by Eve Langlais
Her lips flattened. No, she did not. She had to leave this place, which meant ignoring his warning from earlier.
He claimed she couldn’t survive. She didn’t agree. She had a map. And his buggy was just outside. She’d take it. Drive it until she ran into an Enclave Patrol who would return her to…
To what? She had no idea what would become of her. What did a Madre do? Nikki and Vera had alluded to a situation where she would be hurt. But she didn’t believe them.
Wouldn’t.
The domes were about treating everyone fairly. As they deserved. Yes, the rules sometimes caused pain, but only if a citizen broke them.
What Nikki implied—males intentionally hurting her by illegally fornicating and with the permission of the Incubaii leaders? It seemed implausible. Yet what did she gain by lying?
She was wasting time. She looped the crowbar through the belt on her pants. Reaching for the ladder rail to the side of the opening, she grabbed hold and then fitted a foot on a rung before she swung herself over the darkness. Her grip tightened, and her other foot scrambled.
She found purchase and hung awkwardly on the ladder, letting out a breath. She could do this. She felt for the next rung below her. Shifted down. Next rung. This wasn’t too hard, but she went too slowly.
A few more rungs and she was below the lip of the floor. Another still before she heard him.
“You fucking idiot. Get back here.”
She glanced up and saw Axel. Noted the anger in his face. Remembered the accusation that she couldn’t take care of herself.
He was probably right. But in that moment, she was tired of being told what to do. Just plain tired. And scared. She didn’t understand anything anymore. She wanted to be back in the Creche where it was safe and boring.
He stepped onto the ladder, and she grunted, “Go away.”
“If you want to die, couldn’t you at least wait until after I’ve traded you?”
“That’s all you care about. Making a profit.” Huffing angrily, she wondered why his words hurt.
“And all you care about is doing the opposite of what I say.”
Didn’t he understand she had to fight him? Because fighting him was the only way to fight the allure of his words. “You’re bossy.”
“I thought you liked it when people gave you orders.”
She glared at him. He leaned sideways and smirked at her.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Truth hurt?”
“The truth is I don’t like your orders.”
“That’s because they usually involve common sense. Something you lack.”
“I want to sleep in the buggy. I don’t like that room.” The tightness of it. The way her chest constricted. He claimed it had air. She wasn’t so sure. What if they asphyxiated in their sleep? She took another step down, almost level with the first floor where they came in.
“If you hated it that much, you should have said so. We can try the bed if you’d like.”
“I don’t want to.” A lie. She would have liked to sink into the plushness, but his being reasonable only made her obstinance worse.
She stretched for the hallway, shadowy from the light strung along its length. Her toes gripped the edge. She leaned, trying to figure out how to get all of her body there. Climbing wasn’t something taught at the Academy and certainly not needed in the Creche.
For a moment, she thought she had it. Her second foot toed the firm flooring. She only had to let go now and angle herself forward.
She teetered on the edge, her fear emerging in a gasp. Her arms flailed. She tried to throw herself sideways to catch the ladder. It only partially worked. Her hand banged against it, and she managed to grab hold of a rung, jolting her descent only slightly. Her fingers couldn’t handle her weight. She plummeted and landed on something hard, yelling at the impact. She was surely bruised, and yet, as she moved, she didn’t think anything had broken.
She rolled to her hands and knees, only to still as she heard metal groan and the floor under her shifted.
“Don’t move,” Axel advised as he reached her, barely visible in the glow from overhead. “Did you break anything?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Can you stand? We need to get out of here before we’re noticed.”
She was less worried about being seen and more worried about the fact that the floor appeared about to collapse. Rather than stand, she crawled to him. He remained suspended on the ladder, obviously not trusting the structure she’d landed on.
He held out a hand to her. “I take it you’re done climbing for the day?”
“Must you always be sarcastic?”
“If you’re going to be stupid, then yeah.”
She grimaced as she reached for his fingers. He grabbed her hand, easing her to her feet until she stood.
The floor underfoot groaned and shifted.
She shrieked, and he pulled her hard, tucking her against his chest as a horrible sound filled the air. She didn’t need to look down to know the floor she’d landed on had collapsed, almost taking her with it.
The sound of its crashing remained with them long after. His body heat couldn’t remove the chill making her tremble. She leaned her face into his chest and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
“Save it for when we get to a better spot. I don’t think we should overstay our welcome.”
He wrapped an arm around her middle, and she felt like the most useless thing as he carted her up. Only when she felt herself firmly on ground again did she mutter, “Thank you.”
“I’d say it’s nothing, but that’s twice now you’ve done this. One would think you don’t actually want to go back to the Enclave.”
“Of course, I do. This only proves I’m not meant to live out here.”
“Don’t be so sure. Your actions might have been stupid, but there’s some bravery in there, too.” Before she could bask in his praise, he shook his head. “But more stupidity than courage.”
She blinked at him. “How was that courageous? I was terrified the whole time.”
