Myopia (Young Adult Zombie Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria Series) (10 page)

“Tell me, why does he not decide? Alba is his old friend. I do not see why that would be a problem for him, and Talia is very beautiful. But he acts like it is true. Do you prefer Terrans?”

“Father!” Yordi shouted angrily at the Sen. “How can you say something so base and disgusting about your own son? I would be within my rights as your Prime to kill you for that.” He advanced to the Sen

“Yordi, stop.” Lluc grabbed his older brother. “Father is just angry.”

“No! No, he has insulted us all.” Yordi broke free, but this time Bach and Lluc restrained him. “There is no anger that justifies what he said about you. Does he think our mother was an animal he bought on the streets, so he can speak to you like that?”

“No, but Bach needs to explain it to me,” Sen Aleix demanded, unmoved.

“He just needs time to decide. You make this sound like it is an easy decision; you of all people know the price of choosing badly,” Lluc explained. “Let him finish his 1,000 days. When he returns, he will have decided.”

“That sounds fair,” Belem said softly.

“Fine.” The word spewed from the Sen’s lips like poison.

This calmed Yordi down and the boys let go of the Prime. Adjusting his suit, he turned to Bach. “Explain to our father, so he understands you are not perverted.”

“Once I have returned from Terra with the answers.” Bach wanted it to be true.

His father didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and dismissed his sons.

*****

Bach banged again on the large glass doors. If there was no answer in three seconds, he would smash through them. Moments later, the door opened and Enric appeared.

“You look like you are about to go to war.”

Rushing toward him, until there were only a few inches apart, Bach fumed, “Who did you tell about Wisteria?”

“Do not tell me you have come this early to ask about a girl?” Enric seethed.

“Answer me!”

“No, but I wish I had.”

“You helped me save her life!”

“I know, because I thought your brother was being a qwaynide, but he was right.”

“So, why did you return with me to Smythe several times to see her?”

“Because, you are still my friend and you need someone to protect you and your secrets, which are now my secrets because I attached as Sen-Son.”

“Enric—”

“Did you ever renew her?”

Bach didn’t answer.

“Are you crazy? What are you doing? If I knew you were not going to renew her, I would not have helped you. You have dragged me into your twisted world and now I am just as culpable as you.”

“If you did not tell the Sen, how did he find out?”

“Well, maybe because you burst into homes asking about your pet, or going to Terra and no one can find you. That would arouse suspicion in even the stupidest Famila.”

His friend was right. Running off to Smythe to see that Terran when the Sen was in Jarthan probably made some people suspicious.

“I am sorry I accused you.”

“I am dead if they know. I know about her, so your secret is keeping me alive, too.” Enric groaned. “Please do not name my sister as your intended. She needs to be with someone who is devoted to her.”

“I will try not to break her heart.”

“Break her what?” Enric scoffed. “You are not Alba’s only suitor. The last time I checked, you were ninth behind Quire, the Sen-Son of the sixth Pillar.”

“Ninth?”

“Yes, so there are eight other guys I have got to put in their place before I even come to you.” Enric patted his shoulder while cracking his own neck.

“You intend to fight every single one of them. Eight fights?”

“Well, you and me for the most part. We will probably just break an arm or a leg.”

“Do not worry about me. Your sister has made it clear she does not want me to be her intended either.”

CHAPTER SIX

Wisteria and Garfield headed to the SUV to start their first shift since she had gotten over the flu. Passing the gate on the way to the tracker station, they saw people crowding around. Climbing on to an abandoned car for a better vantage point, the two kids saw soldiers loading suitcases and boxes into a rundown hatchback as the crowd hissed and booed.

A middle-aged man, Jerry Saunders, emerged carrying a shotgun and the people cheered.

“Jerry, you don’t have to go anywhere,” someone yelled. “Those bloody soldiers can’t do nothing to you, mate.”

“I’ll be fine.” Jerry smiled nervously, waving the gun at the crowd, who cheered in response.

Three more people followed him out. Among them was seventeen-year-old Billy Saunders. He’d helped Hailey attack Wisteria months ago.

“That’s Billy’s family,” Garfield said, bewildered. “Why do they have a car? They aren’t trackers or anything. He works in the factory, right?”

