the Others fighting back?”
“They’ve been melting into heaps of rot. They’re confused,
weak, and vulnerable. Worse, they gathered together because they believed there
was safety in numbers. That just made it easier for the humans.”
“I understand the Others are still
healing,” Rune said, lacing up her boots, “but still. The shifters and wolves
could shift and eat the fucking humans. Why aren’t they?”
“I’m sure they’re trying. But when you have dozens of silver
bullets cutting you down, it can be a little difficult to reach those holding
the guns.” He hesitated. “They’re not you, Rune.”
“Fucking humans.” She buckled a gun
belt around her waist and grabbed her shotgun, though she probably wouldn’t
need either one of them.
“One other thing, Rune.”
“What?” She scooped her phone off the dresser and left the
room, charging down the hall to wake up her crew.
“The man who called in said the group is calling themselves
Shiv Crew Two. They’re telling the Others they have
you and your crew backing them.”
“Assholes,” she muttered. “I’ll set things straight, Bill.
Give me the location. Wormwood?”
“No. Willowburg. In
the woods right off Spectral Road, at the Population Hole.”
“Got it.” The Population Hole was a
large, peaceful part of Birch Creek. Once upon a time it had been a popular
summer swimming and picnic spot for young people. After three of them died in
as many years, the Population Hole was believed to be haunted and was abandoned
by all but the most daring—or stupid—of humans.
She hung up and knocked on the bedroom Lex had once
inhabited. “Roma, let’s go.”
Next she awakened Levi and Ellie, then Denim. She called
Jack and Raze as she was making a pot of coffee. She poured the coffee into a
thermos, and then she was ready to go.
Her crew crowded around her in the kitchen, alert, ready,
and eager—especially when she told them what Bill had said.
She was ready to fight, and so were they.
When she opened the front door and stepped out, Grim
streaked past her.
“Grim,” Roma yelled. Then, “You want me to chase him?”
“No. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Yeah,” Levi said. “And he’s too big for anyone to mess with
him.”
“Shiv Crew Two,” Rune muttered, striding to her car. “I am
going to kick so much ass .”
“Have you noticed anything different since leaving the path?”
Roma asked, buckling herself in.
Rune started her car. “Surprisingly, no. You?”
Roma rubbed her stomach. “Just this
unending hunger.”
“Sorry, baby. Check the glovebox. I always carry candy.”
Roma found the Baby Ruth candy bars, and ripped the wrapper
open—barely—before stuffing the candy in her mouth. “Oh. Oh, yes .” The
rest of her words were unintelligible mumbles as she wolfed down the candy.
Rune lifted an eyebrow. “Have you been craving anything you
wouldn’t normally eat?” She was curious. And lucky, so far. Her monster hadn’t been stolen by the path.
But the path always took or changed something. It was just a
matter of figuring out what it had done to her.
Roma was quiet for so long Rune glanced at her. “Roma?”
“Why did you ask that?” Roma asked, her face turned away and
voice low.
Guilty.
“Tell me.”
“I want meat. I don’t eat meat. Have never
eaten meat. But now…now I want a steak. Even the smell made me sick
before. The look of it, the scent…it was disgusting. And now…now it’s all I
think about.”
“There are worse things than eating a cheeseburger.”
Roma shuddered.
And Rune had a strong feeling the girl wasn’t telling her
everything.
“Can you shoot a gun?” Rune asked.
“I don’t need to shoot a gun.” Roma hefted her slingshot.
“You know what I can do with this.”
“You’ll need to be able to use more than one weapon. Give
your slingshot a little help.”
Roma simply smiled. “It needs no help. Only
my fingers.”
“The path always takes something.
“They’ve been melting into heaps of rot. They’re confused,
weak, and vulnerable. Worse, they gathered together because they believed there
was safety in numbers. That just made it easier for the humans.”
“I understand the Others are still
healing,” Rune said, lacing up her boots, “but still. The shifters and wolves
could shift and eat the fucking humans. Why aren’t they?”
“I’m sure they’re trying. But when you have dozens of silver
bullets cutting you down, it can be a little difficult to reach those holding
the guns.” He hesitated. “They’re not you, Rune.”
“Fucking humans.” She buckled a gun
belt around her waist and grabbed her shotgun, though she probably wouldn’t
need either one of them.
“One other thing, Rune.”
“What?” She scooped her phone off the dresser and left the
room, charging down the hall to wake up her crew.
“The man who called in said the group is calling themselves
Shiv Crew Two. They’re telling the Others they have
you and your crew backing them.”
“Assholes,” she muttered. “I’ll set things straight, Bill.
Give me the location. Wormwood?”
“No. Willowburg. In
the woods right off Spectral Road, at the Population Hole.”
“Got it.” The Population Hole was a
large, peaceful part of Birch Creek. Once upon a time it had been a popular
summer swimming and picnic spot for young people. After three of them died in
as many years, the Population Hole was believed to be haunted and was abandoned
by all but the most daring—or stupid—of humans.
She hung up and knocked on the bedroom Lex had once
inhabited. “Roma, let’s go.”
Next she awakened Levi and Ellie, then Denim. She called
Jack and Raze as she was making a pot of coffee. She poured the coffee into a
thermos, and then she was ready to go.
Her crew crowded around her in the kitchen, alert, ready,
and eager—especially when she told them what Bill had said.
She was ready to fight, and so were they.
When she opened the front door and stepped out, Grim
streaked past her.
“Grim,” Roma yelled. Then, “You want me to chase him?”
“No. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Yeah,” Levi said. “And he’s too big for anyone to mess with
him.”
“Shiv Crew Two,” Rune muttered, striding to her car. “I am
going to kick so much ass .”
“Have you noticed anything different since leaving the path?”
Roma asked, buckling herself in.
Rune started her car. “Surprisingly, no. You?”
Roma rubbed her stomach. “Just this
unending hunger.”
“Sorry, baby. Check the glovebox. I always carry candy.”
Roma found the Baby Ruth candy bars, and ripped the wrapper
open—barely—before stuffing the candy in her mouth. “Oh. Oh, yes .” The
rest of her words were unintelligible mumbles as she wolfed down the candy.
Rune lifted an eyebrow. “Have you been craving anything you
wouldn’t normally eat?” She was curious. And lucky, so far. Her monster hadn’t been stolen by the path.
But the path always took or changed something. It was just a
matter of figuring out what it had done to her.
Roma was quiet for so long Rune glanced at her. “Roma?”
“Why did you ask that?” Roma asked, her face turned away and
voice low.
Guilty.
“Tell me.”
“I want meat. I don’t eat meat. Have never
eaten meat. But now…now I want a steak. Even the smell made me sick
before. The look of it, the scent…it was disgusting. And now…now it’s all I
think about.”
“There are worse things than eating a cheeseburger.”
Roma shuddered.
And Rune had a strong feeling the girl wasn’t telling her
everything.
“Can you shoot a gun?” Rune asked.
“I don’t need to shoot a gun.” Roma hefted her slingshot.
“You know what I can do with this.”
“You’ll need to be able to use more than one weapon. Give
your slingshot a little help.”
Roma simply smiled. “It needs no help. Only
my fingers.”
“The path always takes something.
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