We returned to camp after nightfall. Dimitri and Megan waited for us at the clearing's edge. I dismounted, and Emmanuel took Walamito back to the stables for me, departing with a brush of a kiss on my cheek that seemed to linger there even as I watched him walk away, the horses on either side of him, their energy mingling with his.
“I’m so sorry,” Megan said.
“Not your fault,” I replied, reaching out and squeezing her arm. “Emmanuel healed the woman you attacked, it’s all good.” Perhaps an over simplification but perhaps not.
“How did it go today?” Dimitri asked.
"I did it. I traveled between the dimensions.” I smiled, feeling pride and wonder at what I'd accomplished.
Dimitri nodded, his gaze meeting mine from under his lashes. His hunger glinted from the icy depths of his eyes. I needed to feed him. It wasn't right for him to just eat deer and other wildlife—clearly it wasn’t enough.
I opened my mouth to say as much but closed it when Dimitri withdrew his gaze. I needed to respect his wishes.
"What was it like?" Megan asked, drawing my attention back to her.
I took a deep breath, searching for the words. "Strange but amazing. I still need to practice a lot. But I may be ready within a week."
"And then what?" Dimitri asked, his voice quiet, accent sharp. Hunger edged his words with anger rather than curiosity.
"We're going back," I said. "To Crescent City. I need to see Dr. Issa Tor. Find out what I can about my father and see if there is anything I can do to stop the zombies."
Dimitri kept his gaze on the ground as he spoke. "I look forward to attending you."
I laughed, it sounded so old-fashioned and silly to my ears. Dimitri grimaced. Crap, I hurt his pride. Reaching out, I touched his arm. He flinched but did not pull away.
Heat gathered between us. "I'm sorry," I said, petting his energy with mine, soothing him. "I didn't mean to laugh. I appreciate your loyalty and support. You are important to me."
Dimitri looked at me, his blue eyes cold and hungry but tinged with a hint of something more…something almost human.
Dimitri looked into the forest, his jaw clenched. “We will hunt for deer, again.” That sounds totally human if you imagine he’s talking about using a gun and not his fangs. Megan nodded.
“Is it okay?” I asked. “I mean, is it enough?”
“The hunt is enjoyable," Dimitri said, his eyes flashing to me for just a second, heat from his gaze searing my chi. "First we shall escort you back to the main square." He ducked his head, gesturing for me to go first.
"I'm okay. You two go ahead."
Dimitri was about to protest, but I cut him off, pointing to the town through the few trees. "It's like twenty feet away, Dimitri."
Megan took his arm. "She's a modern independent lady.” She grinned at me. “We know there are no skeletal zombies here, I think she’s going to make it.”
Dimitri’s lips thinned, but he did not argue. Megan pulled on Dimitri's arm and they blurred away, disappearing into the night. I continued toward town, looking down at my feet to avoid falling over any roots…or stepping in a zombie mouth. I glanced up. Suki stood less than three feet in front me. I let out a yelp of surprise.
“You scared me. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that in the woods,” I said, holding my hand over my quickly beating heart.
She smiled gently. "I'm sorry, Darling, I did not mean to frighten you."
“Then why are you creeping around in the woods?"
She raised her eyebrows. "I was looking for you. Emmanuel told me of your plan to return to Crescent City and speak with the warlocks. To try to stop the zombies."
"Yeah?”
"And I have something I'd like to give you. It will help. Please come with me?"
“Okay…”
She smiled. “I want you and your vampires gone as soon as possible. This is not just altruism.” Now, that I could believe.
Suki skirted around the square, forging a path through the underbrush. I stumbled over a tree root. Suki clicked her tongue in disapproval and lifted a hand. Her energy focused, like smoke being drawn by a fan, and a glowing ball formed in her palm. She pushed it gently toward me and it attached to my own aura, lighting my path. That’s a fancy trick. Suki continued through the trees.
We came upon a barn-like structure with a peaked roof, large sliding doors, and no windows. Suki pushed one door open. It trundled on a well-oiled track, exposing a dark, cavernous space.
