The Last City

by Nina D'Aleo

  The locking mechanism of the door clanked and clinked open and Silho stepped in. She smiled at Eli, shook off her jacket and dumped it on her mattress on the floor. Silho’s pictures had now spread completely over the skin of her chest and neck and around to her back, where the image of a firebird dragon was imprinted in shimmering colour. During her time of healing, Silho had confided in Eli that when she had been burning in the Mazurus, she had seen her parents, looked into their eyes and felt as though they were right there with her. Eli knew Silho was still searching for answers and only finding new questions, but now there was a certainty to her steps. She came and sat beside Eli and handed him a brown paper bag. He looked inside and saw the chemicals he’d asked her to find for his tests.

  ‘Perfect,’ he said. ‘Exactly what I didn’t need – I mean – what I needed.’

  He gave an apologetic grin and Silho said, ‘Any closer?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Eli confessed. ‘Every time I think it’s a breakthrough something fails.’

  Silho nodded and the two sat in silence. If Eli wanted a laugh or an argument he spent time with Diega, for deep philosophical discussions he went to Jude, for black and white logic or for direction it was Copernicus, but to just sit in a comfortable silence and be, Silho was the one. He had also found in her an ally to his plans to revive Ev’r Keets. The others understood it was something he needed to do, but saw no real purpose in it. Only Silho had known a different side to the treasure hunter. He noticed she was watching the blank walls, her eyes moving over the white as though she were reading something.

  ‘What do you see?’ he asked.

  She glanced his way, hesitated, then replied, ‘Colours.’

  ‘Why don’t you try painting?’ Eli asked.

  She gave a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes and shook her head.

  ‘Anything salvageable at your apartment?’ he asked.

  ‘Not without an excavator,’ Silho replied. ‘Whole neighbourhood’s been flattened.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Eli said.

  Silho shrugged. ‘How’s your grandmother?’

  Eli sighed. ‘It’d take more than a bomb to —’

  The security alarm buzzed and Eli turned to the screen. Diega had beaten the commander back this time. They watched the Fen walk down the hallway. She opened the apartment door and entered the room, giving Silho a perfunctory nod and flashing a dazzling smile at Eli. She placed the bag she was carrying onto the table and opened it up. Weapons and tech spilled out onto the tabletop. Eli moved to inspect the new pieces. Some of them were complex weapons he’d never seen before.

  ‘Where did you get them?’ he said.

  ‘An Androt stash,’ Diega replied.

  ‘Where?’ Silho asked.

  ‘It was completely unguarded,’ Diega continued, turning her back on Silho. ‘Bad sign for the machine-breeds.’

  ‘You know, this is Kry’s work,’ Eli said examining the more elaborate designs. ‘He has a great mind.’

  ‘For a complete psycho,’ Diega added.

  The door rattled and Jude entered with SevenM riding his shoulder. The Ar Antarian greeted Eli warmly, but avoided looking at either Diega or Silho. After the end of the witch war, Eli had barely been able to keep up with the shifting hormones of his team. Jude and Diega had attempted a reunion, but it had fizzled. Evidently there was such a thing as too much stuff happening to a relationship for it to survive. Yet as their love shattered on the rocks, the commander and Silho had started an unspoken something. A something that had managed to strengthen and deepen, despite the fact that the team all slept head to toe in the same tiny room and went pretty much everywhere as a group. Copernicus and Silho had a connection and Eli, being the romantic he was, liked to think of it as love. At the same time, Diega had made no secret about wanting to get back with the commander and it was painfully obvious that Jude held an interest for Silho. So it was more of a love square than a love triangle and it made for some seriously awkward cringing moments – loud silences, pointed conversations, longing glances, death stares. Eli told himself it was a good thing no one was interested in him, but he never managed to completely convince himself. He still felt it would be nice if for once love could be more for him than just a spectator sport. He held onto hope.

