by Jasmine Walt
“I’m serious, honey. She’s the last of the three. She gets orders that lead to her sisters’ murderers. And she has to follow.” His voice is softer. “I’m sorry, Kiwi.”
Miles and miles of silence stretch out as I ponder what Tripp has just told me. I wait for the truth to thaw me. To stir some understanding.
It doesn’t happen.
Finally, Kiwi coughs. “Fuck you both.”
After that, no one speaks. My eyelids start to droop, and I’m out cold.
Something twists in my gut and my eyes shoot open. My ears perk, straining to catch what stirred me awake. It wasn’t a nightmare. Light snoring and measured breathing flow through my ears.
Nothing else. Nothing that should be tightening my gut.
I sit up, slowly, trying to breathe evenly. Then, I open my eyes and glance around the theater.
Still nothing.
Just flickering shadows and bodies shifting on cots. I give myself a few moments, then lower myself back down.
Shake it off.
I gulp in a few breaths, then start to lower my eyelids when it comes again.
The twist of panic in the gut. Then, a low hum, like an army of slowly approaching crickets, perks my ears.
Fuck is that?
I sit up slowly again. The hum grows louder. I swing my legs over the side of my cot and ease onto my feet. The hum grows even louder. I creep across the stage. To my right, a body stirs.
Juliet.
There is gasp. The room seems to stir, then the theater doors fly open. Black, darker than an anthrax wound, rushes the room. Before I can react, I’m pushed back. I crash onto the hard floor. Three more crashes. My head explodes. Dark, unnatural pain. I twitch. My breath hitches.
I’m sealed to the floor, surrounded by wave after wave of screamed agony.
They float above me, draped in sheer sapphire and blue fabric. Their long limbs extend like tree branches. An army of dark predators. Their eyes beam red. Three slick spikes stick up on each of their heads.
Wraiths.
Shit burger.
I try to fight. Try to block their gaping mouths. Their long, black, searching tongues dart into my mouth, inside each ear, trying to eat me from the inside out.
I try to fight.
My own gurgle meets my ears, and saliva foams out of my mouth. They steal my air. My body freezes. They keep going until I feel stretched to the point of ripping in half.
Seeping tongues crawl up my nose and nip the corners of my eyes.
There is too much air.
Then, not enough.
A scream rips through the crippling hum. I think it’s me. And I think I’m dying.
14
Pike!”
The sound scratches the edge of a maddening wall of noise. A thousand yellow jackets buzzing the harmonic styling of hell. I try to close my eyes but it’s an effort. Feels almost like my eyelids have been drizzled in super glue.
“Pike!”
When my eyelids finally shut, I turn my head toward the call of my name. Sweat pools on my forehead, then a burning rips into my chest. With a grunt, I jerk upward, toward the pain. A sea of black wraiths pin me back down on the stage.
I feel like I’m being turned to ash. Juliet is calling my name from somewhere in the distance. I know this because of the connection I have with her. That’s all I can tell. I don’t know if she’s trying to reach me. If she’s made her escape. Or if the wraiths are making a meal of her screams.
My body convulses. My head smashes against the floor. I lose an inch of consciousness with each blow. Then, my entire frame quakes, and I start to scream.
Another forked tongue slithers down my throat. It cuts of the scream so completely it’s like I never made a peep. My lungs and stomach swell like a drowned victim. Blackness starts to wash me away at the same time one of the things I cannot see starts to suck something out of me.
As I struggle to breathe, I hear the voice… Juliet, screaming my name again. I can’t answer. I’m being smothered in a burning hive. My body heaves with the effort of trying to draw air, or anything else, into my body.
All I feel are burning stabs. I’m about to get snuffed the hell out. My thoughts turn to Sadie, then a brilliant red light tears the dark veil from my vision.
The wraiths scatter, a blur of grey and black. A sound like bat wings flapping echoes in the theater as they whirl toward the ceiling.
Then I start to fall. I don’t remember them pulling me off the floor, but the proof is in the few feet I stumble through the air and in the crash as the floor comes up to meet me.
