by K. A. Tucker
Grabbing knapsacks, we flew through the basic grooming and clothing aisles, each grabbing a change of simple black clothing and toiletries. It seemed rather trivial, given everything else that had happened, but I couldn’t blame Caden for wanting a shower and something clean to wear.
I knew I’d prefer him in clothes that weren’t covered in ash and blood.
It wasn’t until the shoe section where Bishop showed us his split heel that it hit me. “This is our new life, isn’t it?” It wouldn’t be long before the broader society would deteriorate to match this small section of the country. Until we were stealing everything that we wore. Only it wouldn’t technically be stealing because there would be no one left to pay. Infrastructure would crumble, currency would hold no value. Civilization as we knew it would cease to exist. The only answer I received in response was a sympathetic smile.
*
“We’ll have to wait until nightfall tomorrow to go in to the city,” Lilly explained, leading us up the creaking old steps of the farmhouse porch. It didn’t matter that she kicked open the door. Most of the old windows were already shattered from the blast.
“The owners?” Sofie asked as her sharp eyes surveyed the darkness within. Even with nightfall, I sensed the thick, dirty air, the dust and radiation particles floating through the atmosphere, creating a toxic blanket for any mortal. My skin tingled with a slight burn.
“Gone,” Lilly confirmed. I wondered if “gone” meant abandoned or dead as she led us farther in. My nose picked up the faint odor of cattle.
The back of the eerily quiet home opened up into a sprawling kitchen. Open loaves of bread and a carton of milk still sat on the counter. It was obviously an unplanned exit, one way or another.
Using her tiptoes to reach over the stove, Lilly flicked a switch and a light came on. “We’re on one of a few grids still working,” she explained. “But we should probably keep the lights to a minimum. Just in case anyone’s watching.”
“Anyone” wasn’t anyone. She meant Viggo. It didn’t seem likely that Viggo would trail us so quickly, Veronique in tow, but this was Viggo we were talking about. What sounded irrational was exactly what he would do.
“Good pick, Lilly. It’s nice and remote,” Bishop murmured. “Smart call on the cattle farm.”
“They’re contaminated,” Mage was quick to point out, running a hand along the kitchen counter. She inspected the sooty film on her fingertips.
“So? Radiation can’t kill us.”
I often had to remind myself that Bishop had been created after the war had already started and was whisked away by Fiona soon after. Of all of the Ratheus vampires, he was the only one not familiar with the downfall. And of all of the Ratheus vampires, Mage was the only one acutely aware of how it unfolded from day one.
Fiona wrapped her arms around his neck. “No, they just taste dreadful, babe. You’ll wish you hadn’t.”
His brow quirked. “How bad, exactly? Because from what I saw, there have to be at least fifty of those fine beasts out there, waiting.”
“Really bad, like you’ll-wish-you’d-listened-to-Fiona-because-she’s-always-right bad.” She nuzzled her delicate nose against his neck.
Bishop groaned. As happy as I was that they could find some levity in the gloom, it was too much for me right now. I touched Lilly’s forearm.
“Have you heard anything from Isaac?” I asked.
A solemn shake answered me as she stepped over to peer out of a glassless window, shards crunching under her boots. “They were supposed to bring the submarine to the surface and leave, but I don’t know that they got off. None of the signals are working.”
We’d been so focused on the loss of Amelie, I hadn’t heard one kind word spoken to Lilly about her own grief. “I’m sorry about Galen and Kait.” I may not have liked them but they died fighting with us. They deserved that much.
There was a pause and then a sheepish smile, one of a child rather than a deadly creature. “I didn’t think you’d talk to me again after I helped with that.”
Sofie’s head turned toward us slightly and I knew she was listening, even with her eyes locked on the hilly countryside through the window. She had to be wondering the same. Why would I forgive Lilly and not her?
“I trusted that you would listen to Sofie. You didn’t betray me, Lilly.” Lilly had done exactly what I told her to do. Listen to Sofie in all things war-related. It was to her I spoke, but I’m sure everyone standing in that old farm kitchen knew who it was meant for.