  Jude dropped his backpack on the table with a heavy clunk. He opened the bag and lifted out a stack of written word books. ‘I found these among the Galleria wreckage,’ he told Eli. ‘Thought you’d be interested.’

  ‘You thought right!’ Eli scooped up the books and held them against his chest.

  ‘Great,’ Diega said. ‘At least we’ll have something to feed the fire.’

  Jude drew out another bag from his jacket and said, ‘Medical supplies.’ He shot Diega a look.

  ‘Guns,’ Diega pointed to her bag. ‘To stop us from needing medicine.’

  ‘The commander not back?’ Jude asked Eli.

  ‘He’s here. He’s invisible,’ Diega muttered and went to look out the window. Jude narrowed his blue eyes. Eli’s stomach grumbled and he gave an uncomfortable giggle.

  Their surveillance system bleeped and the commander opened the door. He was carrying several packages. Eli’s mouth watered as the smell of hot food hit his nostrils. They’d been eating everything out of cans for more months than he cared to count – the novelty of that had worn off right after the very first bite. The commander locked eyes with Silho, then placed the packages on the table. Eli sprang forward and ripped open the paper bags, inspecting the food. Everyone sat down to eat. These days no one needed a written invitation.

  ‘Where did you find it?’ Eli muttered with his mouth full.

  ‘A few places have reopened in Southtown,’ Copernicus replied.

  Eli smiled. The adaptability of people to survive and continue even in the harshest of war zones never failed to surprise and impress him.

  ‘How’s it looking out there?’ he asked.

  ‘Quiet. Something must have changed overnight. No one’s talking yet,’ the commander said and the others nodded in agreement.

  ‘How’s Shawe?’ Silho asked.

  After they defeated the witches, Shawe had gathered up the survivors of his people and gone underground. His brother, Stacy, had remained ill for a long time, but the latest word said his health was slowly improving. Copernicus had gone to see the gangster for information.

  ‘The same,’ Copernicus replied and Eli took that to mean loud, proud, stinky and fierce.

  ‘Did anyone see Luther?’ he asked.

  Everyone shook their head. The Midnight Man had survived his metamorphosis, but he still kept to himself. Usually the only sign that he was around was a glimpsing of the white wolf running through the shadows.

  ‘And there’s still no word on Raine,’ Silho put in.

  Diega sighed and said, ‘How many times do you have to be told – the Wraith is dead. You’re wasting time and resources. Even he thinks so.’ She gestured to the commander.

  Copernicus leaned back in his chair and said, ‘What I think is that she’s gone to find her soulmate, wherever death has taken him. I’d do the same.’

  Diega snorted and rolled her eyes.

  The security alarm rang out and the team jumped to their feet with a clattering of chairs, drawing their weapons in readiness. Eli tried to draw his, but ended up pulling Nelly out of his pocket instead. She chattered indignantly and he stuffed her back in, hoping no one had noticed. The others spread out to the different corners of the room to take aim and the commander moved to a place beside the door. He looked to Eli, who was glued to the hologram footage of the hallway, waiting for whoever had triggered the alarm to appear. Much to Eli’s relief, he saw a tall Fen soldier turn the corner.

  ‘It’s just Santana,’ he told the team. They relaxed their positions and holstered their weapons.

  Copernicus opened the door to let the rainbow-skinned sniper commander in. Santana saluted the commander as he always had.

  After Eli a
nd the others were marked as state traitors, the Regiment had imprisoned Santana for refusing to follow orders against them. He was now one of the main leaders of the United Resistance. He nodded to each of the team in turn then spoke.

  ‘I came to tell you that the war is over. Kry has been defeated and the Androts are surrendering. Caesar K-Ruz has called a meeting. He’s willing to hear from the different factions on their views of the future of the city.’

  ‘Sure it’s not a trap?’ Diega asked.

  ‘We believe it’s genuine,’ Santana replied. ‘And we won’t be going in unarmed.’ His focus shifted back to the commander. ‘We need the trackers there. I need your guidance. Will you come?’

