Peyton's Promise: The Cambria Code, #2

By S. M. Schmitz

After landing on Cambria, Zoe realizes she can’t spend the rest of her life as the source of a rivalry between the two men she loves, so she volunteers for Peyton’s army, which threatens her relationship with Adrian. But after five months of fighting the darkness that has repeatedly tried to drown her, she needs her own justification for escaping an invasion few humans survived. 

Protecting those who are left gives Zoe a new sense of purpose, but she is quickly confronted with the realities of what took place on Cambria when this planet was invaded, and she will soon discover if she is capable of being the savior of her people she desperately wants to become.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. M. Schmitz
• Release date: Oct 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536510478

Book preview

Chapter 1

Adrian knocked on the bathroom door and reminded Zoe, again, that they needed to hurry. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body then slid the door open and scowled at him. What’s the rush? The planet isn’t going anywhere.

Don’t you want to be with the others when we land? Adrian asked.

Zoe shrugged and stepped around him into their cold bedroom. It’s not like we’ll be able to see anything.

No, he agreed, only those in the control room can.

Adrian grimaced and pressed his lips together when he realized what he’d said. Zoe pretended she didn’t notice. She pulled her clean t-shirt over her head and kissed his cheek. I’ll be ready in two minutes then we can meet our friends for the landing, ok?

Adrian watched her with a mischievous grin and she shook her head at him. "I am getting off this ship as soon as they let me. Nothing is going to slow that down. I mean it, so behave."

Adrian laughed and smoothed the wrinkles out of the blankets on their bed. Zoe wanted to ask him who the hell would care anymore what this room looked like, but she didn’t bother. It was just his nature. Neatness to the point of obsessiveness seemed to be endemic among the Cambrians and Zoe thought she would eventually drive Adrian crazy with her far messier lifestyle. He kept insisting he didn’t care, and she kept insisting he’d only known her for four months and he needed to give it more time.

He held her hand as they left their room and walked through the winding hallways until they reached the common room where Mia, Landon, and Alex were waiting. Mia bounced on the balls of her feet when she saw Zoe enter.

We’re almost there! she squealed.

Zoe nodded. The ship had slowed down about an hour ago, and in Jeffrey’s last announcement, which Adrian translated for her as he always did, he’d estimated they’d be landing in the next thirty minutes. Because they’d slowed down and were preparing to land, Zoe knew they were no longer between the waves of the universe, that she was no longer in the complete void, the blackness of nothingness, but she felt immersed in it still.

She would always be in the darkness.

Alex looked nervous. Zoe put an arm around him and hugged him quickly. We’ll make the best of it, kid.

He swallowed and looked at her with wide, worried eyes. I’ve been talking to some others about what to expect, and I’m not sure any of us have really thought this through. What we’re going to see when we get off this ship, I mean. Zoe, they were being massacred. It’s not like anyone had time to bury their loved ones.

Zoe glanced at Adrian who took a deep breath and slipped his arm around her. That’s why we’re landing somewhere that wasn’t heavily populated.

"Heavily, Alex repeated. But it was still populated."

Yes, Adrian answered. You’re going to see bodies. I’m sorry. There’s no way to avoid it, not after what happened to us.

Mia leaned her head against her brother’s arm and he closed his eyes. I’ll be ok, Mia, he promised.

The ship jolted slightly and Zoe grabbed onto Adrian’s arm.

We just entered our atmosphere, he breathed. We’re home.

For the first time since the Cambrians had descended on her own world, she understood them a little better.

She wasn’t home. She could never be home again.

Zoe, a familiar voice said behind her. Zoe closed her eyes and gripped Adrian’s arm tighter. She felt Adrian tense beside her. She had never wanted off of the ship more than she did at that moment.

Come to the control room with me, Peyton said. You can watch us land.

Zoe shook her head but didn’t turn around.

Peyton sighed. Adrian can come, too. We’ll be landing in a few minutes.

Zoe opened her eyes and glanced up at her boyfriend. She knew he would have jumped at an opportunity to go into the control room and witness the landing had anyone else offered it to them. She looked over her shoulder at Peyton and immediately wished she hadn’t. She always felt so weak and defenseless around him.

Fine, she hissed. "But don’t talk to me."

They followed the Security Chief through a different maze of hallways to the control room of the ship, where Jenna and Jeffrey stood nervously side by side watching the panels in front of them. Jenna looked up at her and smiled sadly.