Confronting Sofie earlier had been harder than expected. I knew that it would be. When we marched out in a solemn row to face her, I had wavered momentarily. And then she did exactly what we had anticipated. She’d tried to control the situation, tried to ship us away, knowing that we needed to see for ourselves that Amelie was in fact gone. We needed that closure. Sofie knew we needed that closure. Yet, she was going to take the opportunity away from us.
That’s when I knew for certain that I could never trust her again.
Still, when Caden informed her of our plans—that we would part ways when this was over—I saw the veil drop for just a second and her pain revealed itself. I almost buckled.
Lilly’s mouth opened as if to say something but after pausing, she simply nodded. “We need to know what’s going on at all times from here on in, okay, Lilly?” Also meant for Sofie to hear. A warning to not keep us in the dark again. At least casting spells against me would prove difficult from now on. I smiled to myself, in awe of my new abilities.
Another nod from Lilly. “The military is setting up their rescue stations across the ridge. I’m going to go and gather some information and supplies.”
“We can come with you,” I offered quickly, glancing at Caden and the others. We would not be separated again.
Sofie’s head whipped around and her mouth dropped, but she held her tongue.
“No, this is straight reconnaissance. I do better on my own,” Lilly explained.
With my single nod of agreement, she disappeared. I knew we didn’t have to worry about Lilly. She’d survived for over a millennium. She had even evaded Viggo’s reach.
And still, I worried.
She’d become more than an ally in all of this, so ironic given the first meeting with her had ended in a ghastly slash across my arm, followed by a kidnapping. I now considered her a good friend. I hoped that after all this was said and done, she would join us wherever we ended up.
“I suggest you go and clean up. Enjoy the quiet you have now,” Mage said, her tone serene, as she dragged over a kitchen chair. “Tomorrow night, when you see what is left … you will be wishing to unsee it for a long time.” A glimmer of sorrow passed through her eyes as she sat.
Caden’s fingers entwined in mine. With a slight tug, I tailed behind him as he led me out of the kitchen. We grabbed our knapsacks from the hallway. Passing by the living room, I spotted Max, stretched out across a blue floral rug, his chin settling on his front paws in his sad puppy way.
He hadn’t let me heal him as I had healed the others’ emotional wounds. In fact, Max and I had exchanged no more than two words since the mines and I couldn’t stand it. I don’t think he trusted me. My insides twisted. What if he decided he wanted nothing more to do with me?
It would gut me.
“I’ll come find you upstairs,” I said, breaking free of Caden’s grip. I dropped down beside the giant canine body, wrapping my arms around Max’s neck. “Please don’t leave me.”
He made no effort to acknowledge my affections or my words but he didn’t pull away, so I curled up next to him and rested my head on his shoulders. I lay there quietly as Caden and the others took the creaky steps to the second floor. Footsteps above, followed by doors closing and taps turning. Water rushed through the old house’s pipes.
It wasn’t until Julian came down, freshly showered and changed, his hair still dripping, that I pried myself away from my big guardian. “Hang out with him,” I whispered.
&nb
sp; A half smirk responded, the sadness visible in Julian’s rich brown eyes. “Who else would I hang out with?”
If I were capable of crying, I might at this point. Giving Julian’s arm a squeeze, I made my way upstairs. Julian’s sweatshirt and jeans were scattered across the floor of the first room and Fiona’s soft giggles told me to avoid the second closed door. I quietly opened the third, knowing that Sofie and Mage had remained in the kitchen so there was only Caden left.
This had to be the master bedroom, I surmised, my eyes rolling over its spaciousness, large enough to accommodate two dressers and a large bed. As if to fit the farm feel, the walls were covered in floor-to-ceiling wallpaper of dusty-rose and green flowers. Matching curtains draped the windows.
I quickly dismissed the details when a full-length mirror in the corner caught my attention. I stood in front of it, seeing myself in my immortal body for the very first time.
