The Lost City: The Palumbra Chronicles: Book Two

by L. D. Fairchild

  Thomas took Maeve's hand. "She's going to be OK," he said with the complete confidence of childhood. Maeve wondered how much of that confidence was trust in her and how much was simply bravado. She didn't know much about Thomas other than his parents had died and he lived with his apparently apathetic uncle.

  "What's your story, Thomas? How did you end up here?" Maeve spread her arms out to encompass the vast sea of sand.

  Thomas kicked some sand and said, "I told you, I followed you."

  Maeve smiled and shook her head. "I didn't mean it literally. Tell me how you ended up living with your uncle."

  Thomas's eyes went flat, and his voice became toneless. "My parents died."

  The smile disappeared from Maeve's face, and she gave his hand a squeeze. "I know, and I'm so sorry. Tell me what they were like."

  Thomas raised his head and searched her eyes. "Do you really want to know? My uncle never wants to talk about them."

  Maeve nodded. "I really want to know."

  Thomas's chocolate eyes lit up. "My mom was amazing. She worked at the factory, but she was an incredible singer. She sang all the time. I don't remember a day when my mom didn't sing something."

  "Did she sing to you?"

  "All the time. She sang me to sleep every night." Thomas paused. "I really miss that."

  Maeve gave his hand another squeeze. "What did she sing?"

  "It was a song she said was handed down through her family. I don't know how far back it goes."

  "Do you remember the words?"

  Thomas nodded. "I don't think I'll ever forget them."

  "Can you sing it for me?"

  Thomas looked around at the others spread out around them. "Here? Right now?"

  Maeve followed Thomas's gaze then looked down at him. "Sure. Why not? What else have we got to do?"

  Thomas gave her a look that said he clearly thought she was a little bit strange, but then he nodded. "OK, if you really want to hear it. I'm not that great of a singer."

  "With a talented mom like yours, I'm sure your voice is great," Maeve encouraged.

  Thomas dropped Maeve's hand, looked at the others, took a deep breath and started singing.

  Sleep, sweet child, sleep, my love

  Sleep in peace tonight

  I love you so, more than you know

  So sleep in peace tonight

  Thomas's high, sweet voice pierced through the silence of the desert, and Maeve and the others stopped walking to listen. Thomas continued to sing.

  When you're alone, be brave, sweet child

  Always let love shine through

  I love you so, more than you know

  So sleep in peace tonight

  Rufus, drawn by the sound of Thomas's voice loped over and nudged his hand. Thomas dug his hand into Rufus's fur and sang the last verse:

  When I am gone, no need to fear

  I'll always be in your heart

  I love you so, more than you know

  So sleep in peace tonight

  The last note drifted off into the desert. Emery began clapping and started walking toward Thomas before remembering to keep her distance.

  "That was beautiful," Emery said. Maeve could see tears mixing with the sweat on Emery's face. Despite their age difference, Thomas and Emery had a lot in common. "It reminded me of my mom."

  "I could teach it to you," Thomas offered. "That way we could both remember our moms together."

  Emery nodded and said, "I'd like that."

  Thomas gave Rufus another pat, reached again for Maeve's hand and addressed everyone else. "Don't we have some medicine to find?"

  ###

  "How did you get Thomas to sing?" Gray asked. Despite the heat of the desert, Thomas had run ahead with Rufus to help Tristan and Elton lead the way, and Maeve now walked in step with Gray. Emery and Ginger were behind them, talking as quietly to each other as the forced distance between them would allow.

  "I asked him about his parents."

  "Did you find out his story?" Gray asked.

  Maeve shook her head. "Just that his parents died, and he lives with his uncle, which we already knew."

  "I don't know why, but I think there's a story there," Gray said. He lifted his canteen to his lips, took a big swallow, then wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm. He held the canteen out to Maeve, but she waved him off.

  "He doesn't seem to want to talk about it much." She squinted ahead to where Thomas was now talking to Elton.

  "I guess he'll tell us when he's ready," Gray said. "He's a resourceful kid. Just think, he made it out into this desert on his own, and he rescued us."

