One of the zombies lay crumpled on the ground. The other two still focused on me.
Another shot and a second zombie fell, folding onto the first. The one remaining creature turned its bald head slowly, looking around, before a third shot exploded its skull, the wet contents splattering onto the grass.
My heart pounded against my rib cage as I peered through the tree limbs, trying to find the source of the gun. The noise had ricocheted off the abandoned buildings, echoing in the large, overgrown park. It would attract more zombies.
Quiet, careful footsteps approached.
Three figures appeared at the base of the tree. They wore camouflage clothing and carried large guns, bandoliers looped around their chests like something out of a movie. They moved like hunters, who might become prey: two keeping watch, guns raised, as the third peered up into the tree at me—a man in his early thirties with a scar that ran along his cheekbone, pulling at his left eye and trailing into his dark hair. "It's safe, you can come down,” he said in a deep, gravelly voice.
"I'm..." The words died in my mouth. I'm fine. Not quite. They must have a safe camp nearby, somewhere I could sit quietly while I worked to get back. I chewed on my lip, meeting his gaze.
He cocked his head, as if sensing something different about me. But it was too dark, and he was too far for me to be truly affecting him.
I began to climb down. My shirt caught on a branch and ripped, tearing an opening in the side. Great. Torn, smeared with soot, and spotted with blood, my formerly white shirt could hardly be called a shirt anymore.
Where did the blood even come from? Maybe I cut myself on the glass in the alley when I blasted into this world. Either way, the shirt was a mess.
The hunter reached up, grabbing my jean-clad hips as I lowered myself. "I've got you," he said. "Let go."
I released the last branch, and he lifted me over the fallen zombies. "Thank you." I pulled my shirt closed and avoided eye contact.
"I'm Taylor. This is Zed and Monica."
The other two camouflaged figures nodded without taking their eyes off the surroundings. "Thank you," I said again.
"Did you escape from the Ostrone Camp?"
Is that where those vampires were heading? Maybe it was like the camps that Megan's father had talked about where humans were protected by vampires…for a price. Feed the vamps, not the zombies. Live to breed another day.
Taylor’s gaze roamed over my body. "Where are your weapons?"
I chewed on my bottom lip, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to share the truth… not yet. Being a dimension hopping, sex hungry succubus might freak these guys out.
“Do you have somewhere safe? I need to...rest,” I said, instead of answering his questions.
The woman, Monica, laughed, a cough more than an expression of humor. Taylor ignored her. "Yeah. We can take you someplace safe. Let's move.”
I nodded, looking down at the ground, afraid what would happen if I held his gaze. He smelled good. His aura shimmered fern green, radiating courage and strength. But if I could wipe out two vampires, I didn't want to know what I would do to this poor guy.
Taylor led us, me directly behind him, with the other two following. "There was a big horde around here just yesterday," Taylor whispered to me. "We've got to be very careful."
"Yes," I agreed, watching his energy as he stalked forward. Shimmering black fear rippled at the edges—he understood the consequences of his actions and that death lurked around every corner. Responsibility for the lives that followed him sparkled yellow in the green, clashing against the shimmering darkness trying to envelop him.
We left the park. At the end of the block, a wall of sandbags rose ten feet into the air. They were old, some of them split, the sand leaking away. Rusty patches of blood stained them. The air stank of rot and death.
Taylor climbed to the top, scanned the area, then motioned for us to follow. I scrambled up, Taylor reaching down to haul me the final feet. I almost stumbled backward off the wall, Taylor’s strong grip the only thing holding me steady. On the far side, rotted bodies melted into each other in an undulating sea of death as far as I could see.
Sweat broke out on my skin and bile rose up my throat. There were thousands of them, filling the street beyond, the corpses old, a tragedy years in the past.
Was this what Crescent City would look like? I thought about the hospital, the piles of bodies I'd seen forming at its sandbagged walls. Were all worlds doomed to follow the same fate? Or could I stop it?