“Holy …” My words trailed as I peered back at myself through my new yellow eyes. Vibrant gold coins, so bright they shimmered, even in the dark. No wonder everybody stares at me. A ran a fingertip along the bridge of my smooth nose and my cheekbones, just slightly more prominent. Twirling a few strands of hair, I had to admit that even it had changed—its color richer, its texture thicker. And my body …
The shower in the adjoining bathroom was still running so I knew I had time. I quickly peeled my clothes off, casting them to the floor to join Caden’s. I couldn’t recall the last time I stood in front of a mirror like this but I did know that my body had looked nothing like this. It was still my body, only curvier. My legs were still long and lean, only there was no softness, the silhouette of my thighs shapely. Parts of me had filled out more while other parts had tightened. Thinking back to that first time I wore a bikini next to Amelie and Fiona, I had to admit to myself that I could stand next to them without feeling awkward now. I could—
A whistle interrupted my self-examination.
I froze.
Leisurely footsteps approached but I didn’t turn around, suddenly feeling all the awkwardness and none of the confidence that I’d been reminiscing about only moments ago.
“You were stunningly beautiful before too,” Caden said in a low voice. He pressed himself up against me, droplets of water dampening my back, the towel around his bottom half soft against my skin. Rich jade eyes, deeper than usual, penetrated mine in the reflection. He pulled me against his chest with his well-defined arms. “Are you happy with what you see?”
With a sheepish grin, I admitted, “Yes.” A pause and then, “Are you?”
His low chuckle tickled my ear, sending waves of exhilaration through me. Pulling me tighter against him against the hardness under his towel, he mumbled, “What do you think?”
I turned to face him. His hair was in disarray, merely towel dried. I reached up to touch a strand. “And these eyes?” I asked.
We didn’t need to breathe and yet we did, our heavy exhales creating billowing clouds within the room. “Which ones? These ones?” I closed my eyes as he leaned forward, first to kiss one lid and then the other, before closing his mouth over mine, the kiss so deep that it forced my head back.
I inhaled the scent of his musky soap. “You’re so clean. I’m not.” Some of the blood and ash from Caden had rubbed off onto me, leaving streaks of soot and crimson.
Sweeping me off the ground, Caden carried me to the adjoining bathroom, a sly smile curving his lips. “I could always use a second shower.”
*
“How will the world move forward after this?”
Staring out the small farmhouse window at the morning sky beyond, the ominous cloud hovering over the distant decimated city had begun to dissipate. Unfortunately, the aftermath would not disappear so easily.
“I don’t know,” Caden offered, pulling a simple black shirt over his head. “There never was just one nuclear bomb drop for us and Ratheus never did move forward. I guess only time will tell.”
“I read somewhere that radioactive particles released into the air will travel miles, polluting everything they touch.” My eyes rolled over the snow-covered farmland in the distance. “None of this will be livable for years, will it?”
Caden sighed. “No. Probably not.”
“Do you think she did the right thing?” I’d already asked this question once, and yet the answer we’d come to didn’t necessarily sit well with me. Then again, nothing about this situation sat well with me.
The bed creaked as Caden relieved it of his weight. “I really don’t know, Evie.” His heavy boots clunked along the old wood floorboards as he approached me. He leaned down to rest his forehead against the back of my head, his arms roping around my body. “I can’t bring myself to admit it because it’s Amelie, but …” He paused. “If we go in there and find that the fledglings are dead and this war has been stalled, then maybe it was the right move and losing my sister was the cost.”
I leaned against him, my hand on his forearm for a sympathetic rub. It was the same thought that’d been lingering in my mind all night. But as Caden had said, just considering it to be true ignited guilt. Maybe that was our burden to bear, though.
How much guilt was Sofie bearing right now?
A flicker of movement in the distance caught my attention. Squinting, I peered out at the figure as it crested the horizon. Almost a blur, moving so quickly, but there was only one person it could be.
“Lilly!” we said in unison. She’d been gone for almost seven hours.
