CARNAL (EXILED Book 1)

by Victoria Danann

  “That’s a phrase you don’t use around people who were recently held captive by your kind.”

  “Sorry. Dandy’s a nice name.”

  “Short for Dandelion.” Her reply was also short to the point of being curt and didn’t leave a bridge for further dialogue.

  Rosie tried again. “Did you choose it?”

  “No. I was born here. My parents chose it. They like the yellow flowers and the indefatigable spirit.”

  Rosie was impressed. You didn’t hear the word ‘indefatigable’ used in conversation every day. “So you’re practically family, Charming said?”

  That made Dandy stop although she didn’t change expression. “Crave is my Promise.”

  “I think I understand what a Promise is, but I don’t know Crave.”

  Dandy’s eyes widened for a second. “Crave. The son in the middle? Between Carnal and Charm?”

  Rosie grew serious. “I didn’t know there was another son. No one’s mentioned him.”

  “Well that figures,” she said. “He was captured by the Rautt. Don’t know for sure if he’s alive or dead. If he’s alive, don’t know for sure that we wouldn’t wish he was dead.”

  Dandy delivered that news in a monotone as if she was reading the newspaper.

  “I’m sorry,” Rosie whispered. “I didn’t know.”

  Dandy shrugged it off. “So what do you know how to do?”

  Rosie looked around the bar. “Nothing.”

  Dandy stared at her for an awkward few seconds. “If I take you into the kitchen and ask the same question? Will the answer be ‘nothing’?”

  Rosie nodded.

  Dandy barked out a laugh, but it quickly faded into mild amusement as she shook her head. “What kind of work have you done before?”

  “I’ve, ah, never worked before.”

  Dandy blinked slowly as if she was having trouble processing that information. “Never?”

  “No.”

  “Nothing?”

  “I’m, um, not as old as I look.”

  “Yeah. I’ll bet.” After giving Rosie another look up and down, she said, “I guess this is Free’s idea of a joke. You going to do what I tell you?”

  Rosie nodded. “Within reason.”

  “Let’s start here. You know how to sweep?”

  “No.”

  “Mop?”

  “No.”

  “Wipe down tables?”

  “No.”

  “Wash and dry glasses?”

  “No.”

  Dandy sighed then lifted a broom by the handle. “This is a broom.”

  “Okay, well, I knew that.”

  “But you don’t know what to do with it.”

  “I’m a fast learner?”

  Dandy nodded. “No doubt. You’re cute for a human. The boys will like that.” Under her breath, she added, “At least most of them.” Dandy cocked her head. “Do you want to work?”

  “I want to feel useful.”

  “That’s a start, I guess.”

  Rosie spent the next two hours learning the fine art of sweeping, mopping, wiping down tables, washing glasses and drying them to a spotless shine. Oddly, she found herself smiling, feeling good that she’d mastered new tasks. There was an odd sense of satisfaction in performing manual chores. She never would have guessed that.

  When the last glass was stacked, and the last mug was put on the shelf, Rosie said, “Hmmm. What’s that I smell?”

  “Lunch. In about an hour, the people who are not on patrol, or in school, or not cooking for themselves will show up hungry. We’ll put fully loaded plates on the bar. They’ll carry their own food to the tables and put the empties in those sinks over there.” She pointed to a galley way between the bar and kitchen that was lined with deep sinks. “You stay behind the bar and watch me get drinks.”

  Rosie looked around for a cash register. “Okay. How do they pay?”

  Dandy looked confused. “Pay?”

  “Yeah. Do you use credit cards or currency?”

  Dandy knew what currency was. Humans used it in Farsuitwail and, if the Exiled wanted to buy something, they had to use paper the humans called money. They had money. Humans gave it to the Extant and he gave it to Exiled when they wanted it. She swept her hand out to indicate the Exiled settlement. “We don’t pay. We share.”

  “Oh,” Rosie said. “Interesting concept.”

