by J. L. Weil
“I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Freckles.”
Oh yeah, that would do. My fingers slipped under his shirt, tugging the hem up, and I shivered at the contact of our flesh. “Take your shirt off.”
He lifted a dark brow. “Here?”
“It doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s you.”
The corner of his lips twitched as he jerked the cotton shirt over his head. “Get ready for pure awesomeness.”
I couldn’t stop the silly grin from curling my face. The world might be ending a second time, yet Dash could find ways to make me laugh. “You did not just say that.”
Mischief bounced in his eyes. “Oh, there’s more where that came from.”
I let my fingertips linger on his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles. My body couldn’t decide what it wanted, fast or slow.
His lips reclaimed mine, and I was transported back to heaven, or maybe hell, either way, I didn’t want it to end. And then the unthinkable happened.
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop. Sirens went off, blaring throughout the Institute. I jumped in Dash’s arms. They instinctually tightened around me.
“Can’t a girl get five minutes alone with you?” I grumbled, still clinging to the haze his kisses had left me in.
A hard mask fell over his face; he was entering Slayer mode. “Something’s wrong.”
Ugh. For one day, just one day, would it be too much to ask for nothing to happen? “Should we be concerned, or is this a drill?”
His gaze sharpened, and he tossed his shirt back on. “I don’t know. Stay close.”
Sighing in disappointment, I shoved the door open to see what was happening.
“Dammit, Charlotte,” Dash growled behind me, rushing to catch up with me. I had reached the end of the hallway by the time he caught my hand in his. We exited the building.
Overhead, the lights from the towers flashed brightly in a circle. I stepped into the courtyard, expecting to see everyone rushing out, but it was just the opposite. Chaos reigned. If this was a drill, they needed some serious practice. The majority of the guards were hauling ass to get inside Diamond Towers.
What gives?
Dash stopped one of the guards before he ran past us. “Is the Institute locking down?”
The Night’s Guard’s eyes flicked to the building. He seemed irritated at being detained. “There was an attack. They’re sending out the scouts.”
“What kind of attack? Do you know what happened?” Dash pressed for details.
“Word is the strike is happening near the Plaines of Silver just southeast from here.”
Dash ran a hand through his ruffled hair. “I know where it is,” he offered. “It’s not far from the boundary of the mist.”
He and I shared a look, thinking the same thing. Forsaken. They were getting brazen, crossing into the Heights. Things were escalating quickly and undoubtedly only going to get worse. By the looks of it, the Institute wasn’t prepared.
The guard took off before Dash could question him further. He laced our fingers together. “We need to move. I don’t want you outside when they lock down the doors.”
“They’re going to lock us in?” I gasped.
“Trust me, I’m not a fan of being imprisoned inside the tower, but nothing will be able to get in, including those glowy zombies.”
We turned to head back inside, leaving behind gray skies, but I saw a familiar face. “Ryker,” I exhaled. This was the first time I’d seen the Blinken shifter since returning. I was relieved to see him.
His raven hair hung to one side; the other half was shaved. He was dressed in the standard Night’s Guard dark blue uniform. His whiskey-colored eyes found mine and then scurried to Dash’s. “Get her inside,” he instructed him.
The Slayer scowled. “What do you think I’m doing?”
Dash started to lead me away, but I stopped, reaching out and putting a hand on Ryker’s forearm. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Ryker is a scout,” Dash answered for him, his patience with me as thin as a wire.
It took a moment for what he was saying to sink in, and I shook my head. “No. You can’t go out there.”
“Charlotte, I can fly, and I’m one of the few trained to go out there. A village is under attack close to the Institute—closer than they’ve ever been. If we don’t give the villagers some kind of support, we’re uncertain what will happen to them. Will they die? Or become zombies? There are too many unknowns with the Forsaken, and the only way to learn more is to get out there and see what we’re dealing with.”
It all made sense, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. “Be careful.”