Three more figures crested that same ridge then, and my relief faded. Were they chasing her? I couldn’t tell, but they were moving fast. Too fast to be human. Would fledglings chase? Would Lilly run from them?
“Who are they?” Panic set in. It was only amplified seconds later as a blur of movement trailed them—not human figures, not nearly as fast, but certainly approaching.
Caden and I raced to the main floor. Out of habit, I hollered, “Sofie!” as we stormed out the front door, down the rickety old stairs, flying forward. Everyone was coming after us in seconds, Bishop in only pants.
Sofie and Mage appeared immediately to join us in our charge down the long driveway. We crossed paths with Lilly where the mile-long driveway met an old dirt road. “Weapons!” she announced, slinging a duffel bag almost as long as she was tall off her back.
“Lilly, you’re being followed,” Sofie rushed, her green eyes narrowing as she searched the landscape.
“I know.” Her tiny face split into a broad smile. There was no need to provide an explanation, though. We understood immediately when three tall, military-looking men came into view. The three living members of Lilly’s council. They had made it off the submarine after all.
Bishop’s laughter bellowed in the quiet morning. “You found them?”
“They found me. They figured I’d be skulking around the action.” Lilly giggled, her genuine happiness a bright light in our gloom.
Without a word, they smoothly dropped their own duffel bags with thuds.
“Hazmat suits,” Lilly explained. “Everyone’s wearing them. It’ll help get through the lines without drawing attention.”
“Lilly, who else followed you here?” Mage asked, her shrewd black eyes dissecting the empty fields ahead.
“Wolves,” Isaac announced in a deep voice, proving to me that he could in fact talk. His stony expression didn’t ease as he added, “They are slow.”
Sofie’s eyes lit up with that news.
“Kiril’s and Ivan’s men tailed the witches up from Boston,” Lilly elaborated. “They’ll be here soon.” Her smile fell with her next words. “They didn’t know about Kiril and the others.”
We shared an impromptu moment of silence for the group who’d probably suffered the most in all of this.
“Are they still willing to work with us?” Sofie asked, her words hesitant.
“Yes. They are. In honor of Kiril and Ivan.”
Sofie dipped her head once in response.
“So t
he witches have their hooks in the military,” Mage stated, her tone clearly not a questioning one.
“The leaders, yes,” Lilly confirmed.
Sofie and Mage shared a hard look.
“Did they figure out that you were there?” Mage asked.
Lilly’s face flashed with the look of a petulant child. I pursed my lips to keep from laughing out loud. “No one ever knows when I’m there, unless I want them to.”
Sofie sighed. “You are invaluable, Lilly. Thank you.” She turned back toward the house but then stopped. “We’re going in tonight, at nightfall.” She scanned all of our faces, resting on mine for a moment longer than the others. “Let’s decide on our strategy. Together.” She didn’t wait for our agreement before beginning the long trek, her steps slow and lackluster.
Chapter Nineteen – Sofie
“I will burn every last one of those sorceresses where they stand,” I growled, launching the wobbly kitchen chair against the cupboards. Wood splintered in every direction, the loud crack like a gunshot in the silence.
“We need to be smart,” Mage counseled, sliding her own chair out calmly, unperturbed by my tantrum. “They may have figured out that we were behind the bombing, but they do not know whether we’re going to venture into the city again. The last thing we want to do is let them know that we’re going back in. They’ll be the ones to push the button this time.”
Air hissed through my teeth. A second bombing? Would they do that? Yes, they would. I’d never tested my magic against a nuclear weapon, but I think I could safely say it wasn’t strong enough to stop it.
“Perhaps we should send another bomb in to eliminate any remaining fledglings,” Mage muttered, the front door banging against its frame in the background. “If the ones in the tunnels have broken free, it could be an easier way to rid ourselves of them.”
“No!” Julian barked as the long processional of bodies filled the spacious kitchen. “What if Amelie is still alive! What if she’s trying to get out? So help me, Sofie, if you do something so callous again, I will rip your—”