“Don’t die on me, Zoe,” Aric yelled out. “If you do, I’m going to be really pissed off.”
“I won’t die,” I promised, focusing all of my attention on the interlopers. “I’m just going to do a little … summer cleanup.”
And that’s exactly what I did … with a whole lot of fire and one terrific light show.
Three
I didn’t hesitate when I unleashed my power. I sent out as many small balls of fire as possible without risking the forest that surrounded us. The encroaching zombies – I could think of no other word to describe them – made no sound as they burned. A few kept moving after going up in flames, which forced me to increase the heat I emitted, but I refused to let any of them get past me.
My hands blurred as I sent out wave after wave of fire, my mind fuzzing at the edges as I focused on my one task. Even as bodies fell and burned away to ash, I kept looking for more figures. There didn’t seem to be an end … until, abruptly, nothing else moved.
I lost track of time as I stalked the yard, practically daring another creature to encroach on my territory. I was so lost in my dreamy haze that I didn’t notice Aric until he was on top of me. I opened my hand, ready to kill an attacker. His face was grim as he grabbed my shoulders and shook me.
“Zoe!”
“Aric.” I exhaled heavily as I lowered my head, my breath coming out in broken gasps that made me realized I’d been holding my breath for a really long time.
Instead of being frightened that I might hurt him, Aric looked concerned as he slipped his arm around my waist and hoisted me up. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, struggling against his grip. He was strong and I couldn’t force him to release me. “I have to keep looking.”
“Baby, you’ve been looking for twenty minutes,” Aric said. “Nothing has moved in that time. I’ve been watching from the balcony.”
That couldn’t be right. “Twenty minutes?”
Aric nodded. “You’re exhausted … and you’re spent. I have no idea how much energy you just expended, but … it’s time to go inside.”
“What if they come back?”
“They won’t,” Aric soothed, pressing his lips to my forehead and cringing. “You’re burning up.”
“I’m fine,” I argued. “I’m not done yet.”
“You’re done, Zoe,” Aric challenged, his voice firm. “Now, come on. It’s time to go to bed.”
“What about the girls?”
“I convinced them we were lighting fireworks.”
“Did they believe that?”
“Probably not, but the truth is worse, so they’ve all settled down and are going back to sleep,” Aric said. “I’ll stay up and watch them. I’ll keep an eye on the yard. You need to sleep, though. What you just did … .”
“We have to get rid of the bodies on the lawn,” I argued, mustering one final surge of energy to buck against his grip. “Sami can’t see them.”
“There aren’t any bodies, Zoe,” Aric said, his tone calm and even. “They’ve all completely burned. It looks like someone got fireworks crazy in the yard. We can explain that.”
“But … bones.”
“I’ll look, Zoe,” Aric said, climbing the steps of the balcony. “I’ve already called my father to send a cleanup crew. I have everything under control. You need to sleep.”
“I’m fine.” I said the words, but I didn’t believe them. I was already drifting off, outright exhaustion overwhelming me.
“You’ll be fine after you rest,” Aric whispered. “I’ll be right here. I’ll take care of everything.”
“You always do.”
“I think you have us confused,” Aric said. “You always do. I try to help to the best of my ability. Sleep. You need it.”
“Okay.” And just like that, the light inside my brain went out. I was happy to plunge into the darkness.
“HOW long is she going to sleep?”
“Until she wakes up.”
“How long will that be?”
“I have no idea, but if you go in that bedroom and wake your mother I’ll put on one of her dresses and dance in front of your school to embarrass the crap out of you,” Aric snapped. “Leave her alone!”
“Whatever.”
I poked my head into the kitchen the next morning, smirking when I saw Sami sitting on one of the kitchen stools, her arms crossed over her chest and her lower lip jutting out. She was still in her pajamas, but the rest of the house was empty of girls and sleeping bags.
“Good morning.”
Aric jerked his head in my direction and hurried around the island counter. He had a spatula in his hand and a worried look on his face. “Hey. How are you feeling?” He didn’t wait for an answer, instead pulling me in for a hug and pressing his lips to my forehead. “You feel cooler.”
“And here I fancied myself hot where you’re concerned.”
Aric barked out a weary laugh. “You’re definitely still hot. You were burning up last night, though. I put you in a cold bath to cool you off, and you didn’t wake up.”
“Is that why my hair looks like this?” I asked, glancing in the mirror on the wall and making a disgusted face when I saw the blond locks sticking out in eighty different directions. “I kind of wondered how that happened.”
Aric shrugged. “I would rather deal with a terrible case of bedhead than a dead wife,” he said. “Sue me.”
“Your hair looks like a nightmare,” Sami said. “I told him he was overreacting, and that you would heal yourself.”
Aric scowled as he swiveled to focus on our daughter. They looked exactly alike, from the chocolate eyes to the dark hair. They even had the same jaw. “She was unconscious,” he spat. “She couldn’t heal herself. Do we have to go over this again?”
Apparently I missed some sort of fight between them. The hateful glares they shot in each other’s direction were dire. “Okay, let’s not do this right now,” I suggested, putting my hand against Aric’s chest and directing him back toward the stove. “Are you cooking me breakfast? Let’s focus on that.”
