Dawnland (Book 2): Hella Kills
Page 24
I turned to Zeke to see if he was as enamored with the crowd as I was, but his eyes were focused on me. I covered my face with my hands to stop the overwhelming feeling of love, not just from the crowd, from Zeke, and from my own feelings toward him. I was so confused, I wanted to scream. It felt like the day I met Huck, when I realized I wasn’t alone anymore, except worse. Would I ever be able to straighten out my feelings?
“Hella, are you alright?” Hipslow asked. The crowd had quieted down, most likely observing my reaction.
“I’m fine, Hipslow. Can we go somewhere quieter?”
“Sure,” said Hipslow. “We’ll take you to the roadhouse. Fareva has a meal planned just for us and your friends. Zora and Boa are anxious to see you again.” Hipslow turned to Zeke. “Take her down, I’ll finish up here.”
Zeke helped me down from the pickup. Hipslow addressed the crowd, but his words were lost in my mind. The Professor came to me and held my hand, leading me away with Zeke. We were joined by Huck and Ana, and Stan and Saudah, but Broder didn’t come with us. He probably went to find his family.
We walked down the road, following the Professor in silence. Stan and Saudah walked in front of me, holding hands and whispering softly between each other. Zeke stayed by my side and Huck trailed close behind us, his boots sounding on the pavement and echoing in my mind. I didn’t want to turn around to see if Ana walked with him. I didn’t know if it would mean anything if she was. Who was I? Who was Huck to me? I no longer knew.
The Professor took us behind a building near the exit to the community college.
“Why are we going this way Professor?” I asked. I thoroughly trusted him, so I knew he wasn’t leading us astray.
“Would you care to take a ride?” The Professor gestured next to the building and I inhaled when I saw Sneaky and Midnight waiting for us.
“Breath, Hella,” Zeke said. “And let’s go for a ride.”
“What about the others?” I asked the Professor, finally turning toward Huck.
Huck was watching Ana do something with a stick which seemed to greatly amuse him. The look in his eyes showed a warmth and lust that was familiar, only it used to be directed at me.
Ana was beautiful and proven to be loyal. She had helped Huck back to health and who knows what happened to them while I was locked up with Zeke. I tried to shut my feelings of betrayal away, to remind myself I was just being selfish. I couldn’t have both. I didn’t need any. I had other things to do. I had to save the world.
“Come with me,” the Professor said. “I will help the others find their way.”
After saying goodbye to Stan and Saudah, and then Huck and Ana, Zeke and I followed the Professor to the horses.
Sivan wasn’t willing to let any of her other horses go,” the Professor explained. “It’s part of Hipslow’s plan, for you to patrol the area on horseback”
“He told you his plan?” I asked.
“He doesn’t hide it from anyone,” the Professor said. “He’s a good person. You know that Mace Duce stole the Hind from them back in December? You know they killed some of Hipslow’s people? They’re bad, Hella. Real bad. I’m glad you made it back safely. Hipslow knew he had to go after you, it was his only chance. Especially when Galen came back and told him about your virus.”
“He wants me for my virus,” I said.
“Of course he does,” the Professor said. “He’s a practical man. Now get going, we’ll talk more tonight.” The Professor walked away from us and down the road after the others.
“Come on, let’s mount,” Zeke said. He untied Sneaky and handed her over to me.
I took the reins and scratched Sneaky under her chin. She whinnied and nuzzled my cheek, and then my hands looking for a treat.
“I don’t have anything, Sneaky,” I said. She scolded me with a stamp of her foot.
Zeke mounted Midnight and I got on the back of Sneaky and we trotted down West Street toward the Roadhouse. The street was lined with more people, all shouting out congratulations or praise or simple hooting and hollering.
Someone threw rice at us and I laughed. Rice, like we had just been married. I decided to take the rest of the way at a gallop and asked Zeke if he wanted to race. He agreed and we took the horses to their fastest speed, arriving at the Roadhouse in no time.
I dismounted and entered the roadhouse right behind Zeke.
“Hella,” someone shouted as my eyes adjusted to the light.
I blinked a few times and saw Zora in all her radiance coming toward me, followed by Boa and two children.
