The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  Angela waved her hand, sending a chill through the air that froze the anger. She clenched her fingers into a fist…

  All of the kids cried out in pain or tensed.

  Romeo grinned in savage pleasure at their punishment. The other children who didn’t have powers watched from the kitchen in fascinated fear.

  Angela lowered her arm, releasing the hold she’d taken over them. “If this ever happens again, I will remove your gifts until you reach the required age. The pain you felt was nothing compared to having those powers ripped away.”

  The descendant kids stared at her and each other. They hadn’t known that could happen.

  “Starting tonight, all magic users under the age of eighteen will join me every evening for a meeting. If you miss the meeting without a great reason, you get a strike. Two strikes, I lock up your power. Are we clear?” Angela got a nod from each of them before looking at Britani. “Is he okay?”

  “Didn’t even wake up.” Nancy stood, smiling for the first time in days. “He was hit with a mug. We ran over to check on him.”

  At their feet, Gus snored.

  Britani kicked him. “Oh, get up!”

  Gus jerked awake, blinking in tired confusion. “What do you need?”

  “More condoms. We are never having kids.”

  Gus gaped, frowning, as Britani stomped toward the exit and the adults laughed. Shrugging, he scanned the mess, then the sheepish kids cleaning up fresh damage. “Whatever.” He was back asleep a minute later.

  Angela paused in the amusement, listening.

  “The other situation?” Kenn was at her side, ready to do what she ordered.

  “Yes, but it’s covered.”

  “Adrian, Neil or Kyle?”

  Angela let out a relieved breath. “Jimmy.”

  3

  “What are you doing?!” Simon stared at the doctor in shock. “I’m trying to help us!”

  “No, you’re trying to force her to stay.” Jimmy motioned toward the ladder with his gun. “The boss says for you to stay with your members or she’ll have you arrested.”

  Simon scowled, realizing he had failed and been exposed. “Why would you do that? We need a magic user to stay!”

  “Not against their will.” Jimmy gestured again. “Go on.”

  Simon tossed a final pleading glare at Samantha, then fled toward his group on the top floor.

  Jimmy let out a deep breath. “It doesn’t have bullets.”

  Samantha laughed. She’d been expecting trouble as soon as Neil said he’d notified Angela. She was glad Neil hadn’t had to kill the man, but that’s what would have happened if the doctor hadn’t intervened in the argument.

  Neil scowled. He dug in his pouch and handed the doctor a magazine. He’d already acquired a stash. One less mag wouldn’t hurt.

  Surprising the couple, Jimmy slapped the mag home with a smooth move. He shoved the gun into his deepest pocket. “I lived in a city. You need a defense in a place like that, so I learned.”

  Samantha smiled at the tired man. “Thank you for helping me.”

  Jimmy blushed at the warmth. “Neil did the hard part.”

  They all knew that wasn’t true, but at the same time, it was. It had hurt Neil to operate. The doctor had been impatient to sew the artery shut.

  “I have to make rounds.” Jimmy left them alone without worrying over Samantha’s safety. That wasn’t why he’d stepped in. Simon had caught Neil sleeping by her bed, but Jimmy was certain the camp member would be dead if he’d been stupid enough to bring a weapon. He had threatened Samantha, so Jimmy had brought out his gun to keep Neil from attacking the idiotic new leader of those remaining in the mountain. The newest boss for those running away hadn’t been chosen yet. That group was still reeling over Tony being shot in front of them.

  “That was good.” Kyle had been near the corner of the tarped shelter where Samantha was stashed, ready to kill Simon if it was needed. “Maybe you should be the leader here.”

  Jimmy snorted. He didn’t hate the idea, but he also didn’t want that job. “Like I have the time for that.”

  “Maybe you should make time. When we leave, Simon will make you pay.” Kyle nodded to Adrian, who was on the opposite corner of the tarp.

  Feeling better about the sullen doctor, Kyle returned to Jennifer. She’d sent him out to help, but it hadn’t been needed.

  “It’s over.”

