Proxy

by R. D. Brady

  Riley watched his aunt stride toward the Gatsby. She looked so sure of what she was saying, and yet …

  He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

  49

  Lyla stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a tray of snacks and drinks to bring to the dining room. She had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation, and she didn’t want people’s empty stomachs getting in the way of their ability to focus. By the time she appeared in the dining room, almost everyone was there. Frank sat talking with Montel and Otto. Addie and Jamal were speaking with Thor and Pxedlin on one side of the table. Riley, Petra, and Rory were sitting across from them.

  Arthur stepped in behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him. He was carrying the tray of drinks she’d been planning on going back to grab.

  “I stopped by the kitchen after I checked on the new arrivals. Xe was helping get them settled.”

  “How’s she doing? Is she still upset about Little Thor?”

  “I wouldn’t say she’s upset, but she won’t let him out of her sight. Maisy is over there with them, helping get everyone settled as well. Iris is right by her side.”

  “That’s good. Those two could put anybody at ease.”

  Arthur lowered his voice. “Are you okay? Is there anything I can—”

  She smiled up at him. “I’m better than okay. Now come on, let’s get this meeting started.”

  She stepped into the room and placed the tray in the middle of the table. She grabbed an apple and a glass of water before taking her seat. A few other people grabbed some food from the tray before also settling in.

  Lyla waited until everyone who wanted food had grabbed something before she began to speak. “I know you’re all a little curious as to what I’m about to say. Let me start off by saying I have not gone crazy. But something crazy has happened to me.”

  She quickly explained about Maisy’s vision when she’d touched Ta’Chiko’s amulet in the field. Then she explained about her own vision when she had done the same. Everyone was quiet as she spoke, but she could feel Arthur’s tension. These were the answers he had been looking for. Finally she stopped, allowing everyone a chance to digest what she had just said.

  Arthur spoke first. “So we really are from here?”

  She reached over and took his hand. “Yes, Arthur. You’re human, just like we are.”

  “So they were the Anunnaki,” Simon said. “I thought because of the name that the Naku were …”

  Lyla shook her head. “No. Ta’Chiko’s people were the ones who brought civilization to our world. They helped us evolve. And they were the ones who fought off the Naku when they arrived. Which actually brings me to the request I have of you.”

  Simon pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes growing large. “Me?”

  “I’d like you to write the history of the Unwelcome. And then I’d like you to share that story with the Unwelcome that are here so that they understand where they fit in. I thought because you have some understanding of the Anunnaki’s history that you would be the best one for the job.”

  “I … I would love that. I’ll get started on it right away.” Simon jumped to his feet and then paused. “Um, unless, of course, you need me to stay for something?” His tone suggested that he was really hoping she didn’t.

  Lyla smiled, pulling the amulet from her pocket, still wrapped in the burlap. “No, that’s all right. You can go get started. You may need this.”

  Simon let out a little gasp, hurrying toward.

  She placed it in his outstretched hands. “Don’t touch the amulet inside until you are ready to meet him.”

  Simon grinned at her before hurrying out the door. Lyla had known he would be excited about the job, but she hadn’t quite realized how excited he would be. Perhaps they all needed a little something different every now and then to keep their enthusiasm going.

  Frank cleared his throat. “This is all very intriguing, and I do actually mean that, but how does this help us get closer to rescuing Miles?”

  “The box that was buried with Ta’Chiko contains the ash that gave the Cursed their abilities.”

  A murmur arose across the room.

  “Are you sure?” Frank asked.

  Lyla nodded. “When we were at the cottage, Maisy manifested abilities.”

  Everyone started at her words.

  “So it’s true?” Montel asked.

  Lyla nodded. “We now have the ability to create abilities in anyone we want to give them to.”

  More than a few people smiled at that idea, obviously understanding the implications.

  Frank sat thoughtfully at the end of the table. “I realize that in a fight that will be an incredible benefit,” he said, “but it doesn’t solve the problem of how to get onto the mothership without being detected. They must have doubled, if not tripled, their guards as a result of our aborted attempt. I’m not seeing how this helps us.”

  “Oh, this doesn’t help us with that,” Lyla said.

  Riley frowned. “But I thought you said you had a plan for how to get us to the mothership.”

  “Oh, we’re not going to the mothership.”

  Lyla paused, not able to contain the grin that was spreading out across her face. “We’re bringing the mothership to us.”

  50

  There was a buzz of excitement in the dining room of the Gatsby. The plan still needed a lot of details worked out. And they were going to need numbers. But the fact that they had a plan and the fact that the plan seemed to be something that would actually work was raising everyone’s spirits.

  They spoke for two hours, debating the timing, figuring out what resources they would need and who would be in charge of what. Finally Lyla called a halt. They would all meet again in the morning, once their brains had soaked in everything they had discussed today. But in the meantime, she gave everyone a list of things that they needed to accomplish.

  And for the first time since Miles was gone, Lyla felt some hope. But there was still one large question that needed to be answered: What should they do with the ash from Ta’Chiko’s grave?

