The War for Mare (The Fall of Man Book 3) (9 page)

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” I leaned into the table.
“The hall of history, that’s fake?”

Snake shook his head. “No, those are real
clippings from real news stories. No one knew. It was ugly. Very
few saw the Savages invade cities.”

“We see it all the time in Angeles,” I
said.

“That’s nothing,” Snake scoffed. “Imagine a
wave of tar, thick and black, rolling in, that’s how many there
were. Ancients may not be able to reproduce with other Ancients,
but the Savages can multiply. They can turn people.”

“So China didn’t nuke us?” Burt asked.

Snake shook his head. “No, we did it to
ourselves, just like they did. It was the only way to defeat the
masses. They moved into a city and half of those they killed became
Savages. We were praying for an act of God, a great flood.
Firehouses were a good defense, busted them right up. But the flood
never came and the only way to save the human race was to force
people to migrate to areas with fewer Savages.”

“Wow.” Burt swiped his hand down his face.
“I never knew that.”

“If they said monsters were taking over
cities, how much panic would there be?” Snake said. “It was easier
this way. Then the Ancients emerged and that kept the Savages
partly out of the west. We’re gonna conquer the west ones, though.”
He gave a nod to me. “Tanner here found their base.”

“What’s the plan?” Burt asked.

“Don’t know yet,” I replied. “There’s too
many to go hand to hand. We need to draw them out in the day.”

“Then use fire,” Snake added. “Burn them
down if we can find the resources.”

“I see why you fight,” Burt said. “That’s a
lot more information than we had.”

“Makes me want to be a soldier,” said
Brea.

“Maybe against the Ancients,” I told her.
“Yeah, they can do some odd stuff and have some power, but the
Savages are brutal.”

Burt shook his head once with a smile. “Man,
you hate them Ancients.”

“Doesn’t everybody?”

“They have a few nasty ones,” Burt said.
“Other than that though, they are a lot like you and me.”

“Why didn’t you ever come to Angeles City?”
Snake asked.

Burt shrugged. “Never had the inkling. We
have all we need right here. Except a seamstress. I told you that
before. She was good and it would have been priceless to have here,
not to mention funny.”

I was curious. “Why is that?”

“Because of who she was,” Burt said. “I
spotted you guys walking from far back. Her, she just appeared and
we knew. Happened twice before. One left and one works in our
winery now.”

“I’m confused,” I said. “Who was she?”

‘The high princess herself, Nito.”

At first my heart sunk to my gut, and then I
was hit with disbelief. He had to be wrong. “No.”

“Yeah. It was her. Recognize her anywhere. A
little older, a little meatier, good breasts, and funny as hell
because she didn’t know how to react.”

Snake shifted his eyes to me as he went from
kicked back and relaxed to sitting perfectly upright.

“She was banished,” I said. “Banished out of
the Ancient City.”

‘Yes, she was, but into human form. Must
have done something pretty bad for them to do that.”

“How is that possible? How does an Ancient
turn human?” I asked.

“They were human to begin with. She wasn’t
purebred. So they could make her human again.”

“Oh my God,” I jumped up. “Who has the power
to do that? I need to know.”

“The king, his counsel,” Burt replied.

“How do you know all this?” Snake asked.

“We get a lot of people from there.”

I started to leave and Snake grabbed me.
“Where are you going?”

“I got to get back to Ancient City, I have
to tell Vala. If Nito turned Sophie into an Ancient, the king can
turn her back.”

“Aren’t we forgetting something?” Snake
asked. “Nito is alive and around.”

“Ah, she’s harmless,” Burt said. “She has no
abilities and is clueless.”

“And gone,” I added. “He said she left.”

“Okay,” Snake looked at Burt. “She still has
the same personality. The same mean streak. Do you know where she
went?”

“I do,” he answered. “Someplace where she
couldn’t pull one over. A place where they’d figure her out right
away. She went to Angeles City.”

I wanted to freak, to panic, I started to
and then I realized Burt was right. Yes, Nito was in Angeles City,
the enemy was on our home ground, but there was no way that Davis
wouldn’t see through her and deal with her. More than likely, she
was already dead.

