I appreciate the offer.”
“Let’s go,” Duncan said. He wasn’t worried about Aodhán. The fey could move even faster than vampires; Aodhán could take care of himself. The only reason he was with them was that he owed Duncan, and Duncan had asked him to help protect Kimber. Right now the sooner they got on their way the sooner they’d know what size horde they faced.
They actually managed to make it two blocks, keeping close to the edges of buildings, skirting around abandoned, rusted vehicles, before they saw the first zombie. And it saw them. They’d been doing this for six months as a team, going out scavenging for supplies, and they had it down pat. Without a word, Duncan kept leading the way while Aodhán headed toward the straggler. He dispatched it in less than a second and rejoined them. He wasn’t even breathing hard.
The next ones Duncan heard before he saw them. He held up one hand. Everyone flattened themselves against the nearest building and waited. The shuffling sound of a zombie was distinctive, plus many of them made low grunting or groaning noises when they walked. Not all of them did. Duncan had come to the conclusion that the newly infected were the ones making the noise, as if there was still some part of them inside that recognized what was happening even though they were powerless to stop it.
Or, more prosaically, it could be escaping gas resulting from their decomposition.
He waited until the first dead man lurched around the corner before he acted. He grabbed the zombie’s shirt and jerked him around, slamming his back against the wall and the tire iron through his skull in one seamless move. He yanked the weapon out of the zombie and turned to face the next one.
Kimber leaped past him, her hatchet swinging through the air. She buried it in a zombie skull with a low grunt, turning her head to avoid having the spray of blood hit her in the face. She jerked the blade free and watched the corpse hit the ground. She looked at Duncan with a grimace. “Oh, yuck. I really, really hate this.” Her voice was quiet but full of revulsion. She tipped her head to one side. “Ew. God, there’s something sliding down my neck.” The last word was a whispered wail.
He scooped the bit of zombie off her skin and flung it aside. “You’re such a girl,” he murmured and fought against the urge to kiss her again.
“Shut up. And stop looking at me like that.”
“I’d do a lot more than look, if you’d let me,” he muttered. Before she could respond, he jerked his head, indicating they should move, and they set off. In another two blocks they killed two more zombies and finally reached the intersection of Main and MLK.
“This is where I say farewell,” Aodhán murmured. He and Duncan clasped hands briefly. “I should be home in three or four days.”
“Be careful.” Kimber moved over to him and threw her arms around his waist, her cheek resting against the muscled chest covered by a thin T-shirt.
The fey warrior’s muscled arms returned her hug. “Don’t worry about me, mo chara. The portal to my people isn’t far.” He bent his head toward her and smoothed his big hands up and down her back.
Duncan’s entire body tightened at the sight of the embrace. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t sexual in nature. Some other man was touching his woman.
His nostrils flared. When had he started thinking of Kimber as his? She wasn’t, and while he certainly wanted her, he wasn’t planning on anything serious. Or lengthy. He’d learned a long time ago that getting romantically attached to a human never ended well. The human always ended up wanting more than a vampire’s nature allowed him to give.
He was the predator; they were the prey. It was the way things had been for centuries. As Kimber and Aodhán’s hug continued, Duncan narrowed his eyes. He had no reason to believe anything would be different with Kimber. Or that something would be different for him than it had for any
“Let’s go,” Duncan said. He wasn’t worried about Aodhán. The fey could move even faster than vampires; Aodhán could take care of himself. The only reason he was with them was that he owed Duncan, and Duncan had asked him to help protect Kimber. Right now the sooner they got on their way the sooner they’d know what size horde they faced.
They actually managed to make it two blocks, keeping close to the edges of buildings, skirting around abandoned, rusted vehicles, before they saw the first zombie. And it saw them. They’d been doing this for six months as a team, going out scavenging for supplies, and they had it down pat. Without a word, Duncan kept leading the way while Aodhán headed toward the straggler. He dispatched it in less than a second and rejoined them. He wasn’t even breathing hard.
The next ones Duncan heard before he saw them. He held up one hand. Everyone flattened themselves against the nearest building and waited. The shuffling sound of a zombie was distinctive, plus many of them made low grunting or groaning noises when they walked. Not all of them did. Duncan had come to the conclusion that the newly infected were the ones making the noise, as if there was still some part of them inside that recognized what was happening even though they were powerless to stop it.
Or, more prosaically, it could be escaping gas resulting from their decomposition.
He waited until the first dead man lurched around the corner before he acted. He grabbed the zombie’s shirt and jerked him around, slamming his back against the wall and the tire iron through his skull in one seamless move. He yanked the weapon out of the zombie and turned to face the next one.
Kimber leaped past him, her hatchet swinging through the air. She buried it in a zombie skull with a low grunt, turning her head to avoid having the spray of blood hit her in the face. She jerked the blade free and watched the corpse hit the ground. She looked at Duncan with a grimace. “Oh, yuck. I really, really hate this.” Her voice was quiet but full of revulsion. She tipped her head to one side. “Ew. God, there’s something sliding down my neck.” The last word was a whispered wail.
He scooped the bit of zombie off her skin and flung it aside. “You’re such a girl,” he murmured and fought against the urge to kiss her again.
“Shut up. And stop looking at me like that.”
“I’d do a lot more than look, if you’d let me,” he muttered. Before she could respond, he jerked his head, indicating they should move, and they set off. In another two blocks they killed two more zombies and finally reached the intersection of Main and MLK.
“This is where I say farewell,” Aodhán murmured. He and Duncan clasped hands briefly. “I should be home in three or four days.”
“Be careful.” Kimber moved over to him and threw her arms around his waist, her cheek resting against the muscled chest covered by a thin T-shirt.
The fey warrior’s muscled arms returned her hug. “Don’t worry about me, mo chara. The portal to my people isn’t far.” He bent his head toward her and smoothed his big hands up and down her back.
Duncan’s entire body tightened at the sight of the embrace. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t sexual in nature. Some other man was touching his woman.
His nostrils flared. When had he started thinking of Kimber as his? She wasn’t, and while he certainly wanted her, he wasn’t planning on anything serious. Or lengthy. He’d learned a long time ago that getting romantically attached to a human never ended well. The human always ended up wanting more than a vampire’s nature allowed him to give.
He was the predator; they were the prey. It was the way things had been for centuries. As Kimber and Aodhán’s hug continued, Duncan narrowed his eyes. He had no reason to believe anything would be different with Kimber. Or that something would be different for him than it had for any
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