Myopia (Young Adult Zombie Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria Series) (28 page)

“But you do have to worry about the soldiers.” She tried to sound defiant.

“Not really, your friend Garfield told us all about the thirty soldiers.”

Slowly, she rolled over and tried to get up, reaching for the sword she’d dropped.

Sammy stepped on her hands and kicked her down.

“Ohh,” she wailed.

“Don’t even move,” Sammy warned.

“Please, just let me explain.” Foolishly, she tried to rise.

The man shoved Wisteria, forcing her down to her knees. “You know I don’t see your freak friend here to save you this time.”

“Sammy, we can share the island.”

“Shut the hell up.” He struck her across the face.

As she fell back, James jumped out through the hole and bit into Sammy’s leg.

The man let out a series of curses as he tried to fight off the dog.

While he battled the dog, she lunged and knocked him down, causing him to drop the shotgun.

The dog yelped as Sammy booted it away.

“James,” Wisteria called out as she kicked the shotgun.

The man grasped her neck, knocking her head first onto the hard ground. “You bloody witch.” He struck her again, sending her reeling back.

James charged at him again, but Sammy kicked the animal into the water.

“James,” Amanda cried, having climbed back out of the hole.

“You’re going to join your friend.” Sammy trudged toward Amanda. “Get over here.”

“Amanda, get out and get help,” Wisteria screamed. “He doesn’t have a gun.”

Uncertain, Amanda darted for the hole as Sammy went after her.

Rising, Wisteria swung at him with her sheathed weapon.

“What? You really think you can hurt me, little girl?” Sammy turned back while looking furious. “I still owe you for what you did to Greg.” As he swung at her, Wisteria ducked back and he missed.

This just made him angrier and he kept coming at her until she was standing less than a foot away from the gravelly edge of the shore. Behind her was a very steep drop into the jagged rocks below.

“Scared, girl?”

She was terrified.

“You better be scared.” Laughing, the man shoved her back. “You’ll be dead before you drown.”

Swinging fast and hard, she sliced through his shirt, cutting his arm deeply.

Grunting loudly, he lunged at her.

She jumped to a lower path and carefully ran over the loose rocks behind her.

Barreling after her, he yelled, swearing to end her, but as he ran, rocks gave way. Screaming, Sammy tumbled over the edge.

Soon, Wisteria was slowly sliding down, but felt someone grab her arm.

“You’re really heavy.” Amanda pulled her back.

Relieved, Wisteria climbed back up and hugged her friend as James limped up behind them. Picking up the wounded animal, she got through the hole and Amanda followed. Quickly, the girls pushed all the rocks back into the hole.

“Those were the people Garfield was talking about?” Amanda gave Wisteria her sword. “You dropped this.”

“Some of them.” Wisteria handed James to Amanda. “Please take care of him.”

“Where are you going?”

“To sound the alarm and get everyone into lockdown. Hopefully, I’ll find someone else aside from James who’ll do something.” Getting onto her bike, she saw that Amanda just stood there watching. “Where’s yours?”

“I don’t have one. I normally borrow my brother’s.”

“Take mine. Tell as many people as you can about what’s going on.” Wisteria hopped off the bike, knowing that carrying James would just slow Amanda down. She knew some shortcuts back to Town Hall, so going on foot wouldn’t slow her down.

“Are you sure?” Amanda asked.

“Yeah.” Wisteria sprinted toward Town Hall.

After a hard run, she got to the water fountain that stood in the center of the town square. In the middle of the fountain was the statue of an angel reaching for the sky. The old fountain had never worked in all the time she'd lived on the Isle of Smythe and now it was filled with slimy stagnant puddles of sludge and mushy ice.

Rummaging through her backpack, she took out the piron nexus she’d found in Jason’s office. Reluctantly, she twisted the two halves of the cube in opposite directions and the cube let out a glow. She’d planned to use this when she escaped with her family to ensure they couldn’t be tracked by the Family or Red Phoenix, but now perhaps this could stop more Famila and Red Phoenix from getting to the island. Getting into the gross, slimy fountain, she moved quickly across and climbed up the statue.

It didn’t take very long for someone to try and stop her.

“Bruno’s looking for you.” A guard grabbed at her, sending her tumbling into the green muck.

As he tried to haul her up, she twisted his arm around his back enough to get him off balance. He fell and she ran away. Running toward the Town Hall, she heard incensed guards swearing at her as they chased after her. Turning the corner, she almost had a heart attack at the sight of Charles laughing with Didan.

