by J. L. Weil
“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is you being able to move, quickly if necessary. Here. …” The next thing I knew, he was pulling out a blade from inside his boot and hacking at the bush. I swore the thing gave a high-pitched yelp before the lacerated vine wiggled wildly and shriveled up.
Oookay.
Dash didn’t bat an eye. He crouched before me. “This thing has got to go.” Then he proceeded to put his hand up my skirt.
Uh, that was unexpected.
I tried to ignore the tingles rushing through my body as his hand brushed my inner thigh. Even at seventeen, I knew what the ache was between my legs. The flash in his eyes told me I wasn’t the only one who felt the sudden shift in the air.
“What are you doing?” My tone was huskier than intended.
“Hold onto my shoulders and steady yourself,” he said gruffly.
I wanted to argue for the sake of arguing. He was bossy, and it rubbed me the wrong way, but I did as he instructed, trying to ignore the very provocative position this put us in. I bit my lip. What was wrong with me? Did I wake up a sex-craved stripper?
He snatched the slip attached to the dress with his hand and yanked.
Riiiiip.
The material separated, lightening the weight of my attire.
There goes my dress.
“Good thing it wasn’t sentimental,” I muttered.
Throwing the white silk aside, he took his blade and cut the remaining material to just above my knee, giving me more mobility and showing more skin. “Nothing out in the Heights cares about value, lesson number one.” He bunched up the fabric, stuffing it into his backpack.
Unable to suppress the smartass inside me, I said, “Actually, I think that’s lesson number three.” If we were counting, he’d already told me not to wander and to watch my step.
“Take notes,” he replied, stretching to his full height, a good nine inches over my five foot one frame. “There are enough lessons to fill a book, and I learned the hard way.”
“Are you trying to scare me?” I pulled out a loose strand of thread tickling my leg, suddenly becoming self-conscious of my appearance. It had been a century since I’d seen my reflection in a mirror. I could only imagine what a hot mess I was. Smoothing my flyaways with my hand, I tried to maintain control of my hair.
It was a losing battle.
He watched me with an intense glare. “If you were smart, you’d be terrified.”
I was curious about how he had survived. “If that’s true, how are you still alive?”
“Because I learned how.” His voice went soft and dangerous.
Goosebumps crawled over my arms. Another touchy topic. There seemed to be nothing that didn’t make him pucker.
We walked in silence, me trailing behind. There was no way I was going near him. Not even if he dangled a double chocolate chip muffin in his hand.
Taking my eyes and mind off Dash, I was curious about the world and how different it had become. The sun was warm, the breeze balmy. I lifted my face up to the moist wind, the faintest taste of rain in the air. I would love to feel the drops of water wash over my face. At first glance, the woods appeared magical, but as I took a closer look, I swore there were eyes everywhere, watching us from under the brush, up in the treetops, buried in the ground. It was eerie, and the fear I told myself I wasn’t going to feel came sneaking inside me.
Five minutes had gone by, and the quiet was killing me. “You’re a real joy to talk to.”
He said nothing.
My point exactly.
We came across a down tree laying in our path. Dash hurdled over the thing before turning around and offering me a hand.
I stared at his fingers. Was it wise to touch him? The fact that I questioned it was my answer. As I lifted my hand in the air, a feeling I didn’t expect appeared: anticipation. What would it be like to have my tiny hand encompassed by his? I got my answer.
The moment our skin connected, static passed between us. If he felt it, he did a good job of hiding it. His face stayed neutral, which bugged the crap out of me.
“Is your name really Dash?” I asked, trying again to make conversation as I jumped down off the log. I regretted prodding the second the hurt flickered in his eyes, before he quickly defused and froze it behind an impenetrable shield of iron. The longer I was around Dash, the more of a mystery he became.
“It is now. This is a new world. You can be whoever you want to be.” His long legs carried him easily over the uneven terrain.
