The Last Hunter - Collected Edition (101 page)

“Oh,” I say. Not sure why she thought blood brothers was so outlandish.
The Bond
has kind of a similar tough vibe.

She whispers in my ear again, her breath tickling me “You would call it marriage, husband.”

22

I scramble out from under Kainda and stand bolt upright, exploding from the layer of ferns like a breaching whale. I turn to walk in one direction, change my mind and turn around, but find I can’t bring myself to move at all. My heart races as my mind tries to comprehend Kainda’s revelation.

Marriage!

Husband!

The bond!

I don’t know what to think. Or say. Or do. Where is Nephil when you need him?

I spin around hoping to be discovered by a Nephilim. A good fight would distract me. It’s not that I don’t love Kainda. I adore her. But I don’t know what to do with the emotions I’m feeling. I’ve never felt like this before, and honestly, it terrifies me. Everything up to this point has been temporary. I was broken and then healed. I was split in two—Ull and Solomon—and rejoined. I will fight Nephil and one of us will be defeated. They’re obstacles. I can face them, and then move past them. That’s what my life has become—a struggle against finite roadblocks, all of which will one day be a part of my past. Or I’ll be dead. But this...

Blood to bind. Flesh to join. Man to woman. Woman...to man. Forever.

Forever!

I’m not used to dealing with forever.

“Solomon,” Kainda says. I turn back to find her rising from the ferns. Flickers of sunlight, filtering through the canopy, dance across her tan skin. “Are you okay?”

She looks vulnerable. Worried. Beautiful. When I look into her eyes, all of my nervous energy flits away like dust caught in a breeze. I see her with new eyes, feeling the connection between us.

“My wife...”

She nods.

“Forever.”

She nods again. “Forever.”

I wade through the ferns until I’m standing just inches from her. My mind is still reeling, racing through concerns and scenarios, like worrying if such a marriage is legal, but then I remember I’m technically the sole heir to all of Antarctica and to many, a king. I can write the law. Plus, Kainda and I are both hunters and the laws that govern their culture, as brutal as it might be, are no less valid than those of the United States, a country that is still in its infancy compared to the nation of hunters.

I place my hands on her bare arms and feel her warmth again. All of my fears and concerns are forgotten. None of it matters. I pull her to me and hold her tight. “My wife.”

When we separate, I say, “Does this mean you’re going to shave your head and walk behind me? That’s the hunter tradition, right?”

Kainda shoots me a scowl, but can’t hide the humor in her eyes. A year ago, she wouldn’t have understood the joke. Still, she lands a solid punch on my shoulder. “Don’t push it. We might be married, but—”

A loud gasp cuts off Kainda’s words. “What did she just say?”

We turn to find Em standing by the tree that shielded our hasty nuptials, a hand raised to her mouth. Despite how her still-short hair, now something of a bob, makes her look cute, the knives criss-crossing her chest and waist look positively dangerous. But right now, she’s neither cute nor dangerous. She looks ready to burst, like a happy face balloon with too much air in it.

In response, Kainda lifts her hand, revealing the self-inflicted wound. Em’s eyes grow larger and shift to me. I smile and hold up my hand, showing her the identical wound.

The balloon pops with a squeal of joy unlike anything I’ve seen from a hunter. She hops into the ferns, clapping her hands and then dives at us, throwing her arms around our necks. She squeezes tightly and then leans back, looking at me. “Brother,” she says, and then turns to Kainda, “And now, sister.”

Perhaps performing another ritual I am not aware of, the two women lean their foreheads together, hold for a second before separating.

“Sister,” Kainda says.

“Sorry to break up the huggy time,” Kat says, stepping around the tree, “but we really need to go.”

Em whirls around, beaming. “They’re bonded!”

Kat scrunches her face. “Not sure I need to know that.”

“Married,” I say, clarifying for Kat.

“Married?” Mira says, stepping around the other side of the tree. For a moment, I worry about what she’s going to say, but then she smiles and laughs, and says, “Could have picked a nicer location.”