“And yet you still left.” His lips quirked. “Is my company that bad?”
The problem was his company made her question everything she knew. “We’re not on the right floor,” she remarked rather than reply.
“After the racket you caused dropping that elevator, it’s probably best if we find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
“You think something heard.”
“You’d have to be dead not to.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her up the hall.
“I’m sorry.”
“So you keep saying. Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson. From now on, I’ll keep you tied up.”
“What if I promised not to run?”
“I wouldn’t believe it.”
“This is your fault,” she stated as they entered a room with no furniture.
“My fault?” he growled. “How do you figure?”
“You keep accusing me of not questioning things, so I was taking initiative.”
“I meant don’t let the Enclave bully you around. My orders are to be obeyed because they keep you safe.”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry?” He whirled and pushed against her until her back hit the wall. Then he leaned in closer still, his body pressing into hers, his face close enough that she could see only his blazing eyes. “Mistakes will get you killed.”
“I just wanted to go back to the buggy.”
“What you want doesn’t matter.” The words brushed over her lips, and she shivered.
“Are you really going to tie me up again?”
“I should.” His expression changed, his lids dropping to partially shutter his gaze. “Why do you get nervous every time I draw near?”
“Because you’re big and violent.”
“Only when pushed to it.”
“You’re angry at me.”
“Yes, but not for the reason you think.” His lips moved closer, and she stilled. �
�You invade my every thought.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. And I am fairly sure you’re doing it on purpose.”
“Doing what?”
“Making me want you.” He said the words softly against her mouth, slanting his lips over hers, drawing a shudder that had nothing to do with fear but something else. Something hot and bright that made her feminine parts clench and stole her breath in a gasp.
He kept moving his mouth on hers, and she managed to say, “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you.”
“Why?”
“Because it feels good.”
He drew her closer, his mouth possessing hers fully, and a part of her knew this wasn’t allowed. That he broke so many rules, as did she for allowing it. But…
It felt good.
So good. She didn’t stop him.
She let him to caress her lips, tugging on them with his own. Only uttered a hot huff of surprise when she felt his tongue teasing along the seam of her mouth.
Surely he wouldn’t—
He did, and she uttered a moan as she sagged against him, her knees suddenly weak. This, this must be that desire she’d heard bandied about. Only she’d never understood before.
Never realized the power of it.
She found herself gripping him tight, wanting their bodies to be closer, yearning for something she couldn’t define, panting into his mouth. She uttered a soft cry as he was wrenched from her.
Heavy lids opened wide to see him shoved into a wall by a thing of nightmare. A creature scuttling on four legs, its eyes milky white, its skin gray and wrinkled. The mouth—a dark slash—emitted a guttural sound. But most frightening of all was how human it looked.
This was what she’d expected a Deviant in the Wastelands to look like. A thing deformed and wild. Violent.
Rising from where he’d been tossed, Axel recovered enough to yell at her, “Run. Lock yourself in the buggy.”
“What about you?” she exclaimed as the thing scuttling for Axel, who didn’t appear alarmed at all as he calmly pulled out his gun and aimed it.
“Move!” he barked. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She began to inch, only to have the thing swivel its head unnaturally and eye her. It bared blackened stumps of teeth as it hissed, the noise high-pitched and eerie. Even worse, it got a reply.
Hoots echoed, and Axel’s expression turned grim.
He lifted his gun and fired. The head of the creature exploded.
She gaped as the body slumped, the raw flesh of its neck oozing sluggish dark blood.
Axel kept the gun in hand and strode toward her, gripping her by the arm and tugging. “We have to go. Move your ass if you want to live.”
Instead, she turned to the side and threw up. Convulsed and spewed everything in her body until there was no more. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth.
“If you’re done, we need to go,” he growled. “Its friends are coming.”
Turning, she could barely see him in the gloom. The faint light in the hall barely cast a shadow. Her gaze passed over the dead body, and she shuddered at the puddle of blood pooling around it.
She took an unsteady step toward Axel, her focus on the opening to the outside. Reaching it, she paused and looked back. He’d not followed. He instead took time to close the door, shutting off their light.
“This might give us a little time.”
Time they’d wasted already.
Before he could cross the floor to join her, more of those things—rotted parodies of humanity—spilled from the rooms on the side. How? Where? It didn’t matter. They cut her off from Axel.
“No!” She breathed the word.
As if he heard, his glance met hers. He mouthed it, and yet he might as well have spoken out loud. “Get out.” In other words, leave him to fight alone.
More of the creatures emerged. Surrounded him.
If she left, he’d die alone. And she’d die soon after. In that moment, she realized just how foolish she’d been to think for a second she could survive on her own.
As he stood facing off against monsters, tall and brave, not giving up, she saw the sharp contrast from him to her wobbling legs and hitching breath.
He took aim. Bang. Bang. Each shot dropped a creature. Still they advanced. Watching him for the most part, yet a few looked her away. It was enough to freeze her in fear.
