by Sarra Cannon
Parrish slipped her hand into his and stared out at the houses.
“I like your version of the future better,” she said.
It felt so good to hold her hand. To touch her and feel close to her.
He’d really messed up the other day getting close to Lily the way he did. He’d been entranced by her at the time, but the moment he’d seen Parrish storm out of that clothing store, he’d known she was the one for him.
She was the only one, and she always had been. He just didn’t know how to make her see that.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.
He faced her and grabbed her other hand. “I was going to try to talk you out of this mission tomorrow,” he said. “I thought maybe I could convince you how crazy it was for us to risk everything just on the off chance that Lily had something to do with the super-zombies and the attacks in D.C. and at the hospital.”
“Noah—”
“Wait,” he said. “Just hear me out.”
He shifted his weight and stared into her violet eyes.
“I know I upset you the other day when you walked in on us talking at that store,” he said. She tried to pull away, but he held onto her hands and pulled her closer. “I understand why you said the things you said about us all being connected and that maybe you and I aren’t any different that the rest of the group, but you were wrong.”
Her lips parted and a gentle breeze blew her hair across her shoulder.
His heart thundered in his chest. “I don’t know what happened in that store with her, but I wasn’t myself,” he said. “I felt pulled in by her, but it was nothing like what I feel when I’m around you.”
“You think she cast some kind of spell on you?”
“I don’t know,” he said. Until now, he hadn’t thought enough about it to realize what had really happened between he and Lily. But now, with the doubts and suspicions surrounding her, he had to wonder if there was something more to it. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to put the responsibility of that moment off on someone else, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. It was like she got inside my head and made me think I wanted her.”
“But you don’t?” Parrish asked, her head tilted up toward him.
“No.” He shook his head, never more sure of anything in his life. “I want you, Parrish. It’s always been you. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but if there’s any chance this will be my last night on this earth, I don’t want to leave things unsaid between us.”
He swallowed, his throat dry from nerves.
“I love you,” he said. “I think I always have, but I was too stupid to admit it to myself. What we have is something real, and it’s special, and it’s different from anything I feel for anyone else. I look out at those houses, and all I can think about is that maybe someday, when all this is over, you and I can find a house of our own and start a real life together. Start a family, maybe, whatever you want. I know this sounds crazy with everything that’s going on and the fact that we’re young, but I think—no I know, in the deepest part of myself, at the core of who I am and who I’ve always been—that we were meant to be together.”
She smiled, her tears sparkling in the light.
“I love you, too,” she said.
He leaned down, wrapping his arms around her as his lips touched hers.
The night fell away and the two of them stood together in a garden of blue flowers. The sun warmed their faces as their bodies pressed closer. Parrish’s hands gripped the edge of his shirt and clung to him as if her life depended on it.
He pulled away, cupping her face in his hands.
It was Parrish, but she was slightly older. Her eyes were a deep purple and she wore a white dress that trailed along the grass behind her.
A man stood before them, his hands pressed together and a smile on his face as he stared at them. “A most unlikely union,” the man said. “But one that I suspect will last for centuries.”
“Thank you, Tobias,” Parrish said. “For everything.”
“You’re welcome, my dear,” the man said. “My only regret is that your families couldn’t be here to celebrate with you.”
“They wouldn’t understand,” Noah said. “But it doesn’t matter. We have each other. That’s the only thing that will ever matter again.”
He leaned down to kiss her and the vision disappeared. They were back on the rooftop, their bodies trembling as they pulled apart.
“What was that?” Parrish asked.
“I think it was our wedding,” Noah said, his breath short and his heart racing.
“But where? When?” she asked. She clung to him, her arms tugging at his shirt just as she had in the vision.
“I don’t know,” he said. He touched her face, knowing he had touched her this way so many times before. More than he could count, across lifetimes.
“Kiss me again,” she whispered, her toes lifting from the ground as her eyes closed.
He pulled her tighter against his chest, running his hands along her back and through her long hair. He had never known a kiss could feel this way. It was like being set on fire, but also like coming home for the first time in ages.
He never wanted to let her go.
Visions passed between them. Memories of a past life together filled with love and laughter and great sorrow and struggle. He saw her in an open field, an army of soldiers behind her, her raised sword alive with flames. He saw them together on a large terrace overlooking a waterfall, the mist cool on their faces. He saw them on a boat in the ocean, looking toward a small island with pristine white sand.
When she pulled away, the visions faded, but he kept his eyes closed, trying to hold onto them for as long as he could. Her chest rose and fell against his rapidly, her body shivering as she gripped his arm.
“What’s happening to us?” she asked, her voice breathless.
“I think we’re remembering,” he said softly.
“Remembering what?”
He opened his eyes and saw her then. The girl he’d known since childhood. A woman he’d known for longer than his mind could comprehend. Her eyes were filled with tears, and in that moment, he loved her more than anyone had ever loved another.
