The World Without End [Box Set]

by Nazarea Andrews

  Chapter 16

  Reflections and Interruptions

  It's awkward, sitting with him, when I can feel his eyes on me, the hunger in them no longer hidden. But I do, because Finn made it clear when he needed me to return. He talks about cars, and I pretend to be interested; I talk about Dustin, and he pretends he isn't jealous. It works nicely for the both of us, honestly. My nerves are stretched tight when it's finally time to leave, an anxious thrumming that makes my knee jerk.

  "I should go," I say, finally, standing.

  Jesse stands with me, watching me with curious eyes. "You don't like Finn."

  I shrug. "He's been part of my life for a long time, not that I ever really understood him. But no, honestly. I don't like him. He's annoying as hell, and he drives me fucking crazy—he refuses to answer any questions, yet he demands that I trust him, even when what he's suggesting is completely crazy."

  "Like right now? You being here?"

  I stop short and stare at Jesse. A smile quirks his lips up, but he doesn't seem pissed.

  "You should go, Ren. Finn is waiting."

  I nod awkwardly and go on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You aren't a bad guy, Jesse."

  He laughs quietly at that as he pulls aside the razor wire and I slip out.

  I find the priest a few blocks from Jesse's garage, but not close to Finn. I hesitate in the street, and two more in gray robes drift up behind me. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to walk forward. "What does she want?" I ask the giant bodyguard.

  He doesn't say anything, just turns and glides down the sidewalk. I want to bolt—want to race back to the relative safety of Finn's home. Instead, I grit my teeth and follow the priests of the Blessed Order.

  Lori is a few streets over, sitting on the sidewalk, with her robes billowed out around her. Even on the dirty street, she looks like a perfectly made-up doll, a tiny porcelain creature with flawless features and impossibly perfect hair.

  "Sit with me, pretty girl."

  "I like standing," I answer, and her teeth flash in her tiny face. It's not a smile. Gritting my teeth, I lower myself down next to her.

  "Tell me. Do you think he's right? That the zombies are adapting and searching for new food—that they are deliberately targeting the West, trying to isolate us as they did in the East?"

  I shrug. "I don't know. Giving the zombies thought and cunning seems a little far-fetched and reaching. But Finn believes it, and my brother agrees. I trust my brother. I suppose that's where I stand."

  "But you aren't doing anything to help Haven 18."

  "What you do to survive is no one’s business but your own. We have our own priorities," I snap shortly.

  The little priestess smiles, and this time, there is genuine amusement there. It's not a grimace or a threat. "That I do believe. Finn O'Malley has always had unusual priorities."

  I sneer. "The Order hardly has the right to point fingers about odd values. You kill humans."

  "We recreate the sacred days," she says with calm conviction.

  That's what terrifies me about Lori. Not that she's of the Order—Omar didn't scare me and he is their High Priest. It's that she believes, where others don't. Omar is there for power—Lori’s here for conviction.

  I glance at my watch, pissed that it's already almost twelve thirty. Whatever he wanted, I'm late. I stand up and dust off my pants. "As much as I enjoy chatting, I have to go."

  "Yes. Yes, I suppose you should. Tell him that I allowed it."

  My blood runs cold, and I go still, staring at her. Lori's eyes gleam with madness. I shiver despite the heat. "What did you say?"

  "I am letting you go. Because for whatever reason, O'Malley wants you. Remind him that he owes me—not the Order, but me—for my leniency. I will save you, as long as I can, for the sake of Finn's goodwill toward the Order."

  I don't understand—it doesn't make sense. None of it does, but then nothing around Finn ever does. I scramble away from her, and the priests that surround us drift back, letting us past. Lori laughs, her voice chasing me down the street.

  "Tell him what I say. The Order has marked you, First!"

  I break into a run.

  Part 4

  The Horde Without End

  *

  I wish I had seen it—the world before Day One. It sounds amazing.

  Nurrin Sanders

  **

  We should have died. Some days, I wish we had.

  Finn O’Malley

  Chapter 1

  Old Lovers

  She's late. I can tell as I unlock the front door—the house feels empty and abandoned.

  This seriously fucks up my plans. I open the door and step aside. Lissel glides in behind me, all sleek curves and fuck me smiles.

