Host

by H. J. Lawson

  “Yeah,” a cheer comes from the happy group as they see us. The place is filled with both young and old. Generations of people live down here.

  “Everyone made it back,” one of them cheers.

  “No, wait, where is Abaven?” a lady from the group asks, and the people who hear her stop their dancing and listen.

  “He will be here soon, he had to take care of some business,” Gerel replies, looking at me. I can feel the prickling heat in my cheeks as the small group that’s no longer enjoying the party fix their eyes firmly on mine, like I’m their new prey.

  “Who are they?” a lady asks, followed by a few “yeahs” from the crowd, which is now growing in size. These aren’t friendly like the ones who once lived in Cueva. They’re more like hostile people who lived on the wasteland all their lives, feeding on the weak… but I’m not weak. Well, I am, but they don’t need to know that.

  “I’m Skylier, and this is my little brother Rian. We are friends of Abaven,” I say firmly and loudly enough for the group to hear me.

  “Abaven, collecting more lost kids,” one person chuckles, then downs a drink and continues dancing. The others follow the man’s lead, and Gerel leaves with them, to my relief.

  Rian and I pause for a moment, taking in the new happiness we are surrounded by. “What are they celebrating?” I ask.

  Rian and Enoch both stare at me like I’m stupid. “Maybe that the Chancellor was stabbed by one of our own, and then Xander was left in a pool of blood, hopefully also dying,” Enoch replies, shaking his head.

  “Do you think either of them is dead?”

  “I doubt it, since their medical team is the best, but we should enjoy the moment while we have it. Everything has changed because of tonight. I fear what tomorrow will bring once they recover,” Enoch admits.

  “Come on, you two look as if you could do with a bit of a break from your crazy lives, and we need to fix you up so you blend in,” Enoch ads.

  “Blend in?” I ask.

  “Blend in,” Enoch repeats, smiling. He walks forward into the sea of partying people.

  “Rian, shouldn’t we work out how to rescue our family instead of wasting our time partying?” I ask as Rian starts to follow Enoch. I want to forget everything that’s happening and just have fun, but it feels wrong.

  “We have to wait for Gavyn; there is no way we can do this without him.”

  “But…” I start to say, but Rian stops me.

  “Enoch’s right. We could do with a break, and you really need to learn how to lighten up and have some fun,” Rian says.

  “I know how to have fun!” I snap.

  “Yeah, sure looks like it. Come on,” Rian says, pulling me into the crowd of partiers.

  “Here, have some of this, it will lighten up your mood,” Enoch says, passing us mugs filled with a clear liquid. Enoch clinks his mug against ours and pours the liquid down his throat; Rian does the same and so do I, but a bit more slowly than the boys. The liquid pours down my throat as if it’s trying to burn the top layer of my skin off. It has a toxic taste to it.

  Rian splutters in response, spraying the contents over Enoch. “Are you trying to poison us?!” he says, wiping the remains of the liquid off his face.

  Enoch brushes the spray off his clothing. “Poison, ha. It will feel like it tomorrow, so enjoy it today,” Enoch says, taking another gulp.

  “What is it?” Rian asks.

  “Not sure. It’s Cook’s mix. He doesn’t share the recipe with anyone, and to be honest I don’t think we want to know what’s in it.” Enoch smiles and his eyes glaze over as if he’s about to cry, yet he doesn’t look like he’s going to cry—far from it.

  “Does he have any different flavors, like apple cider?” I ask. I prefer the slow warmth it brings, unlike this toxic poison that sends fire through my body.

  “Cider?” Enoch and Rian pause.

  “Yeah, cider, haven’t you tried it? The Grounders make it, and it’s delicious,” I reply.

  “Grounder, cider? What happened to my big, bossy sister?” Rian laughs.

  I turn to Enoch, ignoring my brother. “So, how are you going to make us blend in?”

