook her head. “You know who I am with. That could never happen. They wanted to kill him right there. He was lucky they just let him go.”
Of course, she could imagine how the convoy of Famila responded when Garfield even asked to join them. “Why didn’t you tell me before? You’ve been here for days.”
“I did not realize he was your friend until I oversaw the interview of a teacher. Once I figured out he was your friend, I thought you would want to know first. I have not even told Bach about this.”
She was unsure whether to thank Alba or to wonder why she hadn’t told him. “You are going to tell him?”
“Stop!” Benet snapped from outside.
Amanda’s laughter followed his outburst.
“Hmm, Benet can be a bit impatient with Terran girls. Like all Famila boys, he finds them repulsive, even ones like that Amanda, who is somewhat pretty for one of your people. I am not trying to be nasty, it is just how I feel.”
“Thanks for telling me about Garfield,” she managed to say. Alba’s comment stung, but Wisteria didn’t want to get into it, as her priority was Garfield.
Alba ran her hand through her short, light hair. “Honestly, I am a little confused as to what Bach saw in you. Perhaps if you looked more like your friend, maybe? You look very much like one of the bonobos of this realm, but you are much prettier.”
Her cruel words rang in Wisteria’s mind and she remembered about how much Bach detested being around humans. He tried to conceal his disdain, which she used to attribute to his personality. Listening to Alba, she wondered if maybe his resentment was actually who he was. And that explained why he’d no interest in rescuing anyone on Smythe, aside from her. “Please just leave.”
“Why are you getting upset? I am just stating facts,” Alba replied calmly, as if nothing in the world was wrong. “But know this: I am trying to help you. I am giving you a real chance to save your friend. If the truth hurts you, I will try to be more deceptive and spare your feelings.”
“I’d prefer if you kept your feelings to yourself.”
“Listen, you are not hideous. No matter what eventually happens with Bach, you will find someone more like you. Short, dark, fat, and above all—Terran.”
There was silence.
Granted, she wanted to slap Alba, but Wisteria knew the girl could easily snap her neck in seconds.
“So, do you want the map?” Alba tilted her head.
Wisteria nodded because she had to check it out, even though she didn’t trust Alba.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Following Wisteria’s chat with Alba, she felt unsettled and decided to risk it and see Bach. She was going to ask him to get Garfield. Not that she couldn’t get him herself, but he’d be faster.
While she’d no way to directly contact Bach, she went to the clock tower, knowing he’d eventually sense her there and come after her.
Jason had been moved to the infirmary, so the tower was empty.
With Amanda watching her mother, Wisteria snuck into town that night and waited in the room behind the large clock. He hadn’t shown up and now the sun was starting to rise.
As she fought off sleep, she decided to leave and relieve Amanda at home. She rose to her feet to find Bach standing on the other side of the room.
“What are you doing here?” He stood still, grimacing at her. “We agreed to keep everything secret.”
“Alba came to see me...”
Alba was standing a few feet behind him.
“Is anything wrong?” he asked after she didn’t respond.
I missed you. Too needy. “Alba saw Garfield a few miles from here. I thought you could help me find him.”
“You saw him?” he asked Alba.
“I think I did. I mean someone here described him to me, so I am matching that face to a description. It might be a completely different person,” Alba admitted.
“But you can check it out, right?” she asked. “It shouldn’t take you too long.”
“How will I explain bringing him back?” Bach looked puzzled.
“I can bring him back. You can bring him to me when we’re on patrol.”
“But you are not patrolling anymore,” Alba explained. “Didan advised everyone to regroup, so no one is allowed to leave the island for now.”
“We’re effectively trapped here with no clue about what’s happening outside?” Wisteria was baffled by this decision.
“Only for a while,” Alba tried to explain. “This is just to give Didan the illusion of control.”
“By actually giving him control?” Wisteria exclaimed. “This is what you really want, right?”
“Me?” Alba gasped.
“You’re doing something on this island, something bad. That’s why you don’t want anyone to leave,” Wisteria accused.
“Alba was the only empiric who fought Didan on the lock down. And she is the only reason I am even able to see you now without any suspicion,” he reassured her.
“How?” Wisteria grimaced.
“Mateu and Benet saw you come in here and there was no way Bach could come here without them asking funny questions,” Alba explained.
“Alba told him she had renewed you,” he said.
“And I’m supposed to behave like a sleepwalker?” Wisteria replied. “That’s not going to work because I don’t know how sleepwalkers act.”
“If you stay away from the town square and stay in the farmhouse, no one will care how you behave,” Alba suggested.
“Which was what we agreed in the first place,” he reminded her.
Wisteria nodded, but what he said didn’t make her feel better. “What about Garfield? Are you going to get him back? He could stay at your den until it’s safe to bring him back?”
He almost recoiled back at the suggestion. “Never. I cannot have humans in my den.”
“And me?”
“You are not like the rest. Wisteria, you cannot keep comparing yourself to them,” he defended.
