2

A hunting boomerang slammed into the back of Bodhi’s head. Selah heard the sickening crunch as wood connected with bone. His head jerked forward, his eyes went blank and fluttered closed, and he collapsed face forward into Selah’s arms.

She grappled with lowering his limp body to the sand without dropping him as she searched the ground. The boomerang lay to her left. She recognized the intricate pattern etched on the L-shaped polished surface. It belonged to her brother. “Raza, you come out here right now! What’s wrong with you? You could have killed me.”

She scoured the rubbled landscape. Anger welled up as her hands began to shake. She wasn’t sure whether it was because her brother had incapacitated her catch or had come so close to whacking her with his stupid stick.

Raza and Cleon scrambled over littered steel beam roofing and jumped to the beach. They could almost be mistaken as twins. Both blond and brown-eyed, both muscular, but Raza, at twenty-one, stood six feet tall and weighed about 190 pounds, while Cleon, two years younger, was five nine and about thirty pounds lighter. Both wore the dark brown double-weight linen pants Mother’s business created specifically for farm workers. The only thing setting them apart—Raza liked short hair and button shirts while Cleon, with shoulder-length shaggy hair, preferred tunics.

“You could have hit me.” Selah fisted her hands at her hips. It was more an act of disrespect to her well-being. Raza seemed to enjoy instilling fear in her.

Raza smiled broadly. He tousled her ponytail and rubbed her head. “I know how to aim, little girl.”

She jerked her head away. Anger swelled, making her legs tremble. “I’m serious, Raza. I’m telling Father. You know what he told you about throwing near us.”

Raza stood over the fallen form. He stooped, grabbed a handful of blond hair, and lifted Bodhi’s head from the sand. “Good job, little sister. He’s a Lander. You distracted him long enough for us to close the deal.”

Selah ignored the little sister remark. This was not the time and it wouldn’t get her anywhere. She lost focus when she allowed herself to get visibly angry, and he knew it. She peered over his shoulder, looking at Bodhi for a wound. No blood, just a big bump separating his hair on the back of his head. She winced. That was going to leave a mark.

She knitted her brow and thrust out her chin. “I wasn’t distracting him for you. He’s my catch. Not yours.”

“Not today, little sister. My ’rang took him down and he’s mine. It’s five thousand credits if that mark is still there in the morning.” Raza tied Bodhi’s limp arms behind his back and proceeded to truss his legs.

Selah opened her mouth to protest. But what good would it do her? She knew Father would back the boys and ignore her attempt at hunting. Emotion stormed in her like a raging bull. She wanted to lash out. Scream. Stomp. None of it would help. They’d just laugh. She was so frustrated she could cry, but she refused to give them the satisfaction.

Cleon, carrying the staff, bow, and a few knives, returned from checking the other fallen bodies. “Sissy, it looks like you got yourself in a bit of trouble here.”

Selah winced and gritted her teeth. Her brothers called her sissy to bug her. It was partially her fault for letting them see that it got to her.

“I did no such thing.” Selah looked up the beach at her bucket and kapos, unwilling to admit she was defenseless. They’d never let her live it down. “I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Raza tied the last knot and rose. “What’s their condition? Anything we have to worry about?”

Cleon dropped the booty and shook his head. “No, nothing at all.” He pointed at Bodhi. “This guy is a real bad one. They’re all dead. Got to keep him tied up tight or there’ll be trouble.”

“He was helping me,” Selah said, looking for any way to make them give her credit. Maybe if she could convince them that she’d charmed him, they might relent.

“Saw the whole thing.” Raza pointed his finger at her. “You’re stupid to get yourself in the middle. Hunting is not for babies.”

“Tomorrow I’m a woman.” She tossed back her ponytail and crossed her arms over her chest.

Raza laughed. “Yeah, saw how well you handled yourself. Couldn’t have been worse.”

Cleon lowered his head. To his credit, he wouldn’t treat her this badly if Raza wasn’t around. He was protecting his own status with their older brother.

Selah turned on Raza. “You saw it all? You were going to let those Waterside boys beat me up?” She glanced sideways at Cleon.

His cheeks turned bright red. His pale complexion always gave him away when embarrassed. “You weren’t in danger. I was right here. Besides, the Lander seemed capable.”

