by Rae, Alexa
I screamed, but the pain only lasted for a partial second before Ben and Cam took him down. The arms and legs of the Undead were separated from his body first, before his head. Another sharp, electrical pain shot from my kneecap up to my thigh. I grunted and braced my teeth together, trying to ignore it.
Cam disappeared. Ben's gaze flashed to mine. He stepped over the dismembered body parts and pulled me against him.
"Ella, you're hurt," he said into my hair. "You need to get out of here."
I shook my head against his chest and pulled away. "I want to see Michael's body burn."
His eyes hinted with mild amusement. I could tell he wanted to protest, but my determined expression held him back. He knew I wasn't going to leave until this was over.
My attention was pulled to Chester's voice a few feet away from us.
"Die, die, die," he chanted. He was jumping up and down continuously until the Undead's face was smashed in. Blood poured from every opening in his face, including his ears.
"Ew," I said, my face scrunched in disgust.
Noah was swearing like a sailor when I turned, following the direction of his voice. Ben disappeared from my side and kicked Michael off my brother. Noah was on his feet and with Ben, they approached the leader of the Undead, like predators eyeing their pray.
I looked over my shoulder briefly and saw what appeared to be three Undead burning at the feet of Eli and Neil. They turned to each other for a moment, sharing a silent conversation with their eyes, until they noticed PJ standing at the foot of their fire.
He held out an Undead's arm, with the browned hand burning in the fire. He turned it, his face casual as though he was simply roasting a marshmallow. When he realized he had an audience his eyes darted up, giving them a dubious look.
My eyes scattered around the bloody street. Almost all of the Undead were, in fact, dead. Most of their heads either cut off or their bodies burned down to nothing but ash. My attention flashed back to Ben and Noah. They were restraining Michael together, pulling his arms back, the way Michael had arranged for Ben, before.
"Ella will you do us the honors?" Ben asked, motioning to the weapon in my hand. I smiled and nodded.
Michael sneered at me. "There is more to your blood then just power little girl." He looked as though he was trying to motion to Noah behind him. "You can kill me, but I'm just the beginning of your problems."
I didn't want to hear any more from him and I was really tired of listening to his condescending nicknames.
"I'm not a little girl."
I swung my arm back and then lunged it forward. The blade sliced through his neck. The head fell from his body and smacked against the ground. I kicked it like a soccer ball. When it rolled to a stop a few feet away, I tossed the machete I still held behind me.
Ben dropped Michael's arms. The body fell to the ground when my brother did the same. He rushed to my side. His hands cupped my face gently as he checked for any new imperfections. His eyes changed from worry to ease. He leaned down kissed my forehead lightly. I sighed, sensing the relief in his aura as it washed over my own.
Bodies lined the bloodstained concrete. Arms, legs, and heads were scattered across the road like broken tree branches after a horrible storm. Vlad stood by Eli and Neil. They stared down at the road like it was a famous painting in an art gallery that no one really understood why it was a masterpiece. PJ was still by the fire roasting the arm, without giving a single fuck.
Cam and Jesse were together, kneeling next to a body on the ground. I realized it was Max when Cam shouted something at his limp form. I noticed there were gashes all over his arms and rips in his black jeans where more blood was trickling out. His eyes were closed. A windblown gasp left my mouth when I found the huge gash that disconnected his most of his head from his neck.
"Max!" Jesse roared, rushing over to him. He dropped to his knees in front of his band mate. I couldn't see his face, but I imagined it was crumpled just as Ben's was when I looked up at him. I felt my heart squeeze as I realized Ben's eyes were frozen, detached as he stared forward. He disappeared by my side and I took that moment to turn my attention away, giving them privacy.
Kellan was helping Zakk up to his feet. Exhaustion was the first thing I saw in his face as he wearily wrapped his arm over Kellan's shoulder for support. I realized that there was a huge gash in his leg, preventing him from walking properly. Zakk stopped short, his attention shot to his younger brother, Luke who was knocked unconscious before. He sat up slowly, groaned, and rubbed his head.