Taylor squeezed my arm, and I glanced at him, accidentally looking into his Sahara brown eyes. They were filled with sympathy. How could he still care after all this?
His eyes glazed, and I turned away, staring down at my sneakers and the sandbags beneath them. "Lead the way," I said.
Taylor stood still for a moment, his hand still on my elbow. Heat built, wisps of his energy penetrating my skin. "Taylor!" Monica said harshly. He started and turned.
She and Zed waited next to him, having climbed up while I distracted him.
Taylor nodded and, passing me on the narrow ledge, began to walk along the wall toward one of the buildings that the bags were piled between. He whistled once, long and sharp, looking up at the broken windows above.
A head popped out, and seconds later, a rope ladder tumbled down. Taylor grabbed it and waved me forward.
Taylor held the bottom, which helped to steady it, but the ladder wriggled and waved with my weight as I ascended. Halfway up, I glanced out to the sea of bodies but quickly returned my gaze to the window above. Don’t look down.
As I approached the window, the head appeared again—a teenage boy, his face smooth and eyes shining. His hair flopped down toward me as he watched my approach. "Hey," he said with a smile, once I was only a few rungs away. “I’m Joseph. You can call me Joe. What’s your name?”
“I’m Darling.” I took his offered hand, and he helped me into the building. Joe’s strength surprised me—he looked scrawny. But I guess to survive in this world, you had to be stronger than the average human.
I blinked in the dark room as he turned back to the window. I stepped back, giving him space, my eyes slowly adjusting. There were three windows, and the light of the night cast dull gray into the space.
The room, about the size of child's bedroom, was sparsely furnished with just a single chair and a long table covered in objects I couldn't make out in the dark. I sat in the chair, hoping to be out of everyone’s way.
Monica leaped lightly to the floor, her movements cat-like. She was about my height, thinner though, with more defined muscles. Her silhouette against the night showed strong arms and hair pulled back into a tight bun. The big gun looked light in her hands. She placed it on the table before turning to me. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Darling," I answered, holding out my hand. She ignored the gesture.
"How long were you in Camp O?” I didn’t answer. She let out another one of her laughs, a cough of doubt. "How did you escape?"
Zed came through the window then, and Monica moved over to make room for him. He was broad and thick, his hair cropped short. The gun, which had looked so big on Monica, fit him. Zed made his way to the table and put his weapon down next to hers.
"No luck?" Joe asked. Zed shook his head. "Managed to pick up a stray though, huh?" He flashed a smile at the big man.
"Found her in the park, run up a tree." His voice was gruff and humorless.
Joe turned to me. "Classic," he said before returning his gaze to the rope below. I thought about Taylor climbing it, with no one to hold the bottom steady.
"What were you looking for?" I asked.
"Food," Monica said. "You look well fed. They take good care of you at the camps, huh?" Her voice dripped with disdain.
"Were you ever in a camp?" I asked.
Monica shook her head. "I'm no blood bag."
I'd felt the same when I first heard about the camps, the idea of being used for my blood repulsive to m
e. And now what did I do? Was I so different from a vampire? If I got hungry enough, would I drain these humans? No. I'd leave before it came to that.
"I'm very tired," I said. "Is there a quiet place I can sleep for a while?"
Joe stepped back, and Taylor climbed into the small room before turning back to the window and hauling up the rope. Everyone waited as Taylor dropped his gun on the table and then removed the belts of bullets from around his chest.
"Come with me," he said.
"Taking her to Felix?" Joe asked.
"Where else?"
"Who’s Felix?" I asked rising from the chair.
"He's in charge around here," Taylor said. "I'm sure he'll have some questions for you."
How would I explain myself? Should I tell him the truth? Maybe he knew about traveling through dimensions. Even if he didn't, he might believe me…or he might burn me at the stake. Who knew what kind of world I’d entered?
I followed Taylor down a dark hallway. He opened a door, and weak electric light silhouetted him. We entered another hall, and he shut the door before continuing.
