Seek (The Unwelcome Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  He waited for ten minutes before a door at the back of the room opened. The lights went out, but Vel stayed where he was, used to the theatrics of the Naku’s entrance. A minute later the lights flared back to life, causing him to blink hard. A large throne now sat at the edge of the platform. Xantar, the Naku leader, sat in it. He did not cut an imposing figure, standing somewhere around four feet. He was extremely gaunt, his pale gray skin hanging from his bones, and wrinkles piled upon wrinkles on every piece of observable skin. He was slumped to the side, as if the effort of sitting straight was simply too much.

  At a glance, most would probably write him off as no threat. But it wasn’t his body that told of Xantar’s strength. It was his eyes. They pierced through the ruin of his face, dissecting everything about the human in front of him.

  “I have a job for you.”

  Although the words came from Xantar, the voice did not. A man, tall and wraithlike, slid from around the back of Xantar’s chair. He was so thin his cheekbones dominated his face. His eyes were sunken back into his skull, his fingers long and spindly as he clutched his velvet robe to his chest. His voice was raspy as if his mouth was too dry to form the words. “There is someone we need you to find.”

  “What can you tell me about them?” Vel kept his gaze on Xantar as he spoke.

  “It is a woman. She is the leader of a camp called Attlewood.”

  “I’ve heard of it. Their leader’s name is Lyla. Is that who you’re looking for?”

  The man paused, tilting his head to the side, like a dog listening to his master’s commands. And that was exactly what he was—a lapdog of the Naku. When they communicated with you, their thoughts burrowed through your mind, leaving holes. Over time, that damage removed things. Emotions first, then intelligence, then your very life. The man in front of him would not survive much longer. He had obviously already stopped feeding himself.

  Vel felt no pity for the man, only contempt. He was weak. Better he should die than bring more of his weakness into the world. People thought the Naku were the evil ones. But humans … they were no better. They had been preying on one another long before the Naku arrived. And they would continue preying on one another long after the Naku left.

  Vel held no ill will toward the Naku. They had never taken away anyone he cared about. Not that he had actually ever really cared about anyone. But humans, they had hurt him. He had seen their true colors when he was a boy. When he was weak. But that hadn’t given them pause, so he had no qualms about tracking down humans for the Naku. They deserved whatever was coming to them.

  “Yes. We are looking for Lyla.” His voice slithered over the words, as if the man were morphing into a snake before his very eyes.

  “Do you need her alive?”

  The man tilted his head again, getting his orders. Xantar’s gaze met Vel’s as the man’s words slid from his mouth. “We would prefer if she were alive. We have plans for her.”

  4

  Three Weeks Later

  The sign Lyla passed from the Before proclaimed that visitors should inquire at the ticket box or gift shop for a membership to the zoo. She didn’t stop, but her eyes were drawn to the image of the smiling children, some holding stuffed animals, others ice cream. It was such a different world those children had lived in compared to the children of today. They seemed to have a carefree existence. Today, children would be lucky if they had food, never mind toys or an outing to go visit incarcerated animals. Lyla wasn’t even sure some of them would know what an ice cream cone was.

  Not for the first time, Lyla wondered who she would have been in the old world if that company Bytertech hadn’t put profit above safety and pulled the asteroid into the Earth, setting off worldwide catastrophes of tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Half the world’s population disappeared in the first month. The subsequent outbreaks of disease and crime helped whittle down those already diminished numbers in the following months. Some thought it would be the end of the human race.

  But we survived, Lyla thought as she rounded the path past the old front entrance to the zoo. She nodded at the two Phoenixes on guard there. Although it was to see to a much-changed world.

  Electricity, plumbing, all the comforts of the old world were gone. Humanity was thrown back to the dark ages. And then the Naku and their slave race of soldiers, the Unwelcome, had arrived, making everything a whole lot worse.

  Lyla spied the primate exhibit, or at least what was left of it. She and the people of Attlewood had taken up residence in an old zoo. Half the fences had survived, along with a few of the exhibits. It was one of the fallback locations she and Frank, the former leader of the Attlewood Camp, had set up years ago. She’d originally thought if they had to use them, it would be because of a natural disaster. But there was nothing natural about the Unwelcome’s attack on their camp.

  She glanced over at the large chimpanzee enclosure. The male Unwelcome, whom they called Thor, was still out. They had gotten his name out of him but that was all. His full name was actually Geothorxed, but they had shortened it to Thor. With his build and blond hair, it suited him. She was surprised he’d told them. But her surprise was nothing compared to his when he’d said his name. Arthur told them that after the shedar, they never used their names again, only a number.

  Thor glared at Lyla defiantly as she passed. She was pretty sure he’d made sure he was out when she came by, to solidify his hatred for her. He was close to eight feet tall and was about half as wide. Lyla wasn’t sure even a blast from an Unwelcome spear would slow him down. She made sure each of the Phoenixes who guarded him knew they were expected to take every precaution and use whatever force was necessary to protect themselves and the camp.

