Territory of the Dead (Book 2): Phase Two: Evaluate (9 page)

I burst into tears.

Now, for some women tears are weapons. Their wet eyes and tear-stained cheeks are enough to start wars over. Crying only adds to their beauty, their tears emphasizing the delicate perfection of their features. But not me.

When I cry, it's loud and emotional. My nose gets clogged, and my eyes swell so much it's painful. And that was before the mud and heat. No, I would have never picked that time to cry, but once I got started, there was no way to turn it off.

Jayden stared at me helplessly, his hands reaching out to hug me. I pulled away from his grasp, though. I was humiliated, scared, exhausted, and miserable. He was trying to quiet me, just in case a zombie was nearby, but a hug wouldn't have helped me. Not then.

Although, I'm  young, I have a lot of pride. I didn't want to be a burden to them. Since the apocalypse, I'd done everything I could to be tough. By crying, though, I'd just shown them how much of a baby I really was, and I hated it. Allowing Jayden to comfort me would have only emphasized how incapable I was of handling bad situations.

Kellan watched it all, his eyes wary in the early dawn light. I looked away from him, breathing through my mouth as I struggled to stop crying. I expected a snarky comment from him at any moment, but to my surprise all he said was, “Just let her be, Jayden. She's earned this one.”

With that, he walked over to the window and resumed his watch. He was giving me space. I appreciated the gesture, although, I was floored by his words. Kellan wasn't exactly known for his understanding of anything weak.

“What's wrong?” Jayden asked, his eyes concerned. “Were you having a bad dream?”

Already, I was feeling better. The combination of stress and worry had built up over a long period of time, but the crying spell released a lot of it. “Is it safe to talk?” I whispered back, patting at my face the best I could. With the dried mud, rubbing would have hurt, and I didn't want to get it in my eyes.

I expected Jayden to answer, but instead, Kellan did. “Yes,” he said from the window, turning to look at us. He crossed his arms, leaning his muscled shoulder up against the wall to support him. “I'm interested in hearing this story, too.”

Grabbing a water bottle out of the cooler, I twisted the cap open as I summed it up for them. Now that I was awake, coherent, and no longer crying, it sounded rather foolish. It was nothing more than a dream, and a ridiculous one at that. The day would never come that I would be happy to see zombies.

“A mirror, huh?” Jayden was frowning. “You know the superstition behind that, right?”

“No,” I replied, setting the empty bottle on top of the cooler. “I've always heard that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck, though.” I shrugged lamely before adding. “Of course, that's not really relevant to this, I suppose.”

Jayden didn't seem to hear me. “My great-grandmother was a Cajun healer. She lived in the
Avoyelles Parish her entire life until she died about five years ago. I used to go down there and spend summer break with her.” His lips curved up into a gentle smile, his teeth startlingly white against the mud.

“I enjoyed it. She had a place similar to this one, only it was larger and better maintained. Very rarely would we ever go anywhere by car. She knew the swamps better than most people know the roads, and that's the way we got around, if we needed to go anywhere. But she didn't leave the swamps very often. Most people came to her, and the things I saw her do were amazing.”

“I didn't know that,” I told him. Jayden had my full attention. In fact, I was fascinated. I was totally into history, as crazy as it sounded. Especially, when it came to Louisiana. One day soon, I was going to pump him for details.

“As the years passed, I learned a lot. The Cajun people are superstitious, but they have good reason to be. They've seen a lot of things we haven't, and they know there is more to this world than meets the eye.” Jayden stopped to pull a muddy strand of hair back behind his ear.

“My grandmother always kept a large mirror on her front porch. It was mounted on the wall, right next to the door. I asked her about it once. She gave me the strangest look and told me it was to keep the Devil away.”

He cleared his throat. “So that's why I asked. I thought you'd heard that superstition before, and maybe it was coming out in your subconsciousness while you dreamed.”

“Weird,” I whispered, feeling uneasy again. The thought of Hell had always scared me. “I never heard that before. How is it supposed to work?”

Kellan watched him, too, his face hard. Somehow, I sensed that he'd never heard this, either.
Where had Kellan come from?
In Louisiana, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jayden moved my empty bottle out of the way before getting his own bottled water. “From what she told me, it basically captivates him. The Devil only comes out at night, or so she believed, and he's extremely vain. When he sees a mirror, he can't help but stare at his own reflection, so it protects the people inside. Once the sun comes up, he has no choice but to leave.”