I had become quite
accustomed to the clothing Burt had given me. Dungarees that
bunched only when I sat too fast, but for the most part they were
comfortable. I wondered what my divulging of the Ancient City
location meant. Surely, they were not planning a mass invasion.
There weren’t enough humans in Angeles City to do that. Maybe he
was going for a visit. I know I was told they were the rebellion,
but I saw nothing rebellious about anyone. They were all very
congenial.

Davis was so smitten with me over the news
about the location of Ancient City he told me he needed to get me
some clothing.

“That is very sweet of you,” I told him.

“It’s not a problem.”

“Just your happiness is my reward.”

He seemed to be happy and laughed. “Good.
I’ll be back.”

“I will anxiously await your return.”

After he was gone, I moved about the bunker
nearly dancing, and then I recalled the dance. Perhaps it was too
powerful on mortal men, but it was entrancing and I longed to
perform the Awalim dance of Hathor for him. Creating my own beat in
my head, I geared to practice when a woman entered.

“I’m sorry,” she said upon walking in, her
arms full of items. “Was I interrupting something?”

“No. Not at all.” She was a raven haired
beauty. Her skin was tanned brown and her hair was sleek and
flowing. I admit to feeling a sense of jealousy. “Who are you?”

“Davis asked me to bring these.”

I cocked my head in question. “Are you his
servant woman?”

“Excuse me?” she walked down the stairs.

Then it dawned on me. Maybe, in a sense of
jealousy, she had brought the clothing because she didn’t want
Davis any more enamored with me. “Oh, I understand. You are his
mate.”

“Who, Davis?” she asked, setting the
clothing down.

“Yes.”

She laughed. “No. I have my own… mate. Thank
you.”

“He’s quite handsome in a rugged way, do you
not think?”

“If you like the country boy type, I
guess.”

“Country boy. Yes. Does he have a mate?” I
asked.

“Not that I know of.”

“That is good to know. Are these for
me?”

“They are, Madge. Davis asked me to pick
something out for you. You’ll like these. If they don’t suit you, I
can—”

“No. No, these are fine. Davis is far too
generous. Such a charming man and he has no mate.”

Again, she laughed at me as if I were
jesting.

“No. In fact, in the ten years I have been
here I have never seen him with a woman. He may be gay.”

“That is good to know. Gay is a good
thing.”

“Yes.”

“A man can be gay without a woman in his
life.”

“That’s usually how it works,” she said.

“I’ve no man in my life. I believe I’m
gay.”

“That’s nice. I have a friend for you then.
She’s a great woman.”

“Is she gay?”

“Yes.”

“Great. I would love to make more friends.
We can all be gay together.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll… uh… let you
change your clothing. Davis is going to be by to get you.”

“I’m leaving the dungeon?” I asked.

“Looks that way.”

Immediately, I felt giddy, I wanted to
practice my dance and change my clothes. I had been conditioned,
and quickly too.

The clothing woman opened the door to leave,
and I remembered to ask her name. I wanted to remain friends with
her as well. She was beautiful and full of information. I always
surrounded myself with beautiful people.

Her name was Amanda.

She would be in my good graces, although I
didn’t understand the clothing. It was more of those denim
dungarees, only these were a bit snug. I was able to get into them,
but had to inhale deeply to fasten them. It would take getting used
to for walking, but they did firm up my body so I liked them.

Davis arrived shortly after I was
dressed.

“Ready?” he asked.

“How do I look?”

“You look good.”

I lowered my head. “Thank you. So where are
we going? Someplace private? I have been practicing the Awalim
Dance of Hathor for you.”

“That’s really nice. I’d like to see it
sometime. Maybe later.”

“Then you shall. Am I cured? Am I considered
normal? Is that why I am leaving?”

“No. You’re too far gone. There’s no turning
you, so we’re just gonna have to go with the hope that eventually,
you’ll adjust.”

“So where are we going?”

“Tomorrow I get you settled into your new
home.”