As my eyes wandered I saw Domino, his body was sprawled face down on the side of the road, blood pooled around his head. There was a gaping flesh wound in his neck, parts of his pink flesh were bitten and chewed off around the wound. It appeared as though a shark bit his neck. I breathed deeply in and out trying to push back the tears.
Domino was someone I knew since preschool. We weren't close, but it didn't matter. He still helped us. Chester stood motionless above him. His arms were covered in blood up to his elbows. He probably tried to help him, but it was too late. Domino and Max were both gone.
Ben was suddenly in front of me. He dropped to his knees, his haunted eyes frozen on the ground. My breath caught in my throat with the sharp sting that sliced through my chest as I watched him. I moved into him, wrapping my arms around him, as he leaned his lead into my stomach. His arms grasped my lower back. I could feel his chest heaving in what I assumed silent cries, mourning over his brother. I held him for what seemed like hours, murmuring soft whispers to him. He was quiet, his tight grasp never loosening.
My gaze flicked to Noah. He appeared completely unharmed. His hair was tousled into knots, but that was about the only infraction. His eyes were on Ben with the strangest expression that crossed his face. It was as though he was angry, but his features were twisted into what could have been remorse as well. When he noticed my gaze, the expression dissipated, and he gave me a light smile, displaying his dimples. My heart sank, knowing how much I missed his smile.
Slowly, Ben pulled himself to his feet. He stepped away so that Noah could pull me into his arms. I leaned into him and tightened my arms around him like the way I used to when I was younger because I knew it hurt him. When we pulled away, he was smiling.
"Some things never change."
I shrugged. "What can I say?"
"You look good, Ellie." He told me sincerely. "You have no idea how proud I am of you."
A tear slipped over my cheek. "I wish you would have come home."
"You know why I couldn't. What I am isn't something a human is supposed to be exposed to, or even have knowledge of. I stayed away to protect you and mom." His gaze flicked over my head to Ben, who stood close behind me.
I swallowed. "Noah, why would you kill yourself?"
He stared at me for a long time. "I didn't."
My eyes grew wide in shock. I couldn't have heard him correctly. I'd grown up the past six years with the belief that my brother was selfish enough to take his own life. People at school taunted me. Everyone in town hated me like it was my fault my brother committed a sin.
"Why would I leave you and mom like that? I could never," he shook his head. "I was supposed to protect you, Ella."
His words didn't sound like they had come from his own mouth. I wanted to question it when something else came to mind. "Then who killed," but he cut me off.
Any ounce of anger had diminished in his eyes. "It doesn't matter any more Ellie."
I shook my head in disbelief. How could it not matter? Noah's gaze drifted to someone behind me. I followed the line of his eyes and found Neil, watching us, with a hard expression like he was trying to contain any emotion that he didn't want to feel. Son of a bitch.
"There are things that need to stay in the past," Noah told me firmly. I turned back to him and he nodded. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to scream at Neil. Neil and Noah were friends. I wanted to know why, but I couldn't ask despite how much I hated it. Noah didn't want me to
know.
To put the subject behind me for the time being I stepped back so that I was closer to Ben. In response his arms wound around me, his hands locking at my stomach. I leaned my back into his chest while his head gently rested on top of my head. Noah watched us closely.
He reached out his hand. "I'm Noah, Ellie's dead brother."
Ben let go of his grasp and shook his hand firmly. "Ben, Ella's dead boyfriend." They laughed briefly. Whatever I saw in Noah's eyes from before had vanished. "Thanks for the save."
He shrugged. "Any time man."
Ben nodded and moved to stand beside me, his hand grasping mine. Noah's attention moved to our hands. I felt Ben's lips on the side of my cheek. I blushed scarlet under the heat of my brother's gaze. Noah wasn't happy and he was trying to conceal it for me.
"Yo! We gotta' figure out where to stash all these bodies!" Chester exclaimed.
