Alive Like Us

by Hallows, Quinn

  “Not good enough.” He stood with his back to hers, scanning the wintry landscape. “Where did they go? It’s so hard to see.”

  “They’re out there, watching us,” Sanna whispered, the strange energy thudding through her. “I can feel them.”

  A flicker of movement caught her attention. The stage two appeared again, blocking their way to the Kill Zone. He reached up, snapping the arrow on both sides of his neck. Black blood oozed from his throat like a gruesome choker.

  “I’ve got this one,” Sanna said.

  “Fine. I’ll get the others.”

  Others? Sanna spotted three stage ones creeping behind them, their pale bodies nearly hidden in the snow. Could he handle all three? Even one was dangerous—what they lacked in power or venom they made up for in sheer speed.

  He took one out with an arrow and charged.

  The stage two hissed. Yellowish fluid arced towards her. Sanna lurched to the side, and the snow steamed where it landed. The stage two advanced, his forked flicking the air, seeking her out.

  Sanna unsheathed her dagger and shifted her stance. She drew in a steadying breath. Years of training taught her to wait. Be patient. Now.

  She leapt forward and for a moment she was flying. She brought down the axe hard aiming for his skull. The stage two stumbled back, and she hacked his shoulder instead, tackling him. He sprawled out as he fell, black blood oozed from the wound, congealed by the frigid temperatures. She rammed her dagger under his chin, severing the all-important brain stem.

  A stage one lumbered towards her, his clothes stretched tight over his bloated body. His shoulder-length hair was matted with brush and leaves, and a bite wound the size of a human mouth festered on his cheek. Jace?

  He advanced, his long arms flailing. Sanna reached for her axe. It wouldn’t budge. She braced her foot on the stage two and yanked, a deep cry ripping from her chest as she tore the weapon out. Jace landed a blow, his claws ripping fire across her chest.

  She swung the axe up, bracing the handle with both hands as she pressed it to his neck. His slobbery jaws bit the air near her nose, his gaze burning with malice. She kicked his stomach, shoving him off. He fell backward, his arms reeling. She swung again, but he dashed to the side and her axe bit the earth.

  He pounced, flattening her.

  She braced her hands against his shoulders, struggling to keep him at bay. Jace snapped the air like a rabid dog, drawing closer, his face inches from her own. So easy. The voice whispered. You’re just a weak human, aren’t you?

  Jace collapsed onto her, a dagger buried into the back of his neck.

  Kai stood above them, breathing hard. His ragged coat and mismatched boots were splattered black blood. Sanna kicked the body off her and stood. The wind tore her hair loose from its braid. She squinted through the twisting, straw-colored strands and took in the carnage Kai had wrought. Headless bodies of the stage ones littered the background.

  It was terrible. Amazing.

  “We gotta keep moving,” Kai said, pulling his dagger free.

  Sanna nodded. They took off for the line of flags.

  Do you really think you can escape me, human?

  Kai’s face was a resolute mask. Only she had heard those words. The wind gusted as they crossed into the Kill Zone. Relief washed over her. They were safe now. The archers would protect them.

  Kai glanced over his shoulder and muttered a curse. Sanna followed his gaze. The breath froze in her lungs. Infected poured out of the forest, far more than she’d ever seen. They were heading straight for them in a giant, writhing wave.

  “Run!” she shouted. Time slowed as they sprinted to Erling’s metal wall. The thunderous rumble of the stampede grew louder with each passing second. “Shelter!” she cried, beating the door with her fists.

  Kai spun towards the horde, an arrow nocked and ready. “They’re closing in!”

  A coarse rope unfurled over the top of the wall.

  “Here,” Sanna shoved it towards him. “Climb up.”

  “You first.”

  Sanna tried to grip the rope, but her arms and legs were limp. Unresponsive, just like at the cabin. A strange coolness radiated out from her heart, encasing her body in invisible ice. She tried to scream, but no sound came.

  It’s time. Join us.

  Arrows whizzed down from above, hitting their targets with soft thunks.

  “What are you doing? Get up there.” Kai threw down his bow and unsheathed two daggers. “I can’t hold them forever.”

