"She's a good kid," Nichelle says.
"She really is," I agree with her.
"You two are close, aren't you?" she asks, sitting up carefully so she doesn't wake up Maci.
I shake my head, but it feels like a lie. "I'm not close to anyone really." Thoughts of what Monarch has always said, rips into my head. You need to turn off your emotions. They will ruin you; what you need to do.
Before she can say anything else, I change the subject because this particular one is pissing me off. "How about you explain why the hell you came out here to look for me?"
"Because I was told this is where I could find you; at least people who used to belong to your colony... I'm supposed to take you back with me to our town." She pauses, considering something. "There's a man there. Mathew. He's probably the oldest person in town. He says he has things he needs to tell you. Things that may be able to help you save humanity."
"I don't understand how someone I don't even know could know about me," I say. "It doesn't make any sense."
"Oh, you know him. You probably just don't remember him." She yawns. "He was a doctor a long time ago, but there were things being done he didn't approve of, so he left and went out on his own."
I listen to the steadiness of her heart beating and it lets me know what she says is true, or at least that she believes it's true. I do remember there were a lot of doctors in white coats near me all the time when I was younger.
She suddenly reaches out in the darkness and grabs my arm. My initial reaction is to jerk away, but for some reason I don't. "Kayla, you have to trust me. I need you to come back with me before it's too late."
"What do you mean before it's too late?" I ask, glancing between her hand and her expression, which is filled with panic.
She pulls her hand away and sighs. "Mathew was bit by a vampire a few days ago."
"If he was bit he would have either died or turned into one by now." I know I should be more sympathetic; however sympathy isn't really one of my traits.
"Normally, that's true, but when Mathew was first involved with the doctors from your colony, he used some of the injections that they were experimenting with on himself." She pauses for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Although he's not immune, one of the shots did cause a delay in his transformation..." She sucks in a deep breath and her heart trembles. "He... he believes that it's part of the cure."
I take in everything she just told me. If what she says is correct, I need to talk to this Mathew, but do I dare go to this place? It's unknown.
"Follow your instincts," Monarch whispers. "They'll never lead you astray."
"Okay, I'll go just as soon as daylight hits." I feel lost, knowing I can only hope I'm making the right choice. "Now get some sleep. I need to make sure that you have enough energy to get us there."
"Thank you, Kayla," she says softly then lies down on the dirt floor and closes her eyes.
Seconds later, she falls asleep and I sort of envy her for being able to. I sit wide awake, listening to the vampire cries right outside as I wonder if I've made the right choice while, at the same time, knowing that time is running out.
Chapter 7
Because I no longer need to sleep, I just listen to the breathing of those around me, watching the entrance to the cave until morning comes. My only company is the darkness and the shrieks of the vampires outside.
I'm pretty sure Aiden has listened to my conversation with Nichelle during the night, but he has stayed quiet in his corner and hasn't budged since we quit talking, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Eventually, the shrieks of the vampires start to fade, and I assume that the day is starting to break, so I stand up from my seat on the floor of the cave. Raising my arms up above me, I stretch my stiff limbs, preparing for my journey. The rest of the group starts to stir as I walk over to the cave entrance and roll back the rock that covers it, letting the sunlight spill in and fill up the cave.
I step outside, staring at the vacant land while breathing in the fresh air, wondering if there will ever be a time when people can look at the view when the sky is dark.
"So you're simply going to leave with Nichelle and abandon the rest of us?" Aiden asks, walking up behind me. I know he's angry at me because I'm leaving, because I trust Nichelle and because I won't tell him that I love him when he wants me to. Desperately.
I turn around and look at him; I mean really look at him. He has his jacket wrapped around him, his hood over his head and his hands tucked in the sleeves. I can barely see his face in the shadows, but I can tell he's upset and I feel sorry for him. He didn't want to change into what he is now, but he did it because he thought it was the only way to save me. He cares for me that much. I'll never feel the same way about him, though. At least, I don't think I can.