  “We’re not human. Don’t forget that about us.” She gave Rosie a ghost of a smile that almost looked mischievous. “We won’t forget that about what you are.”

  Rosie wasn’t sure whether she’d just been warned or put in her place. She was sure that Dandy tolerated her well enough, but was not at all sure she was liked.

  “The Rautt that took, um, Crave. They’re hybrid. Like you.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “I’m just saying that all species, everywhere, have it in them to be misguided.”

  “Misguided.” Dandy repeated the word as if she was trying it out. “You should sit out at the fires one night and listen to the old ones’ stories about what happened to us at the hands of humans. And then we’ll see if you think their actions were merely ‘misguided’.”

  The kitchen workers brought out two plates of food with stew and a roughly torn piece of brown bread like that she’d had the night before at the Extant’s house.

  Dandy pushed one of the plates toward Rosie. “Eat and make it fast. Lunch crunch starts in a couple of minutes. I’m behind today because of training you.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Just eat.”

  “Okay.”

  Rosie ate in silence sitting at the bar near Dandy, who never looked up from her food until the door opened. A group of Exiled filed in bringing a wedge of sunlight and rowdy conversation. Her lunch was half eaten when Dandy swept it away and into the galley hallway sink.

  After dumping dishes, Dandy grabbed two black aprons. She shoved one at Rosie and began hurriedly pulling the other over her head. “Put that on.”

  Rosie had never worn an apron until Serene had put one on her the night before at dinner, but the concept was simple enough.

  “Stand over there and watch unless I ask you to do something,” Dandy told her.

  One of the kitchen staff, a girl who appeared to be in her late teens, ducked into the bar and began helping Dandy fill containers, some with water, some with cider.

  Rosie obediently stood out of the way. She was as curious about the Exiled as they were about her. They stared openly, but said nothing.

  As quickly as the kitchen staff set plates on the counter, they were claimed by happy, and apparently, hungry diners. Plate in hand, they turned to Dandy for drinks, which she was setting on the counter as fast as she could fill containers. Within a few minutes the Commons was crowded and loud with conversation.

  Free didn’t come in until about half the diners had eaten and left. He nodded to Rosie, and sat down with another man who was near his own age.

  Dandy picked up a plate and a glass of cider then held them out to Rosie. “Here,” she said, “take these to the Extant.”

  Rosie was grateful for something to do other than watch. When she’d said she knew how to do nothing, that wasn’t entirely true. She did arrive knowing how to fill containers with liquid.

  With plate and mug in hand, she started toward Free’s table where he was laughing at something his companions had said. She could feel all eyes on her as she made her way across the room.

  When she set Free’s lunch before him, he said, “Thank you.” Then added, “They’ll get used to you after a couple days.”

  Rosie nodded, thinking that she hadn’t hid her self-consciousness as well as she thought. By the time she was back at the bar, the serving line had dwindled to nothing. Twenty minutes later the only two people in the Commons rooms were Rosie and Dandy.

  “Whew,” Rosie said. “That was like a whirlwind.”

  “Same thing every day,” Dandy deadpanned.

  “Wel
l, I think I can help you with drinks tomorrow.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Where are the women?”

  “They usually eat in their own houses or at the Weavers’ Barn. They’re welcome to come. They just prefer to keep female company at lunch. The choice is theirs.” She eyed Rosie like she was trying to decide whether or not to say more. “Men and women were kept separated before we came here.”

  “Oh.” Rosie didn’t know how to respond to that.

  “Except for breeding, which was usually forced.”

  Rosie was horrified by that insight and didn’t like the images it conjured. Dandy waited as if she expected Rosie to respond, but the best she could come up with was to whisper another, “Oh.”

  “Look. I know you weren’t one of the humans that did that to us. But hard feelings live a long life.”

  Rosie nodded in understanding. “I hope when you get to know me, you’ll come to believe that I don’t have it in me to treat others that way.”