We passed closed doors. A baby cried somewhere close. The scent of food permeated the air. It smelled like an apartment building, like people living on top of each other.
The lights flickered as we walked, and when we got to the end of the hall, to another door, they blinked out altogether. I bumped into Taylor as the darkness fell, misjudging our distance.
Heat sparked between us, and I backed away quickly. Taylor laughed, a rich, deep sound. "You don't have to be afraid of me," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Not what I’m worried about…
"I understand you've probably been through a lot,” Taylor continued. “We've had other refugees from the camps here. Felix just wants to make sure you're not working for the blood suckers. He might seem a little...harsh. But the man is doing what he can to protect this community."
"I understand. Don't worry, I'm not working for the vampires."
"Vampires? Is that what you call them?"
“Um…yeah." I bit my lip.
"Where you from?" He knocked on the door.
"Not around here," I said with a nervous laugh.
"Maybe that explains it," he said, as much to himself as me.
A girl about seven or eight, wearing the same fatigues I’d seen on all the adults, opened the door. "Matilda," Taylor said, "your dad here?"
She nodded and ushered us into a living room. A single lamp cast shadows around the space. A slim but fit man with dark hair that glinted with copper and silver stood by an open window, looking out into the night. He turned as we entered.
“Felix.” Taylor nodded to the shorter man with deference.
"How'd it go?"
"We didn't find any food but managed to pick up a stray." Taylor indicated me.
I smiled, keeping my gaze on the man's chest. "Hello,” he said. Felix moved toward me and offered his hand. I placed mine in his, careful to keep my energy at bay and not let heat build. "I'm Felix.”
"Darling Price," I said.
"She escaped Camp O."
"Is that right?" Felix said. I pulled my hand back, feeling his gaze on my face.
“Not exactly.” I swallowed. Could I trust Felix with the truth… or would he make me hurt him?
The little girl climbed onto the couch, holding a teddy bear. This man wasn't evil—these were just people, survivors. I looked up at Felix, letting his eyes catch mine. His were an incredible amber with glints of green. I’d never seen anything like them. "I'm not from here. Not from this dimension." I dropped my gaze again.
Felix's breathing remained the same, no gasp of surprise. "Is that so?" There was a smile in his voice. He might think I’m crazy.
"Yes, I'm not even human."
"You're not a blood sucker," Felix said. "Or a Walker.” He took a deep breath, smelling me? “Not a shifter. So what are you?”
My gaze jumped back to his. "A shifter?" Suki’s words came back to me. The shifter who cannot shift. "What's a shifter?"
Felix's eyes narrowed, holding my gaze. I kept my chi at bay, struggling to hide my hunger. Desire crawled up my throat, and I dropped my eyes. "Look at me," Felix said, his voice commanding.
"It's not a good idea.” My throat was dry and my hands itched.
I wanted to look up into those amber eyes—wanted to bring him closer and taste the energy flowing through him. It teased against mine, trying to find a way in.
He was a powerful leader…exactly what I needed if I wanted to return to Suki's world. Felix grabbed my chin, not hard but stern, and tilted up my face. Our eyes locked. "What are you?" he demanded.
"I don't know what you'd call me; you may not even have a word. In my world I'm known as a daughter of Lilith."
"Daughter of Lilith?"
"I feed off the energy of other creatures." I paused, swallowing, his eyes softened. "Sexual energy."
Felix shook his head and dropped my chin. "What was that?" he asked.
"I can't help it," I explained, stepping away from him. "I mean, I can, but not too well. I'm still learning."
He scanned my face. “How did you get here?"
"We found her in a tree, sir, three zombies at the base,” Taylor explained.
"I asked her." Felix kept his gaze focused on me. “You traveled from another dimension?”
"A powerful witch blasted me out of her world and into this one.” I looked down at my fingers, twisting them together. “I have no idea where I am, but I think I can get back. I just need some quiet. And maybe to...feed."
"You're not going to feed off anyone here," Felix said, his words a line he’d just drawn in the sand.