  They’re gonna tear him apart, Ssssannna.

  The intruding voice was like a putrid sludge coating her brain, muddling her thoughts. A fresh onslaught of nausea turned her stomach. In her mind’s eye, she was suddenly back in the frozen lake, pounding the ice with her fists.

  No. Sanna gritted her teeth. Get out of my head. Leave!

  The ice webbed and shattered and suddenly she was back at the base of Erling’s wall. The invading voice was gone, ripped out like a noxious vine, leaving her hollow. Exhausted. She dropped her axe and fell forward, her knees landing hard on the snowy earth. A horn bellowed from above. An archer pointed to the forest from his perch on the wall.

  “I can’t believe it.” Kai stood next to her, his bloodied dagger held limp at his side. “They’re...leaving.”

  The horde retreated, disappearing into the woods as quickly as it came.

  Erling’s wall erupted into a chorus of cheers. Kai pumped his fist in the air, howling like a wolf. “We did it! We’re alive!”

  He laughed at the sun. His long hair had come loose from his tie, giving him a wild, rugged air. His broad grin brought magic to his eyes.

  He was the bravest person she’d ever met.

  He’d faced a massive horde armed with just a bow and daggers. He’d protected her even as she wallowed in the snow, rendered useless by that insidious voice.

  He looked at her, his smile dimming. “You’re okay, aren’t you?”

  “I’m fine,” She lied, rising up. The voice had left her feeling violated and vaguely ill. She almost wished the Infected would’ve taken her. It was better than knowing she had faced a horde by making a snow angel instead of furiously fighting for her life.

  When she’d ordered the voice to leave, the Infected had stopped attacking. Was there a connection?

  No. Impossible.

  The gate’s iron gears clanked to life behind her. She stumbled backward into Kai. He gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

  Erling’s guards flooded the entryway and cheered, shaking their weapons in the air.

  “There they are! They sent the horde packing!” someone yelled. The mob roared its approval.

  Sanna’s stomach twisted. She wanted to shrink. Disappear. She did not deserve a hero’s welcome. She edged away, but Kai wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to guide her through the joyous, bustling crush. The scent of sweat and smoke filled the air, nearly gagging her. Ruddy, wind-chapped faces swarmed around her, grinning as their hands smacked her back and shoulders.

  Their sheer joy did little to ease the heavy weight of failure on her chest, or the feeling that she was being destroyed from within.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Twig fell against the straggly birch, his skull squeezed in an invisible vise. The pain was so immense, he was surprised his head hadn’t cracked open like a rotten egg. How had she done that? He’d nearly had her and then she’d not only pushed him away but had driven the horde into the forest.

  She was growing stronger.

  More dangerous.

  In time she might even challenge his control over the horde he’d so carefully gathered.

  His horde. Twig felt his skin ripping further apart. He dragged his hand across his aching face and was surprised to find dark blood coating it. The wound that ran from his right ear all to his left temple had reopened from the force.

  He hadn’t been made for this kind of work. His stitching was rudimentary. He was meant to either spend eternity se
rving the Omegas in their glittering mansions or toiling on the human farms with the other uglies.

  At least, that’s what his master had told him. Repeatedly. Often right after he pointed out a spot Twig had missed while scrubbing the floor.

  Twig laughed. It was a rusty sound, one that he hadn’t made in many human lifetimes. His master was wrong. He’d gathered a horde, just like an Omega, and guided it to a location of his choosing. Even though his quarry escaped, Twig had never felt so proud.

  What else had that arrogant fool lied about? Perhaps Twig could stand naked in broad daylight. Or swim. Or drink the blood of the dead, instead of just the living. Maybe his body could heal if he consumed enough humans. Then he’d no longer look like a gruesome patchwork troll, and the agony that marked each of his days would finally be gone.

  He would’ve never considered this if he hadn’t left home.

  For the first time in two hundred years, hope fluttered in his chest. The further he got from his master’s influence, the more anything seemed possible.

  Twig fished out the sharpened bone needle and catgut thread he kept on him at all times and went to work closing the jagged wound across his face.