I don't know why I do it, other than it feels like an impulse, as well as the right thing to do. I reach up and gently touch his cheek, causing his body to shudder. "I have to go, Aiden. This Mathew may know the answers to finding a cure."
His eyes soften. "I thought you and I had the answers up here," he taps the side of his head, "locked away in our memories."
I sigh and remove my hand from his cheek. "We're supposed to. The papers that Sylas and I found might have had what we needed to help us, but they're lost and this may be the only chance we have to save the world."
"And what if you're wrong."
"Then at least I tried."
Nichelle walks out of the cave, ready to go, her pack slung over her shoulder. Her hair is pulled up behind her head and she has a jacket tied around her shoulder. She glances back and forth between Aiden and I with a curious look on her face.
"You ready to go, Kayla?"
I nod, watching Aiden as he backs away from me, his eyes glinting with rage as he stares at Nichelle. There it is again. The anger. Something I never really saw in him before he changed. When he notices me staring at him, he pauses, his lips parting like he's going to say something, but Maci and Greyson step out of the cave and he snaps his mouth shit.
Greyson is carrying what little gear the group has and Maci skips over to the side of me, her red hair blowing in the breeze.
"Are we ready?" she asks me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I'm confused. "Umm... Maci, you aren't coming with us."
She looks at me with a smug expression on her face; it throws me back a little. "Yes, I am."
I glance over to Nichelle, who shrugs her shoulders. "I didn't tell her she could go."
I crouch down in front of Maci so we're eye-level. "I know you want to come, but it'll be faster if I go alone with Nichelle."
She shakes her head in protest. "No, I'm going."
I glance over to Aiden for help, but he aims the same smug look at me and I can tell that I'm going to have to fight this battle on my own.
Sighing, I stand back up and pat her on the head. "Somebody has to take care of Aiden. If he goes into the sunlight, it'll hurt him. I need you to take care of him. And Greyson, too. Do you think you can do this for me?"
She looks as though she is buying into my little story. "Okay, I think I can do that."
Then Aiden walks out of the shadows of the cave and doesn't stop until he's right in my face. "This is bull shit," he says, the anger there again, burning like a fire. "If you're going, we're all going with you."
"You can't," I start to argue, knowing if they all go, then I'm going to be stuck worrying about them. Plus, they'll slow us down.
"Watch me," he says and then he turns to Nichelle. "Which way is it?"
Nichelle eyes him over, as if she doesn't trust him, but then she turns and starts walking up the hill. "Follow me," she says, motioning him to follow.
Maci smiles at me and then takes my hand, pulling me along. "See, Kayla, I told you I was going."
I shake my head, trying not to smile as I follow her because it's not funny. She shouldn't be going. It's too dangerous, yet the fact that she said she was going and now she is, is s
ort of amusing.
It makes me wonder what else she can see. I think about asking her if we're going to be okay, but when I really think about it, I'm not sure that I want to know the answer.
Chapter 8
The journey across the sandy desert land is slow, hot and it irks me to know that, if I was traveling it solo, I could have made it to the city and back by now. I drift to the back of the group, checking to make sure no one is getting left behind as we all trudge farther towards the unknown. Nichelle leads the way across the desert land; her bag on her shoulder, her back hunched over like she's tired. Maci is quiet, looking exhausted and hungry, but I can tell she's trying not to complain. Aiden's quiet, too, as he walks just in front me with his head tucked down, trying to keep the light from hitting his face.
Aiden has been acting a bit more strange the more and more time goes by. I know that he has changed into a Day Taker, but still, something else doesn't seem quite right about him. The mood swings... I don't remember being that moody.
I watch him from the corner of my eye as I wind around sagebrush and cacti while sand gets in my eyes because of the dry breeze. He still has his hood up and hands covered, but strangely, he doesn't seem drained of energy the way Sylas and Tristan were when they traveled in the daylight. I stare at him a moment longer, wondering what feels off, but I'm unable to put my finger on it. When he glances at me, I quickly avert my attention from him and focus on clouds of dust the breeze is kicking up.