“Ugh.” I pant and roll over, then crawl to my hands and knees.
More flashes of red cut into my vision, forcing me to shut my eyes as I try to scramble to my feet. My legs feel like used rubbers as they wobble, trying to support my weight.
A chest-rumbling roar fills the air. The ground shakes, and I almost lose my footing. I grab the nearest cot to steady myself. I recognize that growl. My ears fill with the wet snap of Tripp’s bones breaking and reforming.
There is another growl, followed by the piercing shriek of a hundred wraiths screaming in harmony. The floor shivers, and a rush of black momentarily cloaks my eyes. Struggling to breathe, I squint through the commotion in time to see twenty or so wraiths hiss at the monster Tripp has turned into, then rush off through a rip in the ceiling. Tripp bolts forward, leaving a Tripp the Orc sized hole in the side of the theater.
Another blur of red snatches my attention left.
“Pike!” Juliet yells as her and Kiwi rush toward me.
I scramble to get to my feet. A single wraith slams me to my knees. Another stream of light tunnels from Kiwi’s eyes. I duck. Heat rushes over my head, and another crazed wail shreds my eardrums.
“Come on.” Juliet is panting as she rushes past me.
I jump to my feet and turn in time to run back to the row of cots beside Kiwi, who is going backwards to keep the wraiths off us with her Superman heat vision thing.
I fall to my hands and knees, and pat under the cot I was sleeping in. I grab my pack and hoist it onto my back, then grasp the cool metal of my trident. When I glance up, a wall of wraiths meets my vision. With a smile, I flick my wrist, and the shaft extends and three metal prongs glint in the pale lantern light.
“Come at me,” I whisper.
A single set of fist sized jet eyes set on me. No, not eyes. Some other shit. Whatever soul suckers use to see with. Almost as soon as those eyelike things look at me, the wraith wall moves and swirl around us.
Juliet, Kiwi, and I are boxed inside a cyclone of these spike-headed bitches. With my pinky, I push the blue button on my trident. Electricity crackles, jumping the prongs to life. The three of us form a back-to-back formation. As soon as I’m in place, I spin and thrust my weapon into every wraith its reach can near.
For each one I spear into black smoke, another ten swirl around us. The air grows thick, and I can feel my skin tighten like I’m walking through hard wind. With a clenched jaw, I force one foot in front of the other, fighting through them. I only gain inches at a time. Then, I stop. My mouth is forced open, and again I feel the pained pressure of something being ripped from my body.
But it isn’t me. It can’t be. I know they are close, but not close enough to eat me. Not yet. I try to force my mouth closed with no luck. Panic starts to creep into my veins, then there is a loud thud behind me.
Then I realize it’s not me. It’s Juliet. I made her my bitch and now that little piece of siren magic I put on her is going to get both our asses killed.
I plant my feet and try to will my arms to work. A long red finger of light slashes through a few dozen wraiths. They shriek louder than banshees and turn into inkblots of smoke.
“Juliet’s down,” Kiwi hisses at my back.
I try to nod, to acknowledge that I’m aware of how much we’re fucked, but I’m rooted to the floor. There is a low buzz followed by another gut clenching scream, and I take in a gasp o
f air. Just like that, I can move. I whirl around to find Kiwi helping Juliet to her feet under a canopy of wraith dust.
“Get her out of here” Kiwi hisses. “I’ll keep these mother truckers off your back.”
I frown. Somehow, the idea of swooping this bitch up and whisking her off to safety doesn’t seem appealing. I tongue the part in my gums where my molars used to be, then shake my head.
“No, you take her. Find the others and get to the car. I got these things.” Five or so wraiths pass over my head, and I duck. Then, I nod Kiwi toward the door. “Go on, now. Get the hell out of here.”
She looks at me through narrow eyes for a few moments, then places her arm under Juliet’s shoulder and staggers toward the door with her. I follow, blasting sirens on my left and right with electronic pulses from my trident. After a few moments, I’m alone. I reach out and feel for the girls. I need to makes sure they’re out of my range.
I don’t want to blow their heads off.
