He raises his right arm and pulls the sleeve down holding it out for them all to see. Blood runs down his arm from the deep cuts that are apparently self-inflicted. He’s cut an occult symbol into his forearm. It’s raw and infected, black at the edges where the flesh is rotting. Bile rises in my throat, and I think I might throw up. Closing my eyes, I rush past hurrying to the bunk.
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you sure that he’s gone?” I ask. “This place needs a break. There’s entirely too much crazy.”
“There’s no way he can escape there,” Nathaniel says.
“Yeah, he’s done for,” Rafe says, casual as ever.
“It’s one of those things, Aviella,” Efram says. “There’s only so much we can do or control. We have to keep our eye on the bigger picture.”
I don’t care that he’s right, it pisses me off. I don’t want him to be right. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been on the run, or how many times I’ve seen this happen. I want to make a difference in the world. I want to help these people.
“I know it sucks,” Rafe says. I glare at the demon once more, wondering if he’s reading my mind somehow. “The bigger picture is there, and that is your destiny. We all feel it. The greatest good is to keep you moving forward and keep you safe.”
Nathaniel and Efram nod their agreement. Clenching my teeth, I shake my head, struggling to not fight with them just for the sake of fighting. It won’t do any good, because they’re right. As much as I hate it, their logic is sound.
“Fine,” I agree, crossing my arms over my chest.
I’m being petulant, but I don’t really care. It breaks my heart leaving these people here. I don’t know where I would take them, or how I would make their lives better, but I feel like I should be able to.
“We need to move,” Nathaniel says. “We have a journey ahead of us.”
There’s no arguing with that either.
“So, we’re going to go outside?” I ask.
“Yes,” Rafe says. “You and Efram will both need protective suits. There’s a high radiation count out there.”
“Great, sounds like a damn good time,” I say. Rafe and Nathaniel exchange a look of worry. “Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad, can it?”
“We should be ready for anything,” Nathaniel says.
In a strange turn of events, Rafe nods agreement. The fact they never agree on anything, but they’re in agreement on this makes my stomach clench. This is definitely going to be worse than I expected.
We don’t waste time. Efram and I get into our protective suits and then we’re making our way through the creepy tunnels. The corridors leading to the exit are winding and confusing. It isn’t long before I’m completely lost. I’m certain that we’re getting closer to the exit though, because the sounds of beasts are growing louder. We’ve been here long enough I’d almost grown used to it. Now it’s making my skin crawl again. The roars are the least worrisome somehow. There’s a low, moaning, keening sound that is worse. I don’t know what creature is making it, but it makes me feel a cold emptiness.
We turn a corner, and there’s a steel staircase rising to a heavy metal door with thick bars across it. It’s obviously intended to keep something out. As bad as everything is inside here, I really don’t want to meet whatever in the hell it is they were worried might get in.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Efram asks, obviously sensing my hesitation.
His easy smile and dancing eyes ease my tension. How can I be worried when I have these three great guys with me?
“You have nothing to fear Aviella,” Nathaniel says.
“If anything comes after us, I’ll throw Nathaniel at it,” Rafe says, smiling his mischievous grin.
Nathaniel grimaces, but doesn’t say anything. I can’t help but laugh.
“Let me help you get that helmet on,” Efram says.
We take a few moments to make sure Efram’s and my suits are completely sealed. The entire thing would be pointless if we were to get poisoned by the very air outside. I focus on breathing and trying to keep my nerves calm. Efram grips my hand and nods, smiling. It’s reassuring.
As we start climbing up the steps our feet clang loudly against the steel. It echoes off the tile walls, making me feel like were drumming out our own doom. Wow, there’s a morbid thought for you. Pausing I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and focus. There is absolutely no reason for me to be so gloomy. I need to be in the moment and deal with whatever is in it with me.
Self-pep talk over I resume the climb. The stairs double back on themselves, going up three flights to the door above. When we reach the door, Nathaniel slides the bars aside. The sounds of beasts outside are louder, but that’s to be expected. We’re closer to where they are, after all.