The sky grows darker with every step we take, and when we reach the edge of a hill, readying to wind down, Nichelle pauses for a moment, waiting for the rest of us to catch up with her.
She looks up at the darkening sky with her hand shielded over her eyes, and her face masks with concern. "I don't think we're going to make it back to town before darkness falls."
"How much further is it?" Greyson asks as he wipes some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. His skin is sweaty and stained with dirt and he looks exhausted.
Nichelle points at the desert land before us. "It's over there."
I step next to her and track where she's pointing. There's a deep basin that stretches out a few miles and I can see a small speck on the other side. It looks different than the land I'm used to; more green.
"How long will it take to get there?" I ask Nichelle, measuring up the distance while knowing if it were just me I could be there in a flash.
"Normally," she looks around at our group, "well, I'd be there already. But we are moving at a much slower pace than I'm used to, so I'm not sure."
I nod, understanding what she means. "Is there somewhere nearby that we can stop for the night?" I ask when, really, what I want to do is take off and let everyone else stay behind for the night.
Nichelle scans the area below us for someplace to hide as I hear the screeching of the very first vampires awakening for the night. Everyone grows uneasy, restless, as they glance around at the shadows on the hills, the desert land, and the caves in the sides of the hills. So many places for vampires to be hiding and they could walk out at any moment.
Maci starts to shake with nerves and leans in close to me. "Kayla, I'm scared."
I pat her head. "Everything will be okay. I promise."
Nichelle twists one of the coils of her hair with her fingers as she deliberates then her eyes light. "I think I may know of a place. If we hurry, we can make it before it gets completely dark."
I nod and then we take off in a line down a small trail that weaves down into the basin, Nichelle taking the front and me taking the back. The trail is narrow and drops off sharply on one side towards jagged rocks and cliffs. I try to keep an eye on everyone as we hike down towards the bottom, having to catch Maci more than a few times.
It's getting darker, the sky a deep grey, making it difficult for them to see. The trail begins to slope further towards the ground and Maci has to brace into the rocky wall beside us to keep her balance.
"Be careful," Nichelle whispers from up ahead, motioning us to keep going. "We're are almost there. Everyone keep moving."
I see the edge of the ledge where Nichelle seems to be heading and relief washes over me because everyone is making me nervous. It's too stressful traveling with the group and I wish I were alone.
Suddenly, Maci stumbles, and when I reach out to grab her, she slips from my grasp, tumbling over the edge of the cliff. She shouts my name as she falls, and I cry back at her. My eyes widen as I rush to the edge and look down.
"Maci!" I shout towards the bottom, lying flat on my stomach as I peer down over the edge. I spot her a ways down, lying at the bottom on the rocks. She's not moving. I feel a flicker of panic, one I'm not used to as the others rush over to the side of me. It hurts, knowing she's down there, helpless and in pain.
I need to get to her. Now.
"What happened?" Nichelle asks, rushing up to me.
"Maci slipped and fell over the edge." I look down at the ground below, panicking more than I ever have before. What if she's not okay? What if she's gone? "I'm going to climb down." I push up and swing my legs around to climb down to the rocks below.
Greyson grabs my arm, stopping me. He's afraid. Scared of what may happen if we don't find somewhere to hide from the vampires soon. "Kayla, that was a long fall--" A vampire lets out a cry and he jumps, more afraid as he glances around with worry. "We need to get to a safe place, quick."
I shrug his hand off and lower my feet over the edge. "Then go. I can get Maci by myself."
Aiden steps up in front of me when I'm halfway over the side. "Wait."
"Why?" Dirt and rocks scratch at my palms, but I barely feel it.
"I'm going with you," he says, crouching down in front of me. "You might need some help."