  Dandy suppressed a sneer. “I’m sure you believe that. But I think all humans ‘have it in them’.”

  Rosie soon fell into a routine. She had a breakfast snack standing in the kitchen, sometimes alone, sometimes with Charming. She went to the Commons to sweep, mop, and right chairs from the activities the night before. She drew water and cider from tap for the midday meal, carried the Extant’s lunch to him, and cleaned up after to be ready for the nighttime crowd.

  The cat made intermittent appearances at the bar. The thing seemed to be extraordinarily affectionate with the hybrids. All of them. But so far as Rosie was concerned, she and the cat were at a standoff. Catty Kay could sit around and glare at her all day for all Rosie cared. And frequently that’s exactly what the cat did to pass the time between scraps and pets from Newland residents.

  In the evening Rosie had dinner with Free and Serene. Sometimes Charming was there. Sometimes he wasn’t.

  Free would talk about the politics of dealing with human representatives from the city, the challenges of managing the common funds of the Exiled along with food supplies, structure maintenance, and scheduling crews for patrol. She learned that all of the able-bodied adult Exiled were marshalled to defend the humans in the event of an attack by Rautt, but at any given time only fifteen percent of their population served a singular purpose of full-time warrior. Most were young males in their prime. Some were female. She gathered that Carnal was one of those, but didn’t ask.

  Some nights she walked around the settlement after dinner, keeping to shadows. As Dandy had suggested, she would stop here and there and eavesdrop on a fireside conversation. Dandelion was right. The old ones told horrific stories about life in captivity. After hearing some of the memories told in graphic detail, she was surprised that Free and Serene were able to treat her with such warmth and kindness.

  One night, when Charming was walking with her, she asked, “Did your parents know each other before?” He looked over at her like he was waiting for more. “Before, um, coming here?”

  “Yeah.” Charming smiled. “Carnal was born when we were still,” he paused and winced with the phrase that finished that thought, “in captivity.”

  “But…”

  “Just ask what you want to know, Rosie.”

  “Dandy told me breeding was forced.”

  “Well,” Charming hesitated, “that’s true. But sometimes people were paired with a partner who was right for them. When we came here, my father claimed my mother. He loved her. She felt the same about him. He would have formed a family unit with her regardless, but he knew Carnal was his.”

  “How?”

  Charming smirked. “Smell.”

  “Oh.”

  He laughed. “Now I have a question for you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Why are you here?” Blunt. Abrupt. To the point. He must have seen that she was taken aback. “Not that I don’t want you here. I do. I just… was wondering?”

  Rosie looked straight ahead. “I had a boyfriend. We had a disagreement. I needed a break. He was leaving anyway.”

  She glanced at Charming, whose eyebrows were raised as high as they would go. “Some guy left you!”

  Rosie laughed, feeling a blush coming on. Charming sounded so incredulous, it made her feel like she’d just received the highest compliment ever.

  “It was work,” she said. “I forced him to choose between the job and me. He chose the job.”

  It was Charming’s turn to say, “Oh.” After a few more steps, Charming slanted his gaze toward Rosie. “I’ll bet he’s sorry. No job would be worth giving up a prize like you.”

  Rosie smiled. “Wow. That was charming.”

  “Got to live up to our names. Just like you did a minute ago when you blushed.”

  “Did not.”

  “Did.”

  He laughed. “Whatever.”

  “So what do you do during the day?”

  “Train.”

  “I need more.”

  “Next year I’ll go on active duty. I’ll patrol like Carnal does.” Then in a quieter tone, he added, “Like Crave did.”

  When they were almost back to the door of the house they shared, Rosie said, “Dandy told me he was…”

  “Taken prisoner.” He finished the sentence for her. “Yeah. Don’t mention it in front of my mom and pop.”

  “No. I won’t.” Rosie stepped onto the porch. “Where do you train?”

  He waved toward the south. “Just beyond the south wall. Come tomorrow when you’re done at work. I’ll show you around.”

