The Extinction Series | Book 2 | Primordial Earth Read online

She tucked the orange into her jacket after a furtive look at her mother’s turned back. The gesture was automatic, a habit learned from years of stealing food from the market stalls. While Moran had done her best to provide for Rogue, there were times when it couldn’t be done. Lean times. Hard times.

  Even when Rogue was grown, she’d often go her own way for days on end. She’d leave Moran to manage the Rebels while wandering the streets of Prime. Searching. Always searching. She’d never known what she was looking for with such quiet desperation until now. Family. I was looking for my family.

  A flash of guilt sent her hand flying back into her pocket. She removed the offending fruit and placed it back in the bowl. You’re not a thief anymore, Rogue. Not here.

  At that moment, Olivia turned around with two loaded plates in her hands. “Here you go, sweetie. Eat up, and don’t be afraid to ask for more. There’s plenty to go around.”

  Rogue flashed her a guilty smile as she snatched back her hand from the fruit bowl. “Thank you, er…Mom. I appreciate it.”

  “Anything for my Lillian,” Olivia said, taking the chair opposite Rogue.

  Rogue shifted in her seat, her sense of guilt intensifying in the face of her mother’s love. Would Olivia still feel that way once she got to know her? Or would she be horrified at the things Rogue had done? That Lillian had done?

  Chapter 3

  Olivia settled into her chair, her eyes never leaving her daughter’s face. “I still can’t quite believe you’re here. Every time I look at you, I want to pinch myself to make sure it’s not a dream.”

  “You do?” Rogue asked, her cheeks flooding with hot blood.

  “Of course. You’re my daughter. My family. I’ve been thinking of this moment forever,” Olivia replied.

  Rogue squirmed beneath her mother’s ardent gaze. “I…I don’t know what to say. I mean… I’m happy to be here, of course.”

  “As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters,” Olivia replied. She reached across the table and squeezed her daughter’s hand.

  Rogue stared at their intertwined fingers, and a sudden lump formed in her throat. She wasn’t used to such open displays of emotion. Moran had taught her to be strong, and sentiment played little role in their lives. They loved each other, but it was something they felt rather than showed. Clearing her throat, she pulled her hand back into her lap.

  A flash of disappointment crossed Olivia’s face, but she covered it with a broad smile. “Would you like some bread?”

  “Yes, please,” Rogue said, taking a slice from the proffered basket. It was still warm with a thick, flaky crust. “You made it?”

  “I baked it especially for you,” Olivia said with a nod. She pointed at a tray filled with little pots of all shapes and sizes. “There’s butter and jam if you’d like. Preserves too.”

  Rogue stared at the tray in disbelief. She hadn’t seen such an array in years, and her mouth watered. She reached for a knife and slathered on a thick layer of the creamy butter. “Where did you get this all of this?”

  Olivia grinned. “That, my dear, is made from camel’s milk.”

  Rogue stared at her, the butter knife frozen mid-air. “Camel’s milk. Like, from a real camel?”

  Olivia nodded. “When the Shift happened, the zoo animals came with it. The staff tried to keep them alive, but most died. Either from disease or because they couldn’t handle the climate. It’s a lot hotter here.”

  Rogue winced, remembering the sweltering mid-summer heat that struck each year without fail. “Tell me about it.”

  “Some had to be put down like the tigers and so on. They’d never survive in the wild, and feeding them was too difficult.”

  “That’s too bad,” Rogue said, wishing she could have seen a tiger in real life. Sadly, she would never have the chance.

  “Anyway,” Olivia said with a small wave of her hand. “Some of the animals survived, and a few even flourished.”

  “Like the camels?” Rogue asked.

  “Exactly. We breed them like cattle, and they provide us with milk, cream, butter, and occasionally meat,” Olivia said.

  “Interesting,” Rogue said, reaching for a pot of jam. She eyed the ruby-colored concoction with a dubious frown. “What is this made from?”

  “Berry jam made from native berries,” Olivia said.

  “Native berries? I thought they were mostly poisonous,” Rogue mumbled, testing a bit of the jam with her finger. It was tart but also sweet at the same time.