  “Once we do this, it will be this color for months. Are you sure you want to do it? You have the purest hair I’ve ever seen,” Delilah, the hair-coloring lady, says. She’s a walking advertisement for her job, with her hair colored in every shade and hands stained with a rainbow of colors from all the coloring she’s done. Enoch told me she’s the best one here, but I’m not sure if it’s because she is the most sober person left. There is no chance I’m letting her cut my hair.

  “I’m sure, Delilah,” I reply, then chuckle. The words didn’t sound or feel like they came from me. The toxic potion has taken effect, stealing my worries with it.

  “And this color?” Delilah says, holding up a section of her own pink hair.

  “Can you make it brighter than that? Like a fire red,” I say.

  “Sure can,” she agrees with a smile. “Like this?” She pulls a second section of her hair forward.

  “That’s it.” The hair she shows me is red with a golden shimmer through it, making it look like a raging fire as it catches the light.

  Delilah works her magic and transforms my pure white hair to fire red running from my shoulders to the bottom of my hair.

  “Skylier, the fire girl from the sky,” Rian laughs from the chair next to me. I can’t help but join in with the laughter. I am the girl from the sky, if what mother says is true.

  I wonder what it’s like up there.

  I hope like here, with everyone dancing and merry. Rian’s mind laughs, but his thoughts are as sluggish as the words that flow from his mouth.

  “And Rian, the ice boy,” I laugh. He chose a cool blue for the tips of his white hair, much like the other boys. It’s funny that we are doing this to blend in. I feel like it will only make us stand out if we leave Purenet.

  Madison would be jealous if she saw our hair. I need to make sure that Abaven tells her that I’m okay. She must be worried sick.

  “Fire girl and Ice boy, is that what you want me to call you two?” Enoch laughs. He stumbles sideways, but luckily his hand reaches out and he is able to steady himself. He props himself up against the cave wall of Delilah’s quarters.

  “Yeah, call us that,” Rian laughs.

  I stand and twirl around. My hair flies as it whips through the air, making it look alive, like a hawk’s tail.

  “‘Fire hawk’ sounds better than ‘fire girl,’” I laugh as I try to stand still, but the world around me is spinning uncontrollably. Laughter echoes off the cave walls, sounding like there are hundreds of people in the room. I stagger away from the sound and try to compose myself. Arms grip me, stopping me from falling.

  I turn to face the person holding me. It’s Abaven. “Oh, you made it,” I say, flinging my arms around him.

  “I see you like the local brew?” Abaven says with a smile.

  “Very much,” I reply with a grin. My throat is dry like the wasteland, and my mug is empty. I need a refill. “Do you like my hair?” I ask.

  “I liked it natural,” he says flatly, stabbing me in the heart.

  “You don’t like it?” I don’t know why I care what Abaven thinks.

  “It looks lovely, Skylier, but I think you’ve had enough brew for tonight,” Abaven says, taking my empty mug from me.

  I don’t want to release it; my body is craving more of the brew.

  I will steal Rian’s. My mind drifts as I release the mug.

  “No you won't,” Rian replies, gulping the remainder of the contents in his mug.

  “Come, I will show you to your quarters,” Abaven says.

  “But Abaven…” Enoch starts, then stops when Abaven shoots him a look of disgust.

  “Oh, you’re in trouble,” Rian mocks, resulting in laughter from us.

  “Enoch, you were meant to be with Gerel tonight. You can take the morning shift. Go to your quarters,” Abaven
replies firmly.

  Enoch’s face loses the joy and laughter that we have shared all evening, forcing me into sobriety.

  “What’s happening tonight?” I ask.

  “Skylier, tomorrow, not now,” Abaven says, frowning.

  As if the brew has drained from me in cold sweats, making me see clearly, I focus on my words, trying not to slur them. “Abaven, tell me what is happening tonight,” I say firmly.

  “Those who weren’t Selected in the viewing room are thrown out to the wasteland, and left…” Abaven pauses. “The Chancellor and Xander place wagers on those that will die the quickest,” Abaven finishes.

  My heart stops. “Is Madison one of them?”

  “Yes.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Everything around me falls silent, and all I can hear are the words Abaven says next: “Madison is out on the wasteland.”

