Bone Dust & Beginnings (Alexa's Travels Book 1) Read online

  She grinned. "Clever. I am in great need of that skill."

  Edward opened his mouth… closed it. He already liked her praise - a lot.

  Aware of his response, Alexa leaned a bit deeper into his warm embrace, testing his character. Her lips brushed his jaw. "Would you have your service repaid in such a manner?"

  If he chose to trade, she would honor it - and leave him here come dawn.

  Alexa was gently held back, and then lowered to a half-filled air-mattress near the steps. For an instant, there was the sense of his body about to follow hers down… and then she was alone on the neatly made pallet.

  "I'd talk about it another time...” Still fighting the lust, Edward moved back another step. "But Afterworld demands debts are settled while both people still live, so here's what I want... To know we fight for New America. I can give everything to that."

  Braced, Edward waited for the scorn and mockery those words usually brought. Someone who could control horses through the violent weather was much sough after, but being a patriot was not.

  Alexa understood what wasn’t said. Would-be masters came asking for him, as she may have had to if not for the flag, but once inside, his loyalties became clear and he was left behind. Especially by the women, who were more than half of the leaders she had come across since the War, but also by the few men still trying to gather an army to protest that shift in power.

  Her hand tensed automatically as she answered. "I seek those who came before us."

  Edward’s eyes widened. That legend was one he soaked up eagerly. To think that there was another life to be had, a second chance, no matter who you were before… what you’d done.

  He stared in shock. "It is I who owe you."

  Alexa leaned back onto the pallet, but never took her eyes from his. Almost clean, the smell of it wasn’t one that she would mind on her skin.

  "And why is that?"

  "Because I'd die in Safe Haven, or trying to prove it exists!"

  The woman nodded, warming to him, "And you shall get your chance. So we both shall."

  Too weary to resist the exhaustion, her eyes closed. "I'm Alexa."

  "Edward. May I see to your wound?"

  Satisfied, the leader gave her first of six a stunning smile, sending him to his knees in a dazed awe. Her pleasure was designed to draw, to unite. Normally used for ties with a mate, she was employing it to bind fighters to her for the quest. Where Adrian Mitchel led, Safe Haven followed. The same was true of his only daughter.

  2

  Shortly after he began to pry the bullet from her pale, perfect thigh, Alexa passed out, and Edward was glad. She'd made little sound, other than to carry on a conversation - quizzing him on the things she saw in the room, the technology that he’d brought back to life. She was strong, more so than any of those who'd come before, and Edward found no revulsion inside to be serving a female. Not this one. He already sensed the end that was waiting, but in time, he might be willing to die for her.

  "Tell me how you came to be here."

  He hadn't known she was awake, but to his credit, Edward controlled the flinch. "As we eat."

  They were in the soft, blue glow of the cobwebbed ceiling lights, his store above them closed for the evening. There were hours of time to kill before dawn brought a start to their journey together, and even the distant drip of water in the darkness was slow. In Afterworld, when nighttime fell over this dead land, time became… longer.

  Alexa pushed up to sit against the wall, as Edward drew their dinner from a sweetly steaming pot that had once been a large coffee can. There were a variety of soothing noises, from the gentle crackle of the fire he had rigged to blow out of a vent, likely miles from here, to the soft hum of the machinery running the lights. His things were few and neat, ready to be grabbed, and she counted no less than three other useable exits besides the stairs she'd been brought down. It was a nearly perfect hole-up, but was he really the perfect student he appeared to be?

  Making little noise, Edward handed her a plate-sized serving platter with three small bowls and a cup of what looked like milk. He moved back to collect his own, and she sampled the food warily.

  "Mmm..."

  Her low groan of pleasure had Edward turning toward her in need…

  Alexa was impressed with his self-control when he stopped, went back to collecting his own bowl. Descendants were hard to resist.

  "I call it swill."

  Alexa snorted, scooping a larger bite of the slightly garlicky stew, "‘Tis pig, after all."

  Edward was glad she understood the main ingredient. Many people now refused to eat pork. Swine flu vaccinations were long gone, but the nasty beasts were abundant. Their ability to eat almost anything was both the source of their survival and the revulsion of survivors. For a long while, human carrion had been the only readily available food source.

  Alexa watched him settle a few feet away, noting the strength of his body, the ebony glow of his hair in the lights. He would be a solid hand when trained. Even now, he was a good addition.

  "The Draft brought me here from Colorado. This is part of the bunker we were held in."

  He didn't pray before eating, and Alexa hadn't expected him to. She doubted he’d believed in a long time. That was another thing all of her crew would have in common.

  After a quick chew and swallow, he continued, and she speared one of the potato-like lumps in the second bowl.

  "There were a lot of us - too many for them to keep feeding. A few months after the War, the regulations were changed. If we could prove we had kids, a family we would swear to return to, we could go.”

  Another bite and swallow, this one to smother his anger, before his deep voice went on, "I was only married, not eligible. So, I killed a guard, took his keys, and let the other four barracks of draftees out."

  Alexa jabbed another creamy bite, stomach growling. "The bunker was breached?"

