by G. K. DeRosa
“Arx?”
“It’s what we nicknamed the tower. It’s Latin for fortress. We always had code names at the agency.”
The blueprint was covered in pencil marks. I turned the document to the side and leaned in close to read it. They were notes. Tidbits of information someone had collected about the various levels. Where the elevators were, how many guards, emergency exits, etc.
“So the FBI has a spy inside Arx?”
He scratched at his beard, and I could almost see the gears grinding in his head.
“I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m on your side—the human side, I mean.”
He exhaled through clenched teeth. “Yes, we have a couple.”
Hope blossomed in my chest. “So are they going to take the angels down?” An image of big burly military men dragging the angels out by their wings flashed through my mind.
“I wish it were that easy.” He rubbed his hand down his bad leg. “Right now they’re gathering intel, trying to find a weakness. So far, they’ve found none.”
My shoulders slumped, the heaviness in my chest back. There had to be a way in there. It’s not like I was deluded enough to think I could overthrow the angels; I just needed a way to get Asher out.
I grabbed the diagrams of the area surrounding the tower: the barracks where the humans were kept. That’s where I needed to focus my attention.
“Liv, you can’t seriously be considering going by yourself. There’s no way you’d survive. You wouldn’t be helping your friend by getting yourself captured.”
I knew that. I wanted to say that at least we’d be together, but I realized how stupid that sounded. “I have to try. He’d do it for me.”
Parker furrowed his unruly gray brows and grunted. “You’re not my kid, but if you were, I’d lock you up to keep you from going in there.”
I eyed the window across the room. I could make it out before he stood up.
“Easy, wildcat.” He held out his hands. “Like I said, you’re not my kid so I can’t say what you can or can’t do. I can, however, strongly suggest that you don’t risk your life for a foolish mission that has zero chances of succeeding.”
I exhaled a long breath.
“I can also try to help you.”
My eyes widened, my heart rate picking up. “You will?”
“I’d go with you if I could, but we all know I’d only hold you back.” He grimaced as he repositioned his leg. “I have friends though, and I can get you in contact with them once you arrive in the city. They may have more intel by now. Their numbers are growing everyday.”
He grabbed a scrap of paper off the floor and a pen from his pocket and scribbled a note. He folded it and handed it to me. “This is the address for my buddy, Linc. Just tell him Parker Donovan sent you.” He motioned to the note clutched in my hand. “I told him to take good care of you.”
My throat went dry, and I swallowed down the unexpected emotion. “Thank you,” I choked out.
“I wish I could do more.” He stood and hobbled over to the kitchenette. “Now how about some breakfast?”
I nodded and shoved the scrap of paper into my pocket.
“As I said before, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll head out tomorrow. Is it okay if I spend the night here again? If not, I can go back to the house I was staying at.”
He pulled two dishes out from a cabinet and placed them on the table. “Stay. It’s been nice to have some company.”
I smiled and started to collect all the diagrams scattered across the floor.
“Take as many as you need with you,” he said over his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ll have much use for them anymore.” He emptied the contents of a can into a small pot and lit a candle underneath it.
“Thanks.” I sorted through the pile of documents and picked out the ones I’d thought I’d need and shoved them into my backpack. Tomorrow I’d head south and with any luck, in a few days, I’d find Asher.
Chapter 9
A sudden onslaught of emotions unfurled in my chest as the older man wrapped his arms around me. I’d only known Parker for two days, and yet the idea of saying goodbye to him killed me. He finally released me, and I took a step back. His eyes were shiny as I imagined my golden ones were. He’d gotten me through my first few days without Asher. I didn’t think he’d ever know how much that meant to me. More than that, he’d given me hope. Hope that I might actually see Ash again.
“You better get going, girl.” He ruffled my hair. “Remember what I told you: keep under cover of the woods, follow I-95 all the way down to D.C. and no fire at night.”
I nodded, my teeth gnawing on my lower lip.
“You take good care of her, boy.” He patted Duke’s head, and he let out a whine.
I swung my backpack over my shoulder and hopped onto the bench to climb out the window.
“You sure you got everything you needed?”
“Yup.” My backpack was filled to the brim with food and water, the rolled up blueprints sticking out the top.
“Good luck, Liv.”
“Thanks for everything, Parker.” I spun around before I could change my mind. I pulled myself through the window into the hazy morning light. Duke’s head appeared in the opening, and I helped him out. I peered back at Parker through the glass one last time before picking up my gun and throwing it into my backpack.
I’d probably never see him again.
My vision blurred, but I swiped under my eyes, pushing the tears back. I had to be strong if I was going to survive this. And I would. I had to find Asher.
I followed Parker’s instructions to get back to the highway behind the community. I didn’t even need Duke to dig us a hole this time. There was an underground passageway that led me right into the cover of the woods.
I emerged under dense foliage with the highway to my left. I pulled the compass Parker had given me out of my pocket and followed it south. Washington, D.C. was three hundred miles away, which meant approximately one hundred hours of walking. My shoulders slumped, the mass of the backpack already weighing me down. Even if I walked ten hours a day, it would take me ten days to get there.