“That’s not the point.” Selah noted Cleon spoke only for himself. At least she could count on him in time of need. She turned and pointed at Raza. “Were you seriously willing to let them beat me to build your ego and prove I’m not fit to be a hunter? Or was it payback for my skill in thwarting your attempt to be my babysitter?”

Raza set his jaw and stared at her, then leaned over Bodhi’s still form to check for a pulse. “Might teach you to do what you’re told.”

Selah’s chest tightened. She’d never been close with Raza, but until today she’d never realized the depth of his ego. Or was the look on his face hatred? Was it directed at her? No, it couldn’t be. He was her brother.

Selah trudged the worn path from the larger of their barns down to the house. She’d spent the better part of the day trying to negotiate with her brothers to reclaim her catch. At least Cleon had let her ride to the barn on the back of his Sand Run. Raza carried the Lander on his, and would have left her to walk home. At the barn she’d argued over the unconscious Lander until Raza chased her out with the comment that Father would back him up. She knew he was right. All she could remember was how Father had defended Raza at the beach yesterday, and what she had seen happen there.

She looked down the hill and shivered. She was too annoyed to enjoy the beauty of the view out over the ocean. Ultimately the sea had caused her angst yesterday and today, but there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed by going home. She hurried down the path and around the tree line to her right. The house came into view.

She bolted toward the house, remembering the time when she was about ten that Father had planted a corn crop on this side of the tree line. As she rounded the path that late summer, tall corn had obscured her view of their rambling, single-story home. She couldn’t even see the slate-red color of the clay-tiled roof. She recalled her depth of panic, thinking home had disappeared. Charging through the sharp corn leaves willy-nilly cut up her arms and legs, but she had reached the house and safety. To this day she still possessed a long scar on her right forearm that she fingered when she was fearful.

Today the field lay fallow. It would be planted with winter flax for Mother’s linen business.

Stomping into the house, Selah slammed the kitchen door behind her. The soft thunk of the heavy wooden door was not the satisfying sound she craved. Wrenching a chair away from the table created a squealing scrape of wood on wood as the legs dragged. That sound gratified her, mimicking what she wanted to scream.

Her mother, Pasha Rishon, looked up from the flour she was sifting. Her dark hair was piled on her head in unruly curls, and her olive skin, set against the backdrop of the pale yellow of her long linen jumper, radiated a beauty uncommon in other forty-one-year-old women in their community. “And what size pebble is stuck in your shoe? Or should I ask what have your brothers done to you now?” Her green eyes glowed with peace, creating a calming effect.

Selah’s mood softened a tad. She found comfort in knowing her mother could read her so well. She knew lots of girls her age hated mothers snooping in their business, but Selah remained bonded to hers even as she reached the awkward age of accountability.

“I’m never talking to either of them again. They are so mean.” Selah plopped onto the chair next to her mother and smacked her fist on the table. “It’s my turn! I should be able to claim my own catch without them horning in on the action.”

Mother’s smile dissolved as she dropped the sifter, dislodging the last chalky remnants across the table. She grabbed Selah by the arm. “Catch? What catch? I told you to stay away from the beach today.”

Selah froze. Should she lie or tell the truth? Mother hadn’t been this angry since she’d gotten mud on the clean laundry. “I . . . there was a Lander who came in on the beach today.”

Mother’s face went pale. “Did you touch him?” Her grip increased.

Selah grimaced. What was the problem? She needed to think of something to get out of this trouble.

“Answer me!” She shook Selah. “Did. You. Touch. Him?”

Selah burst into tears. “No, I didn’t touch him. I stayed far away, and then the boys came.”

Mother emitted a strangled gasp. Her grip relaxed and her hand fell away. She reached out an arm to enfold Selah in a hug. “My sweet baby.”

“Stop calling me that! I’ll be eighteen tomorrow. I’m sick of everyone treating me like a child.” Selah pulled away and crossed her arms. Tears slipped from her eyes and slid to her chin. Mother didn’t mean it the same way the boys did. But if Selah ever expected them to stop treating her like a baby, she needed to stop whining like one.

She tipped her head down, then looked up and furrowed her brow. Something wasn’t right. “Mother, what’s wrong?”

