“Stop! You can’t do this!” This woman’s voice was younger, much younger. I chanced one eye opening to see what was happening.
The circle was smaller again, but instead of faces in front of me, there were backs of heads. Garrick and I were surrounded by people from the school. I knew the name of each and every one of them. They had somehow managed to snake their way through the people.
They linked hands, forming a protective barrier around us. “What’s going on?” I whispered to Garrick.
“I don’t know,” he replied, equally as perplexed as I was.
The people in the crowd didn’t seem to know either. They assessed the teenagers, trying to determine what they were willing to do to get to us. Would they hurt them? I didn’t like to think so, but I wasn’t sure about anything much anymore. My judgment had completely gone out the window.
“You cannot hurt them,” the girl repeated, absolutely resolute. “They’ve done nothing wrong.”
“They’re killers,” an old man argued, his face scrunched up into a tight ball with anger.
“They are not. Amery and Garrick are just like us.”
“They’ve got you brainwashed.”
“They’ve got more humanity than you do,” she seethed. Her name was Ella, we had several classes together. I had never once seen her staring at me since I returned to school. Perhaps they weren’t all plotting against me like I had thought.
The old man rolled his eyes, expelling his breath in a snort. He shook his head while those around him agreed with his discontent. Many vocalized their feelings.
“Are we going to let some kids get in our way?”
“Some sacrifices are worth our survival.”
“It’s us or them.”
A few more of my peers worked their way to the front of the crowd, joining Ella and the others. As they each stepped forward, the mob was pushed backward. Before I knew it, they were three people deep, a human barricade for us.
Without warning, a middle aged woman threw a rock at us. It bounced off the chest of a guy on the basketball team.
“Hey!” He called out, staring down the woman. “That wasn’t fair!”
She poked her tongue out, reaching down to pick up another rock. She poised it, ready to throw. Before she could, the guy closest grabbed it from her, holding her arm so she couldn’t do anything about it. He dropped the rock to the floor and then kicked it behind him toward us, out of her reach.
The tension in the air crackled with electricity. Each side waiting for the other to do something next. I think my heart stopped beating minutes earlier and wasn’t ready to restart yet. I didn’t dare move an inch in case it offended someone.
“You kids need to step aside,” a man in his forties demanded. He already had grey hair, making him seem older than he probably was.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Ella replied, moving her hands to her hips. I wanted to hug her so badly. “You are on school property, it is you who are trespassing.”
“We have to kill them.”
“You have to leave, we’re not going to let you hurt them.”
The man crossed his arms in defiance, digging his heels in. He seemed to reflect the mood of the rest of them. They didn’t seem willing to hurt their own but they refused to leave and let them win. I silently willed them to do just that. Leave and never come back.
More and more students joined the cause until they outnumbered the people wanting to kill us. They slowly pushed them back, forcing them to move away out of sheer sense of space. With everyone packed in so tightly, they didn’t have a chance to raise their weapons anymore.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing through all the heads and backs surrounding me. After a battle of wills and determination, the crowd finally dispersed. They took their weapons and moved toward the street, exactly the way they came.
Ella turned to me. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
I shook my head, unable to speak yet. Perhaps they had killed me and I was only dreaming it? Perhaps I was actually lying on the floor, being trampled to ensure I was truly dead?
“Amery? You should go home before they come back with reinforcements.”
I nodded, no doubt looking like a complete fool as I tried to take it all in. My brain was hurting nearly as much as my feet. Ella pulled an arm around me, trying to take some of my weight as she guided me through everyone. They created a path for us, still standing protectively as a shield.
A face appeared before me, Lochie’s panicked expression spoke louder than any words could. He was probably going crazy trying to get to me.
“Amery!” He exclaimed, heading directly for me. I threw my arms around him, he pulled me close. He hugged me so tightly my feet left the ground. I was in danger of being crushed to death but I would have gone happily. “I thought they got you.”
I had to wait until he returned me to the ground before I could look at him and answer. “I thought they had too.”
He glanced around, taking in the protective barrier still surrounding me. “Thank you,” he said sincerely to all of them. He got a few shrugs and nods in response before turning back to me. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
“We need to find Garrick, he can’t stay here either.”
“I’m right here.” Garrick’s voice came from behind, startling me with my already frayed nerves. He had a mark on his forehead from copping some flying object sent his way.
I went to take a step but clutched at my side instead. Pain was shooting out underneath my ribs, radiating out in waves to spread down to my legs and up to my arms. Lochie put his strong arm around my side, taking my weight.
“Are you okay to walk? I can carry you,” he offered, whispering in my ear.
“No, I can do it,” I replied, determined not to let anyone see me hurt. I clutched at my side and pushed the pain away. I took a tentative step, wincing with the effort.
We limped along to Lochie’s car, a dozen students coming with us the entire way and continuing to form a shield around us. They stood side by side as we climbed in and didn’t move until the car was started and ready to roll. Only then did they move apart so we could leave.
