Sanctum (The After Light Saga)

by Cameo Renae

  “You’re clean,” he whispered. The sound of his voice made my insides tingle. His sweet scent made my head dizzy.

  “I told you,” I said, breathless.

  He leaned back. Behind his thick lashes, beautiful chocolate eyes were blazing with desire. In that single moment I saw my past, my present, and my future flash within them. A future I longed for.

  His left arm encircled my waist, picking me up and setting me on the edge of the sink. His right hand carefully embraced the back of my neck, while his left hand stayed on my lower back, keeping me flush against his body. At once, our breaths blended, and I wrapped my legs around his hips. The world around us completely melted away.

  I closed my eyes as he leaned in, my arms wrapped under his arms and held on tightly to the back of his shoulders. Even the smell of his sweat was appealing.

  His soft, sweet lips pressed against mine, gently at first, and then desperately. Our mouths and tongues moved eagerly against each other in perfect unison. Our love was effortless, innocent, and intensely passionate.

  With one kiss, Finn had swept me away from the madness. He’d transported me from hell to heaven; a place where only we existed.

  Fire burned and passion raged as the tension between us grew.

  My hands traveled down his back, pressing him tighter to me. He groaned and leaned over me further, deepening the kiss.

  “Ah-hmmm”, a clearing of the throat, cut our moment short.

  Rhett and his men stood staring at us.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. My face instantly heated. “We were just—”

  “Don’t worry, we totally get it. You both made it out alive and should be happy to be in each other’s arms again,” he said, waving it off.

  “Thanks again for the rescue,” Finn acknowledged.

  “No problem. It’s great to finally get some kind of action after all these years.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” Finn replied.

  Rhett patted Finn on the shoulder as he walked by us, and winked at me as he walked out the door. The rest of his men followed him, giving us unnerving looks. I blushed, my head peeking over Finn’s shoulder, still embraced in his arms.

  “When you two are finished cleaning up, meet us in the dining hall. It’s the second door to the left,” Rhett called. “We’ve got curried beans and rice for dinner.”

  “Sounds great,” Finn responded.

  They soon disappeared, and Finn didn’t budge.

  “Now, where were we?” he asked.

  “In heaven,” I whispered.

  “Oh, I think I remember now....”

  His hands found my head, locking me in place, but this time, there was no foreplay. His mouth immediately took possession of mine; his lips eager. The intensity aroused me, awakening feelings I’d never experienced. His lips, his mouth, his tongue…were all so soft, so sweet, so addicting. A soft moan escaped my lips, making him even hungrier. He rocked into me, pressing his body tighter to me. Every time we came together, the passion grew more intense, making it harder to abstain.

  “Finn,” I breathed into his mouth.

  He slowed—kissing me once, twice, three times, before pulling away.

  “It’s too easy to get carried away with you,” he said.

  “One day, we won’t have to worry about that,” I whispered.

  He groaned and smiled “I know, and I can’t wait. But I promised your father we’d make it right first, and I intend to keep that promise.”

  Finn rested his forehead against mine; both of us trying to catch our breath.

  “I love you, Abi,” he whispered, then smiled a smile which made my heart stop. His eyes were warm, glimmering, gazing upon me like I was the only girl he’d ever seen. How could he do that? How could he look at me, covered in filth and sweat, and say I was the most beautiful girl in the world? But his eyes never lied; they were as soft as a whisper, and were undoubtedly saying he wanted me.

  “How long will you love me?” I questioned, wondering his response.

  “How long have the earth, the sun, and the stars been in existence?” he asked.

  “Forever,” I answered.

  “That’s how long I will love you. Only, longer than forever,” he replied.

  “How could you love me longer than forever?”

  “Easily,” he answered.

  Emotions instantly filled my eyes with tears.

  “I love you so much,” I breathed. And I meant it. I felt it, radiating, and growing within every fiber of my being. I loved him. I loved every single thing about him.

  Finn held me. We didn’t speak, because we already knew what the other desired.

