The Lost City: The Palumbra Chronicles: Book Two

by L. D. Fairchild

  "You mean like getting tangled up with you? Yeah, that was clearly a great choice."

  Maeve shrugged and checked the door, where she could hear a commotion on the other side. She turned her attention back to the screen, being careful to keep part of her attention on Arabella. Thomas was resourceful. He had made his way to the oasis once. He could find his way back to Palumbra.

  The hovercar on the screen stopped, but the soldiers made no move to release her friends.

  “Why aren’t they letting them go?”

  “You owe me something.”

  Maeve tightened her grip on the gun. “The rules have changed. Let my friends go or I’ll kill you.”

  Arabella laughed. “How will that help?” She held her hand out, palm up, showing a device with a single button on it. “They won’t release them until I press this button and the light in their hovercar turns green. If the light doesn’t turn green in 10 minutes, they’ll shoot them. So, you see, my dear, killing me will change nothing.”

  Maeve ground her teeth together.

  “Where are the plans for the laser weapons?”

  Maeve didn’t answer. Instead, she took a step toward Arabella, the rifle just inches from Arabella’s face. “Give me the button.”

  “Well, I can do that, but as soon as this device leaves my hand, the light in that car will start flashing red, a signal for the guards to shoot your friends. So, I ask you again, where are the plans for the laser weapons?”

  Maeve was stuck. She couldn’t kill Arabella and risk having the device fall from her hand, but she had no idea where the laser weapon plans were. She quickly sifted through plausible answers in her head. Finally, she said, “In the tunnels. I’m not sure where.”

  “How do I know you’re not lying?”

  “You don’t. Now let my friends go.”

  “I guess that’s plausible.”

  “You won’t have a chance to find out if you don’t push that button. I have nothing left to lose.”

  Reluctantly, Arabella pushed the button, and Gray, Tristan, Ginger and Emery were roughly shoved from the car. "Aren't they going to cut their bonds?"

  "Of course not. Why would we make it easy for them? They could turn on my guards like you did. No, the agreement we had was to drop them in The Beyond. We've done that."

  The hovercar doors slid closed. Maeve got one last glimpse of her friends standing on what looked like hostile, rocky terrain before the camera went dark.

  "So, you see, it's too late to renegotiate." Arabella waved at Maeve's gun. "Now put the gun down because we both know you're not going to use it."

  Maeve looked at the gun in her hands. It would be so easy to squeeze the trigger and end Arabella's evil scheme. She knew it would be the last thing she ever did. Her vow to never use a gun again flitted through her brain. But didn't this situation merit a rethinking of that vow? She could rid the world of Arabella and all her plans to destroy Palumbra. She tightened her grip on the gun.

  Images flooded Maeve's mind of the last time she had held a gun. Gray in danger. Blood blooming on the soldier's chest. The thud of him hitting the floor.

  She looked at Arabella. Sweat broke out on her forehead, and her hands were damp with it. She readjusted her grip on the gun.

  "Well, if you're going to do it, I'd do it now." Arabella inclined her head toward the door. "They won't wait much longer to break it down. I'm only supposed to be in here for 10 minutes."

  Maeve blinked and took a deep breath. Her finger closed on the trigger. She tried to convince herself this was the best way to end it. She would willingly sacrifice herself for her friends − and take Arabella out with her. But this would be murder, not a shot in the heat of the moment to protect Gray. It would be a choice, one she couldn't undo. But it would be worth it, right?

  She pictured Gray's face when he found out she was dead. She knew he would be sad. But would he be proud? Would he think her choice had been the right one?

  And what about Emma who had always been so wise? What would she think? She heard Emma's voice saying, "You have to learn to forgive yourself and recognize that sometimes it's not the big things we do that change the world. More often, it's the little ones − caring about someone, teaching others, living with compassion. Those are the things that make a difference, the things that change a generation." Killing Arabella would be a big thing. Would it change the world? Would it be more valuable than those other little things Emma had talked about?

  Thomas's scared face flashed before her eyes. She remembered her conversation with him about choices, about making good choices. She pictured his face when he discovered what she'd done.

