by J. L. Weil
A more forceful knock sounded. The person on the other side was getting impatient.
“Go away,” Dash snapped.
“Not happening,” Ember’s muffled voice replied.
Dash grimaced. “I liked it better when your sister hated us.”
I tossed a pillow at his head and then hopped out of bed to answer the door. “Hey, I need to talk to you,” I greeted.
“Good, because Dad wants a rundown of what happened the other day,” she replied. “Go put some pants on.”
“Wonderful,” I grumbled. “His timing is impeccable.”
Dash and I threw on clothes and then joined my sister in the hall. “What did you want to talk to me about?” Ember asked as we came to stand next to her.
My hand slipped into my back pocket. “I had a vision. Hurst is going to be attacked, and I think it will happen next week.”
Ember glanced sideways at me as we continued to walk down the hall. “When did you have the vision?”
“Right before you knocked.”
Concern lined her face. “And you’re sure we have until next week?”
I shook my head, sending locks of red hair flying around my face. “No, but I saw the moon. It was full.”
Chewing on her lower lip, she contemplated my words. “We can’t be sure it’s this coming full moon. It could be weeks away or months.”
“But we can’t afford to not do anything,” Dash argued.
I refused to let innocent people die. I refused to let Star die. My vow to keep her safe still stood, and leaving her in Hurst was supposed to accomplish just that, but the Forsaken had changed everything. Nowhere was safe. My head flipped toward Dash on the other side of me. “We need to get her and bring her back to the Institute with us.”
“I agree. If I leave today, I can be there and back before the full moon,” Dash volunteered, as I knew he would.
“I’m going with you,” I insisted.
“That makes three of us,” Ember added.
A curse escaped under Dash’s breath. He didn’t look thrilled to have company. “Freckles, you’ll be safer here.”
“Will I?” I challenged him. “The only place where I’m safe is with you.” Argue with that, Dash Darhk.
“Where are we going?” a voice interrupted.
Ryker.
The elevator doors closed behind him as he stepped out, his gold eyes twinkling.
Dash’s brows gathered in a frown, he crossed his arms. “Is this going to become a thing? The four of us? Because I don’t do groups.”
“We know,” Ember assured. “That’s why it’s so fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “We can warn Cyan to be ready for the attack,” I suggested, changing the topic to something Dash-approved.
Ryker had to throw a wrench in the mix. “Dr. Winston won’t like that. He has been keeping a tight lip on the Forsaken.”
“It’s bound to get out sooner or later. He can’t keep something like this a secret for long. It is too big, especially with the Forsaken venturing further into the Heights,” I argued.
“We leave tonight,” Dash added, finalizing our plans.
My shoulders slouched as I relaxed, but just slightly. Doing something felt better than sitting at the Institute, waiting for the council to decide the fate of the Heights.
“Guys,” I sighed, “don’t we have enough drama without the four of us constantly snapping at each other?” We were in the ranger again, heading to Hurst. Darkness surrounded us as we entered the woods of the Dying Labyrinth. The trees cut out most of the moonlight.
Ember, Dash, and Ryker were arguing about the fastest route to Hurst. Shocker. I swore they enjoyed bickering. Fortunately, we were able to make it out of the gates of Diamond Towers without being questioned or detained, but come morning, our absence would be noticed.
The decision to keep my father uniformed of our mission hadn’t been unanimous.
“Do you think Cyan will listen to us and evacuate the city?” I asked Dash.
His gaze was poised beyond the window, at the pale yellow moon playing peekaboo with the trees. “Not likely. He will undoubtedly want to stay and fight for what he has built.”
Tucking one of my legs underneath me, I studied Dash. He was more worried than he was letting on. I could sense it. “Would you do the same in his position? Stay and fight?”
Dash thought for a moment before nodding. “I would.”