  "By those I set loose. Afterward, they sacked the closest towns, killing, raping, burning. Lexington was the only one to rebuild."

  Alexa met his eye pointedly, "And why didn't they end you for it when they found out? Why do they tolerate even the sight of you here?"

  His lined face flushed at the brutal honesty, but the outcast didn't look away, "Because there are only a few of them still alive who know… and I'm very, very good with my guns."

  Alexa’s lips curled upward. "Is that so?"

  Edward went back to his meal without repeating or even confirming.

  Pleased, she forked a yellow tidbit in the last bowl. "Go on."

  Alexa delighted in the taste of vanilla and crushed pineapples. Brown sugar too? He either had a good stock or knew where supplies were. That might come in handy.

  "I went home first, as many of us eventually did, but my old life was… murdered. I came back here and opened a store with the things I'd gathered."

  "Why return to the scene?"

  Edward answered with an openness that hid nothing. "I had hoped there would be someone here who could kill me for my crimes."

  “And after you realized they could not?”

  Edward’s tone deepened into the misery that had been pulling her to this place, to his tent. “In time, I thought maybe I would find the courage to do what they couldn’t.”

  Determined to ease his pain, Alexa’s words rang in the chilly air, "I will give you new ways, new hopes… if you can follow, swear yourself to me.”

  Edward smiled slightly at the official offer. "I was yours the instant you chose my flag over everyone else.”

  3

  Alexa jerked awake in the darkness, instinct telling her danger was close.

  She looked around to find Edward heading up the steps. He didn’t presume to tell her what to do, only cast a slightly curious look over his shoulder as he blended into the shadows.

  Alexa quickly gathered her things, satisfied with her first. She was already sure who was stomping through Edward’s tent - the loose ends she had left in the desert. Most
likely, it was a scouting party coming ahead of the main teams. When she’d escaped Corbin’s control, she had been tracked, but she’d stayed underground and remained out of their reach. Being spotted out of her hole-up had been an accident that she wouldn’t repeat twice.

  Voices wafted down the stairs as she moved on a leg that was nearly healed thanks to the vibrant energy of her host. She judged the time to be just before the dawn's ugly break that would have woken her naturally.

  Louder, angry words echoed now, and Alexa stilled as rage flared. One of those voices was familiar… and loathed. She’d thought to sneak away, but it wasn’t a scouting party. That was Regan was up there. She wasn’t leave without spilling his blood.

  Alexa pulled herself onto the ladder and began to climb.

  "Where is she?"

  Standing behind the thin counter, Edward kept his tone even, "The woman left last night after buying ammo."

  He waved a hand at the rack he had emptied into his bag while closing the store. "She went south."

  Four of the soldiers stomped around, poking boxes and bins, turning over crates.

  Their leader, a redhead with a mean twist to his lips, pointed toward the hole they'd seen him climb from. "What's down there?"

  "My cellar."

  Martial Law had not been revoked, and it made dealing with soldiers awkward. It was almost impossible to know if they were real or impostors, but it didn’t matter this time. Edward hated these men on sight. He was already sure they were the ones who’d shot Alexa.

  "Search it."

  "No."

  Edward's words were like stone, and the four soldiers looked to their leader for direction.

  Regan felt the challenge and sauntered closer. They’d followed their prey by common sense. This was the only outpost within a hundred miles, and she needed to regain her strength, her energy. She had to still be close by.

  Regan studied the merchant, looking for the telltale signs. Deep bags under his eyes, a pulse that pounded slightly faster than was normal due to a low energy bank being refreshed. Yes, she’d taken from him, but… why wasn’t this man a pile of bones like the others they’d found?

  His jealousy flared, and Regan stepped closer. "You'd deny a government search?"

  Edward grunted. "I'll let you know when I see government. They bring papers."

  Which wasn't always true, but the insult was clear enough. Edward watched the guard’s eyes narrow without worry. The redhead wore the weapons of a fighter, but the fit was awkward. It wasn’t something that could be said of himself. His own guns were an extension of his body, and always ready for use.

  "We’re going to search it." Regan warned. “If you interfere, I’ll shoot you.”

  Edward sensed Alexa listening from the open hatch, felt her agreement.

  "You can try..." He glared in warning, eager to show his new Mistress a bit of his talents. “You can also die.”

  Regan went for his gun at the challenge, and the soldiers with him did the same.

  "Down!"

  Edward hit the floor at her order, not needing to draw. Alexa handled it, Colts crashing.

  Her first two shots were the best, hitting three of the men. One was Regan, and he was saved death only by the smallest of flinches. The slug slammed through his arm and punched a hole in the tent. Her other bullet went through two necks within an instant of each other.

  Regan returned fired wildly in surprise, sending a bullet into the tent floor near the cellar entrance. “Get her!”

  Beside him, the two remaining soldiers darted forward.

  Alexa fired again, sent them into the side of the tent with gaping holes in their foreheads.

  The tent teetered from the weight, ripping at the seam. Gusts of sand flew into the canvas.

  Edward was amazed. Five seconds and five bodies… except one of them wasn’t dead yet.

  Alexa didn’t come out, and Edward followed her lead, staying behind the counter. He did slowly draw his gun - in case she needed him.