“No, I am just like them,” she fumed. “Like my mother, father, and brother, I’m human. I’m a simple Terran.”
“Alba, can you give us a moment?” He turned to the Famila girl.
“Sure.” Warmly, Alba smiled at them both. “I can see you need to be alone; I will wait outside.”
“Listen.” Wisteria backed away. “I only told you about Garfield to give you the option.” She was going to look for Garfield herself. “It’s getting late.” She moved past him.
“I will look for Garfield and we will find a way to get him back to Smythe, provided we can find him.”
“Well, don’t go out of your way to inconvenience yourself.”
“Being around your people all the time is hard for me. I cannot lie about that, but you know I am trying.”
*****
Bach hoped that Wisteria understood that living among humans, for him, would be like her living among wild animals, or rather people who chose to live like wild animals. It was an adjustment. No day went by in Smythe that he didn’t feel like peeling off his skin in irritation.
“If I wasn’t here, would you have told anyone Didan was coming?” she asked.
“No.” He still wasn’t sure if telling her was the right thing. “But I accept that your people are important to you, so they are now important to me.”
“Bach, that isn't the same.”
Rubbing his temples wearily, he shook his head. “Right now, I am exhausted because I have not slept in days. I have been monitoring the empirics closely to make sure you were safe. After Mina visited your mum, I have been working for most of the day to find Mina’s record of the visit.”
“What did you find?”
“Nothing;
it seems Mina did not consider the visit worth recording. Right now, I am attempting to get in on the interview with Cheung. This is difficult because Didan considers Cheung important and wants to interview the man personally. On top of everything, the empirics were curious about where I go and what I do because I am a Sen-Son and on some level, they want to be sure nothing happens to me. The only person I can trust to work with me is Alba, so coming here in the middle of all this is not helping anything,” he concluded bluntly. “You need to hold it together on your end.”
Cocking her head back, she forced a smile. “Sure.” She opened the door. “And thanks for the update.” Her tone was detached and she darted her dark eyes away from him.
“Wait.” Bach knew he couldn’t let her leave. She still had a power over him that he didn’t understand. “I have still missed you. I hate that we cannot be together right now.” If she had just agreed to leave Smythe when he’d asked, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
“We don’t have a choice. The Family won’t take well to knowing that you are my…” Her voice faded as he ran his fingers up and down her neck.
Feeling the tension in her start to lessen, he gently kissed the trail of shana spots that had recently appeared behind her ears and down her shoulder.
“It’s freezing in here and…” She let out a long sigh that blew his mind.
In seconds, he’d spun her around and his lips were crushed against hers. Devouring her plump, dark lips, he pinned his Mosroc against the door in a way that ensured she’d not be able escape him. He wanted so much more from her at this moment.
Pushing him away, she broke off the kiss. “You need to go. We don’t want Didan asking questions.”
“No, we can stay a little longer.” He felt pathetic begging her this way, especially since he knew she was right. Nuzzling her neck, he considered asking her to sing for him, but it just was not the time. When his kisses trailed her jaw line on the way to find her lips, though, he heard her hum lightly.
“Bach.” Alba knocked on the door. “We have to meet with Didan before he leaves for Town Hall.”
“D’cara.” Banging his fist against the door, he growled as he glanced down at Wisteria. “I wish things were different.”
“Yeah, me too.” Staring at him, she bit her at lower lip.
The simple gesture seemed to beg him to kiss her all over again. Planting a kiss softly on her forehead, he forced himself to leave her. When he came out, he found Alba waiting at the bottom of the steps.
She shook her head as he approached. “Bach, you understand you are putting me at risk too, if Didan finds out?”
Moving ahead of her, he went to the back door of the building. “I am sorry. I do understand the risk you are putting yourself in.”
*****
Wisteria had been swept away in the intense moment with Bach, but as soon as he left, her senses returned. Watching him leave with Alba, she knew she had to find out for herself what was happening, especially concerning the patrols. Once she got home, she waited for her brother to get back, and then she headed to Town Hall.
“What are you doing here?” A guard outside Town Hall walked up to her when she approached.
“I’m here to see Sir Charles,” Wisteria explained.
“Not today, sweetheart,” he said. “They’re in closed sessions with the big shots from RZC. No one’s allowed in, sorry.”
“Um, can I leave him a message? It’s important.”
“I’m sorry, but he told me no one is getting in,” the man said more sternly. “And I’m no secretary, so if you want to give him a message, find Lexie.”
“I just—”
He shook his head.
Deciding she didn’t have time to waste convincing him, she descended the steps, but instead of going home, she crept around the side of the building. She soon found a broken window and climbed into an empty office. Sneaking out of the deserted office, she raced through the corridors and up the stairs, toward the Mayor’s office. Knocking once, she burst in as Lexie Hindle, Steven’s older sister, scurried out, buttoning her blouse.
“Lexie, wait. Don’t leave,” Sir Charles yelled after her, but the woman was gone. “Ria, What are you doing here?” Sir Charles grimaced when she entered.
“Why did you let Didan stop the patrols?” Wisteria demanded.