  Maeve lowered the gun. "I'd rather die knowing that there are ways to achieve what you need without killing others than die with a gun in my hands." She tossed the gun to the floor.

  Arabella threw back her head and laughed. "You naive fool." She opened the door, and two guards came in and restrained Maeve. "You never let your enemies go when you have a chance to get rid of them." She stuck her head out the door and called "Bring in the injection."

  Turning back to Maeve, she smiled. "You wasted your chance, and you're still going to die."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Maeve stood in the empty room, the silence echoing against the stark, white walls.

  So, this is how it ends, she thought. Alone and in silence.

  She sat back down, leaning back and crossing her feet at the ankles, her bound hands resting on her stomach. She studied the wall in front of her, noting that the crack in the wall looked a bit like a tree, and wondered how long it would take them to bring in the injection.

  Would it hurt, she wondered. Shalara suffered while she was sick, but the end had been quick. Emery had been miserable once she had been injected. Maeve smiled. At least Emery was well again. If nothing else, her sacrifice had saved Emery.

  Her thoughts turned from wondering about her own death to concern for her friends. How long could they last in The Beyond? And what about Thomas? What chance did any of them have? What would keep Arabella from just picking them up again? Had Maeve sacrificed herself for her friends to simply die in a hostile landscape where no one would find them?

  She should have killed Arabella when she had the chance. Maybe she could have reasoned with the guards and found her friends. Had she made the wrong choice?

  Maeve shook her head, forcefully flinging the thoughts from her mind. No. She had done the only thing she could. If she had killed Arabella, she would already be dead, with no chance to warn Cleo and the others about the danger Arabella posed. Alive, she had a chance, albeit a slim one to still save Palumbra.

  Arabella might have the technology of Bellus behind her but without the plans for a laser weapon, she could only do so much harm. Her attack only worked if Palumbra was unaware of her existence. Maeve intended to change that.

  The door opened again. Two guards stepped through, along with Elton and a short, bald man with a mustache carrying a syringe. Maeve sat up straight in the chair.

  "Back again?" Maeve asked Elton mockingly.

  "I came to give you one last chance to join us. You don't have to die." Elton looked sincere.

  Maeve gave him a grim smile. "I admire your persistence, but I'd rather die than be a part of Arabella's schemes."

  "But she just wants to make it better for everyone, where everyone has enough."

  Maeve felt sorry for Elton. He wanted so badly to believe Arabella had a plan that would benefit everyone that he ignored her cruelty and taste for killing.

  "I've seen what she thinks is enough, and I'm telling you, Elton, it's not the same as what you think."

  Elton shrugged. "It has to be better than how I was living before."

  "Maybe," Maeve allowed. "But what will you give up to get it?"

  "Enough," snapped Elton. "She's had her chance." He motioned for the mustached man. "Get on with it."

  He turned to leave.

  "Not staying to watch?"

  Wit
h his back still to her, Elton said, "I gave you a chance, Maeve. I have no need to watch." He opened the door and let it slam behind him.

  While Maeve was still staring at the door, the mustached man lifted her arm and sank the syringe into it. He removed the syringe and left the room without a word, the door closing quietly behind him.

  She had no idea how long she sat alone in the room, waiting for the signs of illness to set in. She was still feeling fine when the door opened and two guards dressed head to toe in protective gear hauled her out of the chair and through the door. They forced her down a corridor and out into the sunlight. Maeve blinked and squinted, the sunlight blinding her after so long indoors. The guards shoved her into a waiting hovercar, causing her to land hard on her knees. The door slid closed behind her as she struggled back to her feet, using her bound hands for leverage.

  She was alone in the hovercar, but as soon as she seated herself, the video screen at the front burst to life. Arabella's face filled the screen.

  "Can't you leave me alone?" Maeve asked, unsure if Arabella could hear her.

  Arabella tilted her head back and let out her high, tinkling laugh. Maeve wanted to cover her ears.

  "Oh, my dear, I'm going to be with you every step of the way. We wouldn't want you to be all alone when you die, now would we? I'm not a monster."