  “Not all of it. A lot of the indigenous plants can be eaten or used for medicine. You just have to know which and how,” Olivia said. “Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

  “I’d never even seen any of the local plants before I got kicked out of Prime,” Rogue replied. “Seth showed me a few of them, but I don’t know much about the different varieties.”

  “If that’s true, how have you Primes survived all this time?” Olivia asked with an incredulous look.

  Rogue shrugged, gazing at her mother. “We’ve been living off the stores that Douglas accumulated before and after the Shift.”

  “Before?” Olivia said.

  “Uh-huh,” Rogue said with a nod. “Moran says he must’ve known about the Shift before it happened. Probably because of his higher-up connections. She says he planned for it.”

  “Who’s this Moran you talk about?” Olivia asked.

  “Er, nobody. Just a friend,” Rogue said, dropping her gaze to the tray. She replaced the berry jam and pretended to look at the other preserves.

  “So, that’s it?” Olivia said. “The whole city’s been scrounging off Douglas’ stores for the past twenty years?”

  “Well, he sent out a bunch of raiding parties after the Shift to strip the city and nearby farms of supplies. We also grow some of our food, and we have a few farm animals. Then there are the hunting parties. We get meat and hides from that,” Rogue said. “Even so, there’s never enough to go around, and Douglas takes the lion’s share.”

  “It’s no wonder you’re so skinny—poor child. Growing up in a place like that,” Olivia said with a shake of her head. “We Exiles haven’t always had it easy either, but we live off the land. We have much to be thankful for.”

  “I can see that,” Rogue said, taking a bite of the buttered bread. Then her eyes fell to her plate, and she froze. Her hands began to shake, and her fingers closed around the crust of bread until crumbs littered the table. “Are those…eggs?”

  “Yes, I bartered an extra loaf of bread for them,” Olivia said with a broad grin. “I wanted to give you a proper welcome this morning.

  Rogue stared at the two eggs, fried to perfection, and nestled within a bed of onions. A slice of smoked meat rounded out the meal, and her stomach cramped with eager hunger. But the only thing she could think of was that day in the market. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t forget. It haunted her dreams, and many a night, she woke up in a cold sweat with the sour taste of guilt in her mouth.

  Her mind flashed back to that afternoon, and she relived it all once more: The heat, the press of unwashed bodies, and the basket with its cargo of precious eggs. The screams, and the terror followed by the smell of fresh blood. The bodies. So many died, and all because of one stupid egg.

  “Rogue, are you okay?” Olivia asked, her face creased with concern.

  Rogue swallowed hard on the knot in her throat, but she managed a tremulous smile. “I’m fine. Just surprised, that’s all.”

  “Are you sure? You look a little pale,” Olivia said.

  “I’m alright, I promise,” Rogue said, her smile intensifying. She quickly placed the squashed slice of bread down on her plate and wiped her fingers free of butter and jam. The last thing she needed was more questions.

  “Oh, good. You had me worried there for a minute,” Olivia said with a sigh of relief.

  “I’m tougher than I look,” Rogue said. She pushed the lingering echos of fear away and picked up her knife and fork. With resolute
determination, she cut into the egg and raised it to her mouth. The golden yolk oozed over her tongue, and she fought the urge to gag.

  Olivia stared at her with eager expectation. “Did I make it right? You used to like them sunny-side-up as a child.”

  “It’s delicious.” Rogue forced herself to swallow and take a second bite. She couldn’t bear to see her mother disappointed after all the effort she’d gone to.

  “I’m glad to hear that. You’re going to need your energy today. Especially with the outing I’ve arranged for you,” Olivia said.

  “Outing?” Rogue asked with a sense of foreboding. “What outing?”

  “Oh, I’m quite sure you’ll love it,” Olivia said, leaning forward in her chair.

  “What is it?” Rogue pressed.

  “We’re going egg hunting today,” Olivia cried.

  Rogue stared at her mother without blinking. Her fingers curled around the knife and fork until her knuckles turned white. A hysterical giggle bubbled up her throat and threatened to burst free. “Egg hunting?”