When the big gun ran out of ammunition, the creatures charged. Still, Axel didn’t succumb to fear. He swung his weapon like a club. For every creature he smashed and took down, more arrived.
The newcomers had a healthier respect for him. Enough that he had time to shout, “Would you fucking run already!”
But if she left him, he’d die. And it would be her fault. She’d be alone.
In the Wasteland.
With the monsters.
Without Axel.
She couldn’t…I can’t… The terror rose in her, strong like when she’d faced down Horatio’s beast, stronger still as it burst past that strange barrier that muddled her mind. It burned through her, lighting her veins on fire, filling her with heat.
A hot breeze lifted her hair as she yelled, “Leave him alone!”
There was a strange power in her voice. A tremble in the air as if the words had presence and weight.
The monsters paused. As one, they turned to look at her. Too many pairs of milky eyes. Their mouths gaped wide. They exhaled before they began to scuttle toward her.
Squeaking, she dove through the doorway and ran for the buggy, her feet finding purchase on the hard ground, propelling her faster than she’d ever moved.
It wasn’t enough.
Something slammed into her from behind, sending her face first into the packed dirt, crushing her with its weight until another of the things slammed into it and they tumbled off. The monsters rolled in a furious tangle of limbs. Laura pushed to her knees and wobbled, seeing more of the creatures approaching, uttering that eerie whistling hiss. Their dark-tipped fingers gripped the ground as they walked on their hands toward her, the motion of their swaying bodies unnatural but also showing a caution. They spread out, flanking her. They were trying to pen her.
“No,” she whispered. She didn’t want to imagine how much it would hurt to die under the monstrous teeth and claws. More pain surely than a whip.
The creature closest seemed to grin. Its mouth definitely twisted wider. It uttered a howl and launched itself.
She screamed and thrust out her hands. The body exploded midair, splattering her with hot gobs of goo.
The shock lasted only a moment. Then the rest ran for her, eyes gleaming whitely, the hunger in them feeding her terror.
Panic and fear filled her. She shrieked again and again, holding out her hands, and a few more of the monsters exploded. Others flew as if picked up and tossed by an invisible hand.
A part of her understood she did this. She was the one killing them, hurting them. A strange power burst out of her, blasting the monsters. Yet for each one that died, another took its place, and another. She kept shrieking and holding her hands over her ears, rocking in place, eyes wide, until all that emerged was a hoarse groan.
Her strength fled suddenly, and her eyes fluttered shut. She heard a scuffing sound and tried to find one more drop of power. But there was nothing left.
A whimper escaped her lips as she opened her eyes, expecting the worse. Axel stood amidst the pile of broken bodies.
He looked at her, then the carnage around them, before muttering, “What did you do?”
“I—” She swallowed. “I killed them.” She swayed on her feet as a dizzying darkness swept her mind.
Twelve
Killed them? Kind of a mild explanation for what had happened. It looked as if a bomb went off. Limbs and gore and bodies everywhere. And Laura…
Poor naive and powerful Laura collapsed, the magic in her exhausted. But because of her, they were alive.
Despite the victory,
Axel didn’t think it wise to stick around. He scooped her from the ground, noticing that the vibration she usually emitted in his presence was dull. He tossed her in the buggy and took off. As he maneuvered the derelict city, he kept glancing at her.
She’d saved his life, which didn’t negate the fact that she’d put it in danger in the first place. If she’d not tried to escape, they might never have drawn the attention of the ghouls. He might never have known about her strange ability.
It wasn’t as if it could be seen like those sporting extra limbs or strange dietary preferences. She possessed an innate power. Not unheard of, but he’d never seen anything as strong as hers—picking up the ghouls and tossing them around, exploding them into chunks. Her terrified screams had acted as a violent storm that attacked and killed.
He couldn’t help but recall that moment when he thought he’d die. When the ghouls surrounded him, ready for a final, overwhelming rush, only she stared at them, her hair dancing in an invisible breeze, her eyes more tempestuous than a storm. She’d said no.
And never looked more beautiful.
Never been in more danger because the ghouls then noticed her. They turned as if with one mind. One primal thought.
Kill Laura.
She should have died. When they decided to charge her, he’d thought her dead for sure. They were going to tear her to pieces.
Instead, she killed them all. It made him reconsider his decision to trade her.
Did the Enclave know about her ability? Had she done something similar before? Karlos’ contact had alluded to an incident.
No way to find out. She wasn’t conscious to tell him. However, her abilities might explain why she’d suddenly been changed from sawr to Madre. The Enclave would want to breed her power and control it. What a wonderful tool.
And he wasn’t being sarcastic. He knew what they were capable of. The reason why no one dared fight back too hard. The Enclave had the means and the power to crush any rebellion. They collected people, like Laura, and used them.
He glanced at her. She would not be happy when she woke up. Especially once she realized she was the very thing she claimed to abhor. A Deviant.