  He'd finally determined the location of Sanna’s settlement. Erling. It sat like a giant wart amongst the trees. Its walls were steep. Impenetrable. The Alpha could sail over, but she’d proven to be far more difficult to control than the others. It was hard to keep her near him, let alone compel her to do anything.

  Even now, he felt her resistance. A palpable tug on his chest. She might look innocent, perched on that boulder like a demonic bird. Her blank stare didn’t fool him. She thought him weak. Unworthy. She would escape the moment he let down his guard, just like that human cow that had left him to starve. He wouldn’t let the Alpha get away. He’d show her just how strong he was, even if it ripped every stitch in his body.

  But that would take time. Practice. And right now, he needed to destroy Sanna before she became a threat. If Infected couldn't scale the slick walls, and the Alpha refused to fly over them, he had to convince a human to let him inside.

  “There you are,” a familiar voice called. Twig yanked up his hood and turned to Cerise, the leader of this human encampment. “Did you see all those Infected? They went right by us.”

  “I told you I’d protect you.”

  “Yes, of course. We are so grateful.” the woman bowed her head. “Have you seen Kyle? His mother went out looking for him a few hours ago—”

  “No,” Twig lied. The boy and his mother had been far too clingy for his taste, treating him like a human child ever since they'd brought him here. He’d been starving after gathering the horde, so the boy’s penchant for following him worked out after all. “I haven’t.”

  He followed Cerise back to camp. Humans surely left Erling’s walls every morning to go hunting. It would be easy to intercept one of them, so long as he covered his tender skin from the harsh winter sun.

  If his time in servitude had taught him anything, it was how agreeable humans could be when their lives were at stake. And how incredibly selfish, too.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Kai had never liked large groups. In his experience, the more people gathered together, the worse everyone became—cheering one moment and tearing each other apart the next.

  Now, fifty men and women surrounded them, a blend of soldiers and villagers. Some thumped Kai’s shoulder, while others playfully tousled the hair of their neighbors. A few even broke into a drinking song Kai hadn’t heard since he was a child. Frankie pranced from one person to the next, thrilled by the hubbub and good cheer.

  The crowd parted, revealing a small, sallow man with greasy gray hair. He was dwarfed by his companion—a giant with a leather eye patch, whose craggy face seemed carved from granite. His wide head sat on his shoulders like a cannonball, and his thick, red beard was streaked in gray. The giant’s lone blue eye zeroed in on Sanna, and his intimidating scowl broke into one of utter shock. “You’re—you’re...alive!” he sputtered, his metal teeth flashing.

  “Hey, Dad.” Sanna clutched an elbow, bowing her head. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Ivan scooped Sanna into a bone-crushing hug, his muscular arms straining his leather duster. “Simon told us you were dead—that an Outsider killed you. But when I heard two people were making a run for the wall, I thought, I hoped—” He held Sanna at arm’s length. “You’re not hurt, are you? No,” he decided, embracing her again. “You gave us such a scare, girl.”

  “What about Haven? Did she make it?”

  “Yes, yes,” Ivan set Sanna down but didn’t release her. “That girl could’ve made a damn good soldier if your mother hadn’t gotten to her first. She’s resilient, I tell you.”

  “Much like you, Sanna,” the smaller man interjected. His gaze shifted to Kai. “Who’s this, then? A stray, perhaps?”

  Sanna extricated herself from her father’s grasp. “Lieutenant, this is Kai Merrick. He’s the one who pulled Haven and me out of the lake yesterday morning. Without him, neither of us would’ve made it.”

  “In that case, you’re hero, son.” The Lieutenant grabbed Kai’s hand and pumped it. “Welcome to Erling.”

  The crowd went wild around them, crowing and punching the air with their fists. The Lieutenant smiled and waved at the masses, then turned to Kai and pulled him closer, his breath sour. “Provided you pass the blood test and background check, of course.”

  Kai swallowed, wondering where his warrant might be hiding in a place like this. “No problem.”

  “All right, all right,” Ivan waved his beefy hands in the air, calming the crowd. “Back to your posts! All of you! The horde might have retreated, but that doesn’t mean they won’t attack again.”