When he pulls the door open, there’s a loud scraping that turns to a screech right before the door jams only partway open. Nathaniel leans into it and forces the door the rest of the way. A murky light pours in through the opening. I can’t see past the guys to the actual outside. Nathaniel walks out followed by Rafe. Efram looks at me, making sure I’m okay before he walks out himself. I give him a reassuring nod, feigning a confidence I don’t feel. He smiles and walks out, then I follow.
I’ve been out and about in the Apocalypse enough that you’d think I would be prepared. I’m not, and this area is worse than most. It’s literally like walking into hell. The land around us is not only blasted, it’s black. The ground is rolling hills stretching for as far as I can see. Turning a slow circle, my stomach sinks. Nothing could possibly live here. There’s not even a blade of grass.
Dotting the landscape are green pools of tepid water. The air is hot. I can feel it even inside the protective suit, like it’s pushing through and trying to grab me. The sky has a green tint to its overcast gray. I guess I can count it as a win that I don’t see any of the monsters I was constantly hearing down in the Bunker.
“We have to move,” Nathaniel says, striding off without another word.
We fall in behind him and begin our journey. I hope that this is the worst we have to experience. I know Rafe is a demon, and maybe he can tell me that hell is worse, but this is the closest comparison to it I’ve ever experienced. I focus on breathing. Every time I get upset and breathe heavier it steams up the visor of my protective suit. If I stay calm and don’t breathe too much it makes it easier to see. I can only imagine the scent of the air here. Down in the Bunkers the air had an acrid edge to it that I still taste in my mouth. I’m certain that it comes from out here.
We walk for what feels like at least an hour. It’s hard to judge because the sun is hidden. I’m thirsty, so darn thirsty. Swallowing feels impossible. My mouth is dry as a desert and my eyes and throat hurt. My vision is blurry no matter how much I blink, and when I do it feels like I’m dragging sandpaper across my eyes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had some water. I would desperately love to take this helmet off too. Sweat runs down my back and is matting my hair to my head. Surviving in the Apocalypse is so damn uncomfortable.
The ground rumbles beneath my feet. I look around for a source, but I don’t see anything. Nathaniel stops ahead and looks around too. Efram moves protectively closer. The four of us look around trying to spot where the rumble is coming from, but nothing happens. My nerves start to ease, and my breathing returns to normal. Nathaniel looks worried but shakes his head and resumes walking.
A loud roar tears through the air. It’s so deep it feels like my bones shake with it. Now I’m scared.
“Guys?” I ask, voice quavering.
Rafe turns towards me, and it looks like he’s about to say something when the ground throws him into the air. He twists his body and lands in a three-point crouch. I’m knocked onto my butt, again. I bounce up into the air again and again. The ground is bucking beneath me. Efram crouches and grabs me, setting me back on my feet. I keep my knees bent and loose, so the ground doesn’t throw me again.
Nathaniel holds his hand o
ut to one side. Light flashes, and then a sword appears in his hand. His wings unfold in a flash, spreading wide as he takes on a silvery glow. Rafe steps up next to him, his eyes glowing golden, and he lowers into a defensive crouch. Looking in the direction they are, a monster comes into sight, cresting a hill.
It’s huge. Bigger than a semi truck. It’s scaled with tufts of hair around its neck. There are more tufts around it’s fore and hind paws like a scraggly corona of thorns. It has a short, fleshy tail of inverted triangles pointing downward.
“Shit,” Efram exclaims. “Mammoth!”
“That’s a mammoth?” I ask, incredulous.
It opens its mouth and roars. I swear I’m almost knocked over by the force of the sound. It makes my body ache.
“Run,” Efram says, pale, his eyes wide.
Nathaniel charges the beast. He looks like a tiny doll racing forward. The scale is so completely off. This thing is so massive it dominates the horizon. Rafe moves with Nathaniel, the two of them splitting to move in opposite directions.
Efram grabs my arm and pulls me back. I jerk my arm free of his grip.
