by Julie Kagawa
“Yeah.” Zeke sighed, bowing his head. “I got it.”
“Then let us go. We’re nearly there.”
“Oh, sure,” Jackal remarked, opening the passenger door. “No, ‘Hey, thanks, Jackal, for fixing the car. We’d all be hoofing it to Eden if you weren’t here.’” He slid into the chair and slammed the door behind him. “Next time we get a flat, you’re on your own. In fact, I think some lazy little fucks who won’t be named need to learn the basics of changing a tire.”
“Shouldn’t be hard,” I replied, sliding into the back with Zeke. “We’ll just fill it using the hot air shooting out of your mouth.”
“Allison.” Kanin sighed. “Please.” And we fell silent as he started the engine, turned the vehicle around, and cruised off down the road, back toward the highway and the last stretch of our journey.
Chapter 13
We drove on as if nothing had happened since the van had died near Old Chicago, with Kanin and Jackal up front pretending to ignore each other, and me and Zeke in the back. There were subtle differences, though. Zeke was quiet, but it wasn’t the empty, hopeless silence of the nights before. I could sense him thinking, the worry plain on his face. His thoughts were probably with his family: with Caleb and Bethany, Matthew and Jake, old Silas and Theresa, the people he’d left behind. Eden was supposed to be their haven; that’s what was promised, a city free of monsters and vampires. A place where humans were safe. But now, Sarren threatened even that.
Shifting closer, I put a hand on his knee, making him blink and glance over. His face was somber, eyes shadowed with worry, but it was far better than seeing absolutely nothing when I looked at him. “They’ll be all right,” I murmured, and the hint of a smile crossed his lips.
“I hope so.”
“There you go again.” Jackal sighed from the front. “Getting the puppy’s hopes up. More likely, every bloodbag on Eden is screaming and tearing their faces off, but, oh, no, no one wants to hear that.” He waved a hand. “So, go ahead, tell him that everything is going to be fine. All the meatsacks are perfectly content on their happy little island, Sarren has given up world destruction to raise kittens, and the magic wish fairy will wave her wand and turn shit into gold.”
Zeke tensed under my fingers, and I glanced over at Kanin. “Can I stab him, please?”
“Hey, I’m just being a realist, here.” Jackal laced his hands behind his head, leaning back with a snort. “Someone in this fucked-up family has to be.”
Nobody said anything to that. Zeke settled back in the seat, eyes dark, but after a moment, he shifted close and pulled me against him, wrapping me in his arms. His gaze remained worried and preoccupied, his chin resting on my shoulder, but he never relented his grip. Like I was an anchor keeping him from plummeting into the dark. I relaxed into him and tried to keep my thoughts on Eden, Sarren and the task before us. Not the smooth skin of his throat, inches from my lips.
Maybe an hour into the drive, the dark, endless expanse of Lake Erie began appearing through the trees and crumbling buildings, keeping us company as we rode through the night. Still settled against Zeke, I watched the forest zip by through the windows, the black waters of the lake glimmering through the trees, and had the vague sense that this was all very familiar somehow.
A car flashed by in the headlights, a rotting hunk of metal on the side of the road, jarring my memory. The road before us was empty and lifeless, but I remembered: a night in the rain, a deserted stretch of pavement, a thousand rabids clawing themselves out of the dirt to come at us.
“Kanin,” I murmured, gently freeing myself from Zeke’s arms, “I think we’re close.”
More cars appeared, lying in ditches or abandoned on the side of the road, their doors gaping open. Zeke stirred beside me, peering out the front window, scanning the tops of the trees.
“The spotlight is gone,” he said darkly. “They always keep it lit, to guide people to the checkpoint, let them know they’re close.” His eyes narrowed, and my uneasiness grew. “We have to hurry.”
Kanin didn’t answer, but his grip on the wheel tightened, and the vehicle picked up speed. The cars and trees thinned, vanishing altogether, until there was nothing but open pavement. A long, lonely strip of blacktop, leading to a pair of huge iron gates at the end of the road.
