by M. J. Haag
“Thank you.” I started to leave the room.
“Eden?”
“Yeah?”
I looked back and found him standing.
“I’m glad you decided you didn’t want to be twelve anymore.”
“Me too,” I said, even though I wasn’t. Being twelve around him had been easier.
Finding the clothes at the table just like he’d said, I slipped my underwear back on with a grimace and looked at the pants. There were a few stray dark spots that could be dirt or infected blood. I put them on and hoped for the best. The shirt I left on the chair. The farmer’s old shirt worked well enough. Since I wouldn’t have a jacket, I started back upstairs, intending to search the closet, but stopped when I passed Nancy sitting in the same spot.
“He hasn’t turned, and I don’t think he will. If you want your kids saved, stop crying and get ready to leave.”
“You sound like a heartless bitch, sometimes,” she said as she pushed herself up straighter.
“I am what I need to be. You’re here and still alive. I think that means you’ve been a heartless bitch a few times, too.”
Her puffy-lidded gaze swept over me.
“More times than I would like to admit,” she said. “He’s really okay? How is that possible?”
I shrugged. “He’s not human. He’s a lot stronger and faster. And, he’s lived a very long time. The hellhounds came from where he used to live. Since the hellhounds are the cause of the infected, it makes sense that Ghua would be immune to whatever sickness the infected have.”
With athletic shorts hanging low on his hips, Ghua emerged from the hallway. The sight would have been drool worthy if not for all the bite marks covering his exposed skin. Who was I kidding? I still wanted to drool.
“I saw a truck in the barn,” he said. “I’m going to check if it works then come back for both of you.”
He held out the bag to me, but I hesitated to take it.
“Don’t you want a shirt?”
“Not until the bites dry.”
I grabbed the bag, and he used it to reel me closer. His hand cupped the back of my head, and he set his forehead to mine. The way he lightly brushed his nose against mine set my heart racing again.
He grinned, showing that he could hear it, and left me after one last nuzzle. The door banged shut behind him.
“Are you okay?” Nancy asked softly. “Did he hurt you last night?”
I turned to look at her, seeing real worry on her face.
“I’m okay. He actually is as kind as he says. He didn’t do anything.”
Her eyes started to water again, and she quickly looked away.
“I hope the men who have my kids are the same.”
“Me too.”
I left before she could question the hint of doubt that had been in my voice.
Unsure how many more times I would need clean clothes, I raided everything I could use from the farmer’s room. He had three threadbare button-up flannel shirts that I layered over the t-shirt I now wore. He also had an old, wool military jacket. I put that on, too, knowing I’d need the warmth.
By the time I walked down the stairs, Ghua and Nancy sat at the kitchen table with a road atlas open in front of her.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked.
“Trying to determine where we are so we can figure out how to get to where we’re going. I was in Atoka, Oklahoma when you found me,” Nancy said, pointing at the town on the map.
“What is the name of the place you said your people are at?” I asked Ghua.
“My people are staying in Tolerance, near Whiteman. Tolerance is a subdivision. Whiteman, a military base.”
“In what state?”
He shrugged.
“How long will it take for us to get there?” Nancy asked.
“In the truck? We might reach Tolerance by nightfall if we do not run into any more infected traps.”
“The truck worked, then?”
He nodded and took a shirt from the bag I set on the table. I watched him carefully tug it over his head and hoped, for all our sakes, we got to Tolerance without incident.
“I’m pretty sure it’s north,” I said as Nancy continued to study the map. “North was the direction Ghua was headed before I turned us east.”
“Yes,” Ghua agreed. “It’s almost straight north of here.”
“That helps.”
Ghua stood and scooped up Nancy from her chair.
“You can look at your picture in the truck.”
She didn’t argue, but I caught the resentful glare she shot Ghua. The surge of annoyance rose inside of me. Nancy might not be done looking at the map, but he was right; we needed to get going. Daylight didn’t last forever. Yet, I knew that wasn’t the full reason behind my attitude. Ghua was nice, and I wanted to defend him. Dangerous territory.
After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed our bag and reached the door in time to watch Ghua gently place Nancy on the bench seat.
Ghua turned and saw me.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Ready to leave? Yes. Ready to find better clothes? Yes. Ready to eat something other than dog food? Always. But, was I ready to go to his home where hundreds more of his kind lived? No. That worried the hell out of me because, once I was there, would I ever leave?
He tilted his head then closed the door to come to me.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You were right. I’m afraid of everything.”
He smiled and pressed his forehead to mine.
“I will keep you safe.”
“Not from everything,” I said, thinking of my heart.
“I swear,” he said with complete sincerity, utterly clueless of the damage those words caused.
I eased away from him.
“We better get going. Daylight’s limited.”
He grunted and walked with me to the driver’s seat. Once I was in, he jumped in the back where he already had Nancy’s chair loaded.