  “Thank you,” I said, breathless.

  “For what?”

  “For always being there when I need you.”

  He shook his head and exhaled deeply. “Abi. Tonight was the first time in my life I was completely terrified. I thought I’d lost you, and there was nothing more I could do to get to you. Knowing you were in the middle of danger, knowing what they were capable of, I–I…”

  “But you did make it to me,” I said, steadying his face.

  “I never want to have those feelings again, Abi. We need to take better precautions. I don’t want to be in this world without you.”

  My eyes began to water. His beautiful chocolate eyes were swimming with sincerity, and it pierced straight through me.

  “I have always loved you. I loved you before I even knew the meaning of the word. We were meant to be together. Having you with me makes me stronger. You bring out the best in me. I fought so hard tonight because of you. Because I wanted to return to your arms. Right here,” I placed my hand in the middle of his chest. “This is where I belong. This is where I want to spend the rest of my life. Wrapped in your arms.”

  He smiled then embraced me, holding my head against his chest, breathing into my hair. I could hear the steady drumming of his heart.

  “These arms are yours, and I will wrap you in them whenever you need,” he said, gently pressing his lips against the top of my head. “The sun will rise and set, the moon and stars will hang in the sky, and the earth will continue to spin long after we’re gone. But our love will live forever,” he whispered.

  “Finn,” I said breathless. Pulling back, I took his sincerity in. He’d not only stolen my heart, he’d stolen every single part of me.

  He smiled. “And, I know a way we can make it last while we’re alive.” A glint sparkled in his eye.

  “How?” I asked.

  “By keeping you from tackling Arvies,” he chuckled.

  “I—”

  “You shouldn’t have tried to rescue me, Abi. That Arvy just took me off guard for a second. I had him.”

  “Whatever. I just didn’t like seeing its evil hands on you.”

  “Jealous?” he raised an eyebrow.

  “Um, yeah. What if you suddenly realized you were in to creepy, shriveled, smelly creatures?” I laughed and he squeezed my leg. “No, seriously though. I was terrified. I already told you, I don’t want to have to shoot you.” A huge knot balled in my throat, as the mere thought made me petrified.

  “You won’t ever have to shoot me. If I ever get bitten, I’ll do it myself,” he said with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

  “Just don’t get bitten, please,” I begged.

  He pulled me close and kissed me one more time, but I could sense some tension. Something was bothering him.

  Pulling back, I looked into his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Finn, I know something’s wrong. You can tell me.”

  “No, it’s nothing,” he said, but I knew him.

  “Finn, you know you can talk to me,” I said, holding his face steady. “I know something’s bothering you. Tell me, please.”

  “We killed a lot of Arvies today, and I feel no remorse. But, I also killed a man,” he said sadly. “He had a family. A wife and a daughter.”

  The only reason why Finn was
feeling this way was because I failed. Steven asked me to take his life before he changed. But I couldn’t do it. I was too weak. Finn was so much stronger than I was, and protected me from those feelings. Our lives had changed. We were now a part of a world where death was violent and rampant. A world where we had no control over who lived and who died.

  “Finn, please don’t. I was the one who should have pulled the trigger. He asked me. He pleaded with me, but I couldn’t do it. You stepped in, and not only saved him, you saved me. You granted that man his dying wish. He didn’t want to change, and we both know he would have. You allowed him to keep what was left of his humanity, just like we promised to do for each other if we were ever in the same situation.”

  “I know, but—” he shook his head.

  “No buts. You’re a hero. My hero, and that’s it.”

  “Thanks, Abi,” he said, resting his forehead on mine again.

  “You’re my best friend. Just because we’ve kissed doesn’t mean it all has to change.”

  “You don’t know how much strength you give me,” he said.

  “No, Finn. You’re the one who gives me strength. Tonight you said something to me that changed my life.”

  His eyes furrowed. He probably didn’t even remember.