Nodding, Wisteria watched as Jerry’s wife fell to her knees, pleading with a civilian guard, Quincy
Markesan
.

Quincy ignored her and threw a box into the car.

“They’re getting evicted from Smythe,” she realized.

“Are you joking?” he gasped. “Why? Where will they go?”

“I don’t know, but they’re going to die out there.”

Residents were evicted or kicked out of the Isle of Smythe for various reasons. They might’ve robbed someone or killed someone, but the most common reason was not earning their keep. A few years ago, people were being kicked out every week. This was the fifth eviction this year, an all-time low.

Steven climbed onto the car with them. “Hey, rat-boy,” he said to Garfield.

“What do you want, Hindle?” Garfield snapped.

“Besides the obvious, I came to get a better view of the show.” He squeezed Wisteria’s arm.

She punched him on the shoulder.

“Ow.” He laughed.

“Man, get lost.” Garfield jabbed at the taller boy, but Steven easily sent him reeling down the side of the car into a large puddle of muddy water.

“Garfield.” She attempted to reach for him, but the blond-haired boy hauled her back. “Steven, I’m tired of telling you to stay away from me.”

“Don’t you want to know why they’re kicking Saunders off the island?” He let go. “It’s got to do with your stepdad.”

“What did Coles do?” someone in the crowd called out. “We want to hear this.”

She didn’t want everyone hearing her family business, even though Coles was a nutcase. “Fine.” She signaled for Steven to come to her.

He shook his head at her. “Come up here, or I’ll yell it for everyone to hear.”

“Just get down, Steven.” Garfield pulled the boy down.

Falling into the mud, Steven jumped up and lunged at Garfield, but her friend had disappeared. “I hate that kid. One day soon, I’m going to break his face.”

“Let’s go, Steven.”

“Forget it.” He brushed past her and stomped off, embarrassed and mad.

“Wait.” Although she was glad he was walking away, she wanted to know what he knew about her stepfather, because ultimately it affected her now. “You were going to tell me something.”

“Yeah, well that was before. I’m out of here.”

“Come on, Steven.” Hurrying after him, she pleaded with him, but then she halted. “Wait, you don’t know why Jerry’s being kicked out, do you? You’re just messing with me.”

Stopping, he came over to her. “If I tell you? You’ve got to start treating me better.”

“Better? I take all your nonsense.”

“You know what I mean.” He grinned, and glanced back at the crowd. “They weren’t earning their keep in town.”

“How come? Jerry works at the factory. We sell those tablets to the merchants, so how can they say he’s not pulling his weight?”

“Jerry was, but his wife and Billy weren’t. The boy was hanging around Hailey and her girls too long. Forgot a few shifts at the waste treatment.”

“How many shifts?”

“He hasn’t worked for more than a year and he didn’t think he had to, since Hailey and Yvette don’t.”

“No, Hailey and Yvette run the theatrical society. That’s hard work,” she said sarcastically.

“Well her father runs the island. Well, him and sometimes your stepfather.”

“Jerry’s going to have to face life on the outside because of Billy?” She always hated hearing this kind of thing.

“And his mum too. She wanted to work as one of my dad’s lab technicians, but they sent her to work in sanitation because she didn’t have the skills. She didn’t go and that was eight months ago.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, but Jerry and his friend Mike were given the option to stay in town.”

“There's no way he’d leave his family to die outside,” she replied.

“And that why he’s going with them.”

“What has this got to do with Coles?”

“Everyone’s mad at Jerry’s leaving. Who do you think they’re going to blame?” He flicked her chin. “I thought I’d give you a heads up, and now you owe me.”

“I owe you nothing and you need to stop touching me.” Slapping his hand, she pushed him back.

At her actions, he snickered.

“Hey, you better watch yourself, girl.” A burly man rushed up to her. “Just because your old man is in charge doesn’t give you the right to attack other people.”

“I wasn’t—”

“I saw you,” the man shouted at her.

“Steven, tell him,” she demanded. “There’s no way I could knock him around.”

“Don’t make the boy lie for you,” the man seethed. “Tell your dad that things are going to change here. He and his thugs can’t just do whatever they want and expect us to take it.” He shook her.

Digging her nails into his forearm, she made the man recoil in pain. She dashed through the alley behind the nearest house, away from the crowd.