Ryker grinned. “Ah, that’s sweet. You’re worried about me. I’ll be okay, Red.” And then the roguish guard shed his human skin for feathers, shifting into a big, beautiful bird similar to a crow.
Dash slipped a hand to the small of my waist. “We need to go.” He nodded at Ryker, and the black bird took flight.
“Shouldn’t we be helping?” I protested, dragging my feet.
“Not today, Freckles. Now move your pretty ass before I throw you over my shoulder.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He raised a single brow. “We both know otherwise.”
Of course he would haul me off my feet and forcefully put me inside that building, especially if it meant keeping me safe. “You killed one of them before. You could do it again,” I argued. Glancing around, the courtyard was suddenly eerily empty. It seemed as if all the guards had rushed inside in record speeds.
His long legs ate up the ground. “There will be a time for us to fight. But that day is not today.”
My self-control was at an all-time low. I wanted action. I wanted answers. I wanted the truth.
We were seconds away from reentering the tower when we ground to a halt. The doors had slammed closed in our faces.
“No!” Dash roared, pounding on the metal.
Shit.
This was bad. An epic kind of bad. And by the prominent scowl on Dash’s face, he wasn’t happy about being locked outside… on our own.
It was my fault. If I had listened to him…
“Hello!” I screamed at the solid door. “Let us in!” My palm hit against the steel.
Dash sighed, leaning his back against the building. “It’s useless, Freckles. Even if someone can hear us, the doors won’t open until the lockdown has been lifted.”
“There must be something—an override button?” Wasn’t that how it worked in the movies?
“I wish. The security within Diamond Towers isn’t foolproof. The system would go kaput if the shutdown was deactivated manually.”
Not good. I scanned the courtyard. “What do we do?”
He grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
“You have a plan?”
“Survive.”
We crept along the edge of Diamond Towers, the buzzing sirens making it impossible to hear anything. Seeing the grounds utterly devoid of people made goosebumps appear on my arms. No guards. No Gifted. No humans. They were either out fighting or huddled inside.
But did we really have anything to be worried about? The Forsaken were attacking a village, not the Institute. So we could just wait outside until the situation was under control and the lockdown was lifted.
It would be fine. Diamond Towers was surrounded by a tall fence on all sides—a safety precaution to keep out unwanted guests, but also to keep others in as I’d learned the hard way. A metal gate was manned at all times along with various towers posted around the fence. The white city was a fortress.
And yet, the universe decided just then to give me a big middle finger.
A Forsaken climbed over the fence the next second, as if he was a super-charged G.I. Joe. It landed with a soft thud, crouching on the ground. A greenish-yellow light haloed the creature as if it carried the toxic mist. In short, jerky movements, the thing tilted its head from side to side, observing Dash and me.
Shocked, I backed up so my shoulder pressed aga
inst Dash’s.
Dash’s nostrils flared, and he reached behind him to grab his bow. “Shit.”
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and my heart plunged.
Dash was weaponless.
Chapter Three
The moon was chasing the sun out of the sky, and it wouldn’t be long before night fully descended. “You got a new plan?” I asked Dash, keeping my eyes glued to the glowing Forsaken as it stood up with spasmodic gestures.
“I was hoping you did.”
“Me?” I squeaked, backing up alongside him.
Our elbows brushed. The muscles in his arms were taut. “The way I see it, we have two choices: run or fight.”
How did I know he would say that? I paused, mentally preparing myself to go toe-to-toe with a zombie. “I guess I should put my Wonder Woman suit on then.”
He shook his head. “Not today. I’ll handle the glowworm.”
“Without a bow?” I questioned, reminding him he was defenseless.
A Cheshire-Cat grin appeared on his face, making my blood run cold. “Like I need a weapon to kick ass.”
“What if it scratches us or bites your arm? What happens then?”
“Freckles, not helping. Don’t let that thing anywhere near you.”