  This isn't gonna go like I wanted. I miscalculated, and someone will get hurt.

  "Where is your little friend?" Lissel asks. Her tone grates on my nerves. Makes me grind my teeth.

  "She's none of your fucking business," I say.

  Her eyebrows go up at that, but I'm kissing her before she complains. Her arms are around me, and I remember why I used to fuck her. She throws everything into the kiss with no inhibitions or hesitation. In any other situation, I'd be in. I'd be kissing her back, ready for sex. As it is, I go through the motions, but my mind is somewhere else. Wondering where the hell Ren is.

  If Lissel notices my inattention, she doesn't say. She just reaches for my belt, fumbling it open.

  Shit, if I don't get this stopped soon, Ren’ll be walking in on more than I expected her to.

  Although it'll do its job, and that's all it really matters at this point. All that I can let matter. She has my pants open, hand clutching my dick. I groan, my head falling back as she drops to her knees and takes me in her mouth. With her head bent, all I see is blonde hair and, for a moment— just a moment—I can forget that isn't right. Then the sensations overwhelm me, and I don't fucking care who it is. All that matters is that she doesn't stop. Fingers cup my balls, rolling them as she sucks me to the back of her throat. Somehow, I've clutched her hair and my fist, pulling her along.

  She moans, vibrations running along my dick.

  With a curse, I pull her to her feet. Lissel laughs, wiping her mouth.

  I need to slow this down. There needs to be some kind of delay, a way to wait for Ren. I whip around, pinning her against the wall and grabbing the bottom of her shirt. Her body jerks when I rip it, and her eyes are angry, but hungry. I yank on her bra, and her full breasts spill out.

  She’s moaning, whimpering and shifting against me as I pinch her nipples, kissing her neck.

  She jerks up her skirt and reaches for me.

  Too fast, too fucking fast. She’s got me in her hand, a tight hot fist stroking my dick, and I can feel her wet heat. I thrust, and she laughs as I slip along her folds. She shifts, just enough that I don’t slide deep into her. I growl, remembering why I quit finding my way to her bed—she’s too damn manipulative. Everything is a game to her.

  I grab her hips, angle, and thrust into her. She screams, her body spasming around my dick as I fuck her.

  Distantly, I know this is fucked up. I know I’m taking it too far. I know that this wasn’t the plan. But that’s distant—all I can focus on is the white hot pleasure running through my body, and Ren’s voice, ringing in my ears as I thrust into Lissel. I’m chasing my own orgasm—fuck Lissel and what she wants, she got me here despite my resolve, I’m going to get everything I can out of it.

  Her nails are digging into my back, and she’s panting as one leg wraps around me, meeting every thrust. I slam into her, and she shrieks, clawing at my back as her body tightens around me. My release slams into me, and my head drops back as I let everything go and surrender to the pleasure.

  When I can see and think, I realize Lissel is smiling, a smug expression that makes my blood boil in a completely different way. I drop her leg, and she slides down the wall, tugging her bra into place while I tuck my dick away. I take a deep breath an
d turn to look at Nurrin.

  She’s staring at us with an expression I don’t think I’ve ever seen on her face—disgust and loathing and fury. I stare at her, my face blank, masking my fascination. Finally, she shakes herself and twists to look at me. "What the fuck are you doing?"

  There’s a dizzying rush of relief. She might be furious, but she’s using that to play the emotions I need from her—she’s using it to get us out.

  "Scratching an itch," I say, pushing away from Lissel. "How was Jesse?"

  Something flickers in her eyes that makes my blood run cold. I step toward her, and she skitters back a step. Fuck. Maybe I wasn’t the only one with screwed-up plans. "Did you fuck him?" I ask, my voice low.

  Her gaze darts to mine, disbelieving. "Are you serious? You think you have a single inch to stand on?"

  "Don’t worry," Lissel purrs, approaching me on one side, "we’re just old friends catching up."

  Nurrin gives the alderman a disdainful look and sniffs. "Bitch, do you really think I care who he fucks? I just care that we’re still trapped in this hell hole."

  Lissel goes stiff, and I finally look at her. "That’s true. Old friends, and all. Help me out, Lissel."