Not yet, at least.
Once I know they’re safe, I peer up at the cyclone of wraiths dive-bombing me. Half my mouth curls into a smirk. I suck in a huge breath, throw my head back, and wail.
My lips vibrate in time with the walls and windows of the theater. Every inch of me shakes with power. With otherness. The sound of me is too much for them. They pop-pop-pop right out of my reality and back to the Underworld.
I stumble through the front doors of the theater and down the stairs. Silver moonlight spills onto the cracked brick and combs through whispering tree branches. Shadows dance on the ground. I pass over them and duck around the side of the building toward the parked vehicles.
As soon as I round the corner, my feet sink into the earth. I glance down and make out a small crater in the shape of Tripp’s footprints.
I hope he made it out okay. Not that I’m too worried. Smart money is always on the monster in any fight. My feet crunch the dead leaves on the ground until I make it the other side of the building, where my feet hit cement again.
Within seconds, a glaring yellow light floods my eyes. I lift my hand to fight off the brightness. A horn blares. I squint through the light. A small armored car speeds toward me. I side step out of the cone of light and the car rushes forward, slowing to a crawl for long enough for me to see that the side door is open. Without thinking, I jump inside and slam the door shut.
Panting, I glance around. Juliet is in the seat across from me, passed out. Kiwi is driving, glued to the steering wheel and tense with concentration. Beside her, Doctor Lee is crouched down in his seat, hyperventilating.
I take a moment to regulate my breathing then ask, “Tripp?”
Kiwi’s eyes meet mine in the rear view mirror. “Heading east… At least I hope so, I’m following his tracks.”
As I slide back into my seat, I peer out of the window.
“He shouldn’t be too hard to find,” I say, noting the collapsed trees and ruined landscape.
“Is she going to be okay?” Kiwi’s question draws my gaze to Juliet. I note the steady rise and fall of her chest. With a shrug, I switch my gaze back to Kiwi. “I guess. We have bigger problems than her.”
Kiwi sucks on her teeth. “You guess?” She snorts. “Oh, shit…”
The car comes to a stop, propelling me into the back of Lee’s seat. He lets out a gasp and twists slightly in his chair as I flop back.
“Damn, woman.” I say. “What the hell?”
Without answering, Kiwi shoves her door open and jumps out into the still night. I rub the back of my neck and gesture with my head at Juliet. “Doc, do me a solid and keep that bitch alive.”
Before he can say anything, I duck out after Kiwi, glance back at the two vehicles that trail us, then trudge around the front of the car. Kiwi is kneeled over a naked Tripp. I pause a few inches behind her as she gasps and strains in her attempt to get him off the ground by either arm.
I’m too worn out to laugh. Instead, I tap her on the shoulder.
“What?” She almost growls it without bothering to turn around.
“Get back in the damn car, girl.”
“Screw you.”
I scoff. “Look, do you want to do this for the next few minutes then ask for my help, or do you want to save some time and just get back into the damn car?”
She drops his arms with a clunk, then turns to me with a huff. She doesn’t scowl like she usually does. It makes me wonder briefly is she’s trying to be a little less psycho with me to make up for screwing a kid over. Just as quick, I decide it doesn’t matter, and she strolls back to the car, leaving Tripp and me in the harsh glow of headlights.
Glancing down, I groan at the sight of him. He’s naked and in human form. Of course. Because why would things get any better from here? I glance up and pinch the bridge of my nose. With a sigh, I bend over with my eyes half closed. I grip one of his arms, then wrap my other hand around his waist. As I stand up, I pull him with me, then fling him over my shoulder.
I turn around and head back for the car and try to ignore his face slapping against my ass. I reach for the back door, slide it open, and then lean over to let Tripp flop onto back seat. I’m panting when I get back into the car. I wipe a pool of sweat that has gathered on my forehead.
“You okay?” Kiwi asks from the driver’s seat.
I shut my door and kick the back of Doc’s seat. “Hey.” Huff. “Man.” Huff. “I need you to make sure he’s Tripp’s ass is alright back there.”