Now at its full height, this Forsaken was far bigger than the first one I’d seen. He looked to be at least seven feet tall, or damn near close. Its cheeks sunk inward, giving us a clear outline of its skull. He desperately needed a double cheeseburger and supersized fries. Maybe that was what he saw when he stared at Dash and me—an extra value meal.
I shuddered, not wanting to be anyone’s dinner.
The zombie strode forward, leaving behind a trail of neon green mist. It was mesmerizing… until I saw its pitch black, soulless eyes.
This time I didn’t have any preconceived notions. Forsaken were not friendly.
Dash’s body coiled tight as he continued to walk us backward. “Do you think he’ll go away if we ask nicely?”
The answer was a big fat no.
In a heartbeat, the zombie ran up to us. Dash let out a string of swear words as he twisted, putting himself between the zombie and me, but that small action cost him.
The toxic creature seized Dash by the shoulders and tossed him out of the way as if he weighed nothing. With my mouth gaping, I watched as my badass boyfriend slammed into the side of the building. He hit the ground, the bricks above crumbling into his hair.
I was so dead.
The Forsaken angled its head to the side as it regarded me, and my survival instinct finally kicked in, propelling me into action. Calling forth the current of energy always present inside me, I threw out my hand, sending a streak of lightning. It zipped from my fingertips, straight into the zombie’s chest.
It gave him a little jolt, but nothing like I’d expected given previous fights, and then he stared at me with a funny expression. Its hand reached out as if to touch my cheek, but I jerked away. Those black eyes didn’t so much as flinch—no traces of emotion—and yet, I got the feeling it didn’t want to hurt me.
Dash, yes. But me? I wasn’t sure.
It could have already killed me. Why the hesitation?
“Releassssse,” it hissed in an eerie, almost inaudible voice as if it had forgotten how to speak.
Oh my god, it talks.
I blinked, dumbfounded.
“Charlotte!” Dash yelled, springing to his feet.
The weird trance broke between us. The creature threw its head back and snarled, whirling around to face Dash. It moved like a cobra striking, thrusting an arm at Dash’s face. The Slayer ducked. Not giving the zombie time to recover, Dash spun on one foot and caught him in the stomach.
Straightening to his full height, Dash held out his hands toward the creature. “You need to chill.”
If this hadn’t been a dicey situation, I might have laughed. Dash telling a zombie to chill, really?
The creature didn’t find it amusing in the least.
Cracking his neck, Dash led with his right foot, jabbing the opposite arm forward to catch the zombie in the cheek. It didn’t even budge, but he went back for round two on the Forsaken’s face.
This time, it anticipated his move.
Crap.
The thing snatched Dash’s wrist in midair and gave a yank, tugging him forward. “Charlotte, run!”
Was he insane? I couldn’t leave him. I wouldn’t. How many times had Dash saved my life? He could at least let me save him once in a while.
And that was precisely what I would do… hopefully.
I advanced at a run toward them, gravel crunching under my feet. Dash was struggling against the zombie just a few feet away when his glare found my eyes over its shoulder. He wasn’t pleased to see me running forward instead of away. I leaped in the air, planting both my heels on the creature’s massive back with enough force to jostle his grasp on Dash, freeing the Slayer.
“Remind me later to lecture you,” Dash ground out between his teeth as I landed.
The Forsaken pushed off the ground as an instinct to protect Dash bloomed within me. My jaw clenched tightly, and I discharged the bubble, ballooning in my mind and projected it at Dash. The invisible shield wrapped around him. “I have everything under control.”
“Not from where I am standing,” he growled, displeasure darkening his features.
The creature shrieked a long, drawn-out sound that echoed over the land.
We both realized at the same time that I was in trouble. “Freckles, release me. Now!”
“Give me a minute. Maybe I can—”
“Charlotte, so help me god…”
Zombie man lunged.