“We’re remembering who we are,” he said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Who we’ve always been.”
Parrish woke up the next morning with a new lease on life. She and Noah had spent hours on the roof, talking about the visions that had passed through their minds as they kissed for the first time. She still wasn’t sure what it all meant, but she knew that it was real.
Even facing whatever may come their way on this trip to the hospital, she wasn’t afraid. As long as they were together, they could face anything.
Her visions of past lives with Noah also made her realize that she’d been right about her dream.
It wasn’t just a dream. It was a memory of something she’d done in the past. Something she’d done with her four best friends. And one of them was missing.
Where was the fifth?
The girl who had joined their group didn’t belong, and Parrish eyed her as they all got dressed for the day. What was she doing with them? What was her story? And what the hell did she have planned for them today?
Because Parrish knew she had something up her sleeve. Another ambush by super-zombies? Worse?
Whatever it was, they would face it together, and when the time came, they would confront Lily and make her tell them the truth.
Parrish rummaged through the bags of clothes she’d gotten from the mall across the street and smiled. When she’d left her house, she hadn’t exactly brought her favorite things along with her. She’d been trudging around in jeans and boots, but when she picked through the clothing at the mall, she’d chosen things that made her feel like the best version of herself. Strange how a simple change of attire could make you feel like a complete badass.
She pulled on a pair of opaque black tights, tall black socks that were thick enou
gh to cover the lower half of her legs and provide some protection from biting teeth, a pair of tight black shorts, and a black tank top with a white infinity sign on the front. She couldn’t believe her luck when she’d found it.
She covered the tank top with a black leather jacket. Despite the heat, she wanted something she could pull over her arms as protection when things got real inside that hospital today.
The final piece of the outfit was the perfect pair of tall black leather boots that buckled all the way up to her knee.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror of the shared bathroom and smiled. She felt more like herself than she had in a long time, and she was ready to face whatever came her way.
When she popped back into the bedroom, most of the others were ready to go. She emptied her backpack, reloaded it with essentials like extra bottles of water, ammo, and all the cherry suckers she had left.
She unwrapped one of the suckers, pulled the backpack onto her back, and secured her sword in the makeshift holster she’d created.
Noah’s eyes caught hers and he made a show of looking her up and down, before raising an appreciative eyebrow. She popped the candy into her mouth and smiled. Knowing he had her back—that he’d had her back for centuries—gave her an extra boost of adrenaline. Who needed sleep when you had a guy like that for a boyfriend?
“Who’s ready to kick some zombie ass?” she asked and headed toward the door. She prayed it wouldn’t be long before they’d be back here, a lot of their questions answered once and for all.
It felt good to be back inside the Humvee, even if it was just for part of the ride. Right now, this was the only piece of home he had left.
His hands gripped the steering wheel as he pulled through the gate, nodding at the guard who gave them a thumbs up.
“We appreciate what you guys are doing for us,” the guard said. “Come home safe.”
“We will,” Crash said, and prayed to God it was true.
What were they getting themselves into?
Ever since Parrish had brought up her own doubts, Crash had started to realize just how much all the pieces didn’t fit together with this girl. He’d never seen her face in his dreams. He hadn’t had the feeling the fifth was close to them at all until that night when they’d found her in the closet. And ever since they’d met up with her, he’d been having the same dream over and over, like he was supposed to find someone else.
At first, he’d thought maybe there was a sixth. That being together had made him remember someone else. But now he knew the truth. They’d never met the fifth. Lily was an imposter.
And now he was leading them straight into a battlefield with the enemy at their side.
He cleared his throat and glanced in the rearview mirror. “Everybody remember the plan?” he asked.
“We’ve been over it a dozen times,” Karmen said. “I think we’ve got it.”
“Just checking,” he said with a nervous laugh. “The roads should be relatively clear up to the bridge, but after that we’re going into unknown territory.”
The sun was coming up in the east, but it was an overcast day, a slight drizzle of rain misting the windshield. Crash really hoped that didn’t mean they were going to face a lot of rotters who hadn’t bothered to go into hiding this morning.
If they got into too much trouble, they could always just turn around and head back early, right?
The group was quiet during the few miles to the bridge. Parrish sat next to him in the front and any time their eyes met, his stomach tightened. They both knew they wouldn’t be heading home early today. They were going to find out the truth, one way or another. Today, they were finally going to get some answers.
So far, the streets closest to the armory were empty of rotters. Probably thanks to Tank’s practice of running the siren a few times a day to clear out any undead in the area. Crash knew they wouldn’t be quite so lucky on the other side of that bridge.
“This is it,” he called, parking in the grass next to a line of stopped cars near the bridge. He turned around and looked at Noah. “Unless you think you’re strong enough to move those cars and make a path for us, we’re on foot from here on out.”
Noah shrugged. “I guess I could try.”