  “We have to rescue her. What are we doing standing around here?” I say, leaving the cave, not waiting for anyone, then pausing. “How do I get out of here?” I ask quickly.

  “Skylier, we can’t do anything now. Come with me. Rian, you as well. Enoch, sober up, get some rest, and meet with Gerel,” Abaven orders. Enoch nods and wearily leaves the cave.

  “Why can’t we do anything now?” I ask as Abaven swiftly glides down the cave path.

  “Because they are still being watched,” he says.

  “But the Chancellor and Xander are still dying, aren’t they? Who’s watching them? I thought this was their game?” Questions keep pouring from my mouth, craving an answer that will soften the thought of Madison out there alone.

  “Xander has left the Sanction to find Dax.”

  Frigging hell, he’s still alive! Dax, if you can hear me, Xander is coming, my mind screams out even though I know he’s too far away to hear me.

  “And the Chancellor is in his private labs. Unfortunately, both shall live. Xander demanded that the unselected were exiled from the capital, stating that toxic people will no longer be allowed to survive,” Abaven says. “Look, I will show you.”

  Abaven taps his fingers on a wall panel, so fast that I can’t make out the pattern. A white door clicks as it opens, revealing a small hallway, then another door, like the store back in the capital.

  Abaven checks that we are both inside the hallway, then presses the wall on the hallway and the first door closes and a second one opens, revealing the hidden contents behind the two doors. The room is filled from floor to ceiling with monitors, each displaying different images of the Sanction. There are even images of the party happening down the path from us.

  “Make it bigger,” I say, pointing to the screen that shows a group of girls huddled together against the Sanction’s wall.

  Abaven points at the screen, then swipes his thumb and forefinger apart. As he does that, the screen expands, projecting the image into all the screens in the room, making me feel as if the girls are in the room with me.

  Abaven gracefully pivots his hand, and the view of the girls changes. I can make out Madison’s face from the lights on the Sanction’s wall.

  Her eyes are scrunched shut. Tears fall from them and wash away the white makeup, revealing the warm brown skin underneath.

  I place my hand on the screen. It’s warm like Madison’s skin. Her eyes flutter and open, revealing her brown eyes. She stares directly at me, as if she can see me. Warm tears pour down my face, and Madison’s image becomes a blur. Rian places his arm around me. “We have to help her,” I sniffle.

  “Skylier’s right, we can’t leave them out there to die,” Rian says.

  “Trust me, I wish we could rescue them right now, but we can’t. It would be a suicide mission because the guards are watching them,” Abaven says.

  He pushes his fingers together and the image of Madison shrinks, and all the other images return. Abaven points to different screens and they all come together on the central wall. “These are the screens from which the Purenet guards are watching. Xander also gets these images screened to his ship,” Abaven informs us.

  There are images of the girls against the wall and of dark shadows moving across the wasteland. “People are trying to cross the wasteland at night. This is normally what the Bazis do, and the Hosts stay close to the wall until first light. The Bazis argued with the Hosts, telling them to walk as a group through the night because their Cueva night vision would help them. But they are helpless across the wastelands without a weapon. The Hosts are wise to stay by the wall, since the night predators normally stay away from there unless they smell a reason to go there,” Abaven explains.

  “But if they stay there they have no chance of making it to the Grounders’ community,” I say.

  “Skylier, none of them have a chance of surviving the wasteland and making it to the Grounders’ community. It’s impossible on foot,” Abaven says.

  “It’s not impossible. Others have made it across,” I tell them, thinking of my mother and then Dax, who were able to make it across the wasteland on foot.

  “I stand corrected. A few do, but many die trying,” Abaven adds.

  “How are we going to rescue them?” I ask.

  “We have to wait until they enter the wasteland, and then in the night we can try to rescue them,” Abaven says.

  “But half of the group is already in the wasteland, so why can’t you rescue them?” Please let him say we can, and then I can find a way to get Madison.

  “We are only able to rescue one group, and I choose the Hosts,” he says.

