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

“What’s happening?” Kainda shouts.

“It’s…it’s…” I can’t get the words out. My mind is filled with images, like I’m running through the jungle at high speed. I see Kainda and Em kneeling over my prone form. I zip past, moving a mile in a second, and see oddly shaped tree trunks ahead.

Moving tree trunks.

Legs!

Lots of them.

The Nephilim are coming!

My vision moves around, covering a lot of ground. They’re everywhere. And moving among them—hunters. But are they looking for us? Or are they searching for Ninnis? It doesn’t matter, either way, they’re going to find us. Then, suddenly I’m moving up through the canopy. I slip through the leaves as though they don’t exist and stare up into the bright blue sky that strangely doesn’t hurt my eyes. But it’s not a beautiful sight. It’s horrible. The sky is filled with large, moving bodies. The Nephilim army has taken flight. There are more of them than I ever imagined, and they’re headed out, into the world.

I’m pulled back through the canopy, past the hunters, past the Nephilim and then past myself. I move deeper into the jungle, over a fallen tree and then into a sliver into the ground. A cave.

Run!

Run, Solomon!

RUN!

The pain disappears and my mind returns to my body. I sit up fast with a deep gasp.

“Sol, what happened?” Em asks.

“Xin,” I say between deep breaths. “It was Xin.”

“Xin,” Kainda says, her voice oozing distrust.

“No,” I say, taking her arm. “He was warning me.”

“Warning you?” Em says. “Of what.”

I turn in the direction I saw the Nephilim approaching. “They’re coming.” I jump to my feet. “We have to go. Now!”

Before either can argue or question me further, I do exactly what Xin said. I run. My perfect memory guides me on the same path I took while in the dreamlike state. I see the fallen tree ahead. “This way!”

I leap over the tree and find the small opening in the ground.

“How did you know this was here?” Em asks.

“Xin showed me.”

“You shouldn’t trust him,” Kainda says.

“He would say the same about you,” I say, and then wriggle through the opening. After a momentary tight squeeze, the tunnel opens up into a cave. Em and Kainda slip in behind me and Kainda manages to yank the fallen tree over on top of the hole.

The world grows dark, but our hunter eyes quickly adjust and our other senses pick up the slack. When they do, all three of us know we are not alone in this cave. There are hushed voices further in the cave. A man and a woman. Wood smoke lingers in the air. And meat. They’ve cooked something recently.

These are not hunters.

I motion for the others to follow me and lead them deeper into the cave. We don’t make a sound as we approach. I see the dim glowing rings of a flashlight ahead. I stop at a bend in the cave and listen.

“We need to go back,” the man says. “Regroup with the others.”

They’re speaking English. Their accents are American.

“We’ll never make it,” the woman replies. “You’ve seen what they can do. How many of them there are. We need to find a way to stop them, here. Now.”

“It’s not possible,” the man says. “We’d need an army.”

In that moment, I know we’re on the same side and decide to take a chance. I step out from behind my hiding place, hands raised and weapon-free. “I might be able to help.”

The flashlight whips toward me, illuminating my body in its dull yellow glow. Despite the light in my eyes, I see the man and woman, who are dressed in black military fatigues, jump to their feet, knives at the ready. They’re quick and probably skilled fighters, but I don’t fear them.

That doesn’t stop Kainda and Em from stepping into the light, knives and hammer out and ready for combat. I look at my two friends and say, “Put those away.” They begrudgingly grant my request, most likely because they can now see that these two don’t pose an immediate threat.

“What the hell?” the woman says.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” I say.

The man lowers his guard a little.

“Wright!” the woman shouts. “What are you doing?”

“They look like they could have killed us already if they wanted to,” the man named Wright says.

“They’re just kids!” she says.

“Watch it,” Kainda growls.

The woman’s eyes lock with Kainda’s. It’s like seeing two lions sizing each other up. The woman must realize her partner is correct. She lowers her knife, though she’s not happy about it. “Fine.”

I motion to Em and Kainda, introducing them one at a time. “This is Em. And Kainda. My name is Solomon.” I reach my hand out to shake Wright’s. “Solomon Vincent.”

“Awfully polite for a boy in a loin cloth,” the woman says.