Trotting beside him, I increased my speed to keep us at the same pace. “Is that what you did? Changed your name? Became someone different?”
“I had to.” He shrugged off the ominous tone that had crept into his voice. “Most everyone who has woken from the slumber has.”
I stuck out my lower lip. “I don’t want to be someone different.”
He angled his head to look at me. “This place changes you, whether you want it to or not.”
“How are you different?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?”
“Do you always dodge them?”
He snorted. “I was trouble. I stole, cheated, and lied.”
A curious look crossed my face. “And now?”
“Pretty much the same, only I’m more cynical and deadly.”
I shook my head. “I don’t buy it.”
“Then you’re a fool.”
I kicked a pebble with the tip of my slippers and scowled. “Maybe. Or you don’t know who you really are.”
“Whatever. You’ll find out soon enough, Freckles.” His tone rolled over the endearment like it was battery acid.
“Why do you insist on calling me that?” I fired back. “I have a name.”
His lips curled. “Right, Charlie.”
“Charlotte,” I interjected.
His starlit eyes twinkled, and he flicked the end of my nose. “Freckles suits you better.”
I resisted the urge to flip him off.
The curse of being a natural redhead. The pesky brown dots covered the bridge of my nose and down over the tops of my cheeks. They were light, only a dusting, but without the coverage of foundation, they were visible.
I groaned internally as the realization hit me—no more makeup. Not that it would have made much of a difference today. In this heat, I would have sweated my face off and ended up drenched in mascara and eyeliner. It was God-awful humid.
“How did it suddenly get so hot?” I plucked a jumbo leaf from a passing tree and fanned myself. I’d sell my left butt cheek for a shower. It was all I could think about, other than donuts. I felt as if I was drowning in my own funk. It was only a matter of time before this heat was going to fry brain cells.
Dash wiped the back of his hand over his forehead. “We’re near the border of the Plains of Despair.”
“That sounds pleasant,” I mumbled.
“Oh, it is,” he said in a way that implied it was hell. “Give it a few more minutes, and it’s going to feel like you’ve been sitting in a sauna all day. The heat in the Badlands is unforgiving and merciless.”
Worry lines wrinkled my forehead. I would be burnt to a toast in two minutes flat. “Badlands?”
“You’ll find that the mist not only changed the organisms inhabiting Earth, but Earth itself. The shape and biomes are no longer the same. We just left the Dying Labyrinth.”
It was becoming evident I had much to learn, and Dash had been right: However much that grated my pride to admit, I was way out of my element.
He abruptly stopped and dropped his pack with a thump. “We’ll take a break here. I’m going to see if I can find us something to eat and drink. Don’t move,” he warned with a stern look.
I made a mocking face to his back as he walked off and, for shits and giggles, flipped him off. I’d been dying to do that all afternoon.
Spinning in a circle, I took in my surroundings. We’d stopped in a small clearing, and as I listened to the rustling of the woods, it was accom
panied by the lapping of water. It didn’t sound far, and my curiosity was piqued. There was a small ledge to my left only a few feet away.
He had said to stay put, but really, five feet? It wasn’t like I was going to get lost. Padding toward the edge, a picturesque view came into sight, and I gasped.
Water like I’d never seen shimmered in a color of liquid glass. The sun melted over the northern horizon, spilling oranges and pinks into the sky and shining upon the water. Except for the buzzing of pesky insects, the air was quiet. On the other side of the lake, dragonfly-like creatures danced and twirled above the surface. Their wings shimmered in fuchsias, blues, and purples. If a dragon had decided to fly by, dipping its feet in the water, I wouldn’t have been surprised. It was kind of expected.
I felt transported to another time and place—a magical realm.
Deciding I deserved a moment’s rest and some tranquility, I removed my slippers and dangled my toes over the water. I sighed. My feet were aching and my legs were burning. If I stretched just a bit, I could dip my toes into the water, but Dash’s constant warnings echoed in my head, and I was no longer tempted to test the waters. Instead, I peered down at my own reflection floating on the mirror-like surface.