“Or a better time,” Kat says.

“Hush,” Em tells her and then waves her into the ferns. “Come here.”

Kat resists. “We need to go.”

“This is important,” Em says.

Kat looks dubious.

Em fills her voice with conviction, raising her arms at the group. “We are a family. We must complete the bond.”

Kat stares at her for a moment, looks over her shoulder and then enters the ferns. She stops in front of Em.

“The bond is a tradition among hunters,” Em says. “It is one of the few. But it is important. Blood binds so few in the underworld, but the bond is a declaration that replaces it. You are my sister by birth, but there is a different kind of bond that makes Luca and Solomon my brothers, and Tobias my father. And now Kainda my sister.”

Kat doesn’t reply, but she doesn’t leave, either.

Em puts her hand around Kat’s head and pulls her down. Kat seems to understand her intention, probably from having witnessed Em and Kainda doing the same. She puts her hand on the back of Em’s neck and they press their foreheads together.

“Sister,” Em says.

“Sister,” Kat repeats, though a little more quietly.

Em steps back and points to Kainda. “Now you two.”

The two warriors stare at each other. Both women are hardened by lifetimes of battle and death. They no doubt see this in each other and the compulsion to resist vulnerability increases. But then Kainda steps forward and Kat follows her lead. The put their heads together and say, “Sister.”

Kat turns to me. She steps forward, but then stops. “My husband gave his life for you. But...what I’ve learned about you since... I understand it. And I know he would have no problem doing this himself, so...” She steps forward, takes the back of my head and pushes her forehead hard against mine. “Brother.”

I actually have to reign in my emotions when I say, “Sister.” My voice cracks. When I lift my head, I notice Mira standing nearby. Her eyes reflect a sense of pleasant wonder, but also of longing. I lift a hand in invitation.

“What?” she says, confused. “Sol, I’m not—”

“You have been with me from the moment I stepped foot on Antarktos, in person or in my heart. When I was lost, you saved me with a memory, with a photo and with a note.”

She’s surprised by this. “You
found
that?”

“You have supplied me with hope whenever it was needed and though we were separated by space, and even time, the small gift of confidence you gave a scared fourteen year old boy, might have been what saved my life and led me to this very spot.” I shrug. “So we’re kind of bonded already, whether you like it or not.”

With a laugh, Mira accepts my invitation. She walks right up to me, puts her hand on the back of my neck and grins. “Which box did you check off?”

“Huh?”

“On the note.”

I know exactly what she’s talking about. Every word of it flashes through my mind, perfectly recorded:

Solomon,

I am new to this and I’m not good at writing so I’m going to get right to the point. I like you. A lot. I’m not big on romance. Or flowers. Or girly things in general. So if that is okay with you, I’ll overlook the fact that you are clumsy. And smart. And kind. We will always be good friends. I knew it from the moment I picked you up off of my driveway. But maybe, if you’re lucky, we can be something more? I’m debating about whether or not to give this to you, because the idea of you turning me down makes me sick to my stomach. Actually, I’m pretty sure that this will make you sick to your stomach, too. So to make this simple I’m going to do something I swore I would never do.

Do you like me?
¡
Yes.
¡
No.

Or maybe just sit next to me and put your foot against mine. Grin.

Mira.

I smile, feeling slightly embarrassed, but also safe. This is the history that binds us, and there is no reason to hide from it. “The first.”

“I knew you would.” Mira smiles. “Looks like we get to be something more, after all.”

With a gentle laugh, I pull Mira’s head against mine. “Sister.”

“Brother,” she replied.

Then I feel an arm wrap around me. It’s Em. She puts her head against mine and Mira’s. Kainda and Kat join in next until all of our heads are touching. It feels like the ultimate cheesy moment, like something you’d see at the end of a 1980s movie montage, but it also feels significant. This moment is bonding the five of us, and I suspect that Adoel knew it would happen. Hope, faith, passion and focus, united with me. “Family,” I say.

The word is repeated four times more, working its way around the circle.