“We have to help them,” I shout.
“I have to protect you,” he says, intent. “That’s what they are doing, stay back from it.”
“No, I can help,” I protest.
“Look at that thing!” he shouts. “You can’t, keep back and be ready to run if they get in trouble.”
It’s another one of those situations where I don’t care that he’s right. I want to be right. I’m powerful and I know it. I also know that if I get involved it will distract the boys. They’ll be more worried about me than themselves. Swallowing my pride, I nod to Efram, agreeing to hang back.
So, as it turns out, fighting is a spectator sport. Nathaniel attacks the mammoth head-on, swinging his sword with quick movements that are almost too fast to follow. Rafe comes at it from the side, summoning a sword of his own.
Nathaniel leaps up holding himself in the air as he dodges the thing’s head, which was trying to swallow him. Rafe stabs into it from the side, and it roars its pain. The blood from the wound is a thick green mucus.
Nathaniel drives in his sword, aiming for the thing’s eye. The beast must instinctively realize this because it drops its head, and Nathaniel’s sword scrapes harmlessly across the hard shell that encompasses the top of it. I’m proud of my guys. They work like a team. All their differences are set aside for the greater good. The fight goes back and forth. Suddenly the thing lifts its head and slams it to one side, catching Nathaniel by surprise. He tumbles through the air in a flurry of feathers.
“Nathaniel!” I scream, leaping forward.
Efram is quicker than I am, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.
“He’ll be fine,” he says.
I don’t bother turning to argue. Nathaniel rights himself in the air, but the mammoth is closing with him. Rafe leaps up, landing on top of the creature. He runs down its back, light-footed and agile. When he reaches the thing’s neck, he flips his sword up, spinning around, holding it double handed, he drives it down into the beast. The monster screams, and then drops to the ground, dead.
I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“Oh, thank God,” I exhale.
Rafe leaps from the top of the monster and lands lightly. Nathaniel drops to the ground and walks over to him. The two men stare at each other, and I feel the tension from here.
Surely, they can’t continue this? Nathaniel nods and holds out a hand. Rafe stares at it for an instant and then takes it returning the nod. It’s only a moment but it’s a big change for the two of them. I smile, happy that my two men are finding common ground. The moment passes, and they return to Efram and me.
“Well that was fun,” Rafe says, grinning.
“Your idea of fun is skewed,” I say, shaking my head. “We should work on that.”
“Your wish is my command,” Rafe says, bowing and flourishing his arm.
I slap him, playfully. “You’re awful.”
“Me?” he asks, straightening and holding a hand to his chest with a smile that goes from ear to ear.
“If you are all quite finished,” Nathaniel says, serious as always. “The danger out here has not lessened. If anything, it’s more.”
“More?” I ask.
“Yes,” Nathaniel says, nodding. “That fight is quite likely to attract other… things.”
“Oh,” I say, my stomach sinking. “We should go then.”
No one argues further or delays. We start walking, and the time goes by slowly. One foot in front of the other. The heat in my suit rising with each step until I’m sure going to die of thirst long before we reach our goal. Every step forward is harder. I want to take off the mask so bad. The feel of fresh air against my skin, and maybe even a cool breeze would be more welcome than I can put into words. I can’t, and I know it, but damn it, if the urge doesn’t grow worse with every passing moment.
Nathaniel must pick up on my distress, or it’s because I’m slowing down. He drops back next to me and takes my hand. A burst of energy fills me, and it slakes the feeling of thirst. I look at him wide-eyed and thankful.
“It’s a quick fix,” he says, smiling. “We’re almost there. You can do this.”
“Thank you,” I say, gratefully.
He nods and increases his pace, taking the lead once more. I follow along easier now, no longer feeling like I’m having to struggle for every step. We walk for what must be another two or three miles when I hear a loud buzzing sound. Knowing that nothing out here is safe I look around for the source.
Several hundred yards away, a dark cloud moves towards us. It’s low to the ground and obviously the source of the sound.