Kanin brought the car to a rolling halt, switching off the headlights. I clenched my fist against Jackal’s seat, excitement warring with apprehension. There it was. Finally. Eden, or the last barrier before getting to Eden. Beyond those gates was a military compound where the ones who made it this far got a final checkup before being allowed into the fabled city. I remembered driving through those gates with Zeke and the others, the dazed relief from the humans because we were finally safe. We’d finally made it.
And I remembered walking out again, through those same gates, leaving it all behind. Because I was a vampire, and Eden, as I’d always known, was not for someone like me.
But the gates wouldn’t be the only barrier keeping us from Eden tonight. A huge pale swarm milled around the wall, shrieking and clawing. Dozens of rabids, maybe hundreds, surrounding the gates that led into the checkpoint.
“Oh, no.” Zeke stiffened beside me. “Something is definitely wrong. The rabids usually stay away from the gates— the soldiers use them for target practice if they get too close.”
“Well, something’s sure got them all riled up,” Jackal said, his boots still propped on the dash, one arm dangling out the open window. “And they’re not going to let us walk up and knock on the door, that’s for damn sure. Any thoughts on how to get in? I guess finding a meatsack and using it for bait is out….” He sighed as both Zeke and I glared at him. “Hey, I’m just throwing out suggestions. And don’t scowl at me, puppy. You certainly didn’t have any qualms dicing a few minions to get us where you wanted in Old Chicago.”
Zeke’s lip curled, showing fangs, and I put a hand on his arm. Now was not a good time for a fight to break out; the rabids would notice and be on top of us in a heartbeat. “Kanin?” I asked instead, watching my sire. “Any ideas?”
Kanin stayed silent, observing the swarm claw and leap at the barrier. Without answering, he reached up and flipped on the headlights, then almost instantly switched them off again. He did this several more times, flashing the lights in a strange pattern I didn’t recognize. Three short flashes, followed by three longer ones, then three short ones again. Several of the rabids noticed and broke away from the wall, edging toward the vehicle.
Jackal cocked his head, watching the approaching monsters. “Well, if you were trying to get their attention, old man, congratulations. Here they come. Not sure they get the whole Morse code thing, but who knows?”
Beyond the swarm, at the top of the wall, a light suddenly clicked on, the quick gleam of a flashlight. It flashed three times, and Zeke straightened quickly.
“Someone is up there,” he said, his voice threaded with relief.
Kanin nodded. “Let us hope it is a human and not Sarren,” he murmured, and glanced over at Jackal, still slouched back in his seat. “I’d roll up the window, were I you,” he added.
Jackal frowned. “Roll up the window? Why…oh.” Jackal quickly swung his boots off the dashboard. “Shit. Guess we’re gonna go knock on the door after all.”
His words were almost lost as Kanin slammed his palm into the center of the steering wheel, sending a piercing wail into the air. The rest of the swarm jerked up, spinning around at the noise, and hundreds of blank, dead eyes fastened on us.
“Well, here we go.” Jackal sighed as the entire mob gave earsplitting cries and sprinted toward us over the pavement. Kanin put the car in Reverse and sped backward down the road, inciting the horde into a frenzy. When he was a few hundred yards from the gate, and about fifty yards from the rabids swiftly closing in, he slammed on the brakes and wrenched the car into drive again.
“Allison, Ezekiel?”
“Yeah?”
“Hang on to something.”
The car leaped forward with a squeal, gaining speed, as we hurtled straight for the approaching swarm. Kanin didn’t slow down but flipped on the headlights just as we crashed full speed into the first wave, knocking them aside with wet thumps. Rabids flung themselves at the vehicle, smashed into the windshield, and were hurled away. They leaped onto the hood, clinging desperately as they screamed and clawed at the glass, soulless white eyes peering madly through the barrier. One rabid’s skull hit the windshield as it leaped at us, and a spiderweb of cracks instantly spread across the glass.
The wall loomed in front of us, the space in front of it clear, though the massive iron gates were still closed. With a few rabids still clinging to the van, we sped unerringly toward the metal barrier, Kanin not slowing down. Zeke muttered something inaudible and grabbed the back of Jackal’s seat in a death grip. I followed his example with Kanin’s.