A moment later, a deep, rolling rattle separates us. Grumpy stands by the tree, his muzzle stained purple. Zok, whose snout is also covered in Nephilim blood steps up next to him and repeats the gentle call.

“I think they’re ready to go,” I say.

My sisters and wife silently agree, and we head for the dinosaurs, all lost in our own silent reflections. The beasts crouch down allowing us to climb on their backs, Kat and I on Grumpy, the others on Zok. When the dinosaurs stand again, I look across to Kainda. “Ready...wife?”

“After you, husband.”

I grin, give Grumpy a gentle nudge with my legs and say, “Let’s go!”

The dinosaurs take off at a sprint, quickly reaching twenty miles per hour, the speed at which they can run long distance. The jungle passes in a blur, and with every step we take closer to the FOB, my elation over the events of the past few minutes is replaced by a growing dread that we might all be dead by this time tomorrow.

23

The rest of the trip is fairly eventless. With the dinosaurs carrying us, there’s no need to stop to rest, though we pause twice for me to use the bathroom. Apparently, getting unexpectedly married has had an effect on my nerves...and my bladder.

I spend the first four hours of our journey speaking to Kat, filling her in on the enemy forces. We cover everything from their numbers, to their various classes and capabilities, how to kill them, their potential tactics, their long history, their parentage and their ultimate goals. By the time we finish, Kat knows everything about the Nephilim that I do. When we reach the FOB, she and I will meet with General Holloway and any other officers that need to be there. I’ll answer any questions that come up, but it will be Kat’s job to figure out the best military response to each possible situation. I can lead the troops and do some serious damage, but modern military capabilities are something I know very little about.

When we’ve finally exhausted the topic, Kat goes silent, working out every possible Nephilim strategy and what the human response could be. With my riding partner preoccupied, and conversation with Em, Mira and Kainda impossible as the two dinosaurs weave their way east through the jungle, my thoughts turn inward.

I’m married.

How did that happen?

For a moment, I entertain the idea that this is something I’m not okay with. After all, it was kind of sprung on me.
Sprung
is probably too gentle a word since I didn’t even know I was getting married. To be honest, I have never once envisioned what my wedding day would be like. I don’t think young men really daydream about that kind of thing. Or at least, I don’t. It’s not a subject one thinks about much while fighting giants who want to kidnap, corrupt and ultimately possess you.

I try to envision myself dressed in a tuxedo, standing by the altar with Justin, Wright, Tobias and Merrill standing by my side. It’s impossible, I know. Some of them are dead, but my closest friends are all women and my imagination already has Em, Mira, Kat and Aimee standing beside Kainda, who I have to admit looks radiant in a white wedding dress. But then she turns to me with a look on her face that says,
I will kill you for this
, and I smile.

A traditional wedding, with a church and rice throwing and the Electric Slide would have never worked anyway. If I’m honest, the whole experience would likely make me nauseous, too.

While I might have been bamboozled into my marriage, it was simple and pure. It might be the one thing hunters got right, if they actually married for love. Who knows, maybe some of them did? When I was split into two personalities, Ull was a hunter to the core. He was cocky, brash, violent and quick to anger. He was passionate. But he wasn’t entirely negative. The first time I had feelings for Kainda, Ull was in control. It’s why we saved her life. If Ull can show compassion to another hunter because he has feelings for her, then it’s possible other hunters experience the same thing, though they would likely never admit it.

Tobias is another good example. He loved Luca and Em enough that they fled and tried to live apart from the Nephilim. And then there is Em. When I look at her, and hear the joy of her laughter and see the cuteness of her full freckled cheeks, I wonder how she could have ever been a killer.

But it’s not just hunters. The human race as a whole has the same kind of potential to overcome darkness. And it’s happening now on Antarctica. The people of the world came here divided, each hoping to claim a part of this new world for themselves. But now they’re united against a common enemy. The old hatreds, many of them created and encouraged by the Nephilim, are falling away.

If the human race loses this fight and is wiped off the planet, at least we’ll have fought as one. A hunter would call it dying well, and I think I would have to agree.

