“Scientists?” Kai repeated as they passed two grubby children huddled together, poking something with a stick. “Here? Why?”
“The Infected, of course. I’ve got a whole stack of notices from the Center for Virus Control sitting on my desk back home. The bigwigs down south heard about the Infected waking up early this year and want to know why. Especially since Erling’s the only territory where it’s happening.”
He keeps important papers on his desk. Maybe Kai’s warrant would be there too.
The Lieutenant stopped outside a whitewashed building that sat on the corner. Yellow candlelight spilled out from its large windows on the main floor. Most of the tables inside were packed. Upstairs, the curtains were drawn.
“I’d suggest you leave the dog out here for now. Dinah isn’t a fan of animals that aren’t meant for food.”
Kai tied Frankie to one of the railings and gave him a pat. He trailed the little man inside, hoping to get him so drunk that when Kai broke into his house, he wouldn’t notice a thing.
A few hours later, Kai peered around the corner of the Lieutenant’s house—a weathered Victorian that seemed to be leaning to the left—and watched the pickled man try to unlock his back door with his key, only to have it swing open.
Someone had gotten there before him.
The Lieutenant blinked owlishly, then staggered inside, shutting the door. Kai waited a few moments, then crept onto the landing. He tried the doorknob. It was locked. He went to work, using the lockpick set Hayes had gifted him years ago, along with a set of shackles he’d forced Kai to wear until he learned to pick them. Those had taken him a full day, but this door lock clicked in a matter of seconds. He slipped inside.
The door led to a spartan kitchen with a half-filled pitcher near the sink. He sneaked through an arched opening that led to a dining room that held a small oak table, set for three. Dust tickled his nose as he entered the living room. Thick, rotting drapes covered the windows, and a massive wooden china hutch barricaded the front door.
The ceiling groaned as the Lieutenant shuffled down the hall. Kai climbed the stairs. A door creaked open at the far end, then shut, a lock clicking into place. The Lieutenant might be drunk, but he still was nervous about unexpected visitors.
Kai searched each of the open rooms lining the hall. All were empty, with only the ghostly silhouettes of furniture remaining on the faded wallpaper. He reached the Lieutenant’s room. Snores rumbled from within.
Kai stared at the door. Was the old warrant for his arrest inside? Did he dare risk it? He’d have to. That piece of paper had the power to send him to the gallows. He took the pick from his pocket and went to work. The lock gave way without a fight.
Kai twisted the handle and pressed. The door wouldn’t budge. He leaned into it and felt solid resistance. The Lieutenant must’ve barricaded his bedroom door, just like the one downstairs. Kai pressed again. Something scraped across the floorboards on the other side.
“Raj?” The Lieutenant slurred.
Kai’s stomach dropped. He raced down the hall.
“Wait!” Furniture shrieked across the floor and the bedroom door banged open. “Raj! I want to see them!”
Kai leaped down the stairs, taking three at a time. He darted through the vacant living room, past the dining room and its tiny table set for three. Moonlight streamed through the moth-eaten curtains, illuminating the yellowed linoleum floor and the coppery red stain he was standing in. The grisly color was splattered across the walls, cabinets, and peeling countertops. Even the sink looked like it was painted in rust, and nearby it, a large cleaver waited with a wooden handle.
“I want to see them,” the Lieutenant whined from the steps; his voice watery.
Kai shook off his horror and crossed the kitchen. His head struck something hard, and he ducked, glancing up. A butcher’s hook swung overhead. The Lieutenant’s footsteps drew closer. Kai made a break for the back door, letting it slam behind him. He sprinted down the main road.
“Raj!” the Lieutenant called after him. “You can’t keep me from my family!”
Kai dove for the shadows, his heart racing. He had no clue what was going on at the Lieutenant’s house. But he hoped he wouldn’t be in Erling long enough to find out.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Like Ivan, Sanna’s mother clung to her for a long while, as if she were going to fly away at a moment’s notice. Haven had been more reserved, watching from a distance. Her pretty face was drawn, and shadows clung to her eyes. It wasn’t until Sanna’s parents had gone to bed that she actually spoke.