"I need you to go with Nichelle and Greyson," I say, pushing my way back up over the ledge, holding my weight on my arms, my feet hanging below me. He starts to argue, but I cut him off. "First of all, I'm the only one in this group that is immune from the vampires. It makes no sense for the rest of you to risk yourselves." I lower my voice. "And I need you to help watch the others in case the vampires try to attack them."
He shakes his head, annoyed. Cries echo around us, multiplying as more and more vampires wake up.
"I'll hurry and get Maci then meet up with you guys." I look over at Nichelle. "Can you tell me where the hiding spot is?"
She squats down in front me. "Just stay on the trail and when you get to the bottom there's a large rock to the right. There's a trail hidden behind it that leads to the side of a hill that has several caves in it. I think one of them may be large enough for all of us to climb in until morning." She stands back up and dusts the dirt off her hands.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," I tell her, unsure how true that really is, especially because I'll be bringing Maci back with me.
She starts to walk away, but stops and reaches into the leather pouch, pulling out a knife. "You may need this." She hands it to me.
I balance my weight on one arm and take it from her, slipping it into my back pocket; ready to go, ready to get to Maci. Help her. She needs my help.
Aiden moves closer to me, still seeming pissed. "I don't like leaving you alone."
He's getting on my nerves and slowing me down from getting to Maci. "I'll be fine, now go."
He reluctantly stands up as the rest of them head off down the trail in a line. I lower my feet, pressing my boots to the side of the hill, then dig my fingers into it and rapidly scale down the side like a lizard.
When I finally plant my feet on the bottom, I rush over to Maci's side and kneel down, feeling sick to my stomach at the sight. She's lying face down in the dirt; her arm is kinked at a weird angle, a bone protruding through the skin. Blood drips down her arm, forming a small pool of blood around her and the rocks below her.
I lean down and listen to see if she's breathing. I hear her take a breath, but it's small and weak. Still, I let out a sigh, relief swelling within me because at least she'
s still breathing; she's alive.
"Maci, can you hear me?"
She lets out a groan, her eyes opening up. "Kayla?"
"It's going to be okay." It feels like I'm lying to myself, though.
She tries to push herself up, but gasps from the pain and drops back down to the ground, her face twisted in pain
"Kayla, is that you?" Her voice is quiet and shaky, her hair is covered in dirt and fragments of rocks and her shirt's stained with blood.
I need to help her. Somehow. Get her out of here and heal her.
As I'm figuring out what to do, I hear what sounds like approaching footsteps coming from behind me. I whirl around and scan the black land and rocks behind me, but I don't see anything. Still, I'm running out of time. Vampires will be here soon, especially when they catch the scent of blood.
"Maci, can you move at all?" I ask, gently trying to help her turn over.
"I think so, but I need some help. It hurts." She's on the verge of tears.
"Hold on, okay... I'm going to roll you over, but you need to try and be quiet. Don't scream." She nods and then I place my hands under her arms and vigilantly roll her to the side.
She bites down on her lip and winces, stopping herself from crying out as the pain gets to her. I can smell the blood and it worries me, especially because she has more wounds than I thought. There's a large gash across her forehead that looks fairly deep, blood is streaming down her cheek. I rip a piece of fabric from the bottom of my shirt and tie it around her head to try and slow the bleeding down. Then I unwrap my jacket from around my waist and gently wrap her broken arm with it. I take the sleeves of the jacket and loop them around her neck then tie them in the back, securing her arm against her chest.
Her eyes start to drift shut. That worries me as well.
"Maci, you need to keep your eyes open," I say. She blinks at me. "We need to find a way to get you out of here..." I look for the best way out. Vampires have emerged and are crossing the land. Everywhere. There's only one option and that's up. Dammit. "Maci, you're going to have to climb onto my back and hold onto me with one arm, so we can get out of here. We're going to have to hurry, okay?" I'm not even sure she can do it, but I have to try.