  "Fuck you, O’Malley," she hisses, outraged.

  Nurrin coughs, muttering, "You already did that."

  I shoot her a dirty look. Then I focus on Lissel. "This doesn’t have to be difficult, Lissel. Staying in 18 is going to be messy. Do you remember, what I told you about messy?"

  A sliver of fear flickers in her eyes, and then she shakes her head, stubbornly. "I can’t help you. I won’t risk the Haven."

  I make an impatient noise, and Lissel flinches. "It's not just you, you jackass," she snaps. "If it was, then I'd say fuck it and open the gates. But it's not—every time the gates open, we risk a breach. I can't authorize that, even if I wanted to."

  "Every Haven has a back door," Ren says, her voice sharp and disbelieving. I know she's thinking about the tunnel we used to escape Hellspawn.

  Lissel is shaking her head. "We sealed it."

  "Why on earth would you do something that fucking stupid?" I demand, sharply.

  "Because we have the Hale Hall. I know Melinda showed you, so you have to know we'll hide before we run."

  I shake my head, furious. Look at Ren over Lissel's blonde hair. The alderman is waiting, almost impatiently watchful, for my next move.

  I don't have a lot of options. "Get my bags."

  She nods, and ducks into the back of the house. I reach behind me then lean into Lissel's space. "I didn't want to do it this way," I murmur.

  "Finn, you need to accept this. Running won't work this time—and whatever that girl is dragging you out to, it's not worth it. You can survive here—even if your ties in Haven 1 have dried up, you have a place here. I'd make sure of it."

  She doesn't get it. She never has. That's the problem—she wants to give me something that no one can. Stability and a place to belong, for fuck's sake. What does that even mean in a world like ours?

  I stare at her and shake my head. Lean in to kiss her quickly, because I don't dislike Lissel. I just have priorities. And she isn't one.

  Ren clears her throat, and I twist to look at her. She's got that foul expression again. "I need you to do one thing, Ren," I say, and she visibly flinches. She's not used to her nickname on my lips.

  "What?" she asks warily, and I wish I could do something about that. I wish I could ease her distrust—but I can't, and my priority right now is to just get us out.

  "Trust me?"

  I wait, perfectly still, not even breathing. Behind me, Lissel is fidgeting, and in front of me, Nurrin is staring at me with her big green eyes.

  Finally, she nods. Something tight and tense loosens in my chest, and I give her a grim smile.

  Then I yank off a length of silver duct tape and wrap it quickly around Lissel's wrists.

  "What the hell are you doing?" She shouts, jerking away. I yank her back, the tape cutting into her skin. Nurrin steps up, her gun in her hand. I give her a tiny nod, and the barrel of the gun presses into the soft skin of Lissel's throat, skin I so recently kissed.

  I can't think like that. Not right now. I finish securing Lissel's hands, Nurrin's gun holding her steady. Then I stand up and stare at her. "Now. Here's what's going to happen—you are going to get us out of the Haven. And if you do it without any trouble, I'll let you go. If you don't—it'll make my life messy."

  "You wouldn't dare kill me," she spits.

  I smile, lazily. "You didn't think I'd fuck you and tie you up, either. Keep betting on what I don't have the balls to do."

  Lissel's mouth snaps shut and I nod. "Good. Let's go."

  I shove her into the back of the truck, and Ren slides in, her gun still pointing directly at Lissel's head. She glances at me curiously. "What's the plan?" she murmurs.

  I arch an eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes.

  "Asking a question is not a lack of trust."

  "Just wait," I mutter.

  "You don't know, do you?" Ren asks, as horrified as she is amused.

  She's wrong. I do know. It was the plan from the beginning.

  The gate is sealed. Two dozen guards are milling around it, their weapons pointed at the ground as they talk to each and wait, bored, for the change of watch. I'm about to throw a kink into all of their plans.

  I park the truck and stalk around the front. The soldiers surround me, almost instantly. "You need to clear out," a particularly brave one says. I glance at him, and the poor kid wilts, falling back a few steps. Until I drag their lovely Alderman out by her bound hands.

  Then their guns snap up and train on me.

  "Put those down," Lissel snaps, furious. "The idiot wants outside."