“Uh, guys?” I ask.
“Dammit,” Rafe says, stepping out of our line towards the coming cloud.
He waves his hands through the air, and magic moves under his touch. He weaves a spell that casts a shield across all of us.
“Stay close to each other,” he says. “I don’t know how hard this is going to be.”
No one argues as we huddle together. The cloud moves towards us faster. My heart rate increases, and I’m breathing so hard the visor is fogging up. Efram takes one of my hands and Nathaniel grabs the other. They move forward, mostly ignoring the coming insects.
I’m not going to look. That’s right, Aviella, just don’t look. You don’t need to see this. Ignore that sound. No, that’s not stirring up those memories. That sound isn’t anything like bugs hitting the windshield while dad was driving down the highway at high rates of speed when I was a kid. No, it can’t be that. What’s that? You heard a loud splat? No, you heard nothing. Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look Aviella.
I look.
What can I say, I’m not very good at listening to myself either. Of course, as soon as I do, I wish I hadn’t. I’ve seen the locust swarms, which are horrifying. Somehow, because somebody somewhere likes to screw with me, this is worse.
There are literally millions of them, possibly billions. Each insect is a giant dragonfly-like thing the size of my fist. They have scorpion-like tails and giant mandibles protrude from their open mouths, which are full of sharp teeth. I think the worst part is that their iridescent wings are actually pretty. They catch the dim light and reflect off tiny little rainbows from each one of them.
“Oh God,” I say, stomach clenching tight and bile rising into my throat.
I’m not going to throw up. I’m not going to throw up. I’m in a suit, there’s nowhere for it to go, I am not going to throw up.
For a nice change of pace, I listen to myself, and my stomach settles. I knew I shouldn’t have looked. Ugh, so gross. I really hate the Apocalypse.
The insects crawl over the protective bubble that Rafe is maintaining around us, blocking off all view of the world at large. The light was dim before but now we’re walking in virtual darkness surrounded by the buzz of demonic wings of doom. There’s a glo
omy thought.
“This sucks,” I say.
“Tell me about it,” Rafe says, gritting his teeth, sweat pouring down his brow.
“We need to do something,” Efram observes.
“I’ve got an idea,” Rafe says.
His eyes glow brightly then an aura flares to life around him with a hellish-red tint. He says something in a deep, booming voice that echoes through me, resonating. The shield around us flashes orange-red, and all the insects crawling on it are flash-fried with a zapping sound that is both sickening and thrilling at the same time. It’s a giant bug zapper, welcome to redneck heaven on a large scale. Rafe looks over his shoulder, grinning.
“Nice!” I exclaim.
He bows, his eyes locking on mine.
“Your wish is my command,” he says.
Efram snorts while Nathaniel frowns and strides past Rafe, hitting him with his shoulder as he does so. Rafe ignores Nathaniel.
“Thank you,” I say.
Rafe keeps the new and improved shield up as we continue our journey. When any of the bugs come close, they’re fried and either they figure this out or they grow bored because it isn’t long before they’re keeping a distance.
We travel on in silence. At some point I realize I’m no longer sweating and I’m feeling light-headed. I’m fairly certain that’s a bad thing but there’s nothing to be done about it. We have to get where we’re going.
The land around us starts to change. It’s slow and subtle at first so I miss it. Only when I look behind us do I notice. Blades of grass grows in patches to either side of the rugged path we’re following then there is a twig of a tree with two green leaves. It’s the first signs of life—well real, natural life, I’ve seen since we exited the Wormwood Bunker.
It brings hope, and with hope I find my second wind. My spirits lift as there are more and more patches of green. Life finds a way. Nature in all her glory is a beautiful thing. It refreshes my faith in a higher power, something that gives meaning to all of this.
No matter how much my mood improves, I’m still exhausted and dehydrated. Rafe looks around and smiles then lets the shield down. I glance quickly around myself and see that there is no sign of the bugs. That’s a relief.
Apocalypse the Blossoming (The Power of Twelve Book 2) Page 10