  She broke off the contact with the large Unwelcome to nod at Montell and Eddie, who stood with Unwelcome weapons in their arms. The Unwelcome had guards at all times, and the guards were switched out every two hours. Lyla didn’t want to chance fatigue or inattention to lead to an escape attempt. The Unwelcome were stronger, taller, and could easily overpower anyone guarding them. Which meant the humans needed to be on their toes at all times.

  One of the good things about the old zoo was that it had plenty of places to hold prisoners. They had two: one male and one female Unwelcome. Lyla made a habit of seeing them first thing in the morning and asking them questions.

  Not that they answered them. She sighed, knowing their presence was becoming a problem amongst the rest of the camp. Food wasn’t exactly abundant right now, and feeding two very large prisoners wasn’t going over well.

  Otto Swingler, who at six foot five had once been the tallest member of their camp, stood at the entrance to the chimp house. He nudged his head toward the entrance as Lyla approached. “He’s in there.”

  “Figured. Any change?”

  Otto shook his head. “No.”

  Lyla’s shoulders slumped. She’d wanted him to get a little reaction, something that would help justify the Unwelcome’s presence and the chance they’d taken sparing them.

  “Please, I just want to help.” Arthur’s voice cut through the air. Silence was the only response. Lyla slipped into the shadows to watch. Arthur and Anixquold were the same height at seven feet, making them smaller than most Unwelcome. Both had the same light hue of blue skin, red hair, and blue eyes. Arthur was more muscular than his sister, but not by much.

  But that was where the similarities ended. Arthur was considerate, friendly, giving. His sister was the opposite. She hadn’t spoken, barely ate, and wouldn’t even turn in the direction of the person speaking to her. Even Thor was more responsive than she was.

  But Arthur visited her twice a day, trying to get her to say something, anything. This morning, he spoke of their limited childhood. She never said a word or even looked at him. Finally Arthur turned and walked out.

  Lyla let him go without revealing her presence. He looked so dejected. She stepped toward the cage when she knew Arthur was gone. Inside, Arthur’s sister had her back to the door, and Lyla had no doubt that she hadn’t even looked at him.

  Sparing the Unwelcome had been an act of mercy. But Lyla had hoped that perhaps, like Arthur, they would be willing to help them. But without the benefits of Arthur’s education, all they knew was what the Naku had drilled into them for years. Dedication and duty to the point of death were their prime motivators. And if they couldn’t find a way around that, then the difficulty in holding the Unwelcome would soon far outweigh any potential benefits.

  And Lyla didn’t like her options if it reached that point. Protecting the humans under her care was her primary motivation. Having three of her Phoenixes guarding the Unwelcome left her with three less to protect the camp. Without anything to show for it, she couldn’t justify that, especially not now when they needed every hand to help set up the camp and shore up their food supply. The grumbles from unhappy camp members were getting louder every day.

  “He just wants to help you,” Lyla said. The tightening of Anne’s shoulders was her only response. “He’s your family. He cares about you.”

  Anne took one step closer to the far wall.

  Lyla sighed, knowing today’s questioning would go no better than any other day’s and also knowing that she didn’t have the time or patience for it.

  With one last look at Arthur’s sister’s back, she stepped outside, looking around. “Where’d he go?”

  Otto pointed in the direction of the tents. “I don’t know why he tries so hard.”

  “She’s his family, what else can he do?” She headed in the direction Otto had indicated.

  It didn’t take long to spot Arthur. He must have been walking incredibly slow. He headed for a water barrel, his long-legged stride eating up the distance. He reached for the long ladle and took a drink. Ju
dith Carolina, who had been holding a bucket and walking toward the barrel, stopped suddenly as she caught sight of Arthur.

  Arthur either didn’t notice the fright that crossed her face or chose to ignore it. He smiled. “Let me help you.”

  “Um.” Judith clutched the bucket to her, but her son Tagger grabbed it from her hands and ran over to Arthur.

  Arthur smiled down at the youngest Carolina. “Why, thank you, Tagger.”

  Tagger grinned up at him while Arthur filled the bucket with water. Arthur looked at Judith after filling it. “I could carry it for you.”

  “No, no, that’s okay.” Judith took the bucket, some of the water sloshing over the side as she all but snatched it from him. She backed away, starting to turn before seeming to recover herself. “Thank you, Arthur.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Tagger hurried to catch up with his mom, but he turned and waved back at Arthur, who returned the gesture.

  As Tagger turned around, the smile slipped from Arthur’s face, and a look of wistfulness crossed it.

  Lyla watched the whole interaction with mixed emotions. She knew it would take the camp time to adjust to Arthur’s presence. She understood that. But when it came to his need to feel a sense of belonging, Arthur was almost like a child. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, and he wanted nothing more than to be accepted. Human looking though he was, his height and blue skin made it hard to forget his otherness.

  “Morning,” Lyla called out.

  Arthur turned, the smile returning. “Good morning. You were up early this morning.”

  She nodded. “I needed to check over the crops, and there was a small issue with Thor last night.”

  “Oh no. What happened?”

  “Nothing big. He just refused to return his food tray.”

  “You should have called me. I would have helped.”

  “I know. But you’ve been putting in long days. I thought you could use the sleep,” she said lightly.

  “Is that the real reason?” he asked quietly.