No answer, but Mother pulled her back into her arms.

She felt safe, secure in her warm hug. Loved. No. Selah squirmed from the embrace. “I want to be treated like a woman. I want my right to hunt.”

Her mother’s attitude reverted to the calm it had been when Selah walked in the door.

“Ahh, I see. The hunt.” Mother frowned and used her finger to tip up Selah’s chin. “Must you follow the men in such savage practices? Dane told me you were trying to catch rabbits. Can’t you just stick to that?”

The question brought a scowl. Should she continue the lie or face the consequences? She’d forgotten about the story to her little brother. “Well, that’s another catch I lost.” Her bottom lip quivered at the lie. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do anything right?”

Mother opened her arms again. This time Selah leaned in, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. She felt like a fraud lying to the one person who was truly on her side. But the disappointed look that would be in Mother’s eyes was more than she could bear at this moment. Her insides hurt.

Mother stroked her hair. “If you want my true opinion, I think it’s abominable to be hunting people, and you shouldn’t start.”

Selah sat up and looked at her. “Why do you say that? I’ve never heard you say anything negative about Father and the boys capturing Landers. How else would Father be able to afford some of the luxuries we have if it weren’t for the extra income? I mean, look at our house. It’s huge compared to some of my friends’ houses.”

“Yes, that’s also what your father says, but I disagree.” Mother glanced wistfully toward the window then turned back. “I guess I’ve kept some things to myself for too long. The thought of humans selling other humans into slavery is barbaric. There is a lot of ancient history about people on this continent doing the same thing hundreds of years ago. It was reprehensible then and is no less now.”

Selah lowered her head. “But Father is selling me into marriage with the Kingston boy.”

Mother emitted a strangled sob. “I have spent many hours trying to talk him out of this coupling. I’m sorry. Your father is the head of our clan, and his word is law.”

“I’ve only met Jericho Kingston once, when I was about seven. We were at the farmers’ market. He had a long nose, buck teeth, and was gangly like a stick bug. What if he’s turned into a planter toad? Your grandchildren will spend their days chasing flies.”

Mother tried to smile, but it came off as a pained expression. “My poor child, your drama precedes you. There’s still six months of freedom. After your Remembrance tomorrow, you two can start courting. You may find out he’s not a bug or a toad. With the abundant petrol that comes as a result of this clan marriage, maybe I can get your father to stop hunting Landers for income.”

Selah had traveled this route before and all it ever did was add to her anger. Her father’s last word on the subject revolved around the two clans joining forces. Her marriage would cement the bond, but he was forcing it and ruining her independence. And he wouldn’t let her hunt, thus holding her up to ridicule. He was determined to wreck her life at every turn, so she couldn’t envision him relenting on hunting Landers.

Selah shook her head. “I don’t think he will ever quit. I’ve watched him talk about Landers. He takes on a whole different persona, like he’s vengeful. He once laughed, almost sadistically, when he said the Company is being humane to give them medical care for their memory loss.”

Mother chewed on her lower lip. “It’s just a parade of more lost souls.”

“Why do you say that?” Selah’s chest started to tingle again. She rubbed at the spot.

“No one has ever come back from there. None of the Landers captured have ever been seen or heard from again in these parts.”

Selah snickered. “I don’t think they would come back this way. Think about it. These are the people who put them away in the first place. They’re not exactly going to be friends.”

Mother went back to stroking Selah’s hair. “I guess you’re right, my smart child. But I’d much prefer if you’d just take out your desire to hone your hunting skills on wildlife. Practice on the rabbits or something.”

“That’s not the problem! I’m a great hunter. I can catch rabbits better than any of them.”

“Well, maybe that’s because they never hunt rabbits.”

“And they never will. They are so cruel. I refuse to share with Cleon and Raza which ones are safe to eat.” Selah looked up at her mother and smiled. “Mother, are you sure I’m not adopted? They’re so different from me.”

Mother glanced away, then looked at the clock on the fireplace mantel. “Darling, don’t talk so silly. You look just like me. You are definitely my child.”

Selah heaved a sigh. “I don’t know. Sometimes Father makes me feel second class with the way he fawns over the boys. He takes them wherever he goes, and he’s never invited me along, not once.”