The Mayor glowered when he saw her. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Doubling back, she found herself trapped between the approaching guards, Charles, and a dilapidated car. Climbing up, she rushed over the unused vehicle. Landing on the other side, she sped back toward the farmhouse. She was going to make someone listen to her.
Cheung! Maybe he’d help, but he might be a Thayn.

Smack! She ran into something hard. Tumbling back, she saw the something was actually someone.

“Wisteria!” Coles swore.

“Coles?” It was not possible.

He was shaggier and had grown a beard, but it was her stepfather.

“Wha—What’s your name?” she stammered.

He squinted and said slowly, “Major Elliot Phelps Coles.”

Without thinking, she hugged him. “Thank God.”

He held her. “I’m surprised you missed me.”

“Are you out of your mind? Why did you leave?” She wiped the tears away. “We’re in so much trouble.”

“Yeah, I’m here to get you out. You, David, and Lara.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, we need to get out of here,” Coles said. “I’ve got us a lift.”

“We can’t go home. Quincy’s there,” she explained.

“Why is Quincy in my house?”

“I’m supposed to be under house arrest for attacking Yvette Morel. But that isn’t the real problem.” As they walked back, she gave Coles a rundown of the Sleeping Fever, the empirics coming to the island, and the Dungeon Dwellers who were probably in the town by now. She also explained her fruitless attempts to warn Charles and even what Bruno had done to her.

“Huh, I thought Red Phoenix would get here first. That’s why I left.”

“You changed your mind.” Starting to boil, she remembered he’d walked out. “You decided you couldn’t leave mum to die here?”

“Lara and I agreed I should find another community for all of us, because Smythe isn’t safe anymore.”

“Sure.” She kept walking.

“Loch Peadrus, Northern Scotland. The community is almost untouched by Nero, but they’re only taking people with skills they need. They aren’t even taking children.”

“Scotland?”

“They were thrilled to know I’ve got two trackers in my family. They didn’t even know what that was, until I told them.”

“So we’re just leaving?”

“A Ghanaian merchant is taking us there.”

“What are they taking in exchange?”

“They want me to help them turn Loch Peadrus into a community like Smythe. More secure and where they can produce more of their own food and goods to trade.”

“So you didn’t abandon us,” she said.

“Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart.”

If she wasn’t terrified, she would’ve smiled.

When they got to the farmhouse, Quincy stormed out, cursing at her, but stopped when he saw Coles. “What are you doing here?”

The Major grabbed the man by the neck, choking him until Quincy fell to his knees. “Get out now.”

Not needing any further persuasion, Quincy scurried off like a dog with his tail between his legs.

She and her stepfather got into the house and he went straight to her mother.

“Lara.” Sitting next to her, he kissed her lips.

“She’s been that way for almost three weeks,” she explained. “Since the day you left.”

He rested his hands on her stomach. “The baby?”

“The doctor said the baby’s fine as far as they can tell. They’ve been feeding her with a drip.” She pointed to the IV hanging by the bed.

“And the Family said there was nothing they could do but wait.”

She nodded.

“Who else is like this?”

“Pretty much all the soldiers except Bruno and a few of the residents.”

“Sabine Morel and Thomas Clarkson are still asleep?”

“And I think Jason Webb, but I haven’t seen him. How did you know?”

“Sabine and Thomas are ex-Red Phoenix, like your mother. Basically, anyone who can stop the Family is still unconscious.” Turning to her, Coles added, “And Bach let this happen and didn’t tell you?”

Dropping her head, she bit her bottom lip. “I knew they were looking for obsidian crystal. I should’ve said something, but I didn’t.”

“What?”

“It’s used to power their ships or something.”

“I know what obsidian crystal is. Why would you keep that kind of secret?” Getting up, he walked out of the room. “Clearly, you’re your mother’s daughter.”

His words cut through her heart. “I know I made a mistake.” She followed him out. “I’ve been trying to fix it.”

“It’s not about trying to make you feel bad.” Her stepfather knelt at the end of the corridor. Pulling up the floorboards, he revealed the iron door that led to their underground bunker. He climbed down and disappeared below. “Your mother has a thing for keeping secrets.”

Moments later, he reemerged, carrying a small black box. “I’d come to accept the kind of woman Lara Kuti was, long before I knew her name was Demi Akanbi-George.”

“Demi what? Her maiden name was Omole.”

“That’s not true and that’s not the point. The point is, I wasn’t insulting you. At least I wasn’t trying to, but only your mother could keep a secret as serious as empirics coming to Smythe from everyone.” He went back into the room and opened the box.

“What is it?” She pointed to the syringe he’d taken out of the box

“Adrenalin. It works to reverse the Sleep Fever. At least I think it does.”

“You’re going to inject her and you’re not sure?”