  “You’re right.” Jennifer adjusted the homemade sling that Kyle had made from a large shirt, trying to hide her discomfort.

  Kyle lifted a brow, handing her a bottle of water that he’d cleaned himself an hour ago. “About?” He was too tired for puzzles.

  “Jimmy. He’s perfect for the group that doesn’t like magic.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I’ll mention it to the boss when she stops by later.”

  Kyle paused. “Angela’s coming back down here tonight? Why?”

  “When she said all gifted kids, she meant all of them.” Jennifer sighed. That means Autumn too.

  Kyle stared at the sleeping baby, frowning. Jennifer had told him about the kids fighting in the mess, but he’d refused to leave her for that.

  “Rules have to be learned.” Jennifer patted the lumpy pile with her good hand. “We’re clear for a little while. Come sleep.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay?”

  Jennifer nodded. “I’ll listen. You sleep.”

  Kyle dropped onto the pile with a low grunt. “Awesome.”

  Jennifer rested her hand on his chest, letting her fingers play with the ends of his curls.

  “That’s nice.”

  She smiled. “Yeah.”

  Kyle yawned. “Jenny?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry I shot you.”

  Jennifer leaned over, bracing on her good arm. “I’d do the same for you.” She kissed his brow, drawing a groan. “Sleep. We’ll shoot each other later.”

  Kyle drifted off with a smile on his face.

  4

  Billy didn’t stop until he was off the mountain. It took him six hours and two breath-taking falls that helped to freeze his miserable body. When he finally hit bottom, he went away from the flickering campfires of the refugees waiting for Safe Haven to emerge. Billy didn’t doubt Marc about them being dangerous, but Billy hadn’t planned to join them anyway. He was going west. Why, he wasn’t certain.

  Billy crunched across the ice and into the tree line, hoping it was dark enough that his black-clad form wouldn’t be noticed. The noises from the sprawling refugee camp weren’t comforting. There were screams and fights, and even gunshots, but the constant echo of vomiting would have kept Billy fleeing in the opposite direction anyway. The refugees were ill. He wanted no part of that.

  Billy found a stripped farmhouse around midnight. He crawled in through a rear window that was missing glass. The front door had been blocked by a rusting tractor. It didn’t have a rear entrance.

  Billy thumped to the floor in agony. The house didn’t have furniture, but the four walls were enough. As he lay there, hoping it wasn’t frostbite on his toes, Billy became aware of something poking him in the ass. He rolled over to search his pockets.

  The stiff paper had bent during his flight, but stayed intact. Billy read the pink card with a cramping stomach.

  I know you don’t remember me, but I’ll never forget you. Please be careful on your trip west. Tell Alexa I said hi.

  -Leeann

  Billy crumpled the card up, but before he could toss it into the corner of the house with the other useless garbage, his hand had stuffed it into his pocket.

  Billy closed his eyes, breathing harsh, extremities pushed to the limit of cold endurance. He didn’t care about the little girl or anyone else in that mountain. He had a job waiting in the west.

  What job? Billy tried hard to recall it, but couldn’t. All he knew was that he didn’t belong here now–if he ever had. Let the freaks die. What do I care?

  In his heart, a
wall came down to seal the tiny niggles in place. When he went to sleep, he dreamed about a blonde huntress with braids and guns who needed his help.

  He also dreamed about Leeann, except she wasn’t a little girl anymore and she wasn’t in the mountain cave he’d escaped.

  I’m going to be gone a long time.

  For reasons he didn’t understand, Billy was comforted by that knowledge.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Alpha

  1

  “You’ll see him again, honey.” Angela rocked the girl, trying not to cry herself. “He’ll be okay. So will you. I promise.”

  Leeann continued to sob.

  Angela scanned the other kids she’d gathered for the meeting. They were bored but happy that she cared enough to comfort the girl who had joined them last, already crying.

  “Why did he go?” Cody had only been here for a month. That wasn’t enough time to learn all of the secrets in Safe Haven.

