Seek, p.31
Seek, page 31
part #2 of Unwelcome Series
You mean the arm?
Yes. There have been reports that the arm becomes whole when his abilities manifest.
Xantar nodded. Are there any additional manifestations that you have uncovered?
Speed and strength are all that have been reported. I will put him through a complete battery of tests once he is healed, varying environments, threats, weapons.
Good. I want reports immediately.
Of course. Aek returned to her console.
Xantar studied the human for a few seconds longer. You will reveal all of your secrets. And your weaknesses.
He turned his gaze to the other test subject. The female avad lay suspended in the fluid. She had been here ever since she had been recovered. They had made quite a few discoveries in that time.
And you will help us.
Epilogue
It had been twenty-four hours since they had set up residence at the Gatsby. Both groups were keeping to themselves for the most part. Except, of course, for Emma and Edna, who had taken it as their personal mission to fatten up all the Unwelcome mothers and their kids.
Maisy and Iris were completely in love with all the children. They were constantly playing with them. The Unwelcomes seemed just as enamored with them. They had not had a chance to see children of their age. Between Emma, Edna, Maisy, and Iris, Lyla hoped a bridge could be developed that would bring the two groups together.
Lyla stood now on the second floor of the east wing, looking out the front. Montell, Max, and Angela rode by on horseback and out the front gates. They were heading to the Fringe to see what they could learn. They were going to stake out the mothership as best they could from the ground. Numbers, patterns, anything they could figure out. Max was going to speak with some people inside the Fringe to see what he could learn. Lyla would meet up with them in three days’ time.
Three days. It seemed like a lifetime.
Lyla rubbed her arms, even though it wasn’t cold, but she couldn’t seem to warm up. Miles was on the mothership. Which means I need to find a way up there.
A knock sounded at the door. She turned. Arthur hovered in the doorway, the Naku tablet in his hands. Lyla cleared her throat. “Can they trace us on that?”
“No. As long as I don’t try to communicate with anyone, they won’t know we have it.”
She nodded.
“I’ve been looking through it.”
“Anything about Miles?”
“No, not yet.”
She sank into a chair. “Oh.”
“It does have a record of the Naku’s history. And the avad’s.”
Lyla just looked at him.
He backed away. “I’m sorry. It’s not a good time to discuss this. I’ll come back later when—”
“No, no.” Lyla crossed the room to him, shaking herself from her melancholy. “No, now’s good. I could use something to distract me. Tell me what you found.” She led him back to the couch.
He sat down next to her, the tablet looking tiny in his hands. “I wanted to know who my people really are.”
She couldn’t blame him. She wanted answers about herself and the Cursed just as badly as Arthur wanted answers about his people.
“I managed to trace our history. The Naku, they’ve moved with us from planet to planet. We’ve been to dozens. They use up all the resources on a planet and then we move on to the next.”
“How long have they been doing that?”
“Thousands of years. They were doing it even before they made us their slaves. But their bodies began to weaken until they became too fragile to do much more than walk, think, and eat. They landed on a planet. They weren’t planning on staying. They had been called home. But they were so weak. Luckily, the inhabitants of the planet were primitive. They thought the Naku were gods. They fed them, honored them. The Naku stayed for a thousand years and then headed home. They took hundreds of the natives of the planet and made them their slaves. That’s where the avad began.”
“So you have a home. A place where you’re from.”
Arthur nodded, an expression she couldn’t quite decipher on his face. “Does your home planet still exist?”
Arthur nodded. “Yes. I’ve read this and reread it, seeing if I made any mistakes in the translation, but I didn’t. The Naku call our planet Arak. It’s beautiful—oceans, trees, and my people are still there. They still exist.”
“That’s great,” she said, even though she felt a rip in her chest at the idea of Arthur leaving to find his people. “Do you know where it is?”
Arthur nodded slowly. “Yes, and so do you.”
She frowned. “I do?”
“We’re standing on it.”
She stared at him, not understanding. “What?”
Arthur took a deep breath. “The Unwelcome were taken from here. Arak is Earth.”