“Hang on,” Kanin muttered, and spun the wheel sharply to the left. The car gave an earsplitting squeal as it spun sideways, left the road, and smashed into the wall, crushing a few rabids between layers of metal. The impact threw me sideways, too, nearly wrenching my arms from their sockets as I clung desperately to the seat. There was a moment of chaos, of grinding metal, screaming rabids, and breaking glass, and the vehicle rocked to an abrupt halt.
“Let’s go.” Kanin jumped out and pulled open the side door, letting Zeke and I scramble free. The car lay in a crumpled, smoking ruin, the broken bodies of rabids lying beneath it or smashed into the wall. In front of us, farther down the road, the horde was coming back, screaming and bounding over the pavement.
“Get to the gates!” Kanin barked, and we ran for the entrance, which was still firmly closed. We crowded in front of the steel doors, drawing our weapons, as the frantic shrieks and wails drew closer. Zeke called up to the watchtower, banging his machete hilt against the metal, but there was no answer.
“This asshole had better open the door,” Jackal growled, spinning his fire ax in a graceful arc as the horde came on. “I didn’t come all the way to Eden to be eaten at the damn gates. Some might call it ironic, but that just pisses me off.”
The first rabid lunged at me, howling, fangs and claws going for my face. I brought my katana up and sliced through the spindly middle, cutting it in half in a spray of dark blood. Another bounded in, and Zeke’s machete sliced down, hammering into it and tearing the head from its neck.
With a deafening groan, the gate shuddered and finally cracked open, just wide enough for a single person to pass through. I turned just as a soldier poked his head out and beckoned frantically to us all.
“Get inside! Hurry!”
“Go!” Kanin snapped, and we didn’t need encouragement. Zeke ducked through first, with Jackal right behind him. As the horde descended upon us, screaming and wailing, I cut down one last monster and backed swiftly away with Kanin until we reached the door. We slipped through the opening, and Kanin joined Zeke and the soldier in pushing the heavy gate shut. A rabid hit the gate and started to squeeze through, hissing, but my katana flashed, and it fell as its head bounced to the road. For a moment, peering through the crack, I was staring at a sea of rabids rushing toward me. Then the gate shut with a hollow, clanging boom, a heavy bar dropping into place as wailing, scratches and frantic thumps sounded on the other side.
I slumped in relief, then turned…to face a squadron of suspicious, hard-eyed soldiers, their assault rifles already trained on us all.
Okay, this wasn’t starting off well.
The monster in me growled, urging me to attack, to take out the threat before it was too late and they shot us full of holes. I pushed down the bloodlust and lowered my sword, trying to appear nonthreatening. I hoped these weren’t the same soldiers I’d encountered the first time I’d come through the checkpoint—the ones who would recognize me as a vampire. They had to believe we were just a group of normal humans looking for Eden. But something was definitely wrong. The checkpoint was on high alert, and the soldiers seemed twitchy; it hadn’t been this way the first time we came through.
Sarren’s doing? I wondered. Or something else?
Jackal snorted.
“Nice reception,” he drawled, gazing at the squad of armed humans with a mix of amusement and disgust. “I feel so welcome here. Do all visitors get the red carpet treatment, or are we just special?” He shot a glance at Zeke, his smile dangerous. “Hey, puppy, I think your welcoming committee needs a few things explained.”
Zeke quickly stepped forward, facing the squad. “It’s all right,” he said, as the soldiers turned, their eyes wary and hard. I watched him, hoping he was calm, that he had his monster under control, as well. Thankfully, he seemed composed as he continued, speaking to the soldier out front, the one who looked like he was in charge. “My name is Zeke Crosse. I’m a resident of Eden.” Some of the men straightened, definitely recognizing the name, as Zeke continued. “Dr. Richardson knows who I am. If you tell him I’ve come back, he’ll sort everything out.”
The soldiers murmured and relaxed a bit, and the lead soldier lowered his gun. “Zeke Crosse,” he repeated, his brow furrowed in thought. “You’re that kid who was working with the scientists. The one they let off the island a few months back.” Zeke nodded, and his gaze flicked to the rest of us. “What about them?”
“They’re friends,” Zeke replied without hesitation. And Jackal, much to his credit, managed not to roll his eyes or snort. “They’re here to help.”