  Lyla studied each of the people around the table. Each of them had lost someone, most of them more than one, since the Unwelcome had arrived. Riley and Petra had demonstrated incredible skill and maturity in the last few years. And their skills had made the difference in more than one battle with the Unwelcome. And now there was a chance to extend that skill to even more individuals. But that was not a step she could take on her own.

  “There’s one more thing we need to discuss before we convene: What should we do with the ash?”

  “Maisy really has abilities?” Jamal asked.

  “She took down a fully grown Unwelcome all by herself.”

  Glances were exchanged around the table.

  “Ta’Chiko seemed to suggest releasing it into the atmosphere, but I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lyla said.

  “No,” Frank agreed, “we need to be selective about it. If we had known about it early on, that would have been a good plan. But now with the McGoverns, we can’t risk it. They could hurt our Unwelcome.”

  Lyla allowed herself a small smile at Frank’s use of the term “our Unwelcome.”

  “If the Naku learn that this ash exists, what will they do?” Montel asked, his gaze shifting between the Unwelcome at the table before landing on Arthur.

  Arthur was silent for a moment, weighing his answer. Finally he spoke, his voice grave. “If they know it exists, it would mean that anyone could be a Cursed. One of the most difficult aspects of the Cursed is that they cannot be controlled by the Naku. They can fight the mental intrusion. That is one of their greatest weapons at the Naku’s disposal. Even if the Ka Sama fails, they still have the ability to control us. But if you remove that skill, they are defenseless. If they believed that the people of this world could fight their mental intrusion, they would not be able to risk it.”

  “Would they leave?” Riley asked.

  “It is possible.�
��

  “Well, that’s a bit of good news,” Petra said.

  Arthur shook his head. “It’s not good news. The human race would be viewed as a threat. And the Naku could not allow that threat to continue. Because one day the humans could evolve enough to track down the Naku. The Naku have agendas that stretch back hundreds of years, thousands of years. They could not allow a threat to build over the course of the millennia, one that would one day target them.”

  “So if they learn that we have this ash, they’ll kill as many humans as they can,” Lyla said, feeling sick.

  Arthur shook his head. “No. If they learn this ash exists, they’ll destroy the planet.”

  51

  If they learn this ash exists, they’ll destroy the planet. With that horrible prediction in the air, Lyla wound the discussion down. They made no decisions about what to do about the ash. It could be an incredible tool, but if Arthur was right and the Naku knew what a threat it was, Lyla just didn’t know if she could risk that. But she also knew that this was too great a decision for only her. They all needed to take part in this decision.

  So they put the question of the ash and what to do with it on the back burner while they went about getting a list of volunteers and supplies together for when they decided to make their move on the Naku.

  Montel stayed back with Lyla to discuss some of the new recruits from the Unwelcome and what role he thought they could play in the coming battle. When Montel took his leave, Lyla was surprised to find Thor waiting for her outside the door. She smiled at him. She had not seen him or spoken to him much since they had returned to the Gatsby.

  “How are you doing? I’m really so sorry about what happened with Little Thor.”

  “It’s not the first time he went somewhere he shouldn’t. He’s getting really fast.”

  “I noticed. Maisy and Iris are completely in love with him.”

  “He is just as enamored with them. And Xe is good. It’s a surprisingly difficult adjustment going from captivity to freedom.”

  “And not just for her, I’m thinking.”

  Thor nodded. “It’s strange, choosing. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming.”

  “We’re here if you need us.”

  “I know. Your people have been incredibly helpful, especially Emma, Edna, and Saul. I think their food alone has won over the hearts of all of my people. Maybe we should slip the Naku one of their desserts. We could avoid this whole thing.”

  Lyla grinned. “If only.”

  Thor smiled back at her before glancing around. “Do you think we could take a little walk? There’s something I’d like to speak with you about.”

  Lyla nodded, and the two of them headed out the front door. They walked along the fence perimeter, and Lyla couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that she was walking next to Thor without any fear. It seemed like it wasn’t that long ago that he was their prisoner. It was a very strange world they lived in. Thor had once been her enemy. And he would have killed her without a thought at the command of the Naku. And now? Now he was someone she trusted.

  “I never did get a chance to thank you for helping save my sister.”

  Lyla shook her head. “No thanks are necessary. We should’ve gone to the facility as soon as you asked. I’m sorry we delayed. Maybe things would be different now if we hadn’t.”

  “Have you learned anything new about Miles?”

  Lyla shook her head again. “No.” She didn’t trust herself to say any more. Truth was, she had moved past the frenetic worry that had dogged her since Miles had been taken. The trip to the cottage had cleared her head.

  And it had forced her to accept reality: Miles in all likelihood would not be returned to them. If he were alive now, which she believed was the case, there was no guarantee he would still be once the assault began.