  "The gates are sealed. No one in or out, sir. And abducting our alderman is punishable by quarantine."

  "Or being put outside the Walls," I add. "Which you’re welcome to do."

  The soldiers look confused, and I take a deep breath. "Why are the Walls sealed?"

  "Infection. We can't risk letting it inside," the guard says promptly.

  I stab the needle deep into Lissel's arm, making my motions clear. You couldn't miss them if you were blind—and she screams, loud enough to wake the dead. Outside, the zombies scream in response.

  I hear Ren's tiny gasp, but she doesn't do anything to step in. She doesn't scream at me to stop. "Let me out," I say, keeping my finger on the plunger. "Now. Or I'll infect her and you'll be facing a breach." The guards hesitate, and Lissel is hyperventilating in my arms, fighting tooth and nail to get away from me. I clamp an arm down over her throat until she sags against me. Look at the guards. "It's your choice."

  The guards hesitate, and she screams, "Shoot the motherfucker. Now!"

  "She's already been exposed," one guards says, quietly. That's all it takes—the whispers spread like wildfire. Within a few seconds, they're reaching for the gate lift. "You have to be quick," the captain orders.

  I nod. "Nurrin. Take the wheel," I order. She's staring at me with wild, wide eyes. I tug Lissel into the truck, almost in my lap, and snarl, "Drive!"

  She does. Lissel falls into me with a yelp, and I jerk the needle free. "Sit still."

  "Fuck you," she snarls. I don't have time to pay attention because Nurrin shouts my name and we slam into the horde. The truck shudders as the razor wire slices through the undead. Blood and gore explode from the front of the truck. From all sides, bodies slam into us, the screams shaking the air.

  "Get in the back, Lissel." I snap, reaching for my crossbow. "Nurrin. Keep her steady and moving. We're dead if we stop."

  She nods, and from the corner of my eye, something slams down toward my temple. I move without thinking, my blade swinging up and cutting across Lissel’s belly. Her eyes go wide, shocked. Ren screams, a shocked noise she chokes off almost immediately. The scent of blood fills the tiny cab. For a moment, there is only silence and the rasp of the dead outside. I curse and shove the little cr
awlspace open. The dead scream, furious at the scent of blood. "What the hell are you doing?" Nurrin shouts, more furious than scared.

  "Saving our lives," I answer and grab Lissel's shoulders. Her hands are gripping me, causing me to stumble. Around me, the razor wire shakes as the zombies pummel it, and it occurs to me this is probably the stupidest thing I've done in forever.

  Then I don't think. Nurrin guns the engine and I throw the body—it's only a body—out. Blood sprays in a glittering red arc, and the zombies whip around, following the scent of it. Nurrin slams the gas down, and we shoot away as the infects feast.

  Chapter 2

  The Hole

  It's been hours. She's quiet—lost in her own thoughts—and I don't push. I don't want to see distrust in her eyes, or disgust, so I turn away.

  I never turn away from the truth, but this time I do. There's no way to accept what I did. I can't ask her to—it's hardly a fair request.

  The sun is dropping, and I glance at her. "Stop or keep going?"

  Nurrin gives me a slightly startled look, like she forgot I was even here. We're in a deserted strip of the Wide Open, nothing but scraggly trees and sand to keep us company. "Keep going. We'll hit the Hole around midnight if we keep going."

  I nod. "Want me to drive?"

  She shakes her head, staring out the windshield. Her fingers tighten, briefly, on the wheel. "Why did you have the virus?" she blurts out. "How could you threaten someone with exposure like that?"

  I don't answer for a few minutes, staring at the little vial, now neatly capped. Without letting myself hesitate, I stab it into my leg and decompress the plunger.

  Nurrin hits the breaks so fast and hard, I'm thrown around. She falls out of the truck, and even before she's clear, the gun is trained on my head. Her whole body is shaking, but that's steady—the barrel doesn't waver at all.

  I drop the needle and lift my hands, a gesture of surrender. "It's a saline solution," I say. Nurrin doesn't seem to register I spoke, so I repeat it, louder. "It's not the virus, Nurrin. It's a placebo. I just needed them to believe it was ERI-Milan."