The man relaxed, and the rest of the soldiers lowered their weapons. “All right,” he said, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. “I’ve heard your name before, Mr. Crosse, though you picked a hell of a time to come back. Sorry for the welcome, but we can’t be too careful anymore.”
“What’s going on?” Zeke asked.
“Come with us.” The soldier jerked his head back down the road. “We’ll explain as we go.”
“Wait.” Another soldier pushed to the front. The commander frowned at him, but the human’s dark eyes were narrowed on me. “The girl,” he growled, his voice hard, and my heart sank. “I know you,” he stated. “I recognize you. You were with that group when they first came here, about five months ago. You’re the one Keller let walk away.” His jaw tightened, and he raised his gun as the other soldiers tensed. “She’s a fucking vampire!”
All guns were leveled in my direction, and I bit down a snarl. Raising my hands, I forced my voice to be calm, steady. Oh, we did not need this now. Not with Sarren out there, possibly close. Something was definitely up, and I’d bet the deranged vampire was right in the middle of it. The humans might not even know the danger they were in. We had to find him, but getting shot full of lead or inciting a panic was not going to help any of us.
The soldiers glared at me, fear and anger plain on their faces, their fingers tensing around their weapons. The monster within growled, eager for bloodshed. “I didn’t hurt anyone last time I was here, and I’m not going to now,” I told the men, meeting their hostile, accusing stares. “We don’t have to do this.”
Zeke stepped forward and swept me behind him in one smooth motion, facing the soldiers and their guns. “She’s with me,” he said, keeping himself between me and the dozen assault rifles pointed at my chest. “I brought her here. At Dr. Richardson’s request. She’s not a threat to Eden or the people here, I swear it on my life.” I caught the tremble in his voice, the bridled rage, and swallowed hard. The monster had emerged with the threat of violence, and he was barely holding himself back. I shot a quick glance at Jackal and Kanin. My sire watched calmly, patient and calculating, waiting to see what would happen, if he needed to intervene. Jackal stood a few feet away, observing the humans with his arms crossed and a rather dangerous smirk on his face, making me groan inwardly. If this got out of hand, these men were as good as dead.
The soldiers stared at Zeke, stunned and outraged. “Fetch Dr. Richardson,” Zeke went on. “Tell him I’m here, and that I have what they sent me for. He’ll know
what I’m talking about.”
The lead soldier finally lowered his gun, though his expression wasn’t friendly. “Well, that might be difficult,” he stated in a flat voice. “Richardson is dead.”
Zeke straightened. “He’s dead?” he whispered. “When? How?”
“Eden has been compromised,” the man said grimly, as the soldiers continued to hold their weapons on me. “The island is lost. We cannot give you any more details, but your vampire is going to have to come with us.”
Chapter 14
I could sense the snarl rising in Zeke’s throat as several of the men stepped forward, their guns trained on me. I heard the beginnings of a growl rumble through him, and quickly grabbed his arm. If he attacked, if he gave himself away as a vampire, the soldiers would turn on him, on all of us. They might start firing, and then everything would end in disaster. We couldn’t afford that. Not now. Not with Sarren out there, probably within Eden itself.
“Zeke, wait!” He turned, his gaze angry and intense, the hint of fangs peeking through his lips. Dammit, I had to calm him down as well, before he lost it and savaged the humans. “I’ll go with them,” I whispered, then glanced at the soldiers. “I’ll go with you!” I called, louder this time, and they relaxed, though not by much.
Turning back to Zeke, who still looked defiant, I leaned close and lowered my voice. “This is the best way,” I told him. “Stay with Kanin and Jackal. Try to figure out what’s going on.”
“I’m not letting them take you.”
“I’ll be fine.” I squeezed his arm, desperate to convince him. “What are they going to do, burn me at the stake?” God, I hope not. “But you have to look for Sarren, Zeke. If they think I’m the only vampire here, they won’t be watching the three of you. We have to find out what’s happened to Eden, and where Sarren could be. That’s more important now.”
Zeke closed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, giving me an anguished look. “I didn’t want it to be this way. I thought Dr. Richardson would be here to explain everything.”