"How 'bout up your ass?" I heard Zakk shout back.
"Chill brah," he snapped back halfheartedly.
"They're right. We have to figure out how to get rid of these guys and fast." Jesse said grimly, walking over and rubbing the side of his neck with a hand that was covered in dried blood.
"Burn them," Ben and Noah said together.
Cam came over to me and held up his fist, which I bumped with my own. "I saw the slice n' dice you did with that Undead." He nodded his head, clearly impressed He looked at Ben while I was trying to figure out which encounter with an Undead he was referring to. "Your little girl here is a boss."
I groaned and pointed to Michael's head that was rolled over on its side across the street. "That's what happens when people call me little." I said the word as if it was a disease. Ben and Cam laughed. I noticed their eyes lacked the humor needed to put light on the situation. Cam wouldn't speak of Max. He would continue to be the comedian, but I could see the lost look in his eyes.
Eli and Neil walked up to us, both their hands shoved in the pockets of their soot covered jeans. "I knew you were an Undead," Eli said to my brother.
Noah shrugged. "I joined them to make sure they stayed away from Ella. The chances of her running into one was rare, but it was still my job to make sure that she stayed clear of them." His voice was calm, but there was something rising in his tone that made me frown. "Turns out she needed protection from them," his eyes flicked to Ben.
That was why he was curt with Ben. He blamed my boyfriend for my Undead encounters. It was a relief to know that was the only beef my brother had with Ben. I could easily explain everything to him.
"It's okay," I told Noah, eyeing him carefully to let him know I would explain everything later. "It's in the past and it doesn't matter."
I turned to look at the two brothers. They stood the same height with the same chocolate brown hair that was swept over to one side. Their build matched almost exactly, Eli's arms were a little more muscular than Neil's, but it was made up in chest size. I tried not to glare at Neil so instead I focused on my ex.
"How did you know about Noah?"
"I had a feeling he was one of them." Eli shrugged. "I knew if Neil was one of them then your brother must have been somewhere around them too. That was why that night at the diner I," I nodded and cut him off.
"I get it. It's okay Eli."
There was a brief pause and our eyes fell back to the dismembered bodies scattered across the road around us. There weren't more than thirty corpses, already beginning to rot. I imagined a handful of the Undead took off before the fight ended. I didn't blame them, but it still left the ultimate question hanging over my head. What happens now?
"Is it over?"
Everyone turned to me, sharing similar expressions of bleak weariness. I fought the urge to bite my lip in response to having spoken too soon. Judging by their reactions the question was answered before anyone could speak. When was anything truly over?
"Michael was a leader of the Undead," Noah began, his expression grim. "There was someone before him and there will be someone after to take his place. Whoever that is will assume the position with a clean slate. You don't exist as of now. There are more Undead out there who've heard of you and probably know exactly where to find you after this mess, but they're all over the world working their own tasks at their own pace. They won't come for you. We killed most of the Undead on your case and we threatened the ones we didn't get to. Word will spread that you have Undead as well as older zombies on your side and they'll stay away."
"Just staying in contact with my ass keeps your ass safe," Cam joked rubbing his knuckles across his shirt.
Noah's eyes darkened when they fell on Cam. "If you bite my sister again I'll kill you."
Cam hardly gave him a second glance. "How old are you, little boy?"
"Cam has my blood in his system and he's much older than you, Noah." I warned him. "Not a good idea."
Noah's expression contorted into a hard frown constructed from disbelief. He looked at everyone still standing. "You're all idiots."
Ben's hard eyes were intent on my brother. Realization flickered past his orbs and he nodded once in understanding. "You have blood similar to Ella's." Noah turned to Ben when he continued. "You died with the blood type and also with the gene that brought you back. I thought it was always a myth, but that combination is supposed to make you invincible."
"What does that make you a fucking superhero or something?" Cam spat suddenly furious with the idea that he wasn't the strongest guy standing.