“Your father just doesn’t know how to relate to girls. He feels more comfortable with the boys because they act the same.”

“Well, some days he makes me feel like I come from another world.”

Mother laughed. “Dinner and a good night’s sleep will help you see things differently. This day will pass and tomorrow will be the start of a whole new life.”

Selah shook her head and pulled away. She propped her elbows on the smooth wooden surface of the table and rested her head in her hands. “I don’t think so. I think I’ve made a mistake.”

“What could you possibly have done that’s so terrible?” Mother sat back in the chair.

“If I hadn’t tried to capture Bodhi, he might have gotten away.”

Mother raised her eyebrows. “Bodhi? Who’s Bodhi?”

“The Lander I tried to capture. His name is Bodhi Locke.”

Mother shot from her chair. “I thought you said you didn’t touch him!”

“I didn’t.” It bothered her how easily the lie to her mother rolled off her tongue. “He saved me from a bunch of evil boys from Waterside Borough. They were going to kidnap me.”

“Your father needs to know this! I want him to contact the Kingston clan and find those boys before this happens again.”

“They’re dead.” The words slipped from Selah’s lips in a whisper.

Mother stared at her. “What did you say?”

Selah tipped her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. “They’re dead. Bodhi fought them to save me! Me, Mother!” She thumped a fist to her chest. “And then Raza and Cleon showed up. First I’m mad because they stole my catch, then I’m even madder because as a payback for saving my life, I let him get captured. What is wrong with me?” She put her head in her hands and wept.

Mother rushed to her side. “I know, baby. I understand. You were scared—”

“I was not!” Selah bristled at the thought. Her fingers absently traced the scar on her forearm. A tingling invaded her chest again, and she tried to ignore it. “I’m just as brave as they are.”

Mother gave her a look bordering on sympathy. Selah wanted to get away from that look. She darted from the chair. “I need to be alone. Yell when dinner’s ready.”

“Your father went to Council and took the team and wagon with him rather than waste fuel, so as soon as dawn breaks one of the boys will have to take the AirStream to retrieve the wagon so they can transport their captive.”

Selah calculated how long it would take Raza to pilot the hovercraft to Council and then drive the team and wagon back. AirStreams traveled only a foot above the road, so it wasn’t like he could zip cross-country in a straight line. He was forced to follow the roads.

She shook her head. “They’ll wait twenty-four hours from when they found him with me to see if he’s still a viable catch. I hope for that poor man’s sake the mark may be gone, and they’ll have to set him free.”

Selah drummed her fingers on the table surface worn smooth by years of polishing. She counted the hours in her head. Maybe she would have a chance to get him back while Cleon guarded him alone.

Mother turned back to the table. “Dinner will be me, you, and Dane. Do you want soup?”

Selah turned. “No, I don’t want soup. I want my catch back. All I can think about are those eyes . . .”

“Don’t you dare look like that,” Mother said.

“Look like what?” Selah pulled back her chin.

Mother pointed at her face, making circles in the air with her fingertip. “That wispy, faraway look. I know that look, Selah Rishon Chavez! Don’t you dare think of getting involved with a Lander. It will cause you . . . nothing but heartbreak. And your father . . . well, I don’t want to think about what your father would do.”

Selah cocked her head. “That’s an odd thing to say. I’ve never even seen one up close before. Why would you think I’d get involved with a Lander?”

Mother crossed her arms. “No reason at all. But you just keep it that way for your own good, young lady. You’re betrothed.”

Selah rolled onto her back. Her eyes remained closed but she detected radiant light filtering through her eyelids. She could hear birds outside her window singing their morning song. She’d made it to her Birth Remembrance! She didn’t want to open her eyes. She just wanted to lie still and bask in the glory of being grown. As of yesterday she’d finished school. She’d be allowed to drive an AirStream. Her possibilities were endless . . . Well, not exactly, but she refused to think that far ahead. She would enjoy today.

She sighed and smiled so wide she could feel her cheek muscles heating. Even breathing felt different. She opened her eyes and sat up. The sun poured through thin curtains floating softly on the breeze that pushed its way through the open window. The air smelled fresher than she ever remembered, and the bird song . . . She could hear more birds than—

Selah cocked her head. Could she really hear the ocean waves lapping at the beach several blocks away?