Turning, I ran, dropping all control of my powers as fear gripped me. The Forsaken’s arm snapped out, latching onto my hair as it hauled me off the ground. Tear-jerking pain erupted at my scalp, and I frantically fumbled at its glowing wrist, trying to dig in my nails. Its head came close enough that I could feel its breath on my cheek.
Its proximity sent me into an anxiety-induced panic.
If it bit me—worse yet, if it tried to lick me—I was going to lose my shit.
Dash came up from behind, launching himself on the being’s back, like an assassin gorilla. The Slayer wrapped his hands around its throat and twisted. He didn’t even blink. Crack. Its bones snapped.
Did he just break a zombie’s neck?
Times like this made me think about how dangerous Dash really was. His ability to kill was frightening. If he wished someone dead, the universe seemed to find a way to make that happen. For zombie attacks, it was damn helpful.
The Forsaken’s fingers in my hair loosened; its soulless eyes went blank; and then it fell. I inhaled as I hit the ground. Dash stood over its pale body, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his lips. For a moment I was frozen, unable to believe what had just happened. The ghostly glow around the zombie faded, leaving a shell of what had once been a human.
Coming to my side, Dash brushed a hand through my dusty hair. “Well, that was fun.”
I swallowed my snappy comeback. My ears were ringing. Tiny white dots swirled behind my eyes and fear gripped my heart, knowing what was about to follow.
No! No! No!
I had exceeded my abilities between training with Ember and the zombie fight. No matter how hard I clung onto consciousness, my mind lost.
“Freckles,” Dash called. His voice was muffled as if he stood at the end of a wind tunnel.
My eyes blurred and I sank into oblivion.
Hospitals sucked.
I’d never been a fan and avoided them like black licorice. It wasn’t any different in the Institute, not even with Mom as the acting physician.
I woke up lying flat on my back, staring into a bright white light. Everything about the room was sterile, from the pristine walls to the shiny floor. I hated it—hated the horrid sense of familiarity it gave me. The cold, harsh room reminded me of waking up in the holding pod.
&nbs
p; And just like the first time my eyes had fluttered open in the new world, I found myself entranced by silvery starlight on a moonless night. Dash had eyes I could easily get lost in; he could make me forget where I was or why I was here.
His fingers twined with mine, and I took comfort from the feel of his warmth and strength. He wouldn’t let anything or anyone harm me. He would keep me safe. I had nothing to fear as long as he was near.
Dash must be pissed at me for protecting him. He was the kind of guy who wouldn’t say “I told you so,” but we would both be thinking it. Except, this time, I saw no judgment in his eyes.
“Hey.” His voice was soft and husky.
“It happened again,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
He nodded. “Don’t worry, I caught you. No bumps or bruises.”
“You always catch me.”
A spark of worry came and went in a flash. There would be a time when he wouldn’t be there or when I might not wake up. We had the same fears.
I didn’t want this impairment, but I couldn’t wish it away, and the time had come for me to face it instead of ignore it. Brushing off the fainting spells was stupid. Still, they scared me, and that was what it boiled down to—I was afraid of what we might find. “Did I imagine you snapping its neck?”
Dash smiled. “Damn straight I did, Freckles. No zombie is going to get the best of us.” He was crazy but in all the right ways.
“The lockdown was lifted?” I asked.
He nodded. “You always have impeccable timing.”
Turning my head, I searched the white room. We weren’t alone. I spotted Mom moving toward the bed, with a steel tray in her hands and a soft smile on her lips. She wore her usual lab coat, and her gold-red hair was pulled back into a neat, low pony.
“I hate tests,” I grumbled, inferring from her instruments why I was in the white room. I knew the moment would come when I would be poked and prodded like a lab rat, but I had planned to elude it for as long as possible.
It looked as if my time for stalling had run out.
Dash squeezed my hand. “Who doesn’t? But I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you.” I sighed. Giving in to the Institute’s tests hadn’t seemed like a good idea months ago, but now it was the only way I would get answers about my condition.