  “I’ve been having horrible nightmares, and whenever I felt afraid, everything inside of me tightened up. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. But tonight, when you told me I didn’t have to be in control, and I didn’t have to save everyone, it made me realize what was happening. My feelings of guilt and helplessness were crippling me.”

  “I thought I was in control of my life, and always felt I was supposed to protect my loved ones. Everyone brags how I’m the best shot in the hive, but it still wasn’t enough to save Dr. Lisa. And then, seeing you so close to death, thinking I was going to lose you…there was nothing I could do. That’s when everything started to fall apart.” I took a deep, cleansing breath. “In the hive, I was able to control my environment, but out here, it’s been pure chaos. I have control over nothing.”

  “You do have control over one thing,” Finn whispered. He pressed his cheek to the side of my face; his warm breath tickling my ear.

  “What?” I asked.

  “My heart,” he said it so softly and so sweetly, it warmed my entire body from the inside out. “Before things get heated again, I think we should get out of the washroom and grab something to eat.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “But wait. I have something else to tell you.” I held him in place.

  He turned and looked at me, his eyes studying mine.

  “What is it?”

  “Finn, I can hear the Arvies,” I whispered.

  “You can?” his eyes darted toward the stairway leading up to the sanctuary.

  “No. I mean, tonight, when we were separated and I was surrounded by them. I could hear them speaking words into my mind,” I explained.

  He looked at me like I was going crazy.

  “Finn, I’m serious. This isn’t a joke. Whenever I get close to them, I get these horrible headaches, the kind that feel like my head wants to explode. And my nose starts bleeding. Then, for the first time tonight, I could hear them. I spoke to their leader. I think I might have telepathy.”

  Finn chuckled, then looked at me and his face straightened. “I’m sorry, Abi. I don’t doubt you. It just sounds crazy.”

  “I know it does. I thought I was going mad, but I actually heard them. I even tried to reason with them.”

  “I take it that conversation didn’t turn out too well,” he noted.

  I shook my head. “No. All moral sense and emotion has been stripped. The only thing on their mind is killing us.”

  “We already knew that, and that’s why we are going to fight back, and not feel bad about killing them.”

  I nodded.

  “Please don’t tell anyone, alright?”

  “About what?” he asked.

  I grinned.

  “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. I don’t want anyone prodding around in my girl’s head anyway.”

  “Thanks.” I snaked my arms around him for one more hug.

  “Food?” he asked, offering me his arm.

  I hopped off the sink and hooked my arm through his. “Sounds good.”

  When we entered the room, everyone turned and stared. Dr. Banks stood and offered his hand to Finn. “Thank you. You both saved a lot of people by retrieving those medicines.”

  “No problem. Rhett and his group helped,” Finn added.

  “I haven’t had this much action in years,” Rhett laughed. “Come. Sit and eat.” He ushered us in, pointing to an empty spot next to him and Peggy Sue.

  “Yes, please eat,” Peggy Sue repeated.

  I grabbed Finn’s hand as we made our way over to the table.

  As soon as we sat down, Peggy leaned over and whispered, “Your boyfriend is very handsome.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered back, grinning. She had no idea how special he was to me.

  Nely came from the kitchen and placed two large bowls of curried beans and rice in front of us. It smelled like heaven, and tasted wonderful.

  After dinner, everyone gathered in the meeting room, where our group would be sleeping. Before we rested for the evening, we sat at the round table and discussed plans to rid the town of Arvies.

  The plan was pretty simple and straightforward. As soon as the sun was at its highest point, we would start. This would give us the best advantage. There would be four teams of four, each team was designated their own buildings to enter and clear.

  Rhett had a detailed map of the town laid out on the table, and blocked off the town into four sections. Then, he started calling teams, and I realized I wasn’t with Finn.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to be with Finn,” I stated.

  “Yeah. I want to keep an eye on her, as she tends to go Kamikaze. I might need to restrain her,” Finn chuckled.