“I made eggs, corned beef hash and toast,” Aric replied. “Sami, pour your mother a glass of juice.”
“Ugh!” Sami made a disgusted sound and hopped off her stool. “I have to do everything.”
“Yes, your life is terrible,” Aric said. “You’re clearly overworked and underappreciated. Whatever will you do with your sad lot in life?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing as Sami blew a loud raspberry and opened the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of tomato juice – I was the only one in the house who drank it – and poured it into a glass before shoving it in front of me. I took the juice with a small smile and then let my gaze bounce between my husband and daughter as they stared silver bullets at one another.
“Does someone want to tell me what’s going on?” I asked after downing half the glass. “Why are Sami’s friends gone so early?”
Aric stilled. “Zoe, what time do you think it is?”
I shrugged. “Nine?”
“It’s noon, baby,” he said, shaking his head. “You’ve been asleep for more than twelve hours.”
“W-what?”
“I told him to wake you up hours ago, but he told me to sit down and shut up,” Sami said. “He’s mean.”
“Yes, it’s been a lovely morning,” Aric said. “I made sure that everyone got into the right car with the right parent – and profusely apologized for the fireworks show that frightened everyone. Sami and I have been spending quality time with each other while you slept.”
That didn’t sound good. “The fireworks, huh?” I slid a sidelong look in Sami’s direction. “I’m sorry about that. We … made a mistake. We should’ve waited until your friends were gone to dig those out.”
Sami made a hilarious face that I recognized from my own repertoire. She may look like Aric, but she boasts a ton of my mannerisms. I’m not sure that’s a good thing. “Fireworks? Do you think I�
��m stupid? I know that wasn’t fireworks. I saw the people … burning.”
I swallowed hard as I ran my tongue over my teeth. “I … um … .”
“Her friends believe it was fireworks,” Aric volunteered. “That’s the most important thing.”
“Yes, but only because I told them that Grandpa was designing new fireworks that don’t make noise and he hopes to be able to sell them in a year or so,” Sami said. “Fireworks make noise. Burning people is apparently a quiet sport.”
“Sami.” Aric’s voice was low and full of warning.
Sami ignored him. “What were you thinking? How could you burn people alive in our yard when I had friends over? Are you trying to kill me? That would have to be your goal to do what you did.”
I tilted my head to the side and focused on my juice, silently reminding myself that she was at the worst age ever and couldn’t help but make things all about her. “I didn’t burn people. Er, well, I might have burned people. What did the cleanup crew say?”
Aric rubbed the back of his neck as he regarded me. “There wasn’t enough left for them to ascertain if the … things … were alive or dead.”
“You can call them zombies.”
“I’m not calling them that,” Aric said. “I don’t believe in zombies. They’re not real.”
Sami’s eyes widened to comical proportions as she glanced between us. “Zombies? I … what do you mean?”
“Whatever was out there wasn’t a normal human,” I supplied. “They didn’t make noise, and they didn’t feel pain when I killed them.”
“Burned them. You burned them.”
“So what?” Aric challenged. “Why does it matter how she did it? Your mother saved you and everyone in this house. I don’t want to hear another whiny word about it!” He slammed his fist on the counter, causing Sami to jolt and the dog to whimper.
I rested my hand on Sami’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” I said. “It’s over. Your friends believe we were lighting fireworks. We’re all alive and in one piece. That’s the most important thing.”
Sami takes her attitude cues from me. That means even though she knows it’s not smart to push her father when he’s feeling frazzled, she often does it anyway. “Except for the dead people in the yard.”
Aric slammed his fist on the counter a second time and extended a finger. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
“She’s trying to understand what happened,” I answered for Sami. “She wasn’t there. She didn’t see what was happening. She’s frightened and she doesn’t know how to express herself in a more adult manner. Give her a break.”
Aric’s expression softened at my words. “I’m sorry, Sami,” he said. “I don’t mean to yell. I just … .”
“You’re psycho,” Sami grumbled, rubbing her cheek and offering me a petulant look. “You know you married a psycho, right?”
Now it was my turn to get angry. “Your father isn’t a psycho,” I countered. “He’s … upset because he had to leave me on the lawn and go to you. When we heard you screaming, well, we panicked.”
“We were playing with the Ouija board,” Sami explained. “We didn’t even know what was happening outside. It wasn’t until you started the light show that we knew.”
“What Ouija board?” I asked, confused. “We don’t allow Ouija boards in the house.”
“Emerson brought it,” Sami sniffed. “I didn’t ask her to do it. She just did. I didn’t think it would hurt anything.”
I rolled my neck and stared at the ceiling as I considered the admission. “How long before the light show started did you get out the game?”
Sami shrugged. “Twenty minutes or so.”
“What are you thinking?” Aric asked, doling out my breakfast onto a plate before handing it to me. “Eat all of that. In fact, if you want seconds, I’ll reward you with a massage later.”
“Gross,” Sami muttered under her breath.
Aric ignored her. “I need you to eat as much as you can,” he said. “You’re worn out from all of the energy you expended last night. You need to regroup.”