* * * *
We pulled up before a massive barrier that rose at least fifteen feet high. It looked like it was made out of everything from sinks to metal pallets to full sized cars planted into the ground on their tail ends. As I turned off the engine, the headlights of the vehicle in front of us came on. The beams shot straight up into the pre-dusk sky. Forty feet away, another vehicle’s lights came on and down the wall the lights went, illuminating one by one.
The truck bounced as Ghua jumped from the bed. Dried infected blood clung to his face, hair, and bare chest. He’d tossed his shirt after only an hour. The infected hadn’t made getting here easy. He’d killed more of them than I could count. Not that it made a dent in how many were still out there.
“Stay in the truck,” he said through the window glass. I hadn’t rolled it down since he’d warned me not to open it or get out, after our first stop.
“Why? What are you doing?”
He glanced at Nancy before meeting my gaze.
“Getting help. I can’t carry either of you like this.”
“Okay. Just hurry up.”
He nodded, and I watched in amazement as he climbed up and over the wall with ease.
“Shit,” Nancy said beside me. “Even if my legs worked, I’m not sure I could free climb a vertical wall like that.”
“He sure does make it look easy.”
Both Nancy and I jumped a moment later when several grey men dropped from the wall in front of us.
Ghua dropped down last and walked our way. He spoke softly to the other men. One went around to the back of the truck and got Nancy’s chair. Another went around to Nancy’s side of the truck and opened the door.
“May I carry you inside?” he asked.
“Sure.” The word came out as a dry rasp, and I knew she was freaking out.
I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit to doing the same thing. They were all like Ghua. Reptilian eyes, pointed ears, very sharp teeth, and an issue with wearing shirts. That didn’t worry me
as much as the fact that I didn’t know them. My trust only extended to Ghua.
The man scooped her up into his arms, watching her closely.
“I am Kerr,” he said.
“My name’s Nancy.”
“I will not drop you, Nancy.”
“Thanks.”
My door opened. I turned, expecting Ghua. Instead, it was some other guy. My heart started to hammer as he reached for me, skipping the polite request to pick me up. He lifted me out of the truck and started toward the wall, his gaze skimming over my face.
A tiny voice started to whisper in my mind. This was where it would all change. All the promises of not forcing things would go out the window, and I’d be passed around like everyone’s new favorite toy. Thoughts of everything May had endured swamped me, and I struggled to keep my shit together.
“Stop,” Ghua said.
The man carrying me halted and turned toward Ghua, who was only a step behind us.
“Put her down, Uan.”
The man holding me gently set me on my feet. Ghua moved close, his gaze searching mine.
“You’re afraid. Why?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He tilted his head.
“Your heart is racing.”
“So?”
He grunted and looked up at the wall where Nancy had already disappeared. After a moment, he met my gaze.
“Would you like to be twelve again, Eden?”
My chest started to ache. He knew. He understood. I blinked, struggling not to give in to my tears.
“Yes.”
He looked at Uan.
“Eden is twelve. A child. She cannot have sex with anyone until she says she’s old enough.”
Uan looked at me.
“I understand. May I carry you inside?”
I nodded. A moment later, I was up in his arms and over the wall. The speed in which Uan moved made me a bit sick. But I was on my feet, in a grassy clearing just on the outskirts of a large subdivision, before I could fully feel the effects. Ghua stood beside me, watching me closely. He wasn’t the only one.
Men were gathered around, most of them staring at Nancy in Kerr’s arms.
“You do not walk?” one asked.
“No,” she said. “I can’t. My legs don’t work.”
“Why?” another asked.
“Because I was in an accident several years ago.”
“All right,” a female voice called from the back. “Break it up. Let me through.” The men parted, and a young woman around my age strode forward.
“Hi, I’m Mya,” she said, looking at Nancy and me. “Sorry if the questions are intrusive. These guys are still learning about our world and the rules.”
“It’s all right,” Nancy said. “Do you think I could sit in my chair?”
“Will you be able to move it on the grass or would it be easier on the street?”
Nancy looked up at the guy holding her.
“I promise you’re fine,” Mya said. “They like helping.”
“But only females, right?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Mya grinned slightly as she looked at me.
“They’re a lot friendlier to us, that’s for sure. Can I ask what your names are?”
Ghua spoke up before I could.
“This is Eden. She is twelve.”
Mya’s brows shot up, and she studied me for a moment.
“Is she the one?” she asked, her attention shifting to Ghua.
“Yes,” he said.
Surprise lit Mya’s face. Before I could ask why, Nancy spoke up from Kerr’s arms.
“I’m Nancy. And I need your help.” She started to cry, drawing everyone’s attention.
Mya moved closer to Nancy.
“What happened?” Mya said.
“My husband was killed, and my children were taken from me. I have to get them back. Please. I need help.”
A chorus of, “I will help Nancy,” rang out around us.
“Hold on,” Mya said, waving for them to be quiet. She focused on Nancy.
“We’ll help any way we can. Do you know where your children are? Who took them, and why?”
“Eden knows where they are. I think they took my kids to be workers and,” Nancy started sniffling louder. “And, I think they’re going to force my daughter.” She turned, covered her face with her hands, and had a good cry. I couldn’t blame her.