  “I’ll make the adjustment. I just thought I’d even out each team with experience,” Rhett said.

  “Thanks, man. She’s always been on my team. We can practically read each other’s moves. Most of the time,” Finn said. He glanced over to me and winked.

  “I don’t go Kamikaze,” I said rolling my eyes.

  “You did tonight,” Finn noted.

  “I—”

  “You charged and tackled an Arvy without thinking. This time, I’ll be ready for any of your sudden moves,” he said, karate chopping the air.

  “Fair enough,” I laughed.

  Our team was Finn, Pike, Tim and me. I was comfortable with that.

  I thought I was the only female going out on this mission tomorrow, but was shocked when Rhett called Peggy Sue, Jamie, and Laura.

  Peggy Sue was on his team. Laura and Jamie were split between the other two, each teamed up with their husband. Good call. Who better to watch your back better than the one you love?

  Rhett must have noticed the worried look on our group’s faces.

  “What? You didn’t think you had the only badass chick around, did you?” Rhett laughed. “These ladies here are some of the toughest, best shooters ‘round these parts.”

  “Rhett,” Peggy said, blushing.

  “Just speaking the truth, babe,” he grinned. “You all can hold your own, and that’s pretty damn badass in my book.”

  Once everyone knew exactly what they had to do, we went to bed.

  Ever since the crash, Tina never left Pike’s side. They were huddled together in a corner of the room, his arm was wrapped around her. I could tell she was worried, and out of her element. But Pike knew her best, and he seemed to steady her. They looked so comfortable together.

  I didn’t realize I was staring, until her eyes caught mine. She smiled and waved at me. I blushed, feeling like I’d invaded their privacy, but waved back. I really hadn’t talked to her since we arrived at Sanctum. I guess with all the madness, I didn’t have much time to talk to anyone.

  Peggy
Sue let me borrow some pajamas. They were worn and faded, but warm and fit perfectly. I was grateful we’d made new friends. Others like us, who had survived on our own. It made us stronger, and less dependent. A common understanding, we had what it took to survive without the governments help.

  Rhett was right. If it was up to the government, we wouldn’t be here, and most likely would have taken the ARV-3 serum and mutated. But because of leaders like my father and Rhett, we were still here and very much alive.

  Our group was given a few extra blankets and pillows. The ground was hard, but at least we were safe, tucked within the walls of Sanctum.

  Sanctum. I guess there was no better place to have a shelter, than in the bottom of a church. I wondered if these people were religious. I wondered if they believed in God. Even though my father was a scientist, he still believed in a higher power.

  I laid my head on my pillow. Every part of my body was exhausted, but as soon as I closed my eyes, the pilot’s face flashed before me. His cries, his pleading, him begging for me to take his life, it twisted my stomach. My heart broke all over again as I thought of his widowed wife and daughter. They would be crushed to never see him again. Then there were flashes of Dr. Lisa, Titus, and the General.

  Why was my mind so cruel? It was evil and pitiless, making me relive the horrors I’d endured, over and over again. My inner demons, the ones I battled emotionally, were just as vicious as the ones we were fighting physically.

  I hoped my heart would eventually callous, just enough so I could finally forgive myself and go on living. It was hard not being allowed to be weak in this new world. Being weak meant giving up and dying.

  It was hard to hold on, especially when the reality of the topside had slammed into us so fast. We crawled out of from our safe, secure bunkers, straight into the fires of hell. Death and destruction surrounded us, and would continue to go on, until someone found a remedy.

  Deep inside of me, I could hear my father’s voice; it spoke of hope and reason. We were the future. We were in charge of our destiny. Whatever choices we made now, would either better us, or break us.

  Life didn’t come with an instruction manual. Our paths weren’t paved and there were no easy roads. We knew we would have to work hard to erase the damage done to the earth, but we’d already planned for that during those years in the bunker. This was the life we’d been dealt. We were in charge of it. We had to make the most of it, and try and see the good in it even if the good was a tiny speck in the vast darkness.