New Bloods Boxset

by Michelle Bryan

  I get what he's saying. Talbert and Beanie are definitely odd. Being on the receiving end of the Prezedant’s brutal experiments for years has left ‘em a little rough around the edges. But they are as loyal as they come. They would lay down their lives for me in an instant; I know that. I ain't too worried. Whatever they're up to, it’s probably trivial and nuthin' to worry about. Cain't really get into trouble out here in the middle of nowhere.

  Hoping Jax and Ben can finish the task of making tea and breakfast without snapping each other’s necks, I leave 'em and head to the edge of the overhang just outside the shallow cave’s entrance.

  The scorched landscape of the sand lands below us is shimmering already in the morning heat, giving it a harsh glow of beauty. The slight breeze blowing offa the mountains at my back picks up, bringing with it the smell of the campfire and whipping my long hair around my face. I pull my neck wrapper over my head, capturing the errant strands hindering my perusal of the open space where I once lived.

  The expanse of sand dunes and swirling dust would be depressing to most, but to me it’s as comforting as an old friend. It feels like coming home. I know Rivercross ain't anywhere near here, but the arid scenery dredges up memories of Grada, and I cain't help but smile. It feels like I'm the old Tara again, just out hunting some dirt dogs or wild rabbit for supper. Maybe going to the old swimming hole with Ben for the day or hiking to the pickin' grounds. Things the old Tara used to do. I miss her.

  "You look relaxed for a change."

  Jax's voice startles me, and I turn at his approach. Unlike Belle or me, he ain't made any attempt to tame his fly away hair, and the stuck up tufts waggle about in the slight breeze. It widens my smile.

  "Maybe it's got something to do with the fact I'm not stuck in a room with my murderous father, trainin' to be just as big a killer as he is."

  He winces at my words. "Harsh."

  "But true," I respond. I turn back to survey the horizon, my smile faltering. "Although, what I did to the Army when we were escapin' Skytown? Well, I guess the branch didn't fall far from the tree did it?"

  "You did what you had to," Jax says. "You saved our lives. It was us or them."

  "Us or them," I repeat softly. "Why does it have to be us or them? Why cain't we all be just us? All of us, livin' together, tryin' to rebuild this sad excuse of a world."

  I stare at Jax as if expecting an answer, but he shrugs.

  "I think the world was like this long before we came along, Tara. The people in control and the ones being controlled. I don't know why that is. All I know is that you can change it."

  "Aye. So you all seem to think." I sigh and drop my eyes, my good mood evaporating as quickly as it came. With knowing what I am and what I'm capable of, I don't understand people's expectations of me. I’ve proved I’m a born killin’ machine, yet they think I can still do good.

  His hand reaches out and grips my chin gently, raising my head so my gray eyes meet his sky blue gaze.

  “So I know. You will be the one to change all this. I know it in my gut. There's something about you. Something different. Something inherently good. Orakel was right when she said I would follow you blindly and without question. You're like some damned infection in my blood that I can't get rid of.”

  An infection? I ain't sure if what Jax is saying is a good thing or not. I mean, it kinda sounds like he's complimenting me but I ain't ever been compared to a pus-filled wound before.

  An awkward grin lines his face as he drops his hand. “Was that weird? It sounded really weird.”

  I shrug and grin back. “A bit weird, aye.”

  “You don't have to be so honest.” He laughs at my response.

  “You asked. I answered.”

  “Tara, you are one strange—”

  I don’t get to find out what strange thing I am. Jax stops talking and instead shades his eyes with his hand against the early morning sun and peers into the expanse. I follow his stare.

  Two figures appear over the distant rise and scurry across the desert floor, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake and making a beeline for our campsite. It's Talbert and Beanie, no doubt. But what in Shizen has 'em running like there's a wild wolfling on their heels? The hackles rise on the back of my neck, and that feeling that something ain't right curdles in my gut.

  "Ben... Belle," I call softly. I reckon there’s an edge to my voice, because they drop what they're doing right away to join us.

  "What are they running from?" Belle asks, studying the horizon.

  "Not sure," I say, as my hand grazes my shooter. "But be prepared."