Snapping her fingers brought flames to candles. The room was large, the ceiling open to a pitched roof, all the wood exposed, golden in the flickering light. The polished cement floor was smeared with chalk outlines—drawings that had been wiped away.
It smelled like hay and pine with a hint of something else. I sniffed at the scent, trying to place it—coppery. Blood?
Suki crossed to a wall lined with chests and wooden hutches. The flames wavered at her approach. The candles were varied, round balls that flickered as the wick burned down into them, cylinders that melted onto themselves, small votives twinkling among their larger counterparts. The wax was purple, red, black, and blue.
The melted remains of past candles were left in place, the new ones dripping on top of them. I'd noticed the same thing in Emmanuel's apartment in Crescent City.
Suki opened a hutch, exposing glass jars and ceramic containers. She pulled out a small vial and closed the doors again quickly, as if she didn't want me getting a good look at its contents. Her energy shifted, a gleam of danger sparkling among the smoke. She was trying to hide it from me.
Suki kept her distance, her eyes on the vial. "This will help you travel through the dimensions," she said. "Drink it in the evening just before bed.”
The ball of light that had lit my way through the forest tightened its hold on my chi. "Okay." I held out my hand.
She approached, smiling, her eyes still not meeting mine. When she extended the vial, I wrapped my hand around hers, sinking my chi into her skin.
"You're trying to influence me, child." Suki’s voice remained calm, her gaze locked on our linked fingers.
"I'm hardly a child."
"Compared to me you are."
My other hand shot out, grabbing the back of her head and forcing her gaze to mine. "You might be powerful," I said, my eyes holding hers, dragging energy and resistance across the connection. "But I'm stronger than you."
"Because Emmanuel has made you so,” she spat, fighting me, trying to pull away.
"Because I was born this way.” My voice vibrated with truth. “Tell me what you know. Why are you trying to stop me?"
Her eyes glazed, and Suki reached out, gently touching my cheek. She leaned in, her lips parting—wanting to give to me now, but I didn’t let her.
"Tell me," I commanded.
"There is a way to stop the zombies." Her voice was monotone.
"Why haven't you told Emmanuel? He believes it's impossible."
"It would destroy him. He has a purpose."
"One man’s purpose should not mean the death of so many."
"He is not a man."
"You're in love with him."
Her aura tried to gather, to hide from me. I blew a slow stream of air, caressing her face and dissipating her resistance. Suki smiled, subdued. "The truth," I insisted.
“I have always loved him. Always will."
"So you're protecting him, and he doesn't even know it?”
"Yes."
"How can I stop them?"
She smiled, dreamily. "You can't do it alone."
"What do I need?"
"The seventh daughter of the seventh son. The shifter who cannot shift, the warlock who is a woman. The anomaly. The other part of you. Your destiny."
The shock made me drop my guard, and she was suddenly across the room, a ball of light gathering in her hands, eyes hard and filled with burning hate. This is not good.
She launched the light at me. I ducked and it smashed into the wal
l, splintering wood and sending sparks into the air.
"Get out of my world," she hissed, her defenses high and hard. I was too far from her—I couldn’t control her. She threw another ball of light, and I rolled out of the way. It exploded on the cement, blackened the floor where I'd just been. “You will not end this!" she screamed.
Her next ball of light hit me. I reeled, flying through space. The vacuum consumed me—sucking me through into that nothingness. She blew me out of her world.
Chapter Seven
My energy snapped back into the physical form, and I slammed into something. At the impact, I bit my tongue, the taste of blood blooming in my mouth.
I blinked, trying to focus. I laid on broken cement. A tall building with boarded windows reared above me, stretching into a dark, cloud-covered sky.
I sat up, and glass crunched under me. My vision swirled. I brought my legs up and hugged them, placing my head between my knees and breathing slowly.
A skittering sound whipped my gaze up. A rat ran past me and down the alleyway. Glass littered the pavement, catching what little light leaked through the clouds above. Puddles reflected pure black.