  “They can try!” a woman shouted.“Let’s show them what we got.

  The crowd roared in agreement, their brush with death leaving them effervescent as they dispersed.

  “It’s truly amazing that out of all the miles and miles of Deadlands, you happened to be where the girls needed you,” a smooth, tenor voice purred as a heavyset woman finished shaking Kai’s hand. “How incredibly lucky for them.”

  Kai spotted a man in his late twenties stepping towards him. Tall and chiseled, his ebony hair was woven into a sleek topknot and his amber eyes studied Kai with a predator’s interest. He snatched the arm of a passing female soldier with a viper’s speed. “Tell Dr. Larson and Haven that Sanna’s alive.” His gaze slid to Kai. “And that she brought an Outsider.”

  “Yes, Raj.”

  Raj released her and she disappeared into the drab, shuffling current of villagers. “So, Merrick,” he continued, “what were you doing this far North? Erling is a long way from anywhere.”

  “I was heading to the border, sir.”

  “Ahh.” Raj’s thick black brows inched up. “So you had a death wish, then. No wonder you jumped into that frozen lake after complete strangers.”

  “Can’t this wait—” Sanna began.

  Raj raised his hand, silencing her. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around this amazing act of heroism. It’s not every day you meet someone so...selfless.”

  “C’mon, Raj,” Ivan said with a good-natured chuckle. His arm was still looped around Sanna’s shoulders. “It’s not like he tossed the girls in. Look at him, a strong wind would knock him flat.”

  “All I’m saying is that this whole mess is a damn good way to get inside Erling without going through the proper channels.” He turned to Kai. “I’m assuming you don’t have any documents with you. Or identification.”

  “No, sir,” Kai said. “I was hoping for a place to crash for a few days but if that’s too much to ask, then I can just leave.”

  “If he goes,” Sanna stepped between them. “I go.”

  “Sure,” Kai said quickly, surprised at his luck. “I know a place we can—”

  “You’re not going anywhere, girl,” Ivan cut in. “Your mother’s been through enough. I’ve been through enough.
The boy will get tested just like all of the other visitors. Right, Raj? End of story.”

  “Actually, last I checked the clinic’s quarantine cells were full,” Raj said crisply. “There is the dungeon...”

  Kai’s blood ran cold.

  “He could stay with us,” Sanna offered. “You said so yourself, Kai’s a hero, not a criminal. Right, Dad?”

  “Fine with me,” Ivan beamed down at her. “Your mother’s gonna be over the moon. I can’t wait—”

  “No offense, Sanna,” Raj cut in, loud enough for the surrounding people to hear, “but you haven’t been a great judge of character lately, have you? I think it's best the new arrival is taken somewhere more...impartial.”

  Sanna’s cheeks burned as the soldiers behind him snickered. Stupid Nico.

  “All right, all right,” the Lieutenant said. Kai had forgotten the man was even there. “I swear, Raj, you’d argue with the sun if someone told you it could answer. I’ll take the kid to the tavern. He can stay there under lock and key until his tests clear. Come on, Mr. Merrick, before Raj thinks of a rebuttal.” He waved at Kai to follow as he headed down the muddy road.

  Kai fell in behind him, eager to be out of Raj’s sights. He shot Sanna one last glance, but Ivan was already guiding her down another street which led to a series of small cabins and a few two-story homes. She looked defeated—what that jerk had said about poor judgment must have really bothered her.

  “We’ll share a drink, you and I,” the Lieutenant said as they walked deeper into town. Old storefronts shot up on each side, all in desperate need of paint. Most appeared empty, and those that were in use had been pieced together with whatever materials could be scavenged. Except for the impressive wall to keep out the unclean and Infected, Erling was little more than the decrepit remains of an abandoned town.

  “I know it’s not much,” the Lieutenant said, slowing down so Kai could catch up. “But it's safe. There hasn’t been a breach in nearly eight years, if you can believe it. Ale ain’t too bad either after you get used to it. Yep, things will turn around, once the scientists from New Hope start coming in.”