  Rosie smiled, glad that they could end the walk on a more pleasant note. “I will.”

  As promised, the next day Rosie looked around the Commons and saw that everything was in its place and spotless so that Scar wouldn’t have cause for complaint when he came in to take over the night shift. She deposited her apron in the laundry bin and set off for the south wall.

  She unlatched the narrow gate and walked through. The first thing she saw on the other side was a large Exiled male, probably in his forties. He was craggy, but attractive, like every single one of the Exiled hybrids.

  A quick calculation in her head told Rosie the man would have been in his mid-teens during the exodus to Newland, probably too young to have experienced some of the atrocities she’d heard about.

  “Where you headed, human?” He seemed more amused than annoyed.

  She had to angle her head back to make eye contact. “Charming invited me.”

  The guy hooted. “A guest of Charming’s? Well, in that case…”

  “Track!” Rosie followed the direction of the commanding voice and saw that Free was standing off to the side of the field where young people, boys and girls, were going through maneuvers. “Let her pass,” he ordered.

  Rosie gave ‘Track’ a look as she stepped past him. He was unfazed and responded with a wink and a smile that made her feel more uncomfortable than any encounter with Exiled up to that point. Track’s leering interest was more disturbing than Scar’s outright hostility.

  She walked away from the gate, staying close to the wall so that she could observe, but stay out of the way. By her count, the ratio of boys to girls was about seven to one. The girls were dressed in the same clothes as the boys, but gender differences were conspicuous. If she’d been asked to name the most remarkable thing about the event, it would have been seeing the Exiled in action. Their strength and grace was both astounding and beautiful to watch.

  Compared to young athletic humans, they could jump twice as high, run three times as fast, and, apparently, take a lot of punishment and laugh it off. Charming jogged over to where she was spectating, clearly glad to see her.

  “You came.” He grinned.

  “Said I would.”

  “Come on. I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

  It didn’t escape Rosie’s notice that Charming was showing her off, sometimes introducing her with a postscript that she was staying at his house. At one point she noticed F
ree watching them. It could have been her imagination, but she thought he looked concerned. She hoped the Extant didn’t think she had a romantic interest in Charming, that he knew Charming’s friendly easygoing ways had been her support while she was making an adjustment to the Exiled and Newland society. She really didn’t want to be seen as a potential ‘older woman’ threat.

  On that note, she decided that, perhaps, she should see less of Charming. The last thing she wanted was to be a problem of any kind. The whole point of a break was to lie low and regroup emotionally.

  “I’m not coming in tomorrow,” Dandy announced. “Going down to the market at Farsuitwail.”

  Rosie wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with that information. “You mean I’ll be doing our jobs? Alone. With no one to talk to?”

  Dandy cocked both her head and her hip. “You do what you do every day. Just not with me.”

  “Oh.” Rosie frowned for half a second, then smiled. “So I’ll be the boss.”

  Dandy snorted. “You wish.”

  It was the friendliest Dandy had been to date and it made Rosie smile like she’d scored a coup.

  The next morning she was in the kitchen before Serene and Free had left, which meant early.

  “You’re up early,” Serene said.

  “I’m on my own at the Commons today.” She realized she sounded a little excited and sort of proud about that.

  “Oh? Dandelion’s not feeling well?” Serene asked.

  Free stopped what he was doing and looked over, interested in Rosie’s response.

  Instead of answering, Rosie was sidetracked and asked Serene, “You call her Dandelion?”

  “Yes. I know her mother.”

  Serene and Free both continued to look expectant, like they were waiting.

  “Oh. No. She’s not sick. She’s going to Farsomething.”

  “Farsuitwail.”

  “Yeah.” Rosie smiled. “So I’m in charge. Until Scar comes in. Of course.” Serene and Free exchanged a look that Rosie couldn’t decipher. “I know how to do the work,” she said defensively.

  “Of course,” said Serene. “No question about that.”