Ryker’s fingers finally stopped drumming against the steering wheel at that moment. Good thing. He was about to lose a thumb. The sound was driving me bananas. “What chance do they have against the Forsaken?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Dash admitted. “If the Forsaken find a way through the fence as Charlotte has seen, chaos will ensue. There are many who are Gifted that live there, but they have no idea how to properly use their abilities.”
“So you’re saying it will be like wolves slaughtering sheep,” Ryker stated, painting an unpleasant picture.
“There is still so much we don’t know about them,” I pointed out. “How can we be sure they’re evil?” Everyone assumed they were, given that they had been exposed to the mist for over a hundred years, making them something inhuman, but did we really know that?
“You’ve been attacked twice,” Dash reminded me. “That’s enough of a reason for me.”
I recognized the look in his eyes. “Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, do share,” Ember added over her shoulder. “There are no secrets between the four of us.”
Dash snorted. “What planet do you live on? We aren’t friends.”
Ryker winked at me, grinning. “Catastrophe always brings people together.”
Dash just blinked at Ryker, completely unfazed. “I need to talk to Cyan first.”
I could respect that, but it made me nervous knowing that Dash had something in the works. It left me with an unsettled feeling.
The sun flowered over the horizon as we finally caught a glimpse of Hurst’s front gate. Ryker parked the ranger off to the side of the road, concealed under a canopy of weeping willow tree branches. Green encircled the city of Hurst with trees I’d never seen before the mist. Some could be as lethal as any creature in the Heights.
“Where’s the welcoming committee?” Ryker always had something smartass to say. Now was no different.
“Don’t expect any royal treatment. It’s going to be challenging enough convincing Cyan that zombies are marching to his gates,” Dash warned.
The four of us trekked inside Hurst, our boots squelching in the mud. There were two guards, a man and a woman, standing outside the main part of the settlement. The man looked to be in his forties, the woman much younger. Maybe twenty. Both were equipped with spears, and neither smiled as we approached.
“I see Cyan has increased security. Has something happened?” Dash inquired of the two guards.
“Slayer, Cyan has been waiting for your arrival,” the man informed.
“Is that good or bad?” Ryker whispered in my ear.
I elbowed him in the ribs. “Keep quiet.”
The guard searched the four of us with his gaze, evaluating us. “Cyan is at Odd Hill.”
“Then we should get going,” Dash said.
Odd Hill was a bar, scratch that, it was a tavern—dark, seedy, and rough. Just the kind of place Dash Darhk would hang out normally.
A gruff man—with so much facial hair you could just make out his sparkling blue eyes beneath it—stood up, engulfing Dash in a giant hug, patting his back, and then the giant bear-sized man turned to me. A huge grin spread behind his beard. “Charlotte, haven’t you left this asshole yet?” Cyan lifted me off the ground as if I was no heavier than a feather.
“He grows on you,” I replied, smiling. Cyan inspired warm and comforting feelings.
“I see you brought a few… friends?” He let the question dangle, lifting two bushy brows. Cyan knew Ember was deep in my father’s clutches, and that Ryker played both sides, feeding information about the Inst
itute to the outside. Ryker was part of a network that monitored its inner workings. He was kind of like a double agent, and I appreciated the risks he took to keep the people in the Heights from becoming victims.
“How did you know we were coming?” Dash asked, taking a seat at the table. The three of us followed.
Cyan already had a half-drunk glass in front of him and signaled for Gunner, the barkeep, to bring us something to drink. I knew better than to overindulge in the beverages served at the Odd Hill.
“Our seer caught glimpses of your visit. We know you’ve come to warn us, yet the reason is unclear. She kept getting flashes of a greenish-yellow glow, but it was how she felt that concerns me. Her fear was palpable,” Cyan said.
Dash nodded. “As it should be. We recently found out about the Forsaken.”
“Forsaken?” Cyan echoed, his eyes narrowing.
“That’s what the Institute is calling them. They’re more like toxic zombies,” Ryker said.
“I had my hunches.” Cyan wasn’t surprised by the fact that things lived in the mist. “There have been rumors of people seeing things in the thick fog along the borders.”