“We missed you so much,” Zora said. “I am so glad you made it back alive. You, too, Zeke.”
The Reverend came into the light. “Harper and Mikey have been waiting all day for your return,” he said.
“Harper and Mikey?” I didn’t recognize the two children, but now I did. Harper and Mikey, the tweens who lived with us back at the village. “I love you guys.” I knelt to their level and pulled them in for a hug.
Fareva and Georgia came out from the kitchen carrying platters of food. “Come on and eat something, I am sure you are starving.”
While the others went toward the food, Zeke pulled me aside.
“I want you to remember something,” he said.
“What?” I asked, puzzled.
“This,” he said. He took me in his arms and kissed me. It was the most heartfelt and warmest kiss I ever had and made me tingle all over. It was much better than the previous one we shared.
When he stopped he put his lips to my ear, his warm breath sending another shiver through my weary bones. “I don’t know what’s going to happen between us, but I wanted to try out the possibilities,” he whispered.
“Zeke, I don’t know if I can.” I blushed.
“I don’t know if I can either, but at least the taste is there.” Zeke pulled me in closer. “And it’s not all about honey and mint.”
“Sugar and spice maybe?” I asked.
“Nah, not that either. I’m there for you, no matter what.” He held me in his arms and kissed me on the head.
“I know you are, Zeke. I know I can always count on you like a brother.”
“A brother?” he asked. He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “I hope I am more than a brother.”
“You do?” I said with fake surprise.
He brought my chin up with his thumb and grazed my lips with his. We held each other for a few brief seconds, but long enough for me to know. I didn’t feel lust or hunger or wild desire to be in his arms. I felt like I was home.
“I’m with you, Zeke,” I said. He seemed to know what I meant, because he lifted me off my feet and twirled me around.
With that, the rest of our friends entered the Roadhouse and we all gathered around the table to eat. I was safe for now, safe from Duce, safe from the zeroes, safe from everyone, even myself.
For once, I felt like life would go on in a natural way and not in the forced and controlled way of Haverlyn Village. Here, we would live with each other in cooperation, here I would live with my virus out in the open. No more secrets and no more lies. I was together, finally, with my family.
THE END
Thank you for taking time to read HELLA KILLS. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
Stay tuned for Book 3 of the series due out in January 2015, which takes Hella further into the post-apocalyptic world of Dawnland where she confronts thousands more zeroes and humans alike.
Other books by Karen Carr
Pockets of the Dead
First in the series of Dawnland
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9HAMZE
Meet Hella Paige. She kills zombies. Well, technically her virus kills zombies, the one that she contracted after being bitten by her undead neighbor. The virus is invaluable, killing everything undead that comes within a thousand feet of where she stands. But it is also destru
ctive, unless Hella can escape the truth, she might be doomed to a terrible fate.
All Hella wanted to do was graduate from college, but she is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with moments of sheer terror and the idea that humanity can be saved by a few. She brings together a tribe of survivors, keeping her virus a secret; instead claiming the village they live in is protected by a mysterious zombie-killing aura. Hella has to sacrifice so much for the people she grows to love, for she can’t leave the village without risking their death.
When Hella meets Huck, he captures her heart, but it is his friend Zeke that can help her save humankind. Two heroic men, one she hates and one she loves. Can Hella rise above the chaos of her heart and chose the one to benefit the world? The right choice might mean the difference between surviving and survival of the species.
TRUTH IS: I’M DEAD
First in the series of TRUTH IS
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I3SGRK
Dax might be a self-destructive teenager, but he’s not supposed to be dead. When a guardian angel accidentally kills him, Dax is given a chance to earn his way back to the land of the living. His mission is to stop a beautiful girl named Janie from taking her own life, only she is not the suicidal type. Dax decides to destroy everything good in her life so that she wants to end it.
Blake, Janie’s next door neighbor who also happens to be in love with her, will do anything to get rid of Dax. Blake and Dax form a bond when they realize that Janie is being groomed to follow her own mission in hell. As heaven and hell collide, Blake and Dax must fight cynical forces and their own feelings to save Janie’s life.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26