Welcome back to my post-apocalyptic novel, Ada’s Children, and thanks for reading! If you’re new to the story, please don’t be surprised that it’s paywalled. (See this post for tips on how you can now read the novel for free.) The Prologue and first three chapters are free, and you can start reading them here. The previous chapter, “Troublesome Humans,” is here.
The last time we were with Sila and Jun, they were in the fight of their lives against a seemingly unbeatable opponent. And in the last chapter, Ada pondered what to do about these two troublesome humans. Now we’ll find out what Ada decided, and whether Sila and Jun can survive long enough for it to matter.
“SILA!” Jun yelled, stepping up onto the low stone wall, the shout cut short as he winced from the pain in his ribs. His throwing arm dangled helplessly at his side. Grasping the railing with his good hand, he tried to vault up and over, but failed.
Why wouldn’t she run? The black thing was advancing on her, and her bow was out of reach. Yet still she stood in a crouch, her knife at the ready, her eyes boring into the thing, as if trying to guess what it would do next.
Of course she wouldn’t run, not Sila. She’d rarely known anything or anyone that could best her—a few of the stronger hunters in grappling contests, the helper that had grabbed her and held her until she could be darted. But she’d never backed down, never run away.
He tried the railing again, getting himself halfway up then falling back, the pain in his side too sharp to get a good pull. He had to do something. What about the knife? He’d never hit his target if he couldn’t use his throwing arm. Desperate, he reached into his pouch, searching for anything that would give him an advantage. Amongst the bits of cord and extra arrow heads, he felt those metal balls, the ones that had fallen from the snake-machine. He’d forgotten all about them.
He gathered a handful as the thing raised its good arm. Would it stun her with sound again? Or could it shoot something even worse? What strength he had left, he put into his throw. Despite using his weaker arm, several of the balls struck the thing’s back, clattering onto the floor.
It turned, its arm now pointed at him.
“Jun!” Sila shouted, charging at the thing’s back.
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