Zoe had always really liked the Commander but ever since finding out she used to be Peyton’s mother-in-law, she hadn’t been able to talk to her. Jenna must have known Peyton had lied to her and was willing to be complicit in that lie because she’d never mentioned her daughter aside from the first time and she never talked about Peyton and their relationship. And Zoe couldn’t forgive her either.

Jenna stepped aside so Zoe and Adrian could stand in front of one of the monitors. Zoe gasped when she saw the vibrant blue sky they were flying through now.

What are we heading toward? she asked.

We’re above an ocean, Jenna answered. That’s what you see at the bottom of the screen. As we get lower, you’ll be able to make out the land in the distance.

Adrian murmured something in his own language and Jenna smiled sadly again and nodded. Zoe didn’t bother asking what he’d said. She didn’t care. There was a sky and water and land and soon, she would be off of this ship. She never wanted to step foot in it again.

It gets too cold here in the winter, Peyton said. We’ll have to move south in a few months.

I told you not to talk to me, Zoe responded.

You always tell me that.

And you always ignore me.

So why did you think I was going to listen this time? he asked.

Zoe rolled her eyes and glanced at Jeffrey. He was standing stoically by a different monitor, ignoring everyone. He probably thought they were all a bunch of morons.

Despite her hatred of the man, she didn’t want to encourage Peyton by asking him questions so she addressed the President-King instead. Do you have people who are going to go into homes and make sure they’re… habitable?

Jeffrey looked up from the monitor and blinked at her. Do you mean free of bodies?

Zoe exhaled angrily. Yes. And not… grotesque. In your meritocracy, I can already assure you that is not a job I’m cut out for.

Jeffrey’s thin brown eyebrows pulled together as he continued to blink at her. You’re human. Even though you’ll be living with us, you aren’t subject to the same system because you don’t possess comparable qualifications.

Zoe crossed her arms defiantly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Land, Peyton said, pointing to the screen.

Zoe glanced at the screen and he was right, but he was also just trying to prevent an argument between her and his boss and father-in-law. She would have ignored him again but the look on Adrian’s face was begging her to keep her mouth shut, too. Jeffrey looked down at his screen then back at Adrian and spoke to him in their native language. Adrian’s eyes widened and he nodded.

I’ll be right back, he told Zoe.

What? she asked. Where are you going?

Jeffrey just offered to let me make the official announcement as we land.

Zoe forced a smile and tried to look excited for him. That’s awesome. You’ll do great.

Adrian beamed as he followed his leader to the other side of the control room. Zoe turned around and scowled at Peyton.

You think you’re so smart.

He shook his head. No, actually, I think I’m an idiot. I let you get away.

Yes, you did. And the only reason I’m not going to be even more pissed off at you for this than I should be is that you made Adrian so happy.

Peyton shrugged. Collateral damage.

You’re an asshole.

He nodded. "I know. Zoe, I told you two weeks ago I wasn’t going to stop trying to earn your forgiveness and I won’t. I can see he loves you and he’s good to you, but you’re not in love with him. Not the same way."

You don’t know that.

Peyton gave her an I’m-not-really-an-idiot look.

Besides, Zoe added, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder, "Adrian’s never hurt me. He’s never broken my heart. He’s never gotten his in-laws to lie for him."

She heard Jenna inhale quickly but when she glanced over at the ship’s Commander, Jenna pretended to be studying her monitor carefully.

I didn’t know Adrian before we evacuated, but I know now he wasn’t married. He was single. He lost his family and almost all of his friends, but… it’s different, Zoe.

Zoe threw her hands up and sighed loudly. "I would have understood, Peyton. It’s your lying I can’t forgive."

I know, and it’s inexcusable. I’m not even sure why I lied other than I was so ashamed that I was attracted to you and I felt like I was betraying her. I couldn’t even talk about her to you.

Zoe, Jenna said softly. Peyton told me you thought I only befriended you because you reminded me of my daughter. That’s not true. Ari was headstrong like you, but in so many ways, you are different than one another. I befriended you simply because I like you.

Zoe swallowed and blinked away tears. She couldn’t do this again. Even if she were able to forgive him, she couldn’t sabotage her relationship with Adrian just to have Peyton decide he wasn’t ready to move on after all. And she couldn’t break Adrian’s heart. Despite what Peyton thought, she did love Adrian, although he was right: it wasn’t the same. It could never be the same.