Holy mackerel. My hands roamed over my face as I turned it from left to right. I looked like me, or the me I remembered, except for the eyes. And the eyes made all the difference. Regardless of the fact that Dash had commented about the uniqueness of them, it was hard to believe without seeing, and now that I did, I wasn’t sure how it made me feel.
Strange for sure. The blend of pink, blue, green, and violet, each color split up into a slice on my irises.
As flabbergasted as I was over the change in my eyes, I noticed something in the water. I blinked, focusing beyond my reflection and into the water. Something was definitely there. A glowing neon green light glided through the water, moving closer to the surface. I squinted, bending down to get a better look deeper into the liquid gold. A bubble of air floated to the water’s surface, startling me. I wasn’t alone. A dark shape began to take form. It had a long body, covered in bumpy scales like the largest snake I’d ever seen, but its head was triangular, similar to a crocodile, equipped with multiple rows of fangs.
WTF.
It was moving quick and coming straight for me. Panic rose up inside me like black tar. I scrambled to back away from the edge as its head came barreling out of the water, jaws snapping. My hands grappled on the slippery slope, clawing the ground frantically for traction, for my life.
I screamed, teetering on the brim of a grassy cliff, straight toward that thing and its razorblade snappers.
Chapter 4
Oh God, I’m going to die. I’m going to die. I’m definitely going to die.
My arms flailed in the air, and if I didn’t by some miracle get my bearings, that thing was going to have me as a midday snack. I didn’t want to end up a gory mess floating downstream. My heart was in my throat, my death imminent, and I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to plunge to my demise.
A strong arm encircled my waist. “Don’t move,” Dash whispered near my ear.
I stilled my failed attempts at scrabbling and went lax in his arms, exhaling. Relief swarmed inside me. We might not have known each other long, but he wouldn’t let that monster munch me up into little pieces.
Dash’s grip tightened on my midsection, and with his other hand, he secured his blade. The next time that thing reared its ugly head out of the water, he drove the knife straight into its brain. The sound was sickening. I turned my head away and into Dash’s shoulder, shielding my face from the splatter of brain matter. The beast gave a high-pitched, tortuous yowl that rang over the lake, sending the dragonflies scattering.
Dash backed away from the edge, taking me with him. His entire body was taut from the attack. My heart was pounding so fast, I wondered if I was going to have a heart attack. God, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? I could see the headline: Girl survives a vicious monster attack only to die minutes later from coronary heart failure.
With my hands flattened on his chest, I dragged in several deep breaths and glanced up. Our eyes met. A wavy lock fell across his forehead, and the specks of his silver eyes shifted in small degrees over my face.
Neither of us spoke.
My chest rose and fell as his hand curved from the small of my back to my waist. Wow, the warmth that flooded my cheeks could have melted ice. I wanted to beg him not to let go of me, at least until I stopped shaking. The only time I had been safe in this godforsaken place was in his arms. I bet he was a phenomenal kisser, with lips that weren’t wet or gross, but the kind that curled your toes.
I needed to stop staring at him in general. Too bad my mind and body weren’t on the same page.
Seconds ticked by as his gaze lingered on my face, and I waited for him to make a move. Disappointment ate at my belly as he released my waist, taking a step back. I had to bite my lip to keep from leaning toward him, concentrating on the pain.
He cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”
Physically? Yes. Mentally? Hell, no. “What was that thing?” I breathed, horrified. What I really wanted to ask was: Why didn’t you kiss me, you fool?
Dash sheathed the blade, returning it to inside his boot. His shoulders rose, and our eyes met. Shadows crept into them, dulling the gray hue. “A snyker.”
“Gesundheit,” I replied.
His lips twitched. It was obvious he didn’t want to be amused by me but couldn’t help it. “Cute, but you wouldn’t be laughing if its jaws had wrapped around your pretty little neck.” He backed up, putting some distance between us.