“Something happened, didn’t it? Between you and that Outsider,” Haven asked as she entered Sanna’s bedroom.
Sanna continued to stare out her window. The question she’d wanted to ask Haven burned like a coal, but she feared voicing the words would make it all real. “No, not really.”
“He’s handsome.” The bed creaked as Haven sat down on it. “And not nearly as stupid as he looks.”
“What do you mean?”
“There aren’t a lot of ways to get into Erling without papers, yet he found one.” She stretched out like a cat; her arms nestled under her head. “Pretty ingenious.”
“You’re starting to sound like Raj.” The full moon washed the snowy yard in cool, silvery light. A dark mass scurried down the street and vanished into the shadows. A dog, probably. “I hope Kai is okay.”
“He seems like the type who can take care of himself. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Really? You’re the one who looks like death warmed over.”
“I guess I do have a bit of a cold. Not everyone can take a sub-zero dip and come out looking dewy fresh. You’re good, right?”
Sanna wasn’t used to Haven being so nosy. In fact, she was fairly certain this was the first time the girl had ever even been in her bedroom. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Good. I don’t know what’s going on with the Infected. First, they woke up early, and now they’re forming these massive hordes. I heard whitecoats from New Hope are coming to study it—”
“Can I ask you something?” Sanna blurted, facing her. “Is there a reason why someone would hear voices? In their head?”
“You mean medically? Well...” Haven frowned. “There are quite a few, actually. Severe illness. Stress. The virus is known to make people see and hear all sorts of things before they turn.” Haven leaned forward, her brow furrowing. “Are you hearing things? Is that why you’ve been acting so weird lately?”
“No,” Sanna scoffed, shaking her head, “of course not. Do I look crazy?”
“Crazy isn’t a medical term. There’s mental illness—”
“I was just...um...curious. I thought maybe that’s how the Infected communicated. That would explain how the horde left all at once.”
Haven relaxed. “I guess we’ll never know. We’d have to be capable of speaking to them before we could find out.”
“Uh-huh,” Sanna agreed, feigning a yawn.
Haven took her cue. “Okay then,” she hopped up from the bed, “Goodnight.”
“You too,” Sanna said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Haven lingered at the doorway, “I’d be careful around that Outsider. No one gets this far north without an agenda—and I’m not talking about that bogus suicide mission to Canada.”
“He’s under lock and key now. There isn’t much he can do.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Haven closed the door behind her.
Sanna sighed, her tension easing. Normally she wouldn’t mind the company, but Haven’s visit was more than just friendly banter. She’d sensed something was wrong earlier, and Sanna all but confirmed it.
Hearing voices. Sanna cursed herself for not being more careful as she laid down on her bed. Questions swirled, keeping her from the sleep her aching eyes so desperately needed. The voice wanted her dead, that much was obvious, and it was somehow tied to the Infected that had attacked her. The horde might have fallen back
, but that didn’t mean they were gone. She sensed they were still out there. Waiting.
And it was only a matter of time before she had to face them again.
TWIG STALKED THE GIRL through the trees. She’d caught his interest a few hours ago, when her first hapless arrow had nearly missed his head. Strange creature, to be out here all alone. Especially since his horde had attacked Erling just the day before.
His stomach rumbled. It wouldn’t be long until the dizziness swept over him. He needed to feed soon, but something about her made him pause.
He sunk further behind the brush as she walked past him, her worn boots leaving deep tracks in the snow. Her face was plain, her lips pressed into a line of frustration. She didn’t have that many arrows left. Three had already been lost in the trees.
Twig could relate. He was frustrated too. First Sanna had broken his mental hold in that cabin, and then she’d scattered his horde like dried leaves caught on a wind.
It did not bode well. He wasn’t physically strong enough to take Sanna on himself. And if she could get rid of a horde so easily, perhaps only the Alpha would stand a chance of taking her down. If he could finally make that worthless monster follow his orders.