Adrian’s voice filled the room and she jumped. He must have been making the announcement that they were landing. Zoe spun around and watched the monitor and she felt Peyton’s body heat as he stepped closer behind her.

One more thing, he whispered. We’ve renamed the planet. For you.

As if to explain for him, she heard Adrian’s message as he translated it into English for the humans on board.

Survivors, welcome to Cambria.

Chapter 2

Zoe carried her single suitcase as she followed the line of passengers from the ship to the open field where they would break off into smaller groups. From here, their group leader would let them know when homes had been found for them to stay in. Zoe suspected that meant when those designated to search the nearby houses had confirmed there were no bodies inside or that the bodies had been removed for later burial.

She found a patch of soft, lush green grass and collapsed onto it. It tickled the skin on her arms and she smiled to herself as she tipped her face toward the warm Cambrian sun. The air was cool and a gentle breeze blew wisps of her dark hair against her neck. In so many ways, this field resembled thousands of others on Earth: the same shape and color of the blades of grass, the brown dirt in which they grew, the vibrant cloudless blue sky. Scattered unfamiliar flowers, an odd metallic copper, were the only reminder that she wasn’t home.

She sensed someone sitting next to her and sat up as she opened her eyes. Adrian plucked one of the copper flowers from the ground and handed it to her. Your first of many Cambrian flowers.

Zoe held the stem of the flower in her fingers and twirled it slowly. These are so beautiful. What makes them look like a metal like this?

Adrian shrugged. I have no idea. There’s a related variety that look almost silver with streaks of indigo. Those are a favorite here.

Zoe smiled as she continued to twirl the flower. I can imagine. You know, at home, when we were kids, we would pluck the petals off flowers and play a game. Every time we pulled a petal off, we’d say, ‘He loves me,’ then the next time, ‘He loves me not.’ Depending on what we said when we were down to the last petal, it was supposed to mean something. But these are too pretty to pull off.

Adrian laughed and kissed her shoulder. You already know I love you. And you humans are awfully superstitious.

Zoe nodded. Yeah, we were.

The sound of laughing children tore her attention away from her flower, and she watched a group of humans congregating not too far from her. The children played chase, seemingly delighted to have the freedom of the open field and to be out of the confines of the spaceship, but the adults all looked around their new surroundings nervously. Some cried; others wore the expressions of shock and grief.

Zoe had a sudden overwhelming urge to do something to help them, to protect them from their pasts and this new unfamiliar present and a potentially hostile and dangerous future.

Mia dropped her bag in front of her and knelt by her luggage. Cool. A metal flower.

Zoe snorted and shook her head at her friend. It’s not really metal. At least I don’t think it is.

No, Peyton said, it’s not.

Zoe jumped and twisted around to see him standing behind her. She scowled at him and didn’t bother asking him what he wanted now. He was always following her and seemed Hell bent on ruining her relationship with Adrian.

So, Mr. Security Chief, she asked, how long until we get assigned places to stay?

I’ve got teams out checking now. If the houses aren’t empty, they’ll need to be disinfected first.

And how are we going to decide who’s staying where? I’m assuming Mia and Alex will get to stay with me, Zoe said.

Peyton nodded. Of course. We’ll try to keep all of the humans together.

Adrian sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around his knees. "You mean, you’ll make sure Zoe isn’t with me."

Peyton ignored him.

Zoe didn’t admit she wasn’t really ready to move in with Adrian yet anyway. She’d been rooming with him on the ship, but she’d known it was temporary. A permanent move was a step she wasn’t quite prepared for. She smiled at her boyfriend and kissed his cheek. We’re not in prison, Adrian. We’ll still be able to see each other whenever we want.

Zoe didn’t need to be looking at Peyton to know he rolled his eyes.

Adrian put his arm around her and was about to pull her closer to his chest when an odd almost-chirping sound made Zoe sit upright again. She looked around quickly for the source of the noise and Peyton lowered himself to the ground by her and pointed toward a cluster of trees at the edge of the field.

"That was a vartrilla. It would look like a bird to you, but they don’t lay eggs."

Flying mammals? Zoe breathed.

Peyton nodded again. Yes, but prettier than bats.

Zoe snorted. I like bats. Ok, yeah, they’re not pretty, but they’re cool.

Alex and Landon finally reached their group and stared into the tree line looking for the vartrilla.

How big are they? Alex asked uneasily. Based on