Hope fluttered in Crash’s stomach as he watched Noah walk up to the first car. He lifted it by the bumper, but could only move it a few feet before he set it down again. He walked around to the other side and put his hands on the undercarriage between the two doors on the passenger side. He lifted and the car toppled over onto its side. Helpful, but not exactly enough space for them to squeeze the Humvee through it.
“This isn’t going to work,” Parrish said.
“Let’s just see,” Crash said. “I really don’t want to have to take this on foot.”
After about ten more minutes of watching Noah move one car, Crash shook his head and climbed out of the vehicle.
“This is going to take too much time,” he said. “You’d have to move at least fifty cars to get us across this bridge. It would be dark by the time you were finished. Let’s just walk.”
“Sorry,” Noah said, moving his shoulders in a circular motion and shaking it off. “I tried.”
Parrish grabbed his arm and pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
Crash pulled on his backpack, watching as the two of them smiled at each other and exchanged whispers. Well, well. When had this become a thing? You had to be blind not to notice there was something brewing between them, but overnight, it had gone to a full boil.
It was about time, as far as he was concerned.
He glanced at Karmen, warmth creeping up the back of his neck. If only he could convince her that the two of them could have something great, too. Maybe he’d have to corner Noah later and ask him to share his moves.
“Why are we still standing around?” Parrish asked, climbing over the first car. “Let’s get moving.”
“Right behind you,” Crash called.
He climbed on top of the trunk of the first car and turned to offer his hand to Karmen, hoisting her up. She smiled and his heart melted.
Someday.
Lily reached for his hand and he helped pull her up, too. Now that they were away from the safety of the compound, he wished they could just confront her right here. Ask her whether she was the one behind the super-zombie attacks or not. He wanted to know how she’d found out about the fifth and convinced him he’d been dreaming of her, but he knew that there was no point in asking her now. She could deny it, and none of them would be able to prove otherwise.
They had to catch her in the act. It was the only way.
He just hated they all had to risk their lives in the process.
It took nearly twenty minutes to cross the bridge. The cars were packed so tightly, there was nowhere to actually put their feet down on the bridge. They had to climb over the tops, jumping from hood to trunk along the way. And the worst part was that some of the cars still had rotters trapped inside.
“Watch out for that one,” Parrish called, pointing to a brown sedan on the far left side. “A couple rotters inside with the windows open.”
Crash nodded and helped steer the girls to the other side.
When they had finally made it through the maze of cars, Crash jumped down into the grass on the shoulder and leaned his neck from side to side. He’d been tense all morning and his body was rebelling.
“Maybe we should take a quick break for water,” he said. “It’s not super hot out today, but we still need to make sure we’re staying hydrated. You never know what we might have to fight once we get inside, and we’ve still got a three mile trek before we get there.”
Parrish nodded and pointed to a truck ahead with its tailgate down. “Anyone who needs to sit for a second can sit over there,” she said. “The ground looks pretty wet, so I’d avoid that unless you want to be uncomfortable all day.”
Karmen sat down on the tailgate of the rusted truck and Crash moved to sit down beside he
r.
“How are you holding up this morning?” he asked.
Parrish, Noah, and Lily stood to the side, discussing the fastest route to the hospital.
“I’m okay,” she said. She shifted and bit her lip. “I’m just scared.”
“Me too,” he said.
“What happens if we’re right? About Lily?” she asked. “I mean, assuming we even survive what’s coming.”
He glanced at the other group. They hadn’t really talked about what they would do if they found out she wasn’t the true fifth. “We’ll confront her, I guess,” he said. “Try to find out why she’s doing this and who she’s working for. Maybe she knows something about why all this is happening.”
“And you really think she’ll just tell us the truth?” Karmen asked.
Okay, so their plan wasn’t exactly worked out yet, but it was still the best option they had. “We’ll figure it out as we go,” he said. “Don’t look so worried. Our powers are growing. Even if we’re attacked, we survived it once. How bad can it be?”
“This is terrifying,” she said. “I don’t think I’m cut out for all this.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, wishing like hell he could take her hand in his. “Come on, let’s get back on the road.”
She nodded and slid off the tailgate.
They met up with the others and everyone put their drinks away and started walking along the grass on the side of the road.
Three miles to the hospital. Three miles until they faced whatever—or whoever—was waiting for them there.
Rooftops soared past him. He had no idea how fast he was running now, but it only took him a few seconds to cross most of the rooftops before he was back in the air, soaring high above the streets.
Just ahead, though, he could see that he was running out of room. The next block of buildings were taller than the ones he’d been jumping so far, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to make that kind of jump. But if he didn’t slow down, he wouldn’t be able to stop in time, either.
Should he risk it?
He might have a better chance of doing it now than if he slowed down and lost his momentum. He didn’t want to have to go down to the streets again. At this rate, he might be able to get close to the guardian by nightfall. If he switched to having to navigate the streets, it could take days.