  Copernicus considered it then said, ‘Give us a moment.’

  Santana started back down the corridor, but paused to add, ‘There’s another thing – there was a murder in one of our refugee camps. It’s brutal and it doesn’t make any sense to me. Would you and the team take a look after the meeting?’

  Copernicus agreed, but Eli noticed the commander narrow his eyes in an uneasy way. The team gathered up their weapons and equipment. Jude lagged, distracted by thoughts.

  ‘Alright?’ the commander asked him.

  The Ar Antarian nodded. ‘Kry made his choices. He wanted war. I’m just thinking, what will happen to the machine-breeds now? To the innocent? They’ve been enslaved for so long and now this . . .’

  ‘They’re going to need help and support, a strong voice to speak for them,’ the commander said. ‘This is the beginning of a new society, a new order. There is opportunity for change.’

  ‘Who will ever trust them after this war? Who will pity them?’ Jude asked.

  ‘You will. I will. They will.’ He nodded to the rest of the team. He handed Jude an electrifier and the Ar Antarian took it.

  The commander left the apartment and the others followed. Eli was the last. He dashed around the room in an excited frenzy, stuffing random odds and ends into his belt and bag, until he forced himself to stop. He checked Nelly was snuggled safely in his pocket and went to the open doorway. There he paused to look back at his work desk, back to the possibilities, the chances – the hidden solution waiting to be discovered.

  ‘I’ll find you,’ he whispered.

  He closed the door behind him and ran to catch up with the team.

  Acknowledgements

  All my love to my husband, George, for his belief, encouragement and support, and to the lights of my life – my boys, Josef and Daniel and niece, Charlotte.With love and deepest gratitude to my family – Mum, Dad, Berto and Emma, and Milena, Voislav, Igor and Alex.

  Infinite gratitude to my incredible agent, Sophie Hamley, the person who has made all the difference. Words cannot express.

  More thanks than I can ever say to all at Momentum Books, most especially to Joel Naoum and Mark Harding for their creative vision and support. Enormous gratitude to my amazing editors, Alexandra Nahlous and Sarah Hazelton.

  For reading early drafts and for their continual encouragement, my heartfelt thanks and love to two wonderful friends, Claire Byrnes and Karla Johnston.

  Eternal gratitude to my first mentors Judith Lukin-Amundsen, Hilary Beaton, Althea Halliday and Miss Dawn. Your words are indelibly printed in my mind.

  And finally to the writers who have drawn me into their worlds and inspired me to dream beyond the walls of reality. I am indebted forever.

  About the Author

  Nina D’Aleo wrote her first book at age seven (a fantasy adventure about a girl named Tina and her flying horse). Due to most of the book being written with a feather dipped in water, no one else has ever read ‘Tina and White Beauty’. Many more dream worlds and illegible books followed. Nina blames early exposure to Middle-earth and Narnia for her general inability to stick to reality. She also blames her parents. And her brother.

  Nina has completed degrees in creative writing and psychology. She currently lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, George, their two sons, Josef and Daniel, and two cats Mr Foofy and Gypsy. She spends most of her days playing with toys, saying things like ‘share’, ‘play gentle’, and ‘let’s eat our veggies’ and hearing things like ‘no’, ‘no way’ and ‘NEVER!’. She is also working on more books – including the next book in the Last City series.

  Nina's website is www.ninadaleo.com and you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

  First published by Momentum in 2012

  This edition published in 2012 by Momentum

  Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd

  1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

  Copyright © Nina D'Aleo 2012

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  A CIP record for this book is available at the National Library of Australia

  The Last City

  EPUB format: 9781743340493

  Mobi format: 9781743340646

  Print on Demand format: 9781743340653

  Cover design by Patrick Naoum

  Editing by Alexandra Nahlous

  Copyediting by Sarah Hazelton

  Proofreading by Glenda Downing

  To report a typographical error, please email errors@momentumbooks.com.au

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