  Even the thought of him not being in their lives made it hard to breathe. But that was the truth facing them. The Naku were a cold race. They would not take it easy on Miles. It was entirely possible he was already dead. She shied away from that thought as soon as she had it. She would still try with every fiber of her being to get him back. But sometime in the last day, she had accepted the possibility that he might be gone for good. Maybe it was Ta’Chiko’s brief comment that death was not the end, not even for humans.

  “I wanted to talk to you about the ash,” Thor said.

  “What about it?”

  “I was speaking with Simon. He explained about our human origins. That originally we were taken as a slave race when the Naku left this planet.”

  Lyla hadn’t had much time to focus on the origins of the Unwelcome. That was why she had set Simon up to write the history. Arthur had filled her in on the Naku and the Kings List. It was mind-bending to believe that the Naku had actually been here before. It was even more surreal to accept that the Unwelcome, with their skin tone and their unusual size, were actually human.

  “Do the others know?”

  Thor nodded. “Yes. I spoke with my sister first, and she told the other women, and then I spoke with some of the other chelvah.”

  “How did they take it?”

  “I think shock would be the best word for most people’s initial reaction. But for the women especially, they felt relief. It means that we might have a home.”

  Lyla stopped walking. She placed a hand on Thor’s arm. “You do have a home.”

  He nodded his acceptance of her statement. “But now that we know where we are from, it got me thinking.” He fell silent.

  “About what?”

  “The ash bestows powers on the recipients, allowing them to fight against the avad, at least the ones who are a threat.”

  Lyla nodded. “Yes.”

  Thor watched her from the side of his eye. “One of the new avad, Gretx, said that when his romag blast hit the box Maisy was holding, the Naku no longer had control of his mind. That’s when he turned and fired on the Naku.

  “That momentary slip of the Naku’s control saved Maisy’s life.”

  “What if it was more than that?”

  Lyla frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “According to Maisy, Ta’Chiko said to burn the box to create more ash. And we know ash was created from the romag blast because Maisy manifested. But what if Gretx did as well? What if the ash allowed him to resist the Naku’s control?”

  Lyla’s mouth fell open. She hadn’t even considered the possibility. But he was right. They were humans. Although something about the Unwelcome triggered the Cursed abilities the abilities didn’t come into play when they came into conflict with other humans, just the Unwelcome. But was it possible that they could give the Unwelcome a resistance to the Naku’s mental intrusion, the same one the Cursed had? And what would that mean? Or would they also only be triggered by other Unwelcome? Or would they be triggered by humans? Or would they just be able to resist the Naku?

  “I never even considered that.” But the idea of it, of their allies having abilities and more importantly being able to resist the Naku, that was intriguing.

  “If you decide to use the ash on the other humans, I just think it might be worth considering using it on some of us as well.”

  “I will consider that.”

  Thor gave her a small grin. “We’ve come pretty far, you and I.”

  “Yes, we have.”

  A shout from the main gate caused her to turn. Lewis rode through with Imogen and Pierce. Lewis caught sight of Lyla and Thor. He dismounted, handing his reins to Pierce and headed for them.

  “Well, let’s go see what Lewis thinks of our plan.”

  52

  In the dining room once again, Lyla explained to Lewis what they had learned. He remained stoic during her entire recitation. At the end, he simply raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Yes, I have. What do you think Meg will say?”

  “She’ll be willing to help. The human liaison visited after the attack on the breeding facility. He brought a dozen Unwelcome who went throug
h each structure. They even found the hiding spot beneath my floor.”

  “It’s a good thing you took the Cursed out of there.”

  “A very good thing.”

  “The Unwelcome took little care with their search and destroyed a great deal. So she’ll be all in. She’ll just need to know when and where.”

  “Have the fighters head here. If all goes well, we’ll be heading out in two days’ time.”

  Lewis stood. “Well, I’ll grab a bite to eat and then head back out.”

  “Thanks, Lewis. Safe journey.” He nodded as he slid the doors to the dining room open.

  Lyla stood, stretching her back a little to relieve the ache that had formed along the sides.

  She wasn’t sure if it was from the fight with the Unwelcome, her meeting with Ta’Chiko, or her poor sleeping habits as of late. She stepped out of the room, stopping short.

  Max stood waiting in the front hall, shifting from side to side, wringing his hat in his hands. “Hey, Max.”

  “Lyla.” Max glanced around. “Could I speak with you for a moment?”

  There were a million details Lyla wanted to see to, but Max rarely sought her out. And right now, he looked concerned. “Of course. How about in here?”

  She led the way back into the dining room, taking a seat at the table and gesturing for Max to take a seat in the one next to her. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I’ve been thinking about the mission. Everyone’s buzzing about it.”

  She frowned. “Did you want to volunteer?”

  “Yes, but not for the fighting part, exactly. I, um, I think you might have overlooked a critical detail.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When the ship comes down, the people in New City will be in danger. Some will be killed.”

  Lyla nodded. “We’ve considered that, but those people chose to be there. Protecting them is not a priority.”

  “I agree, but not everyone in New City chose to be there. The kids didn’t. One of the priorities has to be getting the children out.”