  "Your actions say otherwise."

  "Now, Maeve, you had plenty of opportunities to avoid this. Why you could have even killed me. Your current situation is simply a consequence of your own choices. And, may I say, I don't think they were very good ones."

  Maeve stared at the screen and remained silent.

  "Nothing to say? Oh, well. I have a few things to tell you."

  Maeve's nose itched like she needed to sneeze, and a tickle started in the back of her throat. She twitched her nose trying to avoid giving Arabella the satisfaction of seeing the symptoms of the virus start.

  "First, the virus we injected you with is much stronger than the one Elton used on Shalara and Emery. We released it on a timed delay so you should just be starting to experience symptoms. They will get worse over the course of your ride to the outskirts of Palumbra."

  Maeve twitched her nose again and tried to suppress the need to cough.

  "When you get to the outskirts of Palumbra, you will be escorted into the woods. My guards will form a perimeter around the edge of the woods, so don't even think about trying to escape. You are to make your way into Palumbra. Anyone who gets within a few feet of you will get infected."

  Maeve swallowed the urge to cough. "Do you really think no one in Palumbra will notice a hovercar approaching or your men standing guard?"

  "We disabled the surveillance system on the edge of Palumbra, and the patrols won't be back around to that side of the town for a few hours." Arabella smiled. "You see, we have it all worked out."

  Maeve swallowed. Her throat burned. "What makes you think I'm going to just walk into town and infect people?"

  Arabella pointed at a screen behind her, and Maeve stifled a scream. Thomas's face filled the screen. He was at the oasis, but Sarge stood next to him, holding a gun to his head. Thomas's eyes were wide and terrified.

  "Checkmate, Maeve. Do what I say or I'll have Sarge shoot him. If you want him to live, you'll follow instructions."

  Maeve gave in to the urge to cough, and a wracking cough shook her body. "How do I know you won't shoot him anyway?"

  Arabella gave a dainty shrug. "You don't. But I give you my word, Maeve. Do what I say, and we'll let him go."

  "How will you know what I do after they drop me off?"

  "Do you really think I haven't thought of that? We put a tracker under your skin when we injected you with the virus."

  Maeve looked at her arm where the needle had entered. Just under her skin, she could make out the faint outline of a square. Her shoulders slumped. "What about the others?"

  Arabella laughed and waved her hand at another monitor behind her. It showed Emery, Gray, Tristan and Ginger climbing over rocks, trying to balance with bound hands. "I'm not worried about them. They'll be wandering out there for days, and with no supplies, The Beyond will take care of them quickly. Who knows what's out there? I'm sure they'll make a tasty snack for some large creature."

  Maeve's thoughts strayed to the plagorans they had encountered on their way to find The Hub days ago. What if there were more creatures like that in The Beyond? Her friends didn't stand a chance. Maeve's head dropped; she closed her eyes and fought back tears. She had lost. She would die and so would her friends.

  She raised her head and met Arabella's gaze. "Fine." Defeat echoed in her voice. "Just let Thomas go when this is over."

  "You have my word, Maeve." For a fleeting moment, Maeve thought she saw compassion flit through Arabella's eyes. "You know, it's a pity you refused to join us. You could have become my protege, and all of the power could have one day been yours." She tapped her red-tipped finger on her chin. "Maybe I'll just adopt Thomas and make him my protege."

  The screen went black. Maeve stared at it in disbelief. In trying to save Thomas, she had sentenced him to a life under Arabella's thumb. She sneezed. A wracking cough caused her body to tremble. She sank, shivering, to the floor of the hovercar, curled into a ball and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

  The hovercar came to an abrupt halt, causing Maeve to lurch forward even as she was curled on the ground. Her body burned with fever. Her throat felt as if it were on fire, and her eyes watered. Every few minutes her body felt as if it were being torn apart by the force of her cough. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and struggled to sit up, her limbs shaking. She had no idea how she would walk anywhere.

  The door of the hovercar slid open, and guards covered in protective gear pulled her forward with a vicelike grip on her arm. They gave her a rough shove toward the forest.