*****

“Everything is under control,” Wisteria’s mother said repeatedly as she sat in the kitchen, cleaning her rifle that evening. That was all her mother would say about the eviction. “There’s no way the Leadership can survive without Coles in charge. And if they were deluded enough to kick him out, no soldiers would follow the puppet they put in charge.”

There was no more conversation on the matter after that.

She returned to her room, not sure if she was convinced or not. Her mother seemed completely unbothered, but then again her mother was not there when the townspeople were yelling and screaming at the soldiers.

Later that night, she woke up to the sound of someone tapping on her window. Lifting her head, she saw it was Garfield. Kicking off the covers, she crept to the window. Sliding the glass open, but not the metal cage, she noticed from the strong wind it was about to rain. “What are you doing here? My mum’ll have kittens if she sees you.”

“Is your brother home?”

She shrugged. “Probably not. Why?”

“They’re having another party.” Amanda pushed her way to the window.

“Another one?” She dejectedly tapped her head against the window. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“They’ve gone to Woolmer,” Garfield informed her.

“Woolmer.” Wisteria froze. “There are biters in Woolmer.”

“We didn’t know. No one told us Woolmer was infected. They felt they wouldn’t get caught, since Norton is safe. Woolmer has to be safe too, right?” Amanda explained.

“You knew this, Amanda?” She unlocked the metal cage. “Why didn’t you tell me before they left?”

“I heard them talking about it, but I didn’t know they were actually going,” Amanda continued.

“Amanda, you’re Hailey’s friend. How can you not know?” Wisteria pointed out.

“I thought she was joking, but when Garfield was telling me you guys saw biters in Woolmer, I went to tell her, and she was gone.”

“She didn’t tell you the party was tonight?” Wisteria clarified.

“I guess she’s still mad because I brought you the last time. And she might’ve caught Steven flirting with me, so I don’t think she’s talking to me right now,” Amanda added.

Wisteria slipped on the clothes she’d worn that day and grabbed her sword. Climbing out, she joined the pair and padlocked the metal cage from the outside. Slipping through the metal gate, they hurried down the gravel road with their bikes and were soon riding though the town, attempting to avoid the soldiers patrolling.

“This is the way.” Amanda gestured left as they cycled.

“I’m not leaving Smythe,” she informed them as she stopped. “I’m going to get someone who’ll help us.”

“Who?’ Garfield rode back to her.

“Andrew.” Wisteria kept walking.

“No, if he knows, he’ll go to Coles.” Amanda grabbed her. “Once Coles catches them, he will go mad. You’re overreacting.”

“Amanda, there are biters in Woolmer. I know there are biters there. We accidentally found over fifty locked in a school.” She was furious with her brother.

“But we cured the ones in the school,” he pointed out.

“No, we only cured the ones that came out. No one has gone back to Woolmer because it’s too dangerous right now. We don’t know how many more are hidden in that town, bolted away in another part of the school or locked away by loved ones who thought they were doing the right thing. And we’re not going there alone.” She headed in the direction of Andrew’s house.

“Don’t. He’ll tell Coles,” Amanda begged.

“I don’t know what else to do.” She tried to stop herself from screaming. “And if it’s one tenth as windy in Woolmer as it is here, their scent will travel for miles.”

“So, go out and explain that to David,” Amanda suggested.

“Amanda, she’s right,” he replied. “We’re not going out there.”

“You’re going to leave him to die? That’s what you want, Garfield, isn’t it?”

“We’re going to get help,” Wisteria assured her.

They reached Andrew’s home ten minutes later.

When he came to the door, he was red-eyed with his hair ruffled. “Does your mother know you’re here?” he asked Wisteria.

“Andrew, we have a problem.” She explained the situation.

As she did, the man quickly became alert.

“Drew, do you have to go to work or what? Either get out or get back to bed,” Rebecca screamed from inside.

“Rebecca, get up. We’ve got to go get the Major,” Andrew called.

“No, no, no,” Garfield pleaded.

“You said I could come to you,” Wisteria reminded him.

“I’m glad you did.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “But if they’d just gone back to Norton to party, I’d have gone to get them easily, but since they’re in Woolmer, we need to send a team out there to get them back. Because I’m guessing at least a hundred more biters are in that town.”