  She shrugged, not meeting his gaze. They both knew that Arthur could help subdue their prisoners. But his presence was just as likely to rile them up more.

  “Was anyone hurt?”

  “No. The tray was returned. It was fine.” She paused. “Any ideas though about how to get through to them that we’re not the enemy?”

  “I don’t know. I had hoped with a little time they might begin to see that this life, even locked up as they are, is much better than what they had received under the Naku. Can you give them more time?”

  “A little. But people are not happy. Having those two here, it scares them.”

  He looked down at her. “You mean having us three here.”

  She wanted to lie but found herself nodding her head. “Yes.”

  “Are they all scared of me?”

  “Most, but some don’t want to be. Emma and Edna have come around. Those that you interact with, they aren’t as afraid, but just your size scares people.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “The children love you, though. None of them are afraid of you.”

  Arthur smiled. “They are a constant source of joy.”

  “That they are. I was thinking maybe you could help out at the gift shop today. Riley was going to start clearing it out.”

  He nodded. “I can do that. Are you still heading out?”

  “As soon as I round up Miles and Petra.”

  “Be careful, Lyla. The Naku will be looking for you.”

  A shiver ran through her. “I know.”

  5

  A whistle sounded through the trees. Vel changed direction, heading toward it. They’d made it to the Attlewood, but the place had been deserted. Some sort of battle had taken place. Scorch marks lined the fence and some of the buildings.

  But while no one remained, there were also no goods, no supplies. Whatever had happened, the camp had had time to pack up before it disappeared.

  Which didn’t make any sense, unless they had known in advance the Unwelcome were coming. But then why the scorch marks? Why would anyone stay behind?

  Unless they won the battle. Vel shook his head almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He’d taken on an Unwelcome or two in the early days and lived. But a battalion? While protecting innocents? There was no chance humans could win that interaction.

  He made his way through the brush surrounding the camp, spying Grit waiting for him. He stepped out. “What is it?”

  She nodded away from the camp. “An Unwelcome ship landed back there. The grass was really matted down, so it sat for a while.”

  Vel frowned. That was unusual too. What had happened here?

  “I found a body.”

  Vel’s head whipped toward her. “Show me.”

  Without a word, she led him thirty feet away. But as they approached he could make out the purple of the body’s robe. The man’s extremities and face had been gnawed on by the wildlife. “One of the liaisons?”

  Grit nodded to the body’s hands. “I think it’s Chad Keyes.”

  Vel noted the rings, picturing the liaison for New City. He also noticed the rip down the center of the tunic, lined in blood. “Well now, Chad, who did you piss off?”

  “It wasn’t an Unwelcome.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” Unwelcomes didn’t use swords or knives. They used their spears or their hands. They had no need for any other weapon. Vel stood, looking around.

  “We need to find out what happened here. Contact the boys. I want everyone to split up. Visit all the encampments nearby. See what people know.”

  “Okay.” Grit hesitated. “You don’t think the camp actually won this battle, do you?”

  Vel narrowed his eyes at her. “Lyla and her camp have over two hundred people in their charge. Most of them aren’t fighters. With that baggage, there’s no chance they won. No, something else happened here. We need to find out what. And we need to find that woman.”

  6

  Riley wound down the path leading to the kitchens. The zoo had been almost completely destroyed in the years since the Incident. Seven enclosures remained, but only three of them were fully standing. The frames of other enclosures were still there and some of the pathways leading from exhibit to exhibit stood.

  Riley meandered along one of those pathways now, trying to imagine what the zoo must have been like in its heyday. Animals had been caged and watched by humans for pleasure. Riley couldn’t really understand that. Although, seeing as how most of the animals had come from other lands, he supposed he could appreciate the curiosity. They’d had elephants at this zoo. Riley would have loved to see one of them.

  With that thought, he supposed he could understand the attraction of viewing different species. But what he couldn’t really grasp was people spending a day or even an afternoon just wandering around, talking, laughing, and eating. No goal in mind. No job to achieve. Just relaxing.

  And he realized with a jolt that maybe he had been indoctrinated as strongly as the Unwelcome. His life, like everyone’s in the camp, was about survival. Oh, they might take some time off to swim or play baseball, but survival was always there. Always their focus.

  But it was those little bursts of freedom, of relaxation from the everyday grind, that helped make the grind more bearable. The Unwelcome had none of that. There was never a day off or even an hour off. Riley knew Miles, Maisy, and Lyla were a huge part of why he worked so hard. He wanted them safe. He wanted them protected. He wanted them happy. They wanted the same for him. But for the Unwelcome, connection to others was not part of their life. What must it be like to never experience happiness?

  Even knowing that, he couldn’t let himself feel empathy for the Unwelcome. They felt none for the humans they killed. And at this point, after suppressing their emotions for so many years, maybe they couldn’t feel any emotions at all.

  He curled his fists, rolling his fingers and remembering the feeling of warmth flowing over him the first time his abilities had manifested. He’d been trying ever since then to figure out how he’d survived the fall from the bridge. How he’d survived being under the water. He’d had gills, for God’s sake. That wasn’t normal. And Miles. Miles had his arm back. How was any of that possible?