Maybe I was crazy to think I could pull this off.
I yanked on the straps of my backpack, pulling them tighter against my back. I could do this; I just had to stay strong. I patted Duke’s head, and he rewarded me with a slobbery lick to the palm.
I hiked for hours, the crunch of leaves underfoot and Duke’s panting lulling me into a daze. It was a good thing Asher and I had chosen late spring to embark on our journey. Or I guess it had been lucky that was when the food had run out.
I scanned the area as I walked, my eyes intent on the trees. If someone emerged from the highway, I’d see them coming a mile away. The woods were another story. The thick canopy of leaves blocked out the dim light from above, bathing the forest in endless murky shadows. I hadn’t heard the flutter of wings since before meeting Parker. Maybe the angels really had gone south.
Duke wandered off to sniff a tree, something he only did when he had to pee so I let him, while keeping a close watch. I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and dug a bottle of water out of my pack. I took a few sips and put it up to my forehead. It was an old habit from when water used to be refrigerated. Now it was just barely cooler than my body temperature.
I lowered myself to the ground, my back against a tree. My calves burned and little blisters had already sprouted on my heels. If I could only rest for a few minutes, I’d quicken my pace to make up for it later. Duke trotted around the trees as I leaned my head back, a cool breeze rustling the leaves.
My eyelids drooped, my skull weighing a ton. I shook my head, chasing the sleepiness away. I had to keep walking while it was light out. Slowly rising to my feet, I whistled for Duke. He was at my side in a second, tail wagging.
“Let’s keep going.”
He barked and took off a few paces in f
ront of me.
A big yawn escaped before I could stifle it. I smacked my cheeks with my palms to wake up. As I withdrew my hand, my gaze fell on the scar across my thumb. The angry red mark had faded a bit, a light pink jagged line remaining. It was a permanent reminder of the day the angels and vampires took their eternal battle to earth.
I’d been helping my mom chop carrots for dinner the night the news bulletin flashed across the TV. Vampires had invaded New York City. At first, we laughed, thinking it was some sort of joke. Then the videos started coming in. Thousands of humans died that night. It was stupid. I shouldn’t have kept cutting those damn carrots, but it was the only thing grounding me as I watched in horror. My hand slipped, and the knife almost took my whole thumb off. I spent the first night of the attack at the hospital in Fallsbrooke getting my finger sewed back on.
When I came out of the surgery, I was so out of it, I thought the whole thing had been a terrible nightmare. I was wrong. Mythical creatures had devoured a quarter of the population of New York City in one night.
Everyone had heard rumors of vampires’ existence, but no one believed it. Not more than they believed in Big Foot or the Lock Ness Monster. Imagine the country’s surprise when a fictional monster decimated one of the greatest cities in the world.
Then the angels came. For a while, we thought we were saved. Then things went from bad to worse. Humans were caught in the crossfire and before long we were left with this. Nothing.
The warring finally ended, but the majority of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed, ecosystem ravaged, and human population near extinction. Those angels and vampires put us through hell. I hoped someday someone would send them back there.
Duke’s ears perked up, and his head swiveled to the right. A low growl reverberated in his throat. I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to the ground next to me. I crept behind a tree and flattened myself against the rough bark.
The crunch of leaves carried through the quiet forest. Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The footfalls grew closer, my heartbeat accelerating with every step.
I stopped breathing, completely frozen as ice rushed my veins.
Two dark shadows sped by in a blur. They moved fast—inhumanly fast. They were at least twenty feet away, but I knew what they were. Vampires.
I remained motionless for what seemed like forever. Vampires had super-sensitive hearing and sight. I had to be sure they were gone before I emerged from my hiding spot.
I slowly stood, cursing every crackle under my foot. I peered around the tree into the dark woods ahead. Not that I could see much, but it seemed clear. I moved back to the edge of the forest within a few yards of the highway and continued on, my breaths gradually normalizing.
After a few more hours of trekking, I could barely see two feet in front of me anymore. Every last sliver of light had disappeared, and I was walking blind. I hated the thought, but I had to stop for the night. I glanced across the highway—still nothing. I hadn’t come across a single house in miles. I dreaded the idea of spending the night out in the open, but what else could I do? At least it was warm enough that I wouldn’t freeze.
“Duke, come here.”
He turned around and cocked his head at me.
“It’s bedtime.”
I crouched down in front of a towering pine, arranging the leaves to make a small pillow and pushing all the twigs out of the way. I curled up into a ball, nestled underneath its thick limbs and Duke settled down beside me.
My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, my legs like jelly. Within seconds my eyelids drooped and darkness blanketed my vision.
Chapter 10
A rumbling engine echoed in my subconscious. It grew louder and more persistent until my weary body couldn’t ignore it any longer.
My eyes fluttered open, goose bumps ravaging my skin. Fathomless black pupils locked onto mine.
I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Crimson streaks swirled through onyx irises, and my head spun along with it.
Duke barked, and the beautiful woman’s gaze turned to him. She held out one finger, and he went silent.
She spun back to me. “That’s a good girl,” the woman purred. “Stay calm and don’t move.”