The girl walked deeper into the forest. Twig followed, careful to stay hidden. She suddenly stopped, gasping.
Twig peered over her shoulder and saw she’d finally found her prize: a large buck. She quickly released her arrow and missed. The deer startled and bounded away, his white tail flashing in the dark wood.
“Damn it!” The girl made a grating sound in her throat. “Stupid Sanna! If you’d actually caught something I wouldn’t be out here.”
“Did you say,” Twig slipped out from behind the bush. “Sanna?”
The girl whirled around, her dark eyes wide and doe-like.
“You are a terrible shot. You weren’t even close, and now you’re out of arrows.”
“As if you could do any better. Go back to whatever hovel you crawled out of, kid. I don’t have any money.”
He was used to far worse insults, including being mistaken for a child. “How many do you want? I can get them for you.”
“Deer?” She scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
Twig decided she looked more like a cow than a doe and seemed just as stupid. He gathered the remains of his strength and summoned the nearest stage two out of the brush—a twisted creature whose shoulders were set at a sharp slant. The girl shrieked, dropping her bow. She turned to run. Twig blocked her escape.
“Who are you?” Her gaze shifted from Twig to the stage two. “What are you?
Twig grinned behind his musty scarf. He had a feeling this human could be persuaded, much like the ones in Cerise’s encampment. “I have a proposition for you. Sanna for your village.”
“You want Sanna?”
“Yes. Keep in mind, I plan on getting her either way. The question is just how hard I have to look.”
“Wait,” the girl shook her head and squinted at the Infected. “Do they...listen to you?”
A stage one launched from behind him, his arm flinging back to strike the girl. She cowered, her eyes screwed shut, and Twig felt a rush of pleasure so delicious, his toes curled. The Infected’s claws grazed her face.
“I’ll ask you again,” he drew out each word, assuming the girl was dumber than most. “How many deer do you want?”
The girl peered out from a crack in her fingers, her jaw dropping at the sight of an Infected dragging the carcasses of two deer toward her.
She was his now, he was certain. She’d let him into her precious village without a second thought. Humans were easy to impress. Easy to fool. And the best part was he could always eat her later.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kai spent his second day in Erling locked in his room, waiting for the other boot to drop.
Every set of footsteps up the stairs or down the hall made him break out into a cold sweat. He thought of escaping through the window, but then saw Esme’s reflection in the frost-covered glass and stopped. He couldn’t leave without Sanna. Besides, there was a good chance his warrant was lost. Destroyed. Thrown away. It had been seven years since it was issued. A long time for a piece of paper to survive.
That afternoon, Kai was surprised to find himself invited to a community meal by a gruff but pleasant Dinah, who’d appeared at his door with Frankie in tow. Like all other mortals, she’d fallen under the mongrel’s spell.
At first, Kai was suspicious—why would they allow him out of his room without a blood test? But then Dinah sent up a hot bath, clean clothes, and a bald, weaselly barber, all of which seemed like a lot of resources to waste if Kai was simply being led to the gallows.
The barber informed him that the horde’s miraculous retreat, combined with a particularly successful hunt that morning, had put everyone in a celebratory mood.
For the first time in years, as Kai drew a soft black sweater over his clean head, he wondered if his life might have actually taken a turn for the better.
Kai arrived at the old church that served as Erling’s hall feeling more human than he had in months. After a few solemn prayers for the dead, the combination of a roaring fire, rich venison, and bitter ale was enough to put anyone in a festive mood. Even Raj only scowled at Kai for a moment before a pretty redhead snagged his arm and dragged him away.
The hall was sweltering and crammed with long, roughhewn tables. Villagers crowded around vats of steaming stew. Baskets of yeasty bread and rolls were passed around with abandon. Laughter and song filled the air as everyone gobbled their food, eating and drinking as if it were their last day on Earth.
If not for the bizarre retreat of that enormous horde yesterday, it almost had been.