The story continues in Proxy, Book Three of The Unwelcome Trilogy, available now for pre-order on Amazon.
Thank you for reading Seek, Book Two in The Unwelcome Trilogy. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review.
Author’s Note
Between 1997 and 2003, my favorite TV show was beyond a doubt Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I absolutely loved it. Strong kick ass female who had friends and family she loved. She faced each battle no mater the odds. Oh, I loved that show!
My love for all things Buffy is well known amongst my friends. A good friend even picked up a Buffy drawing for me at Boston Comic-Con. It sits in pride of place in my office. (I’ll put a snapshot of it up on my Facebook page. Take a look!)
But then the worst happened: Buffy ended. I think I have seen that finale a dozen times. But afterwards, I felt this keen sense of loss. I had laughed, loved and cried along with these characters. And now, I was never going to see a new adventure. A few months later, Joss Whedon announced he was creating a new series called Firefly.
I wasn’t ready.
I was still mourning the loss of Buffy, Xander, Willow, Niles, and Spike. (Spike!) I wasn’t ready to open my heart to a whole new group of characters. Besides, it couldn’t possibly be as good, right? So I didn’t watch Firefly. Then I learned it was cancelled. Proof positive in my mind that I had made the right decision.
Years passed and one rainy Saturday, I was seriously bored. And the first episode of Firefly was on TV. I finally sat down to watch it.
I loved it! It was another group of fun characters, all very different, all incredibly likeable, even Jayne. I watched the entire season and was kicking myself for not watching it when it was on air. Maybe if I had, there’d be more than one season.
You’re probably wondering why I’m taking you on this little stroll down Memory Lane. It is my round about way of saying thank you for taking a chance on my new series. I truly know how difficult it is to jump in. So thank you!
I also need to thank my incredible editor Crystal Wantanabe and her team at Pikko’s House. You guys have been a godsend.
And to the creative minds at Damonza, thank you for the incredible covers. I am absolutely in love with them!
I also want to thank my incredible Beta Reading Team. I held off creating one for multiple reasons, the biggest one being fear. Now, just like with Firefly, I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. You guys have been such a gift!
To my four furry co-writing partners, you make my days brighter.
To my three furless little ones, never forget you are loved, always and forever.
And to my husband, thank you for your support. Thank you for being an incredible father, husband and partner. You make this all possible. Thank you.
And a special thank you to everyone who has mentioned my book to a friend or left a review. You have helped spread my books far and wide. I am humbled by it.
Until next time,
R.D.
About the Author
R.D. Brady is an American writer who grew up on Long Island, NY but has made her home in both the South and Midwest before settling in upstate New York. On her way to becoming a full-time writer, R.D. received a Ph.D. in Criminology and taught for ten years at a small liberal arts college.
R.D. left the glamorous life of grading papers behind in 2013 with the publication of her first novel, the supernatural action adventure, The Belial Stone. Over ten novels later and hundreds of thousands of books sold, and she hasn't looked back. Her novels tap into her criminological background, her years spent studying martial arts, and the unexplained aspects of our history. Join her on her next adventure!
To learn about her upcoming publications, sign up for her newsletter here or on her website (rdbradybooks.com).
Books By R.D. Brady
The Belial Series (in order)
The Belial Stone
The Belial Library
The Belial Ring
Recruit: A Belial Series Novella
The Belial Children
The Belial Origins
The Belial Search
The Belial Guard
The Belial Warrior
The Belial Plan
The Belial Witches
The Belial War
The Belial Fall
The Belial Sacrifice
Stand-Alone Books
Runs Deep
Hominid
The A.L.I.V.E. Series
B.E.G.I.N.
A.L.I.V.E.
D.E.A.D.
The Unwelcome Series
Protect
Seek
Proxy
Be sure to sign up for R.D.'s mailing list to be the first to hear when she has a new release!
Contents
Books by R.D. Brady
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
Books By R.D. Brady
Copyright © 2018 by R.D. Brady
Seek
Published by Scottish Seoul Publishing, LLC, Dewitt, NY
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
Printed in the United States of America.
R D Brady, Seek