  We stand at attention, expecting any moment for the rise to be overrun with soldiers, or wolflings, or scorpi-ants. But nuthin' appears to be following the two running men. As they get closer, their voices carry on the breeze. They're yelling something all right, but it gets ripped away by the wind. Not waiting any longer, I start scurrying down the overhang to meet 'em, the others close on my heels.

  Soon as they reach us, Talbert falls on his knees in the dirt. He stares up at me and tries to speak between short, painful gasps. Beanie don't fall, but he bends over, hands on his knees and his breathing just as labored.

  "What is it?" My voice is sharp with impatience.

  "Army..." Talbert finally manages to get out, and a cold shiver passes over me like icy fingers tickling down my spine. I grab for my shooter, scanning the rise behind them.

  "How'd they find us? How much longer before they're here?"

  "No… not following us."

  "Then what the hell?" I question. Suddenly, I notice the ears of corn sticking outta Talbert's coat pockets. "What have you two been up to?"

  "Nuthin'! I swear. We wuz just out gettin' some breakfast for us, is all. We knew there wuz a village not far. We… visited there a’fore."

  I stare them both down. "You mean you stole from 'em before."

  "Just a bit," Beanie whines in protest, squirming with guilt under my stare. "They got lots, ain't like they's gonna miss it. But 'fore we could get away, we felt the ground shakin'. Sure enough, there wuz one of his veacals heading for the village, and we ‘eard one of the villagers say somethin’ ‘bout taxes."

  Jax swears under his breath. "Just our luck we'd be this close to a village during tax time. We need to get out of here, now."

  Talbert shakes his head. "Yeah but it ain't just taxes they's lookin' for. We stuck 'round, see. We figured we'd go back to…" He glances my way. “… visitin' soon as the Army wuz gone. But we over 'ears 'em askin' bout the New Blood. They wuz lookin' for you, Mistress."

  They're looking a little too close for comfort. I could have gone anywhere in the huge expanse of sand lands—what made them search so close to the mountains?

  "Well, I guess there ain't no need to worry. I ain't been near any villages. Not much they can tell 'em now, is there?"

  Beanie lets loose his pent-up breath. "That's the problem. They cain't tell 'em nuthin' cause they don't know nuthin'. But the soldiers don't believe 'em, Mistress. They shot a couple of the men when they didn't like the answers and started roundin' up the young’uns." He doubles over in pain as Talbert gut punches him.

  "Wot I tell ya? Don't say nuffin ‘bout the killin’ to the Mistress." He looks my way. "Don't pay no mind, Mistress. Ain't nuffin' to concern ya'self wif."

  Too late. Damage done.

  "Is it true, Talbert? Are they killin' the villagers?"

  "Mistress, ain't nuffin' you can do—"

  "Answer the damn question," I snap.

  He hangs his head. "Aye, it's true. They ain't likin' the answers, so they's punishin' the village folk."

  Shizen. Will the death and pain that follows me like a damn shadow ever go away? They’re punishing a village of innocents because of me. I cain't let it happen. Not again. Not this time.

  "How far away is the village?" I question Talbert, and he startles at my harsh tone.

  "Ain’t far. Just over the 'ill some ways, but—"

  I'm moving
before Talbert even finishes his sentence. I know what I gotta do. I gotta help those people.

  "Tara," Jax calls at my back, but I don't bother to acknowledge him. I know what he's gonna say, and I don't wanna hear it. Ain't nuthin' gonna change my mind on this. I pick up my pace and start running in the direction Talbert and Beanie had come from earlier.

  "Tara, wait. You cain't do this." Ben's voice sounds close, so I know he's following me too.

  I shoot back over my shoulder. "The hell I cain't. I'm not lettin' anyone else suffer because of me. Those days are done." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jax pull abreast of me. I shoot a defiant glare his way, but I don't slow down. "Don't try and stop me, Jax," I grit through my teeth, forcing myself to sprint faster and try to outrun him. To my utter surprise, he grins at me as he keeps pace.

  "I couldn't even if I wanted to. I know you by now. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Let’s teach those bastards a lesson."