A high fence with barbed wire at the top blocked the alley from the main street beyond. A chain wrapped around the door handle banged softly as a wind passed through the narrow space, bringing with it the fetid scent of trash. At the other end of the alley was another fence with a barbed wire top, but no door.
The rat, its eyes reflecting green in the darkness, stood on its hind legs twenty feet from me, its head cocked, as if questioning me.
"Shoo!" I said, waving at the rat. It didn't move. Using the wall behind me, I rose to my feet. My body felt bruised, but not as exhausted as when I'd directed myself through dimensions. I had to get back.
Resting my hands on the rough surface behind me, I tried to gather my energy into a point, to scan my environment, but the sound of footsteps distracted me. My heart beat faster as I backed away from the entrance of the alley, stepping further into the darkness. There was nowhere to run.
Two dark figures appeared at the fence gate. Their auras were slick black with glints of silver and green. Vampires. One concentrated on opening the gate and the other saw me. His energy pulsed with excitement. He nudged his friend.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, stay focused. Get their energy and then get out of here.
They locked the gate behind them then headed my way. Not in a rush. They were both broad and the alley narrow. The vampires advanced on me like predators approaching trapped prey.
I swallowed, tasting the blood still leaking from my bitten tongue. "Hello," one of them called. "How did you get out?"
I didn't answer, waiting for them to get closer, so that I could lock eyes with one of them.
"You know there is a punishment for trying to escape," the other said.
Both had dark hair and cold, blue eyes. They were a similar build, though the one to the right, the first to speak, was a little shorter, with his hair tied back into a man bun. The vampire to the left wore his hair down; it just reached his chin.
"I'm hungry," I said when they were about ten feet away. My hands shook with fear and adrenaline…and the scent of them. They smelled good. I couldn't wait to taste them.
"Funny," said Man Bun. "I was just thinking the same thing."
"I'd be happy to feed you in exchange for a kiss." I smiled, catching his eyes with mine.
They both laughed. "Oh," said Tall Guy, "we're going to do a whole lot more than kiss you."
My blood zinged.
They were five feet away now. Just a few more steps and they'd be mine. "You smell good," said Man Bun. So do you.
I stepped forward, meeting them, close enough to reach out and touch now. I met Man Bun’s eyes. His didn't glaze immediately, but it only took a half a second. I was weakened by the travel.
I ran my fingers through his hair and, cupping the back of his head, pulled him to me. He did not resist. His strong chest pressed against my breast. His energy mingled with mine, and I took control easily.
He wasn't nearly as old as Dimitri, not strong like him—this little vampire was incapable of fighting me.
Our lips touched, and my tongue pushed into his mouth. The blood on my lips excited him, his chi coming faster and easier, pouring into me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands grabbing my ass, pulling me flush against him.
Heat coursed down my throat, feeding the red, throbbing center of me. Tall Guy pulled at my hair, separating me from his friend. "Don't forget about me.”
Keeping one hand locked around Man Bun’s neck, I reached for Tall Guy.
He bared his fang and angled for my neck, but I used my energy to tip his chin down and catch his eye. There was a moment of confusion, the ice blue clouding with doubt before his eyes glazed over with lust and his tongue was in my mouth, his chi pouring into me.
They were desperate for me, their hard muscled bodies shaking with need.
Man Bun kissed down my neck, but I wouldn't let him feed from me—I needed all of the power. I held his fangs at bay with my influence, pulling energy from his lips through my skin.
I fed from both of them, slipping their chi away like a pickpocket. Man Bun startled, his aura flashing, and he stumbled away from me.
I broke the kiss with Tall Guy and tried to grab Man Bun’s eyes but they were sunken, dark. He wheezed.
I'd taken too much.
Tall Guy, his arms still around my waist, one hand firmly planted on my ass, looked down at me. "What are you?" he asked, his own eyes ringed with dark circles.