Not that I’m planning on dying, or losing the battle. But if it happens...the human race will still have achieved something impressive—unity. It’s too bad we couldn’t achieve unity without half-demon man-eating genocidal inspiration, but hey, we’re flawed.

I glance to my right and see Kainda atop Zok’s back as they slip through the jungle. She’s dressed in her scant black leathers, hammer clipped to her belt, black hair braided back tight. Her eyes are forward, watching for danger. Her muscles are flexed as she clings to Zok. She’s like a sleek sports car decked out with guns—dangerous curves.

This is my wife
, I think.
How awesome is that?

The white wedding dress. The church. The reception. All of that stuff. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that woman. She is my perfect match—strong when I’m not, always by my side, and has seen me at my worst and yet still loves me.

The way we were bonded was perfect. I didn’t know it at the time, but there was no better way, or moment, for us to be married. We’re both hunters. This is the life we live. We’re dangerous with our weapons, and with our hearts. Sometimes we have to kill suddenly, but other times we love suddenly.

Kainda senses my attention and meets my eyes.

Since neither of us is actually directing the dinosaurs, we linger. Despite the jolting ride, the vegetation and the tree trunks flashing between us, I manage to lose myself in her nearly black eyes.

I hear a sound. A voice, I think. But it barely registers.

A dopey smile forms and I feel my body morph into a kind of gelatinous mold of a human being. My parents once told me about the stages of love. Lust, romance and then solid commitment, but I suspect things are a little different for Kainda and me. The way we’re wired is a bit different than the outside world, and our notions of commitment, despite also being in what my mom called “the honeymoon stage”, is profound.

The voice returns, this time a little louder. I still don’t hear the word being spoken. I’m not listening. I’m barely present. But a sharp smack to the back of my head pulls me out of my blissful state.

“Snap out of it, Lancelot,” Kat says.

“What? Hey, Lancelot was an adulterer,” I complain at the comparison to one of King Arthur’s most infamous Knights of the Round Table.

“Whatever,” Kat says, “We’re—”

“Guinevere was condemned to burn at the stake. The Knight’s were divided and the—”

“Fine, bad analogy,” Kat says, the urgency of her words reaching my mind. “We’re almost there.”

I look back at her. She’s grim. “That’s a good thing, right?”

“Kid,” she says, once again forgetting that we’re technically the same age, “I called you Lancelot because if you were thinking with your brain, you’d notice that you were about to land yourself in hot water.”

The cobwebs of love disintegrate at her warning and I suddenly feel the world around me in sharp detail. “Smoke.”

“A lot of it,” Kat says.

I lean forward and pat Grumpy on the side of the neck. “Whoa, boy. Slow down. Slow down.”

Grumpy huffs in response and our run quickly becomes a slow and careful walk. Zok follows his lead, slowing and falling in line, just behind her pack leader.

“This is close enough,” Kat says.

Em walks past us, having already leapt down from Zok’s back. She’s in a hurry. “Something is wrong.” Then she sprints ahead, no doubt concerned for Luca’s well-being.

Grumpy lowers himself toward the ground, but Kat and I are off and running before he’s all the way down. Kainda and Mira are right behind us, but Em is nowhere in sight.

“Where’d she go?” Mira asks.

“This way,” I say, following the barely perceptible trail. I shove aside a low-hanging branch, heavy with leaves that are bigger than me. Em stands ten feet ahead at the edge of the jungle. “Em, wait up.”

She turns around at the sound of my voice. Tears are in her eyes. She doesn’t have to say anything to tell us something is seriously wrong. Lacking any kind of caution, we push through the brush and fallen trees that mark the border between the jungle and the swath of ground that had been clear-cut in preparation for the final battle.

The first thing I see upon entering the clearing is a black swirling cloud blocking my view. I direct the wind to carry it away, and the air clears quickly. But as the smoke rises, my heart sinks. The forward operating base which was to be the location of humanity’s last stand, has been destroyed.