“We’ve come to tell you an assault is on its way. Hurst isn’t safe. Charlotte has seen the city under attack,” Dash confessed, revealing why we’d come.
Cyan’s fingers scratched his auburn beard peppered with strands of gray. “So has my seer, but you know I won’t abandon what we have built here to be overrun by zombies.”
Gunner set down four mugs and flashed me a grin. “Welcome back, doll.”
“Does every guy within two feet of you feel the need to flirt?” Ember snapped, speaking for the first time since we sat down.
Dash’s expression darkened.
The corner of Cyan’s mouth twitched. “Don’t kill my bartender. No one makes ale like he does, and if we’re going to take on zombies, I need alcohol. Lots of it.”
“I won’t argue with you there,” Ryker muttered.
“What will you do?” Dash asked, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. “These zombies are like nothing I’ve seen. Killing them won’t be easy.”
I shifted awkwardly in my chair as I thought back to when I had snuck into the dungeons.
Cyan’s large chest expanded as he sat straighter. “We’ll fight for our home. The people of Hurst will protect what is theirs.”
“I will stand with you,” Dash vowed, just as I lifted the glass in front of me to my lips.
My head whipped toward him so fast I got dizzy for a moment, sloshing ale all over my hand and down the front of my shirt. “We’re staying?”
The Slayer pinned me with hard, silver eyes. “I’m staying. They need someone who has gone up against the Forsaken before.”
“Then I will stay too.” It seemed like a no-brainer. If he fought, I fought, but I should have known better.
His chiseled jaw tightened. “No. You need to take Star back to the Institute. Ryker and Ember will help you.”
Ember’s face shifted into a doubtful frown. “We will?”
Dash shot her a threatening glare.
I slammed the cup down on the table harder than I meant to, and sloshed more liquid onto my hand. “You can’t order me about. I’m not a puppet for you to control.”
Dash looked at me like he wanted to toss me over his shoulder and run off to the nearest cave to stash me away. “I’m not controlling you. I’m keeping you alive.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “You can’t keep me hidden from this.”
“You know, we could use Charlotte…” Ryker came to my defense.
“Don’t make me hit you, Ryker. This isn’t your problem.” Dash’s voice was harsh, while hands gripped the table,.
The back of my throat burned. I couldn’t believe Dash and I were having a fight in front of everyone. “We’re supposed to work together. Isn’t that what couples do?”
A breeze swept the door open, carrying someone inside the Odd Hill, but I was too focused on blinking the tears from my eyes to look up. I knew where this conversation was heading, and the last thing I wanted to do was cry. Dash needed to stop seeing me as a fragile porcelain doll or we were doomed.
“Charlotte?” The soft voice somehow managed to carry over the chatter of the tavern, and all the heads at our table turned to see who had called my name.
“Star,” I whispered.
Chapter Eight
She stood in the doorway, blinking in disbelief, her soft brown eyes big and sparkling. Long waves of sunny blond hair flowed over her shoulders, to frame her heart-shaped face. She still appeared delicate, but not as timid as when we first met. It made my chest swell.
Her light feet carried her over the uneven and mismatched floorboards as I stood up from my chair. The sounds of the tavern disappeared, and relief poured through me.
She was okay.
I had carried a good amount of guilt inside me at leaving her behind. It was for her own safety, but the choice had smacked my abandonment, which I’d never intended. When Star and I had escaped the Institute together, I had promised I would protect her, and I planned to keep that vow.
Regardless of who she had been before the mist, she was my friend now. The insecurity had vanished, Dash loved me, and I knew it in my soul. Dylan had cared for Ashley, but the past was in the past.
Our arms clasped around one another the second we reached each other. “You look well,” I said, taking inventory of her as I observed her up close. Her cheeks were fuller and flushed. Color looked good on her, as did the little bit of extra weight.