  "Rufus helped," Maeve said with a smile as Rufus chose that moment to throw himself in the sand and roll around. Just as quickly, the dog jumped to his feet, the hair on his back standing straight up. A low growl began deep in his throat. They hurried to catch up to the others.

  "What is it, boy?" Thomas asked Rufus quietly. Tristan slipped Maeve's knife from his belt; it was still the only weapon they had.

  Rufus continued to growl, his usually wagging tail stiff and the rest of his body poised to pounce. Everyone scanned the horizon and listened for any unusual sound. Maeve noticed Elton's hands shaking and realized hers were shaking as well. No one moved. The only sound was their breathing and the occasional cough from Emery.

  Then they heard it. A far-off cry they all recognized. A large shadow suddenly loomed on the horizon, moving quickly toward them. Rufus started to bark. Gray and Tristan frantically searched for cover. The cry came again, closer this time. Emery coughed.

  "Run!" Tristan shouted and motioned for them to follow Elton.

  "We're never going to outrun a plagoran," Ginger shouted.

  "Do you have any better ideas?" Tristan shouted back.

  Maeve had taken Thomas's hand and started running with Emery on her heels. She looked back to see Ginger closing her mouth and running after Emery as Tristan and Gray closed ranks behind her. Maeve's eyes scanned the barren desert landscape, looking for somewhere to hide. The plagoran cry rang through the stagnant air, closer than before.

  A quick glance over her shoulder told Maeve it was gaining on them quickly, but that glance cost her. Her foot caught on an uneven stretch of sand, and she stumbled, falling heavily to her knees. Emery and Ginger flew past her.

  "Come on, Maeve," Ginger said as she grabbed her arm. Maeve struggled to get her feet under her in the shifting sand. Without breaking his stride, Gray hoisted her by her other arm and hauled her to her feet. "Move!" he cried. With a last look at Maeve, Ginger stretched out her legs and sprinted to help Emery who was struggling to keep up with Elton, Thomas and Rufus. Maeve and Gray put on a burst of speed with Tristan hot on their heels. She could feel the vibration of the plagoran's large, lizard feet as they struck the ground with the force of a hammer. They were never going to make it.

  Tristan had caught Maeve and Gray, but stayed behind them, wielding the knife. Maeve wasn't sure how much farther she could run, and she knew Emery had to be fading. She raised her eyes from the sand and tugged on Gray's arm. He turned his head and raised his eyebrows in a silent query.

  "Where are the others?" Maeve asked.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Maeve was so shocked she almost stopped running. If Gray hadn't pulled her along, she would have been a tasty snack for the plagoran. Her eyes desperately scanned the horizon looking for any sign of her friends.

  "Where did they go?" Gray shouted to be heard over the roar of the plagoran. The ground under their feet shook, and sand flew up every time the plagoran's feet hit the ground. Maeve was afraid to look back to see how close the giant lizard was.

  "Keep running," Tristan panted from behind them. "They have to be up there somewhere. They didn't just disappear."

  But they had. No matter how hard Maeve looked, she saw no sign of her friends. Suddenly, Gray veered off to the right. "There." He pointed ahead of him. Maeve saw nothing, but Tristan nodded, and they put on a burst of speed, lengthen
ing the distance between them and the plagoran slightly. Maeve still had no idea what Gray and Tristan had seen; she only hoped it was something that led them to safety. Her legs and lungs burned, and she could barely see for the sweat dripping into her eyes.

  Gray suddenly dropped to the ground in a slide move Maeve had never seen. She did her best to imitate him and heard Tristan hit the ground behind them. She slid to a stop beside Gray, and Tristan piled in behind her. They were at the base of a small sand dune; it rose no more than four feet off the surface of the desert. Gray sat on the ground with his back to the sand dune and worked his arms like a snow angel to burrow his way into the dune. The falling sand buried his legs, and he was soon hardly noticeable from a distance. He motioned for Maeve to do the same. Sand coated Maeve until she felt like she was part of the dune. Grains of sand floated in her nose, landed in her mouth and covered her hair. She was sure she looked like a sand monster – she certainly felt like one. She turned her head slightly and saw Tristan lean to his right as if he was listening to someone next to him. Maeve squinted through the sand in her eyes and could just make out Ginger was on his other side. She had wrapped her dark hair in a gold T-shirt so it wouldn't stand out against the sand. The rest of her was covered in a thin layer of sand. Her eyes met Maeve's, and she held a finger to her lips.

