The Last Hunter: Collected Edition (Antarktos Saga #1-5)

Before I can reply, a voice calls out. “Solomon!”


For the first time since my conversation with Adoni began, I take a long look at my surroundings. We’ve entered a clearing in the trees that is still somehow covered by the thick canopy. I can see the blue glint of the lake off to my left. And to my right is the entrance to a cave. A water source, cover, quick access to the underground. Motion above pulls my eyes up, and I get my first real look at where the hunters are living—tree houses. They’re crude structures built from branches and large leaves, but they’re hard to see. Ropes connect the trees and can be drawn up or thrown down for access to the ground.

“Solomon!” A small body swings around a tree, leaps to the ground and rolls before running straight toward me. I recognize the nearly white hair and bright blue eyes immediately.

“Luca!” I shout.

As Luca passes Em, she crosses her arms with a smile on her face and watches her adopted brothers reunite. Krane stands just beyond her, watching the scene with curiosity. Luca leaps up with surprising skill and I catch him in the air. We squeeze each other hard and fast.

When Luca pulls back, he says, “You heard me?”

“I did,” I say. “Thank you.”

Luca looks around like he’s making sure no one is listening, then he whispers in my ear. “Xin says hello, and don’t trust anyone.”





25



Don’t trust anyone? Don’t trust anyone! I would love to ask for a little clarification about what Luca has just told me, but some of the others are closing in to greet me now. Luca hops out of my arms like everything is peachy. He’s still all smiles and thrilled to see me, but he gives me a quick, serious glance that says he’s not joking.

Don’t trust anyone…

Certainly, that doesn’t include Luca.

Or Em.

But why doesn’t Em know? If she did, she would have pulled me aside and told me. Instead, she let me chat it up with Adoni. I glance back at the man I’d begun to think of as a friend and find him watching me. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Everyone is watching me.

Thank you, Xin, for the paranoia.

I almost expect him to answer, but his voice never enters my mind.

“So this is where we live,” Em says. She stops behind Luca, wraps her arms around him and kisses his head.

There is very little Xin could say that would make me not trust Em. I’ll tell her about the warning when I get a chance. See if she thinks any of these hunters could still be loyal to the Nephilim.

“It’s, ahh, nice,” I say, but I’m looking at the ground, lost in thought.

“Sol,” Em says, drawing my eyes up to her. She points to the canopy. “Up there.”

I glance up. “Right. I know. I saw. Kind of like an Ewok village.”

Her scrunched nose confirms that I’ve made no sense. No one here has ever watched TV, let alone seen Return of the Jedi. “Forget it,” I say.

She’s trying to figure me out, but can’t, so she moves on. “We sleep up there because there are a lot of predators in the jungle, and while we’re not defenseless, it’s nice to sleep without worrying about being eaten.”

In the underground, sounds are contained and amplified. Predators, like the cresties, had a hard time sneaking up on a hunter without being detected. Out here, with the constant rustle of leaves in the wind, their movements could go unnoticed. Taking to the trees was a good idea. But it seems wholly inadequate. “Is it defensible?”

“Against hunters, yeah,” Em says. “It is now. We have sentries roaming the jungle all around us. They’d be hard to get past without making any noise.”

I point to the cave entrance. “And that’s your escape route?”

Em nods. “Splits into a lot of branches that we’ve all memorized. None are big enough for a Nephilim.”

“But it’s not the Neph’s we fear, is it?” Krane says. The man is so muscular and tough looking, I can’t picture him fearing anyone other than a Nephilim.

“There are hunters looking for us,” Em says. “Before the sentries, a few came close.”

“They found us,” Krane says, “But didn’t live long enough to spread the word.”

“You killed them?” I asked, a little surprised.

Em doesn’t meet my eyes. She knows how I feel about killing human beings.

“There was little choice,” Adoni says. “We tried to subdue the first with the hopes of freeing her. We lost two men for the effort. Some hunters just can’t let go of their bonds.”

I’m not sure I agree, but I understand their point of view. If they let her escape, they would all be in danger. If they captured her alive, how many more would have died? It’s a moral dilemma I hope I never have to face.

“She found her freedom in death,” Krane says.