Chapter Three
Meeting
When he entered the lodge, Lucien noticed that his father had taken the overstuffed chair closest to the fireplace. Instead of taking another chair, his mother sat on the cold hearth, right next to her husband, drawing up her legs and wrapping her arms around them. Mattox leaned with his arms crossed in the doorway leading to the kitchen and rear bedrooms. And Mistelle had chosen to park herself on the iron staircase that spiraled up to the overhead bedroom. Seeing that all the good places were already taken, he went over to stand behind his father and rest against the chair’s tall, padded back. Yulen barely glanced at him. There were only a handful of people the battle lord would allow to take that position, and his family made for four of them.
The noise inside the lodge was minimal. Everyone kept their voices low as they conversed while they waited for the battle lord to speak.
“Echo, please close the door.”
The warrior woman shut the front door, then resumed her stance next to it. Lucien realized she had taken a position to guard it, and he shot Mattox a puzzled look. His brother shrugged. He didn’t understand it, either.
“I called you here to discuss something that’s been brought to my attention. Whatever decision I make about it will affect every one of you, including this compound. But it will impact you first and foremost. Therefore, I feel it’s only fair I let you know of my thoughts ahead of time, and you can give me your opinions on the matter before I decide my next course of action.
“There is a compound far to the west, in the Newmex territories, called Green River. They’ve been under siege by Damaged for the past four weeks. The battle lord there sent an emissary to seek help, but the compounds they encountered had already fallen. By chance they happened upon a Mutah compound, which directed them to us.”
Paas raised her hand. “Why us?”
“Because they were told we fought the Damaged and defeated them four years ago.”
“But it also took a heavy toll on us,” Fortune Kalich reminded him. “That virus did enormous damage to us. Maybe more than their army did.”
“He’s right,” Warren Paxton added. “That army carried that virus with them, and it spread through our ranks and the population like a wildfire.”
“That’s their modus operandi,” Atty remarked. “As an army, they’re not well-trained. Mutah aren’t trained to be warriors. We’re trained to be hunters. That’s why they used that virus against us, lobbing contaminated clothing that was saturated in puke and feces over our walls. Once we succumbed, and our forces were weakened as we contracted the disease, they thought they could storm us and overwhelm us by sheer numbers.”
“But we managed to defeat them anyway,” Lucien spoke up. “Even when we were ill, we were still better fighters than they were.”
“Precisely,” Yulen agreed. “And we were lucky in that aspect.”
Garet Renken added his thoughts, directing them at Yulen. “You’re seriously considering taking a battalion to this Green River compound to defeat the Damaged? What if we sicken again?”
“Might I say something about that?” Iain MaGrath commented. The battle lord gave him a nod, and the young man rose to his feet to face the others. “You all know I assisted my father and Dr. Thrasher during the malaise. I witnessed firsthand what this virus can do to both Mutah and Normals. So I know how differently it affects both sides. At the same time, we learned how the Mutah who survived it became carriers.”
A hand in the back went up, and Iain called on the young man. “What, Nevo?”
“I caught that virus, but I’m not Mutah. Am I carrier?”
Iain nodded. “Maybe. Maybe not. We’re not sure. But one thing you definitely are is inoculated. That means you can’t get it again.” The young physician looked around the room at all of them. “All Normals who suffered through the virus and survived cannot get it again.”
“You’re sure of that?” Yulen questioned.
Iain hesitated. “Nothing is ever one hundred percent certain. But history has shown that that is generally the case.”
“What’s inoculated?” Mistelle spoke up.
“It means the virus is still in your system, but only in minute bits and pieces. It’s harmless to you in that form, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. You see, if you get exposed to the virus again, those little bits and pieces come together and form a protective barrier to keep the virus from taking over. They become extremely territorial, driving out or killing the new virus, and preventing it from sickening you.”
“But that’s not true for Mutah, right?” Fortune countered.
“Right, and that’s because of your uniqueness. Dad is still trying to find a way to determine whether or not an infected Mutah will become Damaged, but right now it’s still a crap shoot.”
“But the Mutah who caught it, and survived, and didn’t become Damaged as a result, are we inoculated, too?” Fortune queried.
“It’s very possible. It’s harder to tell with your kind because there are so many variations to your recovery. With Normals, we either died or survived without any aftereffects. But with Mutah, those who survived either resumed their normal lives—”
“Or became deranged maniacs,” Mattox drawled from the doorway.
“And that’s what scares the crap out of me,” Mistelle added. “Remember that Mutah family that was seeking sanctuary soon afterwards? Remember what that mother did?” She gave a shudder as the memory swept through the group.
Lucien bowed his head. Four years ago he hadn’t been able to fight alongside his family and the others. He’d been an untried kid who’d been forced to stay inside the lodge, along with several others, as the rest of his family waged that terrible war. True, he’d been given the task of protecting his Aunt Keelor and his cousin, Surisam. But it had been a long, bloody, and disgusting nine days. And what followed afterwards had dire consequences for the entire compound for years.
“Let me get this straight.” Renken adjusted his stance and cleared his throat. “If we go help this compound, and we engage these Damaged, the chances are very low that we could become infected again. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Iain confirmed. “However, let me add that if by some slim chance you do catch the virus again, it won’t be as overwhelming as it was the first time.”
“Because all those little bitty leftover pieces of it in your body are protecting you,” Mattox intoned.
“Yes.”
Yulen nodded. “That information helps tremendously with my decision. Cole, Warren, survey our troops. Pick out two hundred of our best who have already survived this virus. We leave tomorrow morning.”
The two seconds hurried out of the lodge, leaving the others to await their individual orders. After the men were gone, the battle lord surveyed those remaining. Lucien also noticed his mother eyeing the small gathering, which consisted now of mostly family members, and people who were considered family.
“I am not ordering or requesting any of you to go with us,” Yulen said softly. “Talk about it among yourselves and with your families. Anyone willing to take this risk, be at the front of the main lodge, ready to go, right after breakfast. Please leave now so that Atty and I can discuss our own arrangements with our children before dinner.”
The others quietly filed out of the lodge. As he watched them go, Lucien already knew who would be there come morning. What he wasn’t expecting were his father’s next words.
“Mattox, you and Mistelle are staying here. Lucien, you’re coming with your mother and me to Green River.”