“Force her daughter to do what?” one of the men behind her asked.
Mya ignored the question as she faced the men around her.
“This is something we need to discuss with Molev,” she said. “Finish lighting up the wall and meet at my house.”
She looked at Nancy, who was wiping her face.
“Nancy, if it’s okay with you, Kerr will run you to my house. You can use one of my guest rooms on the first floor. Uan, can you follow with her chair. I’ll be right behind you.”
Nancy made some kind of response that Kerr must have taken as a yes because he took off running. Many of the others followed. Some ran along the walls, and more lights shot up into the increasing dusk.
“They won’t last forever,” I said, looking at the batteries set on the ground and wired to the lights.
“They don’t need to,” Mya said. “They only need to last until the hounds are dead.”
I made a sound of disbelief.
“The hounds don’t die.”
She smiled slightly.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Eden. A lot I don’t know, either, like why Ghua thinks you’re twelve.”
“She’s afraid we will have sex with her,” Ghua said, speaking up. “The men who tried taking her, the same ones who have Nancy’s children, wanted sex. They made Eden hungry and used food to try to persuade her. She feels safer with us when she says she’s twelve.”
My mouth popped open, and I stared at Ghua.
“The fey are a lot smarter than they let on,” Mya said.
“Fey?”
Ghua continued to watch me with the same expression that I’d once taken as a curious, open study because he was clueless about me. I now knew better.
“He didn’t tell you their history?” Mya asked.
“He did. A bit. His people were divided in their beliefs about some crystal, and he and his brothers were trapped under the earth.” I also recalled how he’d said he’d once been paler than me.
“His people were the fey from our legends, with powers and everything. They made things grow. They weren’t bad but made some bad decisions. The rest of their people died while these guys continued to live, trapped in their caves. These guys aren’t bad, but they are paying for the consequences of the decisions their people made a very long time ago.”
It'd been obvious from his appearance that he wasn’t human. But fey? My mind grappled with that idea for a moment before the rest of what she said sunk in.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
“Because they deserve a chance to be treated fairly.”
“Don’t we all?”
She nodded for me to start walking with her.
“Why did you seem surprised that Ghua likes me?”
She frowned at me in confusion.
“You asked if I was the one, and when he said yes, you seemed surprised.”
“Oh. I didn’t mean if he liked you. He’s been looking for you, specifically, for a while now.”
“What?”
“I don’t know what it’s really like out there,” Mya said. “I’ve been lucky. When the first wave of earthquakes and hellhounds came, Drav found me before anything could happen. He’s kept me safe and fairly sheltered from it all. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.”
“It’s been shit.”
“I bet,” she said sympathetically. “When the bombs started, Drav took me to their underground city. Ghua was sent back up here to round up the other fey until the bombing stopped.”
I remembered the bombing and how
the first group of raiders had insisted we keep scavenging the smaller towns because they had feared the bombings would start up again and destroy everything.
“While Ghua was here, he saw a girl and her family. Turns out that girl was you. At the time, you were with too many other people with guns for him to talk to you. So he listened, learned more of our language, and discovered that you needed food. He collected what he could in a house cleared of infected and led you to it. He told me that he had wanted you safe from the bombs before he had to return to Ernisi. If he would have had any idea that the people you were with were using you, he wouldn’t have left you. He didn’t even tell us about seeing other people until recently, when he left to go find you again.”
I tried to wrap my head around the idea that Ghua hadn’t just stumbled upon me a few days ago and taken a liking to me. He’d been looking for me for weeks. It couldn’t have been easy. An ache built in my chest for his unfailing persistence.
Unable to stop myself, I thought back to the day I’d found the can trail leading to the house with all the food. I recalled the flash of grey and felt a moment of regret. My parents had still been alive. How differently would things have turned out if he had talked to me then? The regret faded as quickly as it had come. Ghua and Mya were right about one thing; if he’d tried that day, he would have been hurt, maybe even have died. I knew without a doubt, the same thing would have still happened to my parents without Ghua there to help us. And I’d be without my parents and Ghua now.
I’d never stop missing my parents, but Ghua made me feel part of something again. We were a team. Sort of. I recalled the way he’d asked me if I wanted to be twelve again, and I knew we were more than a team. I swallowed hard at the tender feelings consuming me and tried focusing on the neighborhood instead.
We walked toward one of the lit-up houses that men were running toward. It looked nice and had solar panels on the roof.
“Off the grid living,” Mya said, noting the direction of my scrutiny. “You know, since there’s not much of a grid anymore.”
“It looks nice.”
“Most of the guys here have a house they’re working to fix up. We just passed Ghua’s,” she said, pointing to a cute two-story.
That’s when I noticed Ghua was missing. A jolt of panic shot through me.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be back. He probably went to clean up. I’ve been drilling it into the fey that they shouldn’t touch humans when they have infected blood all over them since we don’t know all the ways it might be spread.”