  The plagoran roared. The ground vibrated. Gray wrapped his hand around hers. Maeve held her breath as the plagoran approached. It turned in a circle, moving its large snout back and forth, scanning the ground at its feet. Its long neck moved up and down as it sought its prey. No one moved. The plagoran took three steps toward the sand dune. It was so close, Maeve could see the iridescent shine to its scales and pick out the different colors. The plagoran lowered its head so it was level with Maeve's face. She closed her eyes and prayed as she felt the beast's warm breath on her cheek. She gripped Gray's hand and used all her willpower to keep her limbs from shaking.

  The plagoran sniffed once and turned its back. It slowly circled the sand dune, sniffed the air, let out a frustrated roar and turned back the way it had come. It set out at a loping pace across the hot desert. Maeve blew out a breath of relief, and the others did the same. She thought she heard a whimper that could have been Thomas or Emery. Still, she didn't move as the plagoran retreated into the distance.

  Finally, when they could no longer see the plagoran, Tristan shook his arms free from the sand and leaned out of the dune, the sand cascading off his back. Maeve noted he had pulled his sleeves down on his shirt and had taken a page out of Ginger's book, using a T-shirt to cover the dark skin of his face and hands. While his clothing was covered with sand, his face and hair were relatively sand-free. Maeve only wished she could say the same. She felt as if she had bathed in sand and longed for a hot shower, even the short ones they were allowed in Palumbra since water was still rationed.

  "Where's Rufus?" Emery asked.

  Maeve looked around. The big, black dog was nowhere to be found.

  "Rufus, rise," Thomas said.

  The ground at his feet started to ripple, and a black spot appeared in the sand. That black spot quickly became a large, shaggy dog who shook his coat vigorously, showering the rest of them with sand. They held up their hands to ward off the onslaught.

  "How did he hide himself so well?" Maeve brushed sand off her arms again.

  Thomas shrugged. "It's just a trick I taught him. He's a great digger. The sand is so soft that when he laid down in the hole it covered him mostly up. I did the rest."

  "But how did you get him to lay so still and be quiet?" Ginger asked.

  Thomas looked at the ground and wrapped his hand in Rufus's fur. "Sometimes we have to be quiet at home."

  No one knew what to say to that, and an awkward silence fell on the group. Maeve searched her brain for a way to change the subject and chose the most obvious topic.

  "Why didn't it find us?" she said to no one in particular. The others, like her, were shaking sand from their hands, faces and hair. Emery coughed, and Maeve noted she was once again standing a distance apart from the rest of them.

  "It has no sense of smell," Emery said.

  "What?" Gray said. "That makes no sense. Reptiles have an excellent sense of smell."

  "But this isn't an ordinary reptile." Emery unbraided her hair, combed her fingers through it to loosen the sand, then started to rebraid it. "Remember, I told you the going theory is that they were created in a lab during The Lost Years. For some reason, they removed its sense of smell."

  "Why would they do that?" Ginger shook out the T-shirt she had wrapped around her hair. "How would that be a benefit?"

  "Well, no one knows for sure," Emery answered. "But some people think they removed it so plagorans would be more useful in a battle."

  "You mean they were weapons?" Thomas stood still while Maeve brushed the sand of his clothes. She handed him her canteen, then took a sip herself, trying to rid her mouth of the coating of sand.

  Emery nodded. "With no sense of smell, they didn't get spooked as badly by fire, which made them a much more reliable weapon."

  "Well, I'd like to shake the hand of the scientist that thought of that," Gray said, dusting sand off his knees. "That decision just saved our lives."