  She looked around, trying to get her bearings and almost laughed. They were at the end of the path that led to Gray's back yard, the path where this nightmare had started. For a moment, Maeve wondered what would have happened if she had never noticed the flapping corner of the note on the time capsule. If she had just left it there, would she be kissing her parents good night and climbing the ladder to her loft or would revolution have happened in Palumbra without her? Was there a single choice that had led her to where she stood now or was it just a series of choices that all added up to this colossal failure?

  A searing cough shook her body, and she felt as if her lungs might burst. She didn't remember Shalara and Emery coughing this hard, but Arabella had said this version of the virus was not just contagious but more powerful. She wondered how much time she had left. Probably more than she wanted.

  The guard pushed her again and motioned with the end of his gun for her to start walking. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Her feet felt like lead, and the path in front of her wavered as if it were an ocean wave. She dutifully moved her feet forward, feeling as though she were walking underwater. What would happen if she just lay down and stayed here? Thomas's face flitted through her mind, and she continued the effort to move toward Palumbra.

  Slowly, she stumbled toward Gray's backyard, less than half a mile away. It seemed more like 300 miles. She felt as if she would collapse long before she made it. Was that good or bad? If she died in the woods, then no one would be infected, but Thomas would die. Maeve no longer knew what the right choice was. All she knew was that Thomas had risked himself for her, and she would return the favor.

  Her knees gave way, but she steadied herself on the branch of a nearby tree. She stood panting and coughing, trying to muster up the strength to go on. Finally, she took a step forward and caught her foot on a root. Too weak to catch herself, she tumbled to the ground.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Maeve lay where she fell, struggling to catch her breath. Her arms and legs trembled and sweat trickled down the side of her face. She closed her eyes and attempted to draw in a deep b
reath. A cough violently shook her body. When the coughing ceased, she rolled over to her back and stared at the trees above her. It would be so easy to just stay here, to never open her eyes again. She could just see the sun through the tree branches above her. Thomas's face appeared in her mind, and the memory of their last conversation in Palumbra drifted through her thoughts.

  "Maybe one day we'll even get to explore the stars," she had said.

  His face had lit up. "I can't wait to tell my friends we might one day go to the stars!"

  Maeve smiled at the memory then rolled over again. She knew Arabella was watching her progress. She slowly pushed herself to her knees, put one hand on a nearby tree and drug herself to her feet. Looking around to make sure she was headed in the right direction, she continued her slow trek along the path.

  She made steady progress, lurching from tree to tree. She could barely make out the outline of Gray's house when she stumbled and fell again, this time hitting the ground hard. Tears of pain and frustration sprang to her eyes. She raised herself to a sitting position, resting her back against a nearby tree. The tears spilled over and joined the sweat rolling down her cheeks. She shivered even though the day was warm, laid her head against the rough bark of the tree and closed her eyes again.

  A twig cracked behind her. Her eyes flew open, and she half rose to her feet before falling back to the ground. She could hear something shuffling in the forest beyond the tree. She scrambled backward on all fours, facing the sound as it grew closer, feeling around on the ground for something to use as a weapon without taking her eyes off the tree. Her breathing was heavy and raspy, and she struggled not to cough. Finally, her hands closed on a large stick about an inch thick and two feet long. It wasn't much, but it was all she had. She forced strength into her legs and shakily rose to her feet, one hand holding the stick and the other braced against a tree.

  The shuffling sound came closer. Maeve squinted into the gathering darkness of the woods, straining to see the source of the noise. In the shadows, she thought she could see an outline of an animal moving toward her. She gripped the stick more tightly and prayed she had enough strength to fight off the wild animal. Thomas's life depended on it. She took another deep breath − and bent over at the waist, coughing heavily. The animal, drawn by the noise, rushed toward her. Maeve screamed and tried to swing the stick at it, but the beast was too large and powerful. Two large, hairy black paws hit Maeve's shoulders driving her backward toward the ground. She raised her arms to protect her head and tried to curl into a ball, waiting for sharp teeth to tear into her body, but all she felt was a wet tongue trying to get at her face. What kind of beast licked you to death?