“Give me the keys." I tried to step out of his embrace but his fingers dug in. “Release me.” His eyes narrowed.
"You can't go out there," he said. But he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys, his eyes locked on mine, his hand still clamped onto my butt. He wanted me, even as his friend's sickly appearance warned him of the danger.
I took the keys.
My hunger, thick and heavy, pulled him closer. He growled as I took one last long pull, reveling in the power, the pure energy throbbing through me.
I broke free, heart pounding. His eyes burned and fangs descended. The blood rushing through my veins made him crazy. I needed to get out of there before I lost control.
I pushed past him toward the gate. "Stay," I said. "If you want to live, stay. Help your friend."
He looked at Man Bun, still sitting on the ground, his skin gray, eyes sunken, clearly in need of blood. Of something that was most certainly not me.
I turned and jogged for the exit, knowing they could catch me if they wanted. I was powerful, but I wasn't fast. The chain jingled as I unlocked it. Yanking open the gate, I walked out, not knowing where I was going but feeling strong enough to get there.
I stepped onto a wide street lined with more tall, darkened buildings. This was a deserted city. A world that zombies had already ravished? How long ago?
A white plastic bag, gray with age, danced for a moment in the wind before being smacked back down to the ground then skittering along the broken pavement and hitting the side of building.
That same gust brought the revolting stink of rot.
Decaying zombies were nearby.
Adrenaline rushed my system again. I could survive their bite after feeding but not a horde of them tearing at my flesh, I didn’t think.
I needed to get back to Suki's world. She had my friends and my lover. I wasn't just going to get exiled in some other dimension.
I stepped into a doorway. It smelled like ammonia and mildew. I closed my eyes to gather my energy. Absorbed in my efforts, I didn't hear the groaning until it was close. Too close.
My eyes snapped open.
Three zombies—thin brown lips exposing cracked teeth in hollow faces of gray skin—trundled toward me. I dove out of the doorway, rolling into the abandoned street, just escaping their desperate grasp.
I scrambled to my feet and ran.
Hard
ly more than bones draped in skin and cloth, they pursued. I ran flat out, gaining distance, but they wouldn’t tire.
None of them wore shoes, and the bones of their feet clacked on the pavement.
Between the buildings, a park loomed dark and foreboding—what I imagined had been manicured lawns and pruned trees was now a dark and wild forest. The vegetation spread over the streets, bursting through the pavement, and climbed up to the second floor of the closest buildings.
I hope zombies can’t climb trees.
I ran headlong into the darkened enclave of life in this dead city and launched myself at the first trunk. Grabbing onto the lowest branch, my adrenaline—and the strength I'd gained from the vampires—propelled me up into the leaves.
I climbed quickly, my mind flashing back for a moment to my childhood, to laughing and hiding in the bows of pine trees as my father, seeming miles below, searched for me.
The zombies reached the tree and pressed against the trunk, the tips of their fingers skinless knobs of bone, digging into the bark. Their white, glazed eyes glinted with phosphorus green, huge in the deep sockets of their skulls.
Leaves loosened by my climb fell onto the dead things, the fresh green of their chlorophyll contrasting with the muted colors of death.
Please don’t let zombies be able to climb trees.
The zombies clawed at the tree but could not climb it.
I settled into the crux of a branch and leaned against the trunk, calming myself. I was fine. I could get out of here. This was a safe spot. I’d rest and take my time, center my energy, then return to Suki's world.
Closing my eyes, I tried to block out the sound of the zombies below. Fear spiked for a moment—what if I couldn't find my way back? I was stuck up a tree!
I shook my head, trying to clear it. I needed to concentrate, to gather my chi. A breeze scented of greenery stirred the leaves around me, rustling them against each other.
Slowly, my breath evened, along with my heart rate, and I began to gather my energy.
My chi centered into a point, and I probed it through space, looking for the vacuum, for the emptiness between the worlds. A shot rang out and I jerked, almost losing my balance. The tree shook with my movement, and more leaves came loose, drifting down.
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