"I understand.” I nodded. Because I did understand. I didn’t want to be a blood bag. “But,” I looked up at him, trying to press my hunger down, keep it in my belly and away from my gaze. “You believe me?"
Felix’s eyes sparkled with laughter. Not what I expected. He glanced at Taylor. “How about you?" he asked. "What do you think—is she from another dimension? Does she feed off sexual energy? Or is she a spy for Camp O?”
“Smells like she’s telling the truth to me,” Taylor responded, his voice low and tight.
“Yes,” Felix agreed. “Her scent is honest.” His nostrils flared. “And delicious.” He cocked his head, examining me. “You never heard of shifters?"
"I don't know if they had them in my world. Are you shifters?” They had to be, right? Who talks about smelling someone’s honesty?
"This witch's world, that's where you're from?"
"It's complicated."
Felix laughed again, and I couldn't help but smile. "I imagine it is. So you just need a quiet place to get back."
"Yes. Are you shifters?"
"Suddenly not so eager to leave?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"The thing is, I need to find one. A specific shifter…who cannot shift. The seventh daughter of the seventh son." I bit my lip. “Does any of that ring a bell?" I sound insane.
Felix smirked. “A shifter who cannot shift. That wouldn't be a shifter, now would it?”
"I don't know. What exactly is a shifter?"
Taylor and Felix both laughed this time—I guess my naivety amused them. Awesome. Taylor answered. "A shifter is a person who can turn into an animal."
“Any animal?"
"Depends on the shifter," Felix said. "And it can change with age."
"That's amazing."
"You've traveled between dimensions, but you think shifters are amazing?" His eyes were glittering with amusement again.
"Are they normal in this world?"
“Normal?” He shook his head. “We were a minority before the Turning, but we'd just gotten legislation passed, giving us voting rights.”
"So you are shifters? Does the Walker virus affect you?"
"Yes," Felix answered, his head cocking. "Does it not affect you?" All humor left his gaze. He looked at me like I might have some answers.
The little girl, who'd been silent on the couch, spoke for the first time. "Immune?" she said, her voice high-pitched. "What does that mean?"
"She doesn't get sick from a Walker bite," Felix answered, staring at me.
"I imagine that they could still kill me.” I cleared my throat. “I mean, I don’t think I’d survive bleeding to death, but I really don't know." I grimaced. "I don't want to find out." Felix and Taylor both stared at me. "So that quiet place, where I could try to get back?" I twisted my fingers together again. They were looking at me like they might want to keep me, now that they knew I was immune.
"This Suki who threw you out—what makes you think she isn't waiting for you to try to return?"
"She probably is, but I have friends there. If I can just get to them before she gets to me, I'll be fine."
"Sounds like some powerful friends."
"Yes, they are." Emmanuel’s face floated across my mind’s eye—smiling at me, his hair falling over his face, making a little world just for him and me. What will Emmanuel do to Suki when he discovers her betrayal? Or will he think I ran away from him?
Felix crossed his arms over his chest and took in a deep breath. "Taylor, take her to your room.” He looked at his subordinate and raised one brow. “Can you resist?”
Taylor stiffened at Felix’s question. They shared a silent communication. Taylor’s lips twisted to the side in a half smile.
I cleared my throat, pulling their attention. "I should warn you.” Was I really going to say it? “If I can't pass through, the effort will leave me...very hungry.” I chewed on my bottom lip, staring at Taylor’s boots. “I suggest you lock me in and don't face me alone?” I brought my eyes up to meet his.
Taylor smiled slow and sexy…like the man had plans. His eyes focused on my lips. "I think I can handle you."
"You won't have a chance if I want you." I met his gaze, to give him a taste of what lay within me. His mouth parted, eyes glazed, and he took a step toward me. Felix grabbed Taylor's shoulder. I dropped my eyes. "Trust me. I have control now, but it will be dangerous if I'm exhausted. I don't know about shifters, but humans don't last long with me."
Dark Secret Page 8