My parents were waiting anxiously for us to arrive at home. Mom had been pacing, she always did that when she was nervous. Her nails were bitten down to the stumps, she did that too when waiting for something. The moment she saw me, she rushed over.
“Oh honey, what did they do to you?” She moaned, her face creased with worried wrinkles.
“They didn’t quite reach us,” I explained, accepting Lochie’s help to sit on the lounge. “Everyone at school stopped them. Without them…”
Garrick finished my sentence with a single clap of his hands – boom. Without the students, we would have been dead. A shiver flew down my spine with the thought. Before that moment I never would have thought they would have put themselves between us and danger. It caused a lump to form in my throat when I thought about their braveness.
Garrick filled my parents in on the details while I held Lochie’s hand and tried not to crumble. I hadn’t shed a tear yet at the incident and I didn’t want to now. The Originals were not going to win, not in any tiny way.
“What’s the news from Krom?” Dad asked when Garrick was finished with his sorry tale.
“I’ll need to contact him for some direction,” Garrick replied. He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing as he headed to the kitchen for some privacy.
Dad looked at me. “We don’t need a leader telling us what we’re going to do. You are staying here and not going outside again until it is safe. Do you hear me, young lady?”
I nodded, but knew I might have to disobey him at some stage. There was no telling how long the riots and attacks were going to last. I couldn’t stay indoors forever, it wouldn’t do anyone any good. “I don’t want to go outside right now,” I answered, trying to smile. My ribcage ached with what I could only assume was the world’s biggest stitch.
“What the
y did to you makes them no better than animals,” Mom grumbled. “I can’t believe they wanted to kill children. Children!”
“They don’t see us as human, Mom,” I pointed out.
“When I look at you, all I see is a human.”
“And you’ve raised me since I was a baby. Not all people are like you, we have to accept that.”
She shook her head, not believing me. “I feel embarrassed for the human race. Perhaps we should hand over the entire planet. I have seen nothing but compassion and love from Truconians.” Images of the impending war loomed in my head, she would be changing her tune soon.
I decided not to argue and remained silent. Garrick rejoined us a moment later. “Krom says to carry on like nothing has changed but to be careful.”
“Did you tell him you were almost killed today?” Mom demanded. She was going all mama bear, it was touching. I would have hugged her if I could stand.
“I explained everything. He said it will all die down tomorrow, the reinforcements should arrive overnight.”
I cringed. Tomorrow seemed too soon for a war to begin. I doubted I would ever be ready for it, but I needed more time. We shouldn’t be rushing into it. My stomach twisted with the fear and dread of what was to come.
“Lochie,” I started. “Can you please take me upstairs? I’m really tired.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
Instead of helping me limp upstairs, Lochie picked me up and carried me. It was nice to be in his arms, it was so safe and pleasant there. He held me like I was as light as a feather.
He deposited me onto my bed, not even letting my feet touch the ground. He sat next to me. “Do you need anything?”
“Just you.”
Lochie tugged at his collar like a preening bird. “Well, you’ve got me for as long as you want.”
I sat up and draped my arms around him, giving him a hug from behind. I liked the way our bodies felt when they were together. His warmth was infectious, filling me from head to foot.
“You’ve been perfect through all this,” I cooed in his ear. The hair stood up on the back of his neck, I liked the fact I had that effect on him.
“Far from perfect.”
“I guess we could have done without the arguments with Garrick,” I teased, tickling his neck to make him more flustered. “But to me you’ve been perfect.”
He suddenly grabbed my hand to stop me. “You’re going to cause me to do something I shouldn’t do in your parent’s house if you don’t quit doing that. Can I let you go?”
Instead of answering, I used my left hand – the free one – to continue tickling his neck. Lochie laughed and turned around, lying me flat on my back in under a second.
“You’re naughty,” he mumbled, kissing my neck. “I was so worried about you today. I thought they got to you, I thought you were dead.”
I brushed his hair away from his eyes as he looked down at me. “Takes more than an angry mob to kill me.”
“Don’t joke about it.”
“I’m not, it’s the truth.” I pulled his head down so our lips could meet. They collided, sending warmth running through me once again. He always had the best effect on me, making me feel like I was falling but it was perfectly okay at the same time.
His kisses grew hungrier, more intense. I opened my mouth, eagerly letting him in for more. He tasted like peppermint and chocolate, I could only guess what he had been eating last.
“Amery, we shouldn’t be doing this,” he moaned, pulling back. His lips lingered dangerously close to mine, teasing me with their nearness and refusing to give me what I wanted. I put a finger to his lips, touching what my lips couldn’t.
“I know,” I sighed. The thought of Mom, Dad or Garrick walking in and finding us together was mortifying. I could only imagine how that would end and both my parents owned several guns.
Lochie rolled off me and sat up again, holding onto my hand as I sat too. He absentmindedly traced the triangle on my wrist, sending fire coursing out from his touch. “You’ve never told me what this symbol means.”
“It’s just a triangle.”
“All the aliens have one.”