She smiled a mile wide and nodded. “I can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
There it was, the fear that she had been abandoned. Deep down, I’d always sensed we’d be reunited, just not this soon. “How did you know I was here?”
“Word travels fast. The Slayer’s arrival created a buzz, and I knew you’d be with him.”
Good assumption. “We came for you,” I offered.
Confusion clouded her eyes, dulling the glimmer of our reunion. “Why? What’s wrong?”
No point in sugarcoating the reason we had come. “I had a vision, and you were in it.”
Her eyes held mine. She must have noticed the flicker of panic that I couldn’t hide. Remembering what I had seen caused instant terror to overcome me.
“Do I die?” she asked boldly.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I woke up before I could see what happened next, but Hurst is going to be attacked.” Behind me, I could feel four sets of eyes boring into the back of my head as Star and I talked. We stood near the entrance, just far enough away that they couldn’t hear us.
“The Institute.” She deduced, it was the obvious threat.
“I wish,” I mumbled. “This is something worse.” Or so I think. I still wasn’t a hundred percent convinced the Forsaken were pure evil. Dangerous? Hell yes. But were they worthy of complete eradication? “After we left, Dash got hurt—”
“Is he okay now?” she jumped in, concern etched across her pixie features. Her eyes shifted behind me to the table where Dash sat.
My heart thumped at the horrible memory, and I ran my fingers through my hair. “He is, thanks to Ryker, but when he was finally well enough to leave, the Night’s Guards caught up to us. And they weren’t the only ones. A being that lives in the mist emerged.”
Her petite nose scrunched up. “Like an alien?”
“If only. The Institute calls them the Forsaken; they are humans that didn’t make it to a holding house during the nuclear attack. The mist somehow transformed them into…” I swallowed. There was no easy way to say it. “… zombies.”
Star had entered holy-shit city. “Zombies,” she repeated in a voice bordering on hysteria, her tone much higher.
I quickly hushed her, my eyes darting around the tavern to see if we had been overheard. Dash would definitely not like it if we started screaming, “Zombies!” in the local establishments.
The Institute would like it even less.
“Yes,” I whispered. “And the Institute is doing everything in its power to keep the information under lock and key. You know how they are with their secrets.”
Her head bobbed up and down, traces of distress in her eyes. “They kill to protect them.”
“Maybe we should sit down; get you a drink,” I advised, slipping a hand under her elbow. “You look a little pale.” So much for her rosy cheeks.
Ryker, being the gentlemen he was, gave up his chair at the table and stood between Ember and Star. Dash and Star shared a reserved nod like two acquaintances. An awkward silence descended on the group, and I got the impression that there had been some war planning behind my back.
“What did I miss?” I asked, sliding my drink to Star, indicating that she should take a sip.
Dash’s eyes met mine. Most of the anger from before had melted. “Nothing worth repeating.”
I highly doubted that, but I could give Dash the third degree when I got him alone. I saw no point in us continuing to have our first altercation with a crowd. “Did you fill Star in? Let her know that we’ll be taking her to the Institute?” he asked.
My foot connected with his shin under the table.
“What was that for?” he growled, his brows slamming together.
Star stopped chewing on her fingernail to flick a curtain of her blond hair back over her shoulder. “I’m not going.”
Dash gave a frustrated exhale and sank back in his seat. “What is it with the two of you? You want my protection, but you refuse to listen to me. Do you have any idea how difficult you make it to keep you alive?”
Cyan’s chest rose and fell with a deep chuckle. “It might be wise to keep them in sight. This one finds trouble in her sleep,” Cyan said, nodding in my direction.
“Isn’t that the truth,” Dash said.
I should have been offended, or at the very least miffed, but nothing they had said was a lie. Since awakening, I seemed to have a knack for finding trouble, but at least I wasn’t defenseless. Not anymore.
When we left Odd Hill, the moon was almost full with only a thin sliver missing. It hung alone in the sky—not a star could be seen, while its soft glow bathed the ground. I took it as an omen. Misfortune was coming.