Adrenaline coursed through her chest. What was going on? She scurried from the bed, entangling herself in the covers and plopping to the floor on her bottom. She burst out laughing. Well, that really looked adult. Maybe she needed to rethink the whole worldly shift that came with an eighteenth Remembrance.

Selah pulled the covers from around her. Still laughing at herself, she brushed the hair from her eyes and stood up. The reflection in the mirror caught her attention. What was that? Her hands flew to her chest. She looked down her nose at the mark as she moved closer to the mirror. She rubbed at it. Put her fingers to her tongue for moisture and rubbed at it again. But it remained. She stared into the mirror.

There was a small wing imprinted on her chest about an inch below her left collarbone. She tipped her head sideways. It looked like a smaller version of the mark she’d seen on the Lander yesterday. She stared. Could this be a trick? Her brothers had done this to her as a Birth Remembrance surprise. Well, surprise! She wasn’t amused.

She ran to the bathroom and grabbed a washrag. Wetting it, she scrubbed at the mark. It didn’t come off. In fact, it didn’t even look applied. It appeared to be part of her skin.

Her hands started to shake. “Mother!” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Mother!”

She ran for Mother’s bedroom and pushed the door open. The heavily curtained room kept the sunlight at bay. Selah picked her way around a chair and small table and flung herself onto the sleeping woman.

“Mother, help!” she cried as she rubbed at her chest. The area had grown red from her scraping and digging.

Mother jerked awake, eyes bleary with sleep. “Selah, sweetheart.” She yawned. “What’s the matter? You act like the house is on fire.”

Tears welled in Selah’s eyes. “Worse! Look at this!” she wailed. “The boys must have done it as a joke while I slept.” Although she couldn’t figure out how they wouldn’t have woken her.

Mother sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at Selah’s chest, then did a double take. Her eyes opened wide, and she reached to touch the winged imprint. Selah could feel her fingers tremble.

“Why do you look scared? This is a joke, right?” Selah asked in a shaky voice.

“Um . . . honey . . .” Mother bit down on her bottom lip. A sob rushed from her throat. “I don’t think this is a joke.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it’s a joke. This is the Lander symbol, and it’s on me. I’m not a Lander!”

Mother’s face turned crimson as she withdrew her hand. She turned her head away, and her voice became so small it was almost a whisper. “I thought you said you didn’t touch the Lander.”

Should she admit the lie? Selah fiddled with her fingers. How did Mother know? “I . . . It was just—”

Mother shook her head. “You have no idea what you’ve done.” She wrapped her arms around her own chest, lowered her head, and began to rock back and forth.

Selah angled around her and looked up into her face. “Mother? You’re scaring me.”

Mother closed her eyes, tears cascading down her cheeks. Her arms trembled violently as she reached out and hugged Selah so hard the air rushed from her chest.

Selah pulled back and touched her shoulder. “You aren’t saying anything. What’s wrong? This has to be some stupid prank by the boys. They were really mad at me for arguing with them about my catch.”

“No, my sweet child, I’m afraid not.” She reached out and stroked Selah’s cheek. “I have dreaded for years that this day might come, and now my fears have grown fruit. There is no choice. You must leave, and do it before your father gets back.” She squeezed her eyes shut again. Her bottom lip quivered as she rocked.

Selah leaned away. Her jaw slacked. “Look, I’m sorry I told you a lie. I’ll never do it again. Why do I have to leave?” That seemed a radical punishment for so simple a mistake.

Fear enveloped the tingling in her chest until it grew to full-fledged thunder. It felt like all the air had been sucked from the room. She struggled to breathe. “But this is just a joke.”

Mother stared at the mark below her collarbone and shook her head. “No. This is no joke. Your father told me this might happen, but I only halfheartedly believed him.”

“My father? I don’t know what he has to do with it, but he can help figure this out when he comes home. He’ll be back this morning.”

“That’s why you need to go away. Now.”

“Mother, you’re talking in circles. I don’t understand.”

Mother reared up straight and gripped her by the shoulders. “Your father is not your birth father. Your real father was a Lander.”