  2

  Intervention

  Beanie and Talbert were right. The big, black veacal hovers on the village outskirts like some threatening monster circling its prey. This veacal looks a mite different than the ones that attacked Rivercross. How many of these working relics does the Prezadant have in his possession? Goosebumps erupt under the sheen of sweat covering my skin as the fear squeezes my heart like a fist. But I squash the fear down deep. Don't matter how scared I am. Those people need my help.

  The patched-up shanties dotting the landscape offer no protection for the people being herded into the center of the village by the brown-robed soldiers. I watch in horror as they line them all up in a row, and the memory of finding my Rivercross kin lined up like that leaves me no doubt as to what's about to happen. The village children are huddled to the side and guarded by two more soldiers, their muffled cries reaching our ears from our vantage point atop the high dune.

  “Twelve of them,” Jax whispers to me. “Six of us. We can take them before they even know what hit them.”

  “No,” I whisper back, my eyes glued to the scene below me. “There are too many villagers and young'uns near them. Besides, it's really just the four of us. Ben and Belle don't have shooters, and the other two cain't hit the side of a barn. We cain't take that chance of shootin' any of the innocents by accident.”

  “I think you gotta chance it. At least we may be able to save some of ‘em,” Ben murmurs on the other side of me. “They're lining 'em up for slaughter… just like they did in Rivercross. If we don’t do somethin’, they’re gonna kill ‘em all.”

  Tell me something I don't know, I wanna say. I bite my lip. Being snarky with Ben ain't gonna help the villagers none.

  A sharp scream pierces the air as a young woman is suddenly yanked out of the line-up. She reaches back frantically for the young man who had just moments ago been standing at her side. He grabs her flailing hand, trying to get her away from the soldier’s greedy grasp, but another soldier whacks him in the head with his iron shooter, and the guy falls to his knees. The woman screams again as she's lifted in the air, away from the man who's holding his injured head in his hands, but fighting valiantly to get to his feet. The soldier whacks him again. We can hear the echoing thunk as the young man loses his fight and falls face first into the dusty soil. The spreading pool of red surrounding his head leaves us no doubt about the extent of his injuries and possibly worse.

  “Gavin,” the woman screams, her tortured sobs wrenching at my heart as another soldier joins the first in dragging her away. She lashes out, kicking and screaming, snapping her teeth at the soldiers, almost feral in her fear. She makes contact with the second soldier, and we hear his startled cussin' as he retaliates and backhands the dark-haired woman across the face. Her head slumps to the side as her fighting stops, and the way her feet drag in the dirt tells me the hit stunned her.

  “Tara, we have to do something.” Belle's frightened whisper is on the edge of panic. She, out of all of us, knows what it's like to be viciously attacked by the soldiers, and her fear for the now senseless woman burns bright in her dark eyes. I know what’s about to happen, too, and the disgust in my heart competes fiercely with the hatred burning there.

  Closing my eyes, I picture the now familiar flame of my Chi. The tiny spark of heat ignites in my belly, and I will it to burn a little bit brighter.

  Remember, Tara. Control it. Turn it up a little at a time. Just like the dial on the oil lamp. Do it slowly else it will burn too hot and quick, leaving you defenseless.

  Ernst's words echo in my head and I listen, feeling the ball of flame starting to grow and radiate. Leeching into my blood.

  “Shoot them all.”

  The order breaks my concentration, and my eyes open wide in dismay. No! I ain't ready. My Chi ain't ready.

  I hear Belle's gasp of horror as the soldiers raise their iron shooters. I hear the pitiful cries of the young'uns as they realize what's about to happen to their old folk. The soldiers aim the shooters. I hear Jax's tight words, “We need to act now.”

  I know that. But my power ain't strong enough. The soldiers are too far spread. I cain't stop 'em all. Shizen. I need to do something. I cain't watch these people die.

  “STOP!”

  The yell echoes across the village, rippling over those below us with the element of surprise. Glancing around at the horrified faces of my companions, only then do I realize the yell had come outta me.

