myself most of the time.
Who told you? I urged again.
I don’t know his name, but there was a man with dark hair who walked through the forest days ago. He told me about the cure and about you, describing you perfectly. But when I saw your food, instinct took over. Sorry about your friend.
He’s fine. Tage’s jaw ticked impatiently as he crossed his arms over his chest. He hated not being able to hear what was being said. How old was the man you spoke with?
He shrugged. I didn’t get a good look at him. It was dark. He was human, though, and faster than I could keep up with. I was on his heels for a time, but couldn’t catch him.
He was probably going to try to eat him. “He didn’t see who it was, only that he was male and a fast runner,” I relayed to Tage, and then stood up and brushed my dress off. Damn it. Blood droplets stained the light blue fabric.
“Definitely from Blackwater or the city around it.”
“Are there more of you somewhere?” I asked the young man.
Scattered here and there. Nothing organized for miles.
“Seek shelter. You’re about to feel like you’ve fallen from a cliff.”
He nodded, but didn’t move. Perhaps he was already feeling that way.
“Where are all the animals?”
There aren’t many left, he answered.
Overhunting?
The Manor took a lot of them, and the others fled.
No wonder he was so hungry.
Roman passed out before dinner and while we saved him some, Mercedes and I were starving. She was pensive, staring at the rock walls after we scarfed the meager vegetables down. “What is it?”
She stared at her hands, alternately picking at the cuticles around her thumbnails. “I’m worried.”
“About Roman?” He seemed fine now that his fever had broken. He would recover.
She shook her head slightly. “I’m worried about Porschia.”
“She’ll be okay.” She was strong now.
“Something feels wrong. I can’t shake it. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and everything in me says to go after her.”
“Stay with Roman,” I said, standing up and grabbing my coat. As I shrugged it on, she stood too.
“I should go. I’m her sister.”
I shook my head. “Stay with him. He needs you. I don’t know what to do for him.” What I didn’t say was that I wouldn’t help him even if he needed it and I did know what to do. If Mercedes had a gut feeling about Porschia, I trusted it. Siblings were close, and the Grant girls had been thicker than thieves before Mercedes fell.
“I’ll be back soon.” I closed the door behind me and stepped into the cool night. It wasn’t winter anymore, but the nights were still cold, especially when the sky was clear. The path from our dwelling led me down the mountain to the gate, and the man and woman guarding it let me pass without so much as a question. Would they let me back inside just as easily? Highly unlikely, unless Porschia could use her mind tricks on them.
Which way? From behind me, the woman spoke. “They went toward your right.”
“Thank you.”
I heard her grumble to the man beside her. “Thank me by bringing meat.” While I didn’t have my crossbow, I did have a large hunting knife, and while hand-to-hand combat with an Infected wasn’t high on my list of fun things to do, I was glad to have the weapon with me.
Turning right, I walked into the darkness for several minutes, blindly searching the forest for any signs of Porschia or Tage. However, it wasn’t me who found them . Without warning I felt two sharp fangs at my neck; warm breath fanning my skin, pebbling it.
“Tell me I can, kitten,” Tage pleaded.
“Stop it, Tage. Help me with the deer.”
Tage stepped away from my throat. Porschia held one of the animal’s front legs and Tage grabbed the other. “Where are the hind legs?” I asked. Porschia glanced back into the darkness. “What is it?” I asked curiously.
She dropped the buck and began to pace. “We need to leave tonight. We need darkness and
Who told you? I urged again.
I don’t know his name, but there was a man with dark hair who walked through the forest days ago. He told me about the cure and about you, describing you perfectly. But when I saw your food, instinct took over. Sorry about your friend.
He’s fine. Tage’s jaw ticked impatiently as he crossed his arms over his chest. He hated not being able to hear what was being said. How old was the man you spoke with?
He shrugged. I didn’t get a good look at him. It was dark. He was human, though, and faster than I could keep up with. I was on his heels for a time, but couldn’t catch him.
He was probably going to try to eat him. “He didn’t see who it was, only that he was male and a fast runner,” I relayed to Tage, and then stood up and brushed my dress off. Damn it. Blood droplets stained the light blue fabric.
“Definitely from Blackwater or the city around it.”
“Are there more of you somewhere?” I asked the young man.
Scattered here and there. Nothing organized for miles.
“Seek shelter. You’re about to feel like you’ve fallen from a cliff.”
He nodded, but didn’t move. Perhaps he was already feeling that way.
“Where are all the animals?”
There aren’t many left, he answered.
Overhunting?
The Manor took a lot of them, and the others fled.
No wonder he was so hungry.
Roman passed out before dinner and while we saved him some, Mercedes and I were starving. She was pensive, staring at the rock walls after we scarfed the meager vegetables down. “What is it?”
She stared at her hands, alternately picking at the cuticles around her thumbnails. “I’m worried.”
“About Roman?” He seemed fine now that his fever had broken. He would recover.
She shook her head slightly. “I’m worried about Porschia.”
“She’ll be okay.” She was strong now.
“Something feels wrong. I can’t shake it. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and everything in me says to go after her.”
“Stay with Roman,” I said, standing up and grabbing my coat. As I shrugged it on, she stood too.
“I should go. I’m her sister.”
I shook my head. “Stay with him. He needs you. I don’t know what to do for him.” What I didn’t say was that I wouldn’t help him even if he needed it and I did know what to do. If Mercedes had a gut feeling about Porschia, I trusted it. Siblings were close, and the Grant girls had been thicker than thieves before Mercedes fell.
“I’ll be back soon.” I closed the door behind me and stepped into the cool night. It wasn’t winter anymore, but the nights were still cold, especially when the sky was clear. The path from our dwelling led me down the mountain to the gate, and the man and woman guarding it let me pass without so much as a question. Would they let me back inside just as easily? Highly unlikely, unless Porschia could use her mind tricks on them.
Which way? From behind me, the woman spoke. “They went toward your right.”
“Thank you.”
I heard her grumble to the man beside her. “Thank me by bringing meat.” While I didn’t have my crossbow, I did have a large hunting knife, and while hand-to-hand combat with an Infected wasn’t high on my list of fun things to do, I was glad to have the weapon with me.
Turning right, I walked into the darkness for several minutes, blindly searching the forest for any signs of Porschia or Tage. However, it wasn’t me who found them . Without warning I felt two sharp fangs at my neck; warm breath fanning my skin, pebbling it.
“Tell me I can, kitten,” Tage pleaded.
“Stop it, Tage. Help me with the deer.”
Tage stepped away from my throat. Porschia held one of the animal’s front legs and Tage grabbed the other. “Where are the hind legs?” I asked. Porschia glanced back into the darkness. “What is it?” I asked curiously.
She dropped the buck and began to pace. “We need to leave tonight. We need darkness and
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