Jesse rolled his eyes. "It definitely means he can kick your ass." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I've heard of night walkers like you. You can control things with your mind and shit. It probably takes some practice, but I bet you could do it. You guys are supposed to be able to do lots of weird supernatural crap."
"What?!" Cam raged, his eyes bulging from his skull out of pure jealousy.
Noah glared at them. "You're forgetting that this is still a curse. We're all damned. We eat humans. The only difference with me was that as a human my blood type was supposed to give me immunity to my disease. I was supposed to stay dead. But I didn't die of natural causes so I came back." He grimaced.
"That's the trick with our specific kind. We can rest in peace if our death is not self-inflicted or caused by someone else. Mine obviously wasn't so I was sprung back into this life with abilities I don't want and cravings for flesh that I can control for a while, but I'm still overcome by it. I'm not special or better than the rest of you. I have the capability to cause more destruction and chaos to this earth that is supposed to belong to humans. It isn't ours." Noah took a deep breath. "I'm an Undead because they found me and forced me into it before I realized the damage I could do. I'm one of them, but I don't fight for my side and I don't practice my strengths."
Everyone was silent listening attentively to Noah. "I'm a walking time bomb and I only come in second compared to the rarest blood type." His eyes found mine. Everyone turned and stared at me with wide eyes, even PJ looked at me with a small spark of curiosity in his expression.
Noah's words smacked me in the face at full force. With everything going on at once I had completely bypassed what Noah's existence meant for me. If he was brought back to life that meant I carried the 'zombie' gene too and I did have the most absolute rare blood type...or so everyone said.
"I have the gene too," I whispered quietly, mostly to myself.
"You don't have the choice at a random draw to see if you come back like every other human with the zombie gene. You won't come back unless someone hurts you or you," Noah shook his head refusing to finish. "You're going to be okay, Ella. I've made sure of that for the past six years and I will continue to do so until the day you die, a natural death, far in the future."
I was feeling lightheaded. The new information about my bloodline, my family genetics, was more than a little overwhelming. I had questions, millions of them bubbling at the tip of my tongue, but I knew one thing for certain. I was a monster...or at least I suddenly felt like one. I took a step back,
my hand on my forehead, and my eyes closed.
Ben was in front of me instantly. I knew it was him by the way his thumbs brushed over my cheekbones with the lightest of touches that sent spirals of electricity from the base to the surrounding area of my skin. I leaned into him as his hands moved to my hips and he pulled me closer.
His lips found my forehead and lingered there so he could whisper, "You want to get out of here?"
I nodded against his touch, my eyes still closed.
"Guys, do you think you could take care of this?"
"What do I look like?" Cam snapped.
"Not Superman," Chester snickered.
Eli's voice surprised me. "We got it man."
"Go home, Ella. Put ice on your knee, call mom, and get some rest. Ben and I will stay back and clean up the street," my brother said. I lifted my head away from Ben's chest to frown at him. Ben also turned to my brother. Noah's eyes hardened as he exchanged a brief look with Ben.
Ben nodded and looked back down at me. His eyes were haunted by an emotion he refused to let me catch. He blinked once and it was gone. His crystal blue orbs softened. He brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. I noticed his hands were dark from the ash and crusted over with dried blood that didn't belong to him.
"I'll come back for you when I get this mess cleaned up."
I didn't like the idea of leaving without Ben. In fact the idea was dreadful. I was already feeling the tight pull in my chest at the thought of leaving him again, even if it was temporary.
"I'll help."
He shook his head. "Your brother is right. Go home and rest. You're exhausted."
I shot him a pointed look and lowered my voice. "Whose fault is that?"
His eyes darkened with the same hunger that left my knees week for reasons that weren't induced by an injury. "I will accept full responsibility for my actions under one condition." I arched an eyebrow, waiting. His eyes locked with mine. "Wait until I get back before you take a shower."
God yes...
"That can be arranged," I gave him a small smile.
He nodded before his eyes shifted above me. "Cam, drive Ella home."