Lee’s nod is curt. He twists in his seat and makes his way past Juliet and myself, stiff as a Popsicle stick. I lean back into my chair and close my eyes.
“Drive. Get us somewhere to sleep tonight,” I say in a heavy voice.
After a few moments, the car glides forward again.
Kiwi clears her throat. “You giving the orders now?”
“No,” a strained voice pipes up beside me.
I glance over as Juliet struggles to sit upright. “But I am, and he’s right. We need…” She pauses and places her hand to her throat. After she clears it, she continues, “We need to rest.”
“Agreed,” Lee says from the back. “Tripp is well, but in need of nourishment and rest.”
“Okay,” Kiwi says. “Any suggestions?”
“Yes.” Juliet starts to stand. Her knees buckle, and she falls down between our seats. She glares up at me, and I shrug. Then, she shakes her head, reaches for the passenger seat, and pulls herself up into it.
I buckle in and let out a long sigh. Juliet pushes a few buttons on the front console, and a map populates on the screen. I let my heavy eyelids close, and after the next few beats of my heart, I slide into unconsciousness.
15
Something smacks me hard in the chest. I jerk awake and throw my fists in front of my face. I blink Tripp, now thankfully clothed, into focus.
He leans away from me. “Take it easy, Sleeping Beauty.”
A rush of chilled air stings my eyes. I close them and groan, then stretch out my legs and rip off my safety harness.
“Where are we?” I ask through a cough.
He holds his hand out toward me. I take it, and he pulls me out into a flickering, butter-tinged light.
“Bristol, or what used to be Bristol. Close to what used to be Virginia,” he tells me, looking around.
The sound of feet smacking pavement, car doors slamming, and people muttering buzzes in my ears as I take in my surroundings. Like most of what I’ve seen up to this point, everything is a ruined pretender of the world I used to know. We’re in a parking lot with shredded metal décor and rocky asphalt. It looks almost like a horde of giants came through and gnawed on everything, just for kicks, leaving behind ruined shells.
Everything except the fenced-in building on the left.
Tripp mutters something to me as he hands me my pack and my trident. I nod at him like I’m listening and peer through the fence to get a better look at the building. After a few seconds, I realize it’s a small country jail. It’s so well preser
ved, looks like a mirage in the middle of a wasteland. Like something spat it back from the pre-shit world. Tripp smacks me on the shoulder, leaving a low, throbbing pain. I peel my eyes from the jail and narrow them at him.
“You heard anything I said, beauty?”
I open my mouth to answer, someone claps. My eyes dart around the parking lot before landing on Juliet.
“Okay, people,” she says with her hands still pressed together. “We’re staying here for the night. According to our Scouters, this is the most secure location in the area. That being said, I don’t want to take any chances in light of the recent attack we came under. So, we’re going to clear the entire area before settling in for the night.” She pulls her Browning and cocks it before aiming it at the ground. “Anything inside gets a death blow. I don’t care what it is.” She nods behind her toward the jail. “Let’s move.”
I slip my trident into its holster and pull out my side arm. I nod at Tripp before following Juliet, Kiwi, and the rest of the group through the fence and toward the front doors. My heart pounds my mind wide-awake.
Juliet brandishes a long, silver stick and places one end of it into the lock, securing the fence. One of Compound Six’s gadgets. Universal lock pick. There is a low click, then Juliet slides the lock off and opens the gate. It lets out a whining creak.
We all pass through and wait for Juliet to close the gate behind us.
“Lee, Jameson, Stiles,” she says. “Stay out here while we clear the building.”
Jameson nods, and we continue forward. Juliet picks the lock on the glass doors that lead into the jail, and we turn on our flashlights at almost the same time. The room fills with four tunnels of light, each one of them darting around to focus on various corners of the room. I train my light on the center of the jail.
A mid-sized, circular desk sits in the middle of the room. I pause at it and then wave Tripp by me so that I can bring up the rear. From the main room, there are three separate hallways. Kiwi and Juliet take the one to the far left while Tripp heads down the middle hallway, leaving me with the one on the far right.