Flaming red locks cascaded down the vampire hybrid’s shoulders. She crouched in front of me, cat-like in her stance. She was gorgeous and young, no more than a few years older than me.
Behind her, a dark-haired man lit a cigarette and popped it into his mouth. He looked bored. “Stop toying with her, Lissa,” he hissed.
“I’m not. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen a human in the wild.” She ran her finger over my cheek, sending another wave of goose bumps over my skin. “She’s still plump and pink. Not like the ones in the camp.”
Did that stryx just call me fat? Focus, Liv. I squirmed back but hit the tree. Duke sat beside me, his eyes trailing the redhead.
“So drink from her or kill her. I want to get back to the den before some nephilim shows up.” He flicked the ash from his cigarette and took a big puff.
“You’re no fun, Felix. Besides the angels are gone.” She inched closer, her breath icy against my heated skin.
My heart pounded against my ribcage, fight or flight fully kicking in. I wanted to run, but my legs were frozen. I’d heard about the vampires’ compulsion, but this was the first time I’d witnessed it first hand. I had zero control over my body.
White gleaming fangs popped out from under the girl’s pale lips. I gasped, adrenaline spiking through my veins. After all I had survived, I so did not plan on being sucked dry by a freakin’ vampire hybrid. The pile of leaves and twigs I’d cleared the night before caught my eye. I splayed out my fingers behind my back and reached for the biggest branch I could find.
The stryx leaned in, her fangs inches from my neck. I jerked my hand up and jabbed the stick into her stomach.
She shrieked, her dark eyes popping open.
The compulsion cleared, and I jumped to my feet as she staggered back clutching at the branch sticking out of her belly. “Run, Duke!”
I got three strides in before two strong hands clamped down on my shoulders. There was a moment of pleasant weightlessness as I sailed through the air. Then my body slammed against a tree, knocking the wind right out of me. I crumpled down to the dirt, my head bouncing off the bark. Searing pain ripped up my spine. I sucked in a breath as my lungs screamed.
A dark shadow materialized over me, and I was sure I was dead. The man’s fangs lengthened, and his lips twisted into a snarl. This was the end of Liv Graciene. I outlived my parents, maybe even my best friend and survived the immortal apocalypse only to be sucked dry by human-vampire hybrids.
The rumble of an engine reverberated across the quiet forest. The same one from my dream? The vampire spun toward the sound and behind him, a black motorcycle soared over the highway barrier. He leapt out of the way, releasing me just as the bike crashed down.
“Get on!”
My eyes bulged out as a guy in a helmet and black leather jacket held out his hand to me.
“Now!”
“But my dog—” I spun to the left and the right, but Duke was nowhere in sight. Maybe he’d actually listened to me when I told him to go.
The stranger grabbed my hand, his fingers closing around mine. “There’s no time.”
From my periphery, I could make out two black blurs heading straight for us. I gritted my teeth and jumped on the back of the motorcycle.
The guy revved the engine and took off. My body lurched backward, and I tightened my hold around the stranger’s waist, my cheek pressed against his worn jacket. I squeezed my eyes shut as we flew through the woods, trees whipping past us.
The powerful engine purred underneath my legs as I did my best to hang on. I wanted to tell him to stop to force him to go back for Duke, but the words caught in my throat as we zipped through the forest, greens and browns blurring across my vision.
Af
ter a few minutes, he slowed and I hazarded a glance over my shoulder. The vampires were gone. I released the breath I’d been holding, and relaxed my grip around the guy’s waist.
“Can you stop?” I shouted in his ear.
“What?”
The wind whooshed past, making it nearly impossible to hear.
“Stop!”
He slammed on the breaks and we skidded to a halt, barely missing the thick trunk of a monster tree. He pulled his helmet off, and jet-black wavy hair tumbled out.
“What’s wrong?” His dark irises bored into mine. They were the most unique color I’d ever seen—a deep maroon.
“I have to go back for my dog.”
He shook his head, unruly bangs sweeping over his forehead. “Are you crazy? You do know what those were back there, right?”
I unwrapped my arms from his waist and crossed them over my chest. “Of course I do; it was kind of hard to miss the fangs. I’m still not leaving Duke.”
He huffed and jumped off the bike. It teetered for a second, and my arms shot out to my sides to keep from falling off. His hands were suddenly under my armpits, and he pulled me off the big bike. He smelled of pinecones and the air after a thunderstorm.
He lowered me to the ground and I staggered back, his maroon eyes intent on mine. His jaw twitched as he regarded me, a faint shadow of stubble lining his sharp angled face. He was the kind of guy all the girls at school would’ve been fawning over, if the end of the world hadn’t happened. But it had. The attractiveness factor of this guy had no bearing in my life anymore.
I slapped my hands on my hips. “So can you take me back so I can find my dog?”
He mirrored my stance and shot me a snarky grin, revealing a sexy dimple. “No.” He whirled back to his bike, which I now realized was a Harley.
I grabbed his arm and spun him toward me. “Are you serious right now?”
“Yes. Dead serious. I didn’t risk my life to save your butt just so you could turn around and get killed.”
“I didn’t ask you to save me.”