  Regan was crouched behind an overturned display - cursing his choice to come in before backup arrived. Commander Corbin had said it was okay to grab her if Regan thought he could. That one-eyed man was also on the way, but it would be hours too late. There was only one thing to try - the truth.

  “We have your brother.”

  Silence…

  “He was in Ocean City, waiting for someone.”

  Alexa surprised both men by answering.

  “You know who he waits for.”

  Regan grimaced, shifting his gun to his uninjured hand. All bunker guards were required to shoot well with both. “Yes, but you’re not going to make it, are you?”

  “Perhaps I’ll go further than your narrow mind can accept.”

  Alexa’s taunt had Regan snarling. “We’ll never let you bring Adrian back! If he comes here, Corbin will slaughter every child he holds!”

  Edward felt the air thicken. Death was sweeping their way again.

  “Why does it matter to you, killer of the innocent? He won’t keep you around so long as that.” Alexa laughed harshly at him. “You have no value.”

  “I will when I bring you in!”

  “You can try… and you can die.”

  Regan charged the hole.

  Crrackk!

  A simple shot, Alexa watched her enemy fall with satisfaction blazing across her cheeks. For his crimes, Regan deserved worse that a fast bullet to the throat, but it would do.

  She holstered her gun as voices came from outside the tent. The shots were bringing the townspeople… the next danger.

  Edward spun for a corner, grabbing the two large kits he'd made while she slept. He slung one over each shoulder while moving back toward the hole. "Coming down."

  "Clear."

  He moved swiftly, landing a second after she did. "Front path."

  A row of blue lights came to life at his command, showing the exit. Alexa nodded - glad of the mental map he’d just given her.

  The lights went out, and her eagle-eyes saw him grab two more bags, then head for the smallest of the exits.

  "They're coming," he warned, moving faster.

  Alexa followed him, listening to the angry, worried mutters of the merchants above them that were discovering the bodies. The surviving government was brutal. Hours from now, only tumbleweeds would remain in Lexington.

  Edward noticed that she followed him silently - not even shifting gravel despite the darkness and unknown terrain - and felt a wall of excitement rise up. He was glad she couldn't see him right now, see how openly happy he was. His second chance, his real life, had begun!

  Alexa smiled indulgently in the dark, estimating they would travel half a day in these caves before he led them to light. He obviously knew them well, and she turned her attention to the next steps, content to let him lead. Come daybreak that would change.

  Two

  1

  They emerged from the reeking ground almost eleven hours after the map winked off, and the dimly fading sunlight was a secret relief. Man wasn't meant to live under the ground, and they'd felt that clearly while listening to the angry earth rumble and mutter above them.

  Eager to be in the light, the sight of their company as they emerged was not pleasant. Snakes - some the size of decaying trees - were spread out over the rocks and boulders that lined the entrance, effectively trapping them.

  Alexa pulled a plan from her bag of tricks, slowly drew the crossbow from her belt. She motioned to Edward, and they carefully eased back inside the shadows of the dank cave.

  Alexa knelt quickly, adding and then baiting a string with a shiny lure that she didn't hesitate to fire after only a bare glance for aim.

  The arrow sailed from her crossbow, shooting out into the dim sky with a whistle that drew attention instantly.

  Unlike the juveniles who made a mad dash, the larger snakes watched it start to fall, estimating, before they too slithered toward it, snapping and hissing at each other.

  Alexa ma
de a quick gesture Edward couldn't mistake and headed for the entrance. She jumped up the side of the stone like a cat, and he followed, being as quiet as he could. He hated snakes even more than wolves.

  Alexa took them toward the top, never unsure in her footing. They were fifty feet up before she even paused for a look. Seeing movement at the base of the cliff, she immediately went back to climbing.

  Edward followed, careful to place his bigger feet where hers had been. Without being told, the man knew she was also picking the ledges with his weight in mind, and the beginnings of real trust started to grow.

  Alexa paused, scowling, "They're coming."

  Looking down, Edward couldn't see anything.

  She shook her head, digging one-handed through the kit while holding onto the ledge. "From the inside."

  He could feel it as soon as she said it - the vibrations under his hands as the reptiles slid through the gaps and crevices, shifting smaller rubble. They were right behind these walls.

  "This is your first test. It's a bit rougher than I had planned to start you with, so watch me closely and continue to live your new, real life."

  Alexa tied a thick rope around her waist, one with a small, hard knot at the other end, which she tossed to him.

  He caught awkwardly in his surprise. Had she pulled that from his thoughts? How strong was she?

  Edward did better with the rope already around his own waist, only needing the hand knot and the throw.

  "Slack, is the key,” Alexa informed him quickly. “Stand pat while I jump."

  Edward started to wrap the hand knot tighter and stopped, searching for better footing instead. At that point she began jumping, and his grip on the rope was unbreakable.

  Alexa swung a leg out to stop and landed gracefully on a nearby ledge.

  “Shit!”

  She looked back to see the stone under Edward’s feet crumbling, hungry fangs lunging…

  "That's mine!" she roared, snapping the rope backwards.