  ###

  If she never saw sand again, Maeve would not miss it. Despite her best efforts, her hair and clothes still carried a coating of sand, and she was contantly pulling grit out of her eyes. The desert stretched endlessly in front of her and just as endlessly behind her. Though the sun was beginning to set, waves of heat rose off the sand in front of her.

  "We're almost there," Elton said from the front of the group where he had returned to lead the way with Tristan.

  Maeve raised her eyebrows in disbelief at Gray. There was nothing that looked like a city as far as the eye could see. "Is he hallucinating?" Maeve whispered.

  Gray looked hard into the distance as if he could will the city into existence, then shook his head. "He must know something we don't."

  "If we hadn't met Elton, I would believe our patrols that said there's nothing out here. I just hope Elton isn't lost." She focused her gaze on Thomas and Rufus. Thomas never complained, but she watched as he slid his feet along the sand, each step an effort. Rufus gave him a nudge from behind as if to encourage him to keep moving. "I'm not sure how much farther his legs will carry him."

  Gray followed Maeve's gaze. "He's tough. He'll make it. Something tells me he doesn't have an easy life with his uncle."

  "I got that impression, too. We'll have to look into it when we get back."

  Before Gray could answer, Tristan held up his hand in a silent signal for them to stop.

  "We're here," Elton announced.

  Maeve blinked.

  "What is he talking about?" Ginger asked as she came up beside Maeve. "We're in the middle of the desert. There's no city."

  "Elton, there's nothing here." Tristan fingered the knife on his belt and looked around for any sign of a threat.

  Had they misplaced their trust in Elton, Maeve wondered. Had he led them into a trap?

  "You just think there's nothing here," Elton said. "Put your hand in front of you." Elton demonstrated by holding his arm out straight and extending his hand up at a 90-degree angle to his arm, so his palm faced outward. Tristan rolled his eyes but did the same.

  "Now step forward." Tristan took a tiny step with his arm still outstretched. His eyes widened in surprise, and he lifted both hands and ran them up and down in front of him, like a mime pretending to figure out the outline of a box.

  "What is that?"

  "It's the force field protecting Bellus," Elton said. "You have to live here to be able to get in."

  "A force field?" Ginger exclaimed. "No way you have enough technology in Bellus to create a huge force field that hides the city from view. The amount of energy that would take is enormous."

  Elton gave them a grin. "I think Bellus is a little different from Palumbra." He leaned down to examine a scrawn
y, dying plant that grew a mere six inches out of the desert. He took the top branch, if you could call it that, between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed, then pushed on the force field. The air in front of them parted, creating a hole in the force field.

  Gray shook his head. "No wonder our patrols couldn't find it."

  Elton disappeared through the opening then poked his head back through, "Are you guys coming?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Maeve followed Tristan through the opening, marveling at how the force field looked just like the rest of the desert. She couldn't even fathom the technology that would be needed to accomplish that feat. To her knowledge, Palumbra had nothing this advanced.

  Maeve stopped abruptly just inside the opening. "What is this place?" she said in an awed whisper.

  They were perched on a hill of sand overlooking a huge city of towering glass buildings. The sun reflected off the buildings, forcing her to lift her hand to act as a shield for her eyes. She had never seen so many buildings and had certainly never seen any so tall. Government headquarters was the tallest building in Palumbra, but the shortest building in Bellus was twice the size of that building.

  Maeve could see the distinctive layout of the city that had led Emery to nickname it The Hub. Six wide streets stretched out in all directions from a unique round, glass building in the center of the city, creating the impression of a wheel.

  Thomas reached for Maeve's hand, and she looked down at him. "Are you OK?" she asked.

  Thomas shook his head. "I don't know. This place is..." He stopped and shook his head again. "I don't really know what it is."

  Elton had closed the force field behind Emery and started walking, putting about a quarter mile of distance between them. He turned as if just realizing no one had followed him. "What are you guys doing? If we're going to find that antidote, we need to keep moving."