“You think I’m pretty?” The words popped out of my mouth before I thought about it, but it didn’t stop me from wanting the answer. Did he find me attractive? If so, he had a funny way of showing it.
“I thought I told you not to move.” His voice was thick, but it didn’t cover the underlying anger there.
“You never mentioned there were monsters living in the water,” I blasted back. I couldn’t believe that moments ago I had wanted to kiss him!
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I thought it was pretty clear when I told you to stay put. Next time, I’ll be more specific. Freckles, there are monsters, not just in the water, but everywhere.”
I shot him a peeved look, because if I didn’t let the irritation consume me, I was going to cry. “You don’t have to be such a jerk about it.”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he barked.
No longer in danger, I wanted to wring his neck. My chin jutted in the air. “Maybe you should think about being a detective, because you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?”
“I should have let it bite you,” he mumbled and turned on his heel, walking back toward the path.
I stood where I was, fuming, little billows of smoke streaming from my ears. Argh. I’d never met anyone who was so infuriating. Glancing over my left shoulder—the opposite direction Dash had gone—I contemplated tackling the woods on my own. I didn’t need the know-it-all, holier-than-Buddha Dash.
As I was working myself up, convincing myself I didn’t need anyone, a twig cracked, followed by the rustling of leaves. I squeaked and took off toward where Dash had disappeared.
Screw that.
I’d rather deal with the asshat than another snkyer thing.
Dash glanced up as I, looking frazzled, bolted through the bushes. He was propped up against a tree with a smug brow arched, chomping on a fruit that resembled a dreary cherry. “You made it past sixty seconds. That’s forty more than I expected.”
My hand fisted at my side, and a buzzing noise sounded in my ears. I didn’t know what had happened, but it was like Dash had just flipped my bitch switch.
Static rushed over my skin, crackling like Pop Rocks on my tongue. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose. Something was happening. The air pressure had changed, thickening with an invisible force. Eyes huge, I sought out Dash,
silently asking him what was going on. I didn’t expect to see the same look of confusion.
The ground shook and groaned under my feet, and I froze. There was a loud crack.
A bolt of lightning thundered from the ground at Dash’s feet, lighting up the air between us. Little sparks of energy fizzled on the dirt before eventually extinguishing. Brisk wind blew over my warm cheeks.
We both stood, shell-shocked. Utter surprise rippled through me, my eyes as big as alien saucers.
Dash was gaping at me. “Holy shit, Freckles. Did you just try to electrocute me?”
My mouth hit the ground. He thought I had done that? Was he insane? “Yeah, it was totally me. What next? Are you going to accuse me of witchcraft?” I said dryly.
He rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing me with suspicion. “It’s not unheard of. The Earth wasn’t the only thing that suffered the chemical assault of the mist. I told you it altered human cells as well.”
“T-that’s impossible.” But even as I said the words, the tips of my fingers were tingling and radiating a shimmery lavender smoke, like glitter. “It wasn’t me, okay,” I reiterated with sharpness. “It’s ludicrous to think I would try to kill you. We both know I need you. How else am I going to survive?”
“Your eyes,” he stated, staring intensely at me.
I shot him a dark glare. “Are you determined to insult me? We’ve already established they’re different.” The eyes were a touchy subject for me at the moment, having just seen them for myself.
He rubbed the stubble under his chin. “Maybe, but they flashed purple, a solid, glowing purple for a moment … I think.”
“You think?” I echoed, like a crazy person. “Can we just forget this happened and get out of here?” The sooner we got to Hurst, the sooner I could ditch Dash and find my parents.
Then why did the thought of leaving him suddenly fill me with a flash of panic?
Ugh.
“Whatever you want,” he said, frowning.
My shoulders went slack. Thank God. I wrapped an arm around myself and chewed on my nails. I hated the tension between us. I’d never been good at holding a grudge or staying mad. It took too much energy, and I found it wasteful.