“No, I decided to stop them,” the man snapped.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Explain it to me,” Sir Charles asked, trying to contain his amusement.
“Didan might have another agenda. His Family isn’t like us—”
“Hold on. Is this the same rubbish Coles was on about? How your friend Bach is from another realm, or is he a vampire or something else equally ludicrous.” Shaking his head, Sir Charles pointed to the door. “Get out.”
“Please, listen.” She was surprised Coles had gone to Sir Charles about this, since her ex-stepfather didn’t trust or respect the Mayor very much.
“No, you listen. I can understand that Bach is one of a very, very small group who are immune to Nero. It is great for him, but beyond that, I won’t be pulled into your family’s delusions.”
“We’re not delusional.” She wasn’t surprised Charles didn’t believe her, but she had to try.
“You’re being illogical. I’m a man of reason. You should go and take care of your mother.” The man ushered her to the door. “And, don’t ever walk into my office uninvited.”
“All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t just do whatever Didan wants us to do.” Inwardly, she was confused about why Coles had left when he suspected the Family was a threat.
“Firstly, I and I alone, decide what is done on this island. Secondly, this is none of your damn business. Thirdly, Coles isn’t here, so I won’t pretend your opinion even matters to me.”
“This isn’t about me. It’s about everyone else.”
Captain Bruno entered.
“Clearly you need something to keep you busy. Mrs. Tenent needs help with the laundry since her daughters are still sick. I’ll talk to her and get you set up. Now go take care of your mother. Bruno, walk her out.” Sir Charles waved her away.
Bruno gripped her shoulder and attempted to force her out.
“I can move on my own.” She shrugged him away.
Clutching her forearm, the Captain dragged her through the corridor.
Without thinking, she jabbed his upper arm with her fist, causing him to flinch and loosen his grip enough for her to break free and run. “Sir Charles, you will hear me.” She sprinted back to the Mayor’s office.
“Bloody hell,” Bruno yelled, running after her.
She kept moving until she crashed into Didan, who was descending the stairs.
Getting off the dazed Famila, she ran back, but felt a sharp blow on her neck that sent her tumbling to the hard floor. “Ahh,” she cried. As she tried to get up, someone stepped down on her neck.
“You ready to leave now, girl?” Bruno seethed, forcing his heel onto her skin.
“Ohh!” She tried to get up. “Stop.”
“Get off her, Bruno,” Charles said casually.
“Are you going to leave now?” Bruno asked her. “Answer me!”
“Yes, yes,” she cried out. “I’ll go. Just get off me, please.”
Bruno stepped back.
Getting up, she raced out, head down, avoiding the judgmental stares of the crowd who had gathered to watch her debacle. “You’re going to regret this.”
“She’s just being hysterical because of her mother,” Bruno commented. “You know how emotional women can be.”
“Give her a break, her stepfather walked out on the family,” a woman at the entrance remarked.
“Can you blame him?” Bruno chuckled.
Standing by the main doors, Alba and Benet watched while wearing emotionless expressions, as she raced by.
Humiliated and furious, Wisteria had heard all their remarks. When she reached the farmhouse, she saw Bach w
aiting in her hallway. It was strange that he was there so soon.
“Hey.” She was relieved to see an ally. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
“What were you thinking?” He marched up to her. “Why did you go to Charles Davenport?”
She froze. Of course, he was mad. She hadn’t considered how he’d react, knowing she’d seen Charles after he more or less asked her not to. But I don’t need his permission to do what’s best for my people. He couldn’t expect her to do nothing now that Didan had effectively sealed them on the Isle of Smythe. “I wanted to find out why the patrols were stopped,” she answered frankly.
“And you told him about the Family, did you not?”
“Bach.”
“You expect him to challenge Didan or something? Didan is a lead empiric. If Charles asked too many questions, he would just kill him!” he exclaimed as he stood close to her. “And all you have done is put your Mayor’s life at risk and if Didan saw you or knows you are asking any kind of questions, he might figure something out.”
“What was I supposed to do? You effectively let him shut us down.”
“I told you Alba and I had this handled.” His hot breath seemed to burn her skin. “You have got to trust us.”
“Trust you.” Wisteria turned to the direction of her mother’s room. Sure, the Family wasn’t a group of magical little creatures, but why did this Sleeping Fever strike now? “When were you going to tell me that your people brought this here?” She guessed at this, hoping Bach would prove her wrong. “They used the Sleeping Fever to get in and earn the trust of everyone here.”
“I did not know they did that until after they arrived. There was nothing I could do to stop it,” he responded.
“But you knew eventually.” Covering her mouth, she stopped herself from screaming. “You knew they did this to my mother and you didn’t say anything?”
“I—”
“He did not know until a few hours ago.” Alba appeared from one of the rooms. “I did not want to interrupt, but I could hear everything from in there.”
“What are you doing here?” She glared at the Famila girl.
“He told to me wait in there.” She seemed sincere, but Wisteria knew deep down she was two-faced.