“A gift from Sanna’s mom, Dr. Larson,” a girl’s soft voice whispered near Kai’s shoulder as the men surrounding him roared at a crude joke, their hands slapping the table hard enough to make the spoons rattle. A glass of ale—or whatever noxious homebrew Dinah concocted in her medieval kitchen—appeared beside his bowl.
“Um, thanks,” Kai said, catching a glimpse of the serving girl’s dark hair disappearing among the bustling kitchen staff. His heart lurched. Esme. For a brief, bizarre second, Kai could have sworn it was her, but that was stupid. He set down his spoon, his appetite gone. It had been a week and two days since he’d left her with Iris. Was she better? Worse? What if she had died alone? His worry was a constant hum over which all his thoughts played.
He had to get out of here. Esme was waiting for him. No matter how nice it was to be warm and fed and protected by Erling’s walls, he yearned to leave. He wondered if he should walk up to Sanna right now and tell her the truth. She hadn’t spoken to him since they got to Erling. Most may not care about a young, sick girl they’d never met, but maybe Sanna would.
“What’s wrong, Outsider?” A man leaned over the table, his long, graying beard dredging through his stew. “You look like a man about to have his nuts cut off.”
“It’s probably because—” his companion hiccupped. “Dr. Larson’s been glaring at him all night. She’s not someone to mess with, friend.”
Kai glanced at Dr. Larson who sat at the head table with her family, the Lieutenant and Raj. She was elegant and birdlike, with olive skin and large black eyes that appeared to charm the Lieutenant almost as much as his beloved ale. Her dark brown hair was heavily threaded with silver, and thin lines bracketed her mouth. She was a striking woman, albeit rather old to be Sanna’s mother.
Kai raised his glass. She dipped her chin but didn’t smile.
Despite his rescue of her beloved daughter, Kai had a hunch she viewed him as a fly in her pudding. He’d bet that Dr. Larson had no tolerance for insects, let alone interlopers.
If Dr. Larson was Erling’s queen, Ivan Iron Tooth was its jolly, one-eyed pirate king. His deep, baritone laugh rumbled over the noisy hall like thunder, shaking the very dust from the rafters. Kai pegged the source of his mirth to the latest game of drunken charades being pl
ayed amongst the off-duty soldiers in the corner.
Sanna sat at the far end of the table, next to Haven and the parade of men who vied for her attention. Compared to her mother, Sanna was a pale, quiet shadow, spending more time engrossed in her soup than the riotous world around her. Few people other than Haven seemed to acknowledge her existence and many shot daggers at her when they walked by. Only the children seemed interested in her approval, running up to show her a wrestling move or feat of strength. Then she’d clap and smile—really smile—and Kai’s heart would lift in the strangest way...
The bald man to Kai’s left swayed into his space, forcing him to grab his mug before it was knocked over. “You know I love you like my own brother, Mack, but I ain’t taking your shift on the wall.” He waggled a stubby finger at the gray-headed man across from him. “Don’t be getting too pickled.”
Mack gave him a glassy-eyed smile. “Ah well, it might be too late for that. It’s not every day the Lieutenant decides to share. Not to mention Kelsey’s lucky hunt yesterday.” He shook his empty mug in the air. “Gotta take what you can get.”
“Th-that’s—” Baldy slapped his palm on the table, already hooting at his own joke, “what your woman said last night!” His yeasty breath was enough to make Kai’s stomach turn.
While the two of them dissolved into fits of mirth, Kai deftly switched his full mug for Baldy’s neighbor’s empty one, as he’d been doing since the celebratory meal began. He looked out at the crowded hall filled with ruddy, shining faces, and felt oddly alone. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined missing the Deadlands, but he did. He longed for the solemn silence of the forest. The vast acres of wilderness, where he was the only human with a heart still beating. At least the woods didn’t smell like sweat and stale beer.
Something nudged his shoulder. The same dark-haired girl was staring at him. Her face was rounder than Esme’s, and her eyes were gray instead of black. She tugged his sleeve. He bent down to her level.
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