  Angela set the girl next to her, needing to get the meeting going. “Adrian sent him. He has to help people out there.”

  “You promise?” Leeann hadn’t expected it to hurt so much.

  Angela wiped tears from Leeann’s cheeks. “Yes. And think; you won’t be a little kid anymore.”

  Leeann smiled a little. “That’ll be great.”

  Angela understood more than she could ever explain. She gave the girl another hug, then stood up. “There are rules for kids. There are rules when you become an adult. Billy is following adult rules by leaving.”

  “Because he used to like me?” Leeann welled up again.

  “He still does. Nothing has changed except he won’t be here to get in trouble. You don’t want to get him shot or hung, do you?”

  Leeann’s braids swung. “No!”

  “That’s what would have happened because you couldn’t leave him alone.”

  Leeann was crushed. “He left because of me?”

  “Yes, to keep you safe until you’re old enough for him to love you. He’s a good man. Keep him in your heart and grow up strong enough to be his mate when that time comes.”

  Leeann sniffed. “I can do that.”

  “Good. Now let’s talk, okay? You kids are all in danger again.”

  “We’re always in danger.” Robbie was from the boarding school. He was the oldest of that group.

  “It was worse for our kind before the war.” Angela sat in the center of Jennifer’s cubby, aware of Kenn and Kyle outside the doorway.

  “This is a bad idea.” Kyle was upset at having so many descendants in the space with Jennifer and Autumn.

  Angela was prepared. “Jennifer’s hungry.”

  Jennifer blushed, playing along. Kyle had already gathered blankets for the kids to ease her concern over the drafts. Most of the children were snuggled in them while having a snack from Kyle’s stash–another request. “A little, yeah.”

  Kyle disappeared.

  Angela got comfortable. “After I tell you a few things, we’ll go over the basic rules that our kind has used to survive. New rules will come as needed.” She did a fast count. They were all here. Parents and guardians were trolling the bottom level, trying to listen and worrying. The fight in the mess had been a concern for all of those adults. Few people had known the magic kids from the boarding school were bullying Roy and Romeo, or that the children had formed into three groups that all hated each other.

  “Jealousy is bad. Hating someone because of their skin color is bad. Using your gifts to hurt someone because they don’t have magic is bad. Bullying is bad.” Angela’s tone had grown harder with each sentence. Leeann backed up so she wasn’t the only one who was punished.

  “I meant what I said about locking down your gifts. As an alpha, I can strip anyone’s power.”

  “If they’re underage, right?” Charlie was gazing at Kenn in dismay. He’d sensed the man’s new gift.

  “Actually, no.” Angela also looked at the Marine. “I can lock down on anyone as a punishment.”

  “For how long?” Leeann was entranced by the notion of adults being punished that way.

  “My choice.”

  Kenn stored that information, but he didn’t need the warning. He had a gift. That was all he’d really wanted.

  Angela smothered her bitterness over that as best she could. “It would take a lot to get me to do that to an adult descendant. When you reach age, your gifts are supposed to be yours to explore–if you’re not bad.”

  “What will you do if one of us is bad?” Robbie was part of the group that believed kids without magic shouldn’t be allowed around the rest of them. Robbie’s father, who had been much like Zack, hadn’t even allowed them to watch movies with magic or anything supernatural.

  “He was scared it would trigger your gifts.” Angela was trying to get all of their thoughts. “Was he a descendant or was it your mother?”

  “My grandma. Daddy stole me from her and ran so I wouldn’t be like the women.”

  “What happened to your father?” Angela planned to spend this first meeting getting to know the kids. That meant their stories had to come out. She was also hoping they would accept that they weren’t so different.

  “He got sick. The traders found us and promised to help if I did things for them.” Tears rolled down Robbie’s thin cheeks. “They never went back.”

  Sitting next to Jennifer, Cecilia dropped her chin. “The slavers killed my dad when they took me. Jennifer tried to help my mom, but it was too late.”

  Angela forced herself not to respond to the waves of pain as the other kids began releasing their nightmares. The stories were awful.