  “Exactly. It’s a lot of fun, just you wait and see,” Olivia explained. “You’ll get to meet a few people, maybe even make some friends…”

  Her mother’s excited babbling faded into the background while Rogue struggled to finish her food. She was no longer hungry, and her stomach churned at the thought of going after more eggs. It seems I can’t escape the stupid things, no matter what I do. Karma can be a real bitch sometimes.

  Chapter 4

  After breakfast, Rogue helped Olivia to clear the table and wash the dirty dishes. She didn’t mind the work. It kept her hands busy and enabled her to keep her head down. One look at her expression and Olivia would know something was wrong.

  “This is something we do once a year,” Olivia explained as she dried a plate with a rough cloth. “When the eggs are almost ready to hatch, we harvest a bunch and bring them back here to raise.”

  “Raise?” Rogue asked with disbelief. “You raise dinosaurs?”

  “Of course, we do. We couldn’t survive without them, and it’s much safer than hunting the creatures out in the wild. Too much can go wrong.”

  “Safer?” Rogue repeated in a faint voice. Her mind filled with the images of little T-rexes and Utahraptors running around the camp, and she shuddered. “How can it possibly be safer?”

  “We only raise herbivores, obviously. The smaller varieties like the Zuniceratops, the Parksosaurus, and the Stegoceras,” Olivia said. “We keep them inside a few of the old animal enclosures. They’re quite secure, I promise.”

  Rogue grimaced. She’d already had a close encounter with the territorial Zuniceratops. The feisty beasts nearly killed her that morning in the van. She’d barely escaped with her life. Raising them like farm animals was almost beyond her ability to fathom.

  Olivia eyed her with shrewd intensity. “You haven’t had much experience with the outside world, have you?”

  “No, I haven’t. Nobody in Prime has except for the raiding and hunting parties. The rest of us never set foot outside the walls. It’s forbidden.”

  “I couldn’t imagine living like that,” Olivia murmured. “Shut away from nature forever.”

  “Prime is different, I guess. We all lived in fear. We still do, I suppose,” Rogue said with a somber shake of the head. “It’s not like this…place at all.”

  “We call it the Zoo, sweetie. That’s what it used to be, and that’s what it still is, in a way,” Olivia said.

  “Uh-huh, and you call yourselves the Exiles?” Rogue asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we were taken from our homes and sent here,” Olivia explained. “Whether by accident or intent, we live in exile.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Rogue said, staring at her hands immersed in the soapy water. “So, the egg hunting thing. Tell me more.”

  “It’s simple, really. Long ago, we discovered an open field where the herbivores gather together to make their nests. Once a year, we raid those nests and collect as many eggs as we can carry.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Rogue asked.

  “It can be if you’re not careful,” Olivia said. “But we haven’t had a serious injury or death in years. Ric always leads the party, and he never takes any chances.”

  “What about predators? Raptors? Won’t they hang around such a big gathering of herbivores?” Rogue said.

  “The field is very sheltered. The river runs along one side with a cliff and a waterfall on the other. It’s not that easy for predators to approach, especially when faced by a whole herd of aggressive mama’s,” Olivia explained.

  “Yeah, that’s another thing. What about the parents? They’re not just going to stand by while we run off with their eggs, are they?” Rogue said.

  “Oh, we’re cautious. We make sure to stay downwind and hidden at all times. It’s a snatch and grab operation,” Olivia said.

  Rogue chewed on her bottom lip. The whole thing seemed outlandish to her. “Er…sounds like fun.”

  Olivia turned to her, her expression serious. “Look, Lillian. I’ll understand if you don’t want to go. This must seem very daunting to you.”

  “It’s not that. I can handle fear. Going over the wall was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I survived. I mean, I almost died, but…” Rogue said with a small laugh. “Here I am. Alive and kicking despite the best efforts of several varieties of dinosaurs.”

  “What is it then?” Olivia asked.

  “I’m a little overwhelmed, that’s all,” Rogue said, unwilling to admit her true concerns. What could she tell her mother, after all? That she had an egg phobia?