  “Mistress, wadda ya doin'?” Talbert groans in dismay as the soldiers’ heads swivel our way, and two of 'em start running in our direction.

  “Trust me and follow my lead,” I whisper as an angry shout fills my ears.

  “Show yourself.”

  I do as the voice demands. I rise slowly to my feet as my companions follow my lead without a whimper of protest. A slight panic settles in my gut as I realize that they truly are following me blindly into this foolhardy situation that I ain't really thought through. What the hell am I doing? But I ain't given time to panic too much before the two soldiers running at us have us in their cross-hairs, and the shooters are pointed our way.

  “Drop your weapons.” The soldiers are upon us now and I obey the order, dropping my shooter at my feet.

  “That goes for you, too, pretty boy,” the soldier closest to me says, sneering as he shoves his shooter Jax's way. I can see the glint of rebellion in Jax’s blue eyes.

  “Do it, Jax,” I say calmly enough, and he listens, but not without a sigh of disapproval.

  “I hope you know what you're doing,” he whispers.

  “So do I,” I answer back out of the corner of my mouth.

  “Move.” The soldier who had threatened Jax shoves his shooter into my side, forcing me to do just that. We stumble down the sandy hill and get herded toward the soldiers and the group of terrified villagers. The six of us bring up short in front of the firing squad, and though I can tell they’re curious about our arrival, the shooters aimed at the villagers don't waver a bit. We may have bought the villagers some time, but their executions are inevitable… and ours along with them, no doubt. This had better work.

  I study the soldiers carefully, looking for the one in charge. Who is the leader? I don't have to wonder long. One of the men that had been carting off the poor girl to her horrible fate leaves his intended amusement and saunters back our way. His walk is full of arrogance and pride. The telltale sign of a man used to getting his own way. He stops about an arm span away, and scrutinizes us one at a time through narrowed eyes. His thin lips tilt up, and the amused smile kinda throws me for a loop, disarming me for a bit. He starts pacing back and forth in front of us, but when he speaks, his voice is devoid of any warmth.

  “So, the only reason I can think of for you morons to disrupt Army business is either you are members of this village, or you are simple travelers and just had the most unfortunate twist of bad luck to stumble across us. Either way, you're probably going to wish you had kept your mouths shut, turned tail, and run in the opposite direction.”

  �
�Wrong on both counts,” I say, and he stops his pacing to stand in fronta me.

  His head lowers toward mine, blocking out the sun. He's so close I can see the fine hairs on his chin and the pus-filled pimple forming on the tip of his beak-like nose.

  “I don't recall giving you permission to speak, woman.” He's trying to intimidate me. I know the drill. But I'm long past that crap. I raise my eyes to meet his stare head on.

  “I don't recall askin' your permission,” I quietly utter.

  I can tell he don't like that. His jaw clenches, and his eyes cloud with anger at my words.

  “Shoot them along with the rest of the vermin,” he says, dismissing me as he turns his back. I don't give him the opportunity to walk away.

  “I think you're gonna want to hear what I have to say.” I know he wants to ignore me, but my show of fearlessness piques his curiosity. He turns on his heel, looking me up and down with derision.

  “And what could a desert rat possibly have to say to me that I would find interesting?”

  “Well, for one thing, I know where to find that New Blood you're so desperately seekin'.”

  His eyes narrow with skepticism. “You speak the truth?”

  “Aye, I do. I swear on my mother's grave I know exactly where she is. Right as we speak.”

  “Then tell me, girl, before I decide to rip your tongue out and feed it to the scorpi-ants.”

  I laugh. It's a crazy laugh, I reckon, judging from the weird looks passing between my people and their obvious nervousness, like I'm about to get 'em all killed. Maybe I am. There's so much fear clouding my head I cain’t think straight. But my voice comes out sure and strong, like it ain't my own. That’s when it hits me. This ain't me speaking. There are two distinct voices inside of me at the moment, and this one doing the talking? This one belongs to the New Blood.

  “First, we make a deal. You let these people be. Release the young'uns and leave. I give you what you want; you give me what I want. No harm done.”

  He scoffs and crosses his arms. “And if I don't?”