  To keep herself in place, Jennifer opened a direct line to Angela, hoping none of the kids could break through. She believed Leeann and Missy were able to. Why are we here?

  Angela refused to answer.

  Jennifer began hoping Autumn fell asleep as she sensed the two boys about to join the meeting.

  Next to Jennifer’s bed, Charlie sat with Cody in his lap. He and the little boy had bonded right away. They’d both been without a good father when they needed it most.

  “We’ve all been hurt because of who we are.” Angela motioned toward the entrance. “They’ve been hurt because of who they aren’t.” Roy and Romeo peered around Kenn in fear. Doug was standing behind Kenn with a frown and a hand on each boy’s shoulder. He was ready to jerk them out if any of the descendant kids fired anything.

  Angela waved at the boys, then patted the ground next to her.

  Because they would be by the boss, Doug let them go. He didn’t think the magic kids would attack with Angela in the way–not after the threat she’d made about taking away their power.

  Roy held onto Romeo’s hand as his big brother led him over to Angela. The tiny boy sank down into her lap with a smile of pleasure that sent a wave of yearning through the warming cubby.

  Angela hugged the boy, heart hurting. She tugged his angry brother down next to her. “Roy and Romeo had bad parents. Does that make them bad?” Feeling his cold skin, Angela covered Roy with the edges of her jacket. He was dirty and smelled, reminding her that they’d lost both den mothers. Peggy and Hilda had hated men, but they’d loved children–all of them.

  None of the kids spoke. They’d shared their awful wounds with the group. If parents being bad made the kids bad, then nearly everyone in this room was damned.

  Next to Jennifer, Charlie protected Cody and the baby within his personal shield. This meeting wasn’t going to be fun. It was a lesson. He’d known that as soon as Angela asked him to be there to stop the baby from experiencing her demonstrations.

  “We’re going to make changes. Until now, we’ve let you kids pick who you hang out with, who your friends are. I’m taking over that. My first change is to put magic kids with non-magic kids.”

  Frowns came from everyone, including Charlie. He wanted a more important job than babysitting.

  Angela hugged Roy again. “The kids without magic are in danger.”


  “So are we.” Robbie wasn’t willing to make peace so fast. Mean things had been said, blows had been exchanged. His feelings were stinging over it.

  “Yes, but they can’t defend themselves. Between the two, it’s like you guys are slapping a little baby.”

  Romeo stiffened, but the magic kids stared at Autumn. She was a little baby.

  “Would you slap her?” Angela kept pushing them. “Any of you?”

  Scanning as deep as she could, Angela was relieved. All of the children were good. It wasn’t too late. “Okay. Now look at Roy here. He’s three. He still wears diapers sometimes. He’s a baby like Autumn. He doesn’t even understand the things you say. He just gets hit with your anger and he gets scared.” Angela swept the shamed children, then gazed up at Romeo in pride, picking out bruises and scrapes on his arms from where he’d been fighting. “You’ve done a good job defending your brother from so many threats. When you’re ready, you’ll be in my army.”

  Romeo lifted his chin, glaring at Robbie. “Then I can prove I’m not like my dad.”

  Angela was happy to feel a bond of commonalities start burning. “A lot of us have spent our lives doing that. It’s a worthy goal.” Angela sent out a small wave of anger. “I’m tired of bad people. I don’t care who they are or how old they are.”

  Roy cringed, closest to her.

  Withdrawing the anger, Angela patted his leg. When she was upset, everyone felt it. “I’m putting all descendant kids into a team. Each of you will pick a non-magic child to protect. We’ll meet in the mess in the morning for that part. You’ll sit with them to explain what’s going on. This is not a punishment. This is a job. If you do well, you’ll be given other serious duties.”

  Angela waited for the excitement to settle, then told them what she hadn’t anyone else who had asked. “All the descendants are going with me. They’ve all told me so, in one way or another. A lot of the non-magic camp is staying here. They’re scared of us. What happened with you kids tonight will push more of the undecided members into staying. Your careless disregard for others has cost me.”