As much as I loved Lochie, it still felt weird having him see my wrist mark. I had spent my entire life keeping it hidden, it was hard to believe everyone knew I had it now. I guessed there was no use keeping it a secret any longer. “Our leaders made all the project members get the mark when we first arrived. They did the same to the satellites. They wanted to make sure we could easily be identified so we couldn’t disappear from them.”
“It’s a tattoo?” Lochie asked incredulously. “They tattooed babies?”
I nodded. “For what it’s worth, I don’t remember the pain.”
He finished tracing the triangle and gave it a gentle kiss. No matter how much the tattoo must have hurt when I was an infant, it was worth it just for that one kiss. “When this is all over, we should run away.”
“What happened to building boats with your uncle all summer?” I joked.
“I think he’ll be alright. I would much rather spend the time with you, you’re much better looking.”
“I don’t know if that will be an option,” I replied, wondering what kind of a world would be left after an interplanetary war. With the kinds of weapons they had on Trucon, would there be anything left but an empty shell of a planet?
“What’s going on in your mind? Why do you look like a storm cloud has gathered all of a sudden?”
I couldn’t keep it inside anymore, I needed to talk to someone and Lochie was the only one I could trust right now. “A war is about to begin.”
“Yeah, I know, we saw it today.”
I took back my hand so I could focus. “No, you don’t understand. A real war is about to start. Krom’s army is arriving tonight. By morning, Earth and Trucon will officially be at war.”
All the color drained from his face as the seriousness of the situation sunk in. “Spaceships are coming? Like, real spaceships?” I nodded. “That’s so cool, but so horrible. Does anyone else know about this?”
“Garrick does.”
“Let me guess, he can’t wait?”
I hated that Lochie was right, but he was. “I don’t think I can trust him anymore,” I confessed. “He seems intent on ensuring the aliens win, no matter the price.”
Lochie shrugged. “It doesn’t surprise me.”
“All the humans he loved have turned their backs on him, you can’t blame him for being angry with the world.” I tried to defend Garrick. I couldn’t understand exactly where he was coming from, but he definitely had cause to be hurt. I guessed he was manifesting that by focusing on the aliens’ success. It was the only reason I could come up with.
“Garrick aside,” Lochie started. “What’s going to happen? Are they going to try to destroy everyone? Everything?”
“I hope not but I don’t really know what the plan is. All I know is they are on their way.”
Lochie sighed and lent back against the headboard. His eyes turned up to the ceiling. “This isn’t good.”
I snuggled into his side. “No, it isn’t. It really isn’t.”
CHAPTER 18
A weight was on my waist, I tried to move but something was holding me in place. I immediately panicked, fearing the worst. I was transported back to the complex, waking up in the cell and being trapped in a steel box for hours upon hours.
Something sighed behind me. I surged through my memory bank, trying to determine what was going on. I remembered Lochie leaving the previous night. It was late but my parents said he couldn’t stay. I kissed goodnight to him at the door and he left.
So who was lying behind me in the bed? I rolled over slowly, trying not to wake whoever it was. Lochie’s familiar face came into view, sound asleep and peaceful.
I thought harder, remembering Lochie climbing up to my window. He never even left the property. I let him in and we fell asleep, cuddled up to each other. He hadn’t left my side all night.
I snuck up behind him, running my hand across his back. “Thank you for staying last night.”
He turned around, giving me a sleepy grin. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. You don’t have the nightmares anymore?”
“Sometimes they come back.”
“You learnt to sleep without me.” It was a statement more than a question. There was a time when I couldn’t get any peaceful sleep without Lochie being with me. That seemed like a world away now.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure there will be more nightmares headed my way soon,” I joked. At least, I hoped it was a joke. “I got some breakfast for us.”
I placed the tray of toast on my desk and we sat down to eat. It wasn’t very exciting but I still hoped it was the most exciting thing to happen to me all day. A peaceful day without problems, that would be a nice change.
A knock on the door interrupted our domestic moment. “Amery? Are you awake?” Mom called out through the door.
Lochie and I both panicked. “Hide in the closet,” I whispered urgently.
“I’m not hiding in your closet.”
“You want to have this discussion with my mom right now?” He thought better of it and made a dash for the wardrobe. I waited until he closed the door behind him before replying to Mom. “I’m awake, you can come in.”
The doorknob turned before she peeked her head in. “You should come downstairs, there’s things on the news you need to see.”
“What is it?”
“Just come and see for yourself.” She left, leaving the door open.
I followed Mom downstairs, the dread in the pit of my stomach stepping up a notch with each step I took. Garrick and Dad were already in the living room, their eyes glued to the television.
The words Breaking News were plastered all over the screen as the serious looking news reporter read out the bulletin. “I repeat: everyone is advised to stay indoors. The aliens are invading and have made it to Earth. All government departments around the world have issued an immediate order to remain calm and indoors. Anyone going outside is doing so against orders and their safety cannot be guaranteed. The President is expected to release more information at a press conference later today.”
Project Integrate Series Boxed Set Page 59