  “You’ll be fine, Lillian,” Olivia replied. “Seth told me a little bit about your adventures: The Clidastes, the Utahraptors, and walking for miles in the rain with a serious injury.”

  “He did?” Rogue asked, worry piercing her heart. “How much did he tell you?”

  “A little. Enough to know that you’re strong and brave. You can do this. I know you can,” Olivia said with a reassuring smile.

  Rogue heaved an inner sigh of relief. Seth clearly hadn’t told her mother why she was kicked out of Prime. And he’d better not unless he wants to be fed to a bunch of raptors.

  “Anyway. Today’s outing is of the utmost importance for you,” Olivia continued.

  “Why?” Rogue asked, drying her hands on a cloth.

  “Over the years, this egg-hunt has become an annual event, of sorts. A rite of passage for our young people,” Olivia said.

  “I don’t understand,” Rogue said.

  “It’s a way for them to prove that they’re grown up. That they’re ready to take on adult responsibilities.”

  “What does that have to do with me? I’m not a kid anymore. I’m twenty-five years old,” Rogue protested.

  “I know, but it’ll show that you’re willing to contribute to the community,” Olivia said, spreading her hands.

  “I’m willing to help. Just show me what I must do. Plant, clean, build…I’m prepared to work,” Rogue said.

  “It’s not that simple,” Olivia said, her face somber. “You’re a Prime, and most of the people here don’t trust you. Neither you nor Seth.”

  Rogue snorted. “Yeah, I sort of gathered that when we were beaten and locked up just for showing up.”

  Crimson blood stained Olivia’s cheeks. “I’m sorry about that, but you must try to understand. We’ve feared and hated the Primes for two decades now. That sort of emotion doesn’t go away overnight.”

  “But that’s ridiculous,” Rogue cried. “We Primes aren’t all bad. It’s Douglas and a select few who run the show.”

  “Try to see it from our point of view, sweetheart,” Olivia pleaded. “All these years, you’ve spent safely tucked away behind your walls while we were stuck out here.”

  “Maybe, but you’ve had the better end of the bargain,” Rogue said. “I mean, look at this place. You live in good homes w
ith real beds and decent food. You even have running water. Hot water!”

  “It wasn’t always like that,” Olivia said with a sad shake of her head. “The first few years were…awful. We lost a lot of people through constant attacks, hunger, disease, and exposure.”

  Rogue sighed. “It was the same for us, Mom. The only difference is, things have gotten better for you, while it’s grown worse for us.”

  “We didn’t know that, sweetie. All we remember is being turned away at gunpoint from the walls of Prime.”

  “But you get it now, right? You have to. I’m here as a witness, and so is Seth,” Rogue said.

  “I know, but people can be stubborn. It’ll be hard to change years of ingrained hatred and distrust,” Olivia said. “That’s why it’s so critical that you take part today.”

  Rogue sagged against the cupboard. “I suppose I don’t have a choice.”

  “It’s the right thing to do. It will win you some much-needed favor with the Exiles. Especially if you still want to petition the council for their help in freeing Prime.”

  “I do,” Rogue said. The need to save Moran and the others burned like a hot fire in her belly. She couldn’t leave them there to rot, especially now that she knew what life could be like outside the walls.”

  “Then it’s settled. We’re going,” Olivia said, her eyes sparkling.

  Her enthusiasm was catching, and Rogue found herself grinning. “I guess so.”

  “Seth will be there,” Olivia said with a teasing smile. “I know you want to see him again.”

  “Mom,” Rogue groaned. “It’s not like that.”

  “Isn’t it?” Olivia said, cocking her head. “He’s a handsome young man, and you’re both single.”

  “Seriously? You’re playing matchmaker so soon?”

  “Why not? I’ve always wanted grandkids.”

  Rogue gaped at her mother. “You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s only been one day, and you’re already thinking about me having babies?”

  “Sure. I’m not getting any younger,” Olivia said with a rueful shrug. “I wouldn’t mind the pitter-patter of little feet around the—”