  I look at the monitor displaying the dark shadows. Death is walking among the Bazis as they disappear into the wasteland.

  “Why only one group?” I ask.

  “Because the Chancellor and Xander will demand to see images of the bodies of those that didn’t survive, so they can see who won. We are able to control the screens just long enough for one rescue, and show them what they want to see, that everyone is dead.”

  “You’re leaving the others to die?”

  “I’m choosing to keep some alive. I can never allow another Host to walk alone on the wasteland, not after you and your mother,” he says softly.

  “The people of Purenet aren’t repopulating. Those that want to can’t, and the others don’t care, opting to stay young forever instead of passing their genes on to the children. They are too vain to see the problem that stares back at their wrinkle-free faces each morning: Their kind is dying off because of their self-absorbed nature. They have been this way for too many years to reverse the effect of the chemicals their bodies absorbed,” Abaven explains.

  “Where is Gerel?” I ask.

  “She’s getting everything prepared for tomorrow night,” Abaven tells us.

  “I’m going with her tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Madison,” I scream, but nothing comes out. My chest tightens. I’m drowning. I cough frantically into my hands, trying to release what’s in my lungs. Dry clumps of dust pour from my mouth, ripping my throat raw.

  “Madison,” I try again to scream, the words bellowing out of my body. Black crows croak back at me in response as they fly off the naked tree into the sky, turning it black.

  I can see the whites of Madison’s eyes as she turns to face me. The whiteness is drowned by red as her eyes fill with bloody tears, and then she turns away from me.

  “Stop, wait,” I yell as I run toward her, but I’m not getting any closer. The wasteland beneath my feet is holding me hostage, not allowing me to move from the spot.

  Shades on the horizon move closer to Madison. Sweat pours from my body as I fight the wasteland. “Get away from her,” I scream at the shades approaching Madison.

  The wasteland releases me from its grip, and the sudden release knocks me down to the ground with a thud.

  “Callie?” She stands in front of me as I scramble to get off the ground. Her skin is gray, and her eyes look lost.

  “You left me,” Callie accuses me.

  “Why are you here? Where is mot
her?” I frantically look around the dark wasteland.

  “You left me,” she repeats.

  “I’m sorry, Callie, I’m sorry,” I say as I place my arms around my little sister. She’s so cold. As my arms touch her body, it goes limp, lifeless. It dissolves into dry fragments that float up in front of me. She’s turning into dust. “No… no,” I beg as I try to capture the fragments of my little sister. A gust of wind sweeps across my pleading arms, and Callie is gone.

  “Skylier,” a blood-curdling scream comes from Madison on the horizon as the black matter swirls around her greedily, like a black tornado eating up everything in its path.

  Then, as if time itself has frozen, the blackness turns hard and drops to the floor of the wasteland, and I’m alone. The wasteland has absorbed all that I love.

  “You left us… you left us…” the wind whistles as my body tumbles to the ground.

  “Take me too,” I sob.

  As you wish, Xander’s mind laughs.

  Black matter surges toward me, wrapping itself around me before I can move off the ground. It drives itself into my nose, then pushes my mouth open from the inside. Dry darkness rushes into my mouth, taking hold of my body, controlling it.

  I finally have you, Xander’s mind greedily says. My brain throbs as he consumes it, stealing my memories.

  “Get out of my head and my body. You can’t have me!” I yell, waking myself up.

  I wheeze and cough as I try to get the black matter from my body. My mind thinks the dream is real. It felt real. A bitter, musty taste from the black matter lines my dry mouth. I reach out and down the contents of the mug of water beside my bed. The water only relieves the dryness, not the taste.

  I can’t lie here while Madison is out there.

  Enoch let Rian and me share his quarters for tonight, and the boys are both fast asleep. They both began snoring as soon as they lay down. I know I fell asleep soon after them. The toxic liquid seems to have that effect on everyone when they stop drinking.

  Where is Abaven at this time of night? By the silence of the caves it must still be nighttime, but the lack of natural sunlight makes it impossible to work out the time.