“A home? You are giving me a home? Davis,
you are being far too generous. You spoil me.”

“Um… yes. That’s tomorrow. Tonight we hit
the beach.”

“The beach?” My eyes widened.

“Safest place to be. Near water, in case of
Savage attack. If they come you go in.”

“No. No.” I shook my head frantically. “I
cannot go in water,” I stated firmly, then paused.
Could I?
I was in human form. “Wait. I can.”

“So you do swim?”

“Swim? No.”

“Didn’t think so. Most of you folks from the
Straits don’t swim, so I have something for you.” He must have set
it down before I saw him, because I didn’t notice it. Davis lifted
a thick, bright orange piece of clothing. “For you.”

“What is it?”

“A life jacket. Just put it on.”

“It has no sleeves. How can it be a jacket?”
I asked.

“It’s just the name. It will keep you
protected in the water should you need to go in.”

“A life… jacket. Is it yours?”

“You can say so.”

“You are giving me your life… jacket?”

“Yep.”

“Then I shall wear your life jacket
proudly.”

“Good. You’ll look real cute.”

I wasn’t familiar with what ‘real cute’
meant, but I assumed it was a compliment. I felt my face grow hot
and I wanted to do nothing but smile at Davis. His intentions with
me were becoming more apparent. First the clothing, the release,
the new home, and he was sharing his life jacket with me. I was
something new, but I was cured with a name like life Jacket. It
definitely was symbolic and part of some sort of human commitment
ritual. One I’d gladly take from Davis.

My knowledge of
conception was limited to the act that Marie described to me. There
was nothing about what she told me that was appealing. Yet, if I
wanted to be safe, to have the upper hand, I had to conceive a
child with Iry.

There were no guarantees that the Savages
were indeed gathering under the leadership of Anubis and the queen.
My only assurance would be to see for myself, and the only way to
do that would to be with child.

It was another means of entrapment. Again, I
was drawn in and captured by the Ancient world. I spent most of my
life living under their thumb, absorbing the knowledge they wanted
us to know, dreaming one day of making my escape and defeating
them. However, it seemed the only way to save mankind was to be a
part
of the Ancients. It was something I was not ready
for.

As a Mare I learned I had unbelievable
gifts. The ability to see, to travel from my body, to fight like no
other warrior. My advantage was my mind. Anubis was stronger and
was controlling that. I hated that I was not in control of anything
anymore.

My sister was out of my control, and I was
now wed to an Ancient.

Twice Anubis had pulled me from my world
into his. Whether it was to taunt or mislead me, the fact remained
he did accomplish it.

Real war with the Savages or not, the first
battle stone was cast the moment he drew me in.

Actually, it was before that: when they took
my blood. If the queen went from Savage to upright with one taste,
it sickened me to think what would become of her if she had a
second dose.

I had to be prepared for the fight.

Unfortunately, the best armor for me was a
child I neither wanted, nor was ready for.

How to even go about it was the question.
Iry seemed content to find another option. Run, escape, and get
somewhere far. But we were dealing with Anubis reaching to me from
a different plane, it didn’t matter where I went, he would find
me.

I needed advice. Before I embarked on the
mating ritual with my husband, I needed to speak to someone. With
my mother and Marie both dead, and Susan now unequivocally an
enemy, I sought out a wise soul to speak with. Someone human.

She looked full of wisdom like Marie,
although she wasn’t quite as old as most elders in the elder home.
I had seen her many times and she always was pleasant.

“Thank you so much for making the time to
talk to me,” I told her. “I know you are busy with your work. So
you know now what my dilemma is?”

“Let me see if I got this right. You want to
have a child with your husband but you don’t know what to do?”

“No.”

“Has anyone talked to you?”

“My friend Marie told me things about the…
the act.”

“So you haven’t consummated your marriage
yet?”

“What is that?”

“The act.”

My eyes widened. “No.”

“You need to do so to conceive a child,” she
said. “You obviously love your husband if you married him. Intimacy
should not be a problem.”

I wanted to tell her that there was more to
the story.