“In case they come back tonight,” I said. I’d been considering the same thing myself. “Maybe we should activate the fence.”
“The fence is already activated,” Aric said. “I did it while you were sleeping last night. I had to make sure everyone in the house was safe. I know you’re not happy when it’s up, but … .”
“You did the right thing,” I said, grabbing his wrist and giving it a squeeze. “You did what you had to do to keep Sami safe. I’m not angry.”
“Well, I am,” Sami said. “Does anyone care that I’m angry?”
“Not in the least,” Aric replied, shooting Sami a challenging look as he moved around the counter and settled on the stool beside me. “Have some toast.”
I scorched him with a dark look when he shoved the piece of bread toward my mouth. “Do you want to fight with me before the day is out? No? Then don’t try to feed me.”
Aric blew out a frustrated sigh. “Please eat, Zoe. I’ll be upset all day if you don’t eat.”
“Oh, good.” I wrinkled my nose. “I love being emotionally blackmailed.”
“And I love you, and was terrified last night,” Aric shot back, refusing to back down. “Eat your breakfast.”
“Yes, sir.”
I mashed my eggs and corned beef hash together, my stomach growling as the heavenly aroma hit my olfactory senses. I was starving and I didn’t realize it until the food was in front of me. I forked a huge mouthful of the mixture into my mouth and made a big show of chewing for Aric’s benefit.
“Thank you,” Aric whispered, kissing my cheek before turning to Sami. “As for you, I’m not saying that the Ouija board had anything to do with this, but I don’t want them in our house. We’ve had bad luck with them before. Do you understand?”
“I understand that I live here, too,” Sami said. “Don’t I have a say in it? This is my house just as much as it is your house.”
“Wrong,” Aric intoned. “This is our house. It belongs to your mother and me. We let you live here because we’re generally decent people. This is not your house. You’re a long-term visitor.”
“Nice,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Don’t be mean to her. She can’t help herself.”
“You drive me crazy,” Aric complained. “You always stand up for her when she’s at her rottenest. Why is that?”
“Because I remember being that age and acting the same way,” I replied. “She doesn’t mean it. She can’t help it. She got it from me. You can’t punish her for genetics.”
“Watch me,” Aric said, sighing. “What are you doing today, Sami? Whatever it is, you need to stay in the yard. Do you understand?”
“I have a book to read,” Sami said. “It’s for summer camp. I go back tomorrow. Remember?”
Aric stilled. He’d clearly forgotten. “Sami, you can’t go back to camp tomorrow.”
That was exactly the wrong thing to say. “Why?” Sami was incensed. “All of my friends are there.”
“Yes, but … well … after last night … .”
“Mom burned all of those zombies,” Sami said. “There are none left to get me.”
“We don’t know that,” Aric said. “We don’t know why they were sent here. You can’t go back to camp. I’m sorry. Oh, and they weren’t zombies. Zombies aren’t real. I don’t know what they were, but they weren’t zombies.”
“I’m going back to camp.” Sami’s hands landed on her narrow hips. “I’m putting my foot down.”
Yeah, she definitely gets that maneuver from me. “You can’t go back to camp tomorrow, Sami,” I said, steeling myself for a potential meltdown. “Your father is right. Maybe it will be an option the day after, but for now you have to stick close to us.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Because we’re in charge and you have to do what we say by law,” Aric replied. “If you don’t, you’ll go to jail.”
“That’s
a lie,” Sami said. “I asked Grandpa about that when you said it once before and he said it was a lie.”
“Well, your grandfather doesn’t know everything,” Aric said. “I’m in charge here. That’s a fact. You’re not going to camp tomorrow.”
Sami made a whining sound and kicked the stool as she glared at her father. “You’re a terrible father!”
Aric didn’t appear particularly perturbed. “Well, I’m not thrilled with what kind of daughter you are right now, so I guess we’re even, huh?”
“You suck!” Sami turned on her heel and raced toward her bedroom, Trouble following close behind.
I grabbed Aric’s arm to stop him from following. He looked just angry enough to say something to make the entire situation worse – if that was even possible. “Let her be,” I instructed. “She’s doing the best that she can.”
“I’m sick of you making excuses for her,” Aric said, frowning when he heard Sami’s door slam shut. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
“So am I.”
“Not like that,” Aric argued. “You’re a pain in a different way. I don’t care what you say, you’ve never acted like that.”
“You didn’t know me when I was her age,” I said. “I was exactly the same.”
“Well, the fact that your father didn’t kill you gives me hope,” Aric said, resting his forehead against my temple. “Eat your breakfast, Zoe. I’m not kidding about having a meltdown if you don’t stuff your face.”
“I’m on it.” I shoveled another forkful of food into my mouth.
“Once you’re done, I want to take you outside,” Aric said. “There’s something I want you to see.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“Just eat your breakfast, baby,” Aric said. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Yeah, that definitely sounded ominous.
Four
I stood in the middle of the yard staring at the scorched patches of lawn for a long time. Aric wasn’t keen on letting me out of the house, but he already had one war raging with Sami. He didn’t want to add another with me due to his hovering.
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 29