Kellan scoffed, but there wasn't one shred of disbelief in his eyes. He noticed my perusal before moving to the door. “I think it's safe enough for us to leave. By the time we get our stuff loaded back up, the sun will be up. We won't need to use the headlights, and right now, we're good on gas. If it becomes an issue, we'll just have to try to find some, but I think we can make it back to Pleasant on what I have left.”

Jayden stood up and stretched. “Sounds good.” It was that easy for them. In the excitement of leaving, they'd already moved past my ordeal.

I pulled the coolers over, so they could move the couch away from the door. I felt troubled, not just by the dream, but my new found tendency to sleepwalk. What if I did it again? Or what if I did it again and managed to make it outside? It left a sick feeling in the pit of stomach as I prayed that it really was a dream. Otherwise, that would make it a premonition and that could only lead to death.

Chapter 7

It was a surprisingly cool evening in Louisiana. I walked around the perimeter of Kellan's yard, but I carefully remained behind the fence. I had no reason to go beyond the safety it represented. Despite the lateness of the hour, I was enjoying my time outside. As far as I knew, I was the only one awake.

Earlier that evening, it rained. The grass was still wet, but it wasn't muddy. I was grateful for that. I'd seen enough mud to last me for a lifetime.

We'd been back for days, the return trip from the border uneventful. We'd seen several zombies, but the horde had moved on. It was too bad they hadn't fallen into the chasm, but then again, who knew? Maybe some of them had.

But I hadn't been right since that night we'd spent in the shack, which was part of the reason I was still up. Upon our return, I'd bathed, just to discover I'd developed a rash from the heat and the mud. It wasn't the cause of my melancholy, though. It was something else, something deep within. I simply wanted to be alone.

In that aspect, the rash helped. I hid behind it, begging off from being with the others, even my parents. They really hadn't questioned it. After all, nobody feels social with a rash covering every exposed surface of their body.

Jayden and Kellan had weathered the experience just fine. I'd seen Kellan in passing, but Jayden had actually visited. I'd kept the visit short. I really wasn't in the mood for companionship, and it wasn't something I could explain. To avoid hurting his feelings, I fell back on my standard excuse. The rash.

And so the days passed. Tired of being inside, I'd waited for my chance to come out. When the house grew silent, I took advantage of it.

It wasn't that walking around was against Kellan's rules. He was fine with that. Had I done it during the day, though, someone would have felt the need to come with me. I didn't want that. Companionship would have forced me into talking, and I didn't feel up to it. Alone, I didn't have to feel pressured to talk. I could just be.

When I looked back at the house, I was a little surprised at how far away it seemed. Shrugging my shoulders, I continued walking. It was all fenced in. I had to be in the safest place in Louisiana, and it was for sure the most comfortable.

I was over by the woods when I heard the first whimper. The sound was so low, I nearly missed it. Stopping, I stood still as I waited and listened.

Another whimper filled the air, this one a tad bit louder. Following the fence line, I found it. A small dog was pressed against the lower edge, sniffing and whining as it tried to get to me.

“
Oh,” I breathed out, cautiously walking to it. I didn't want to scare it away, but at the same time, I was a little afraid of it. Rabies was always a huge concern, especially when it came to unknown animals, and now, we had to worry about the zombie infection, too. Could a dog get it? I didn't know.

Squatting down, I stared at its little face and fell in love. How could I not? The dog was little more than a fur ball. He wagged his tail as I crooned at him, sticking his little snout the the opening in the fence. “Have you been bit, baby?” I asked, tentatively rubbing his head. He seemed to accept my touch.

The dog was solid black, its body thin. Although it was dark, I was fairly sure he was a poodle. Possibly, a toy poodle.

In that moment, my mind was made up. I couldn't, wouldn't, leave this dog out there for the zombies to find. My heart simply wouldn't let me. No matter what, I was bringing him in.

Kellan had a few gates, here and there. Coaxing the puppy along, I led him to the nearest one. Once I was there, I checked the woods again. They were pitch black, but I hadn't heard anything unusual. It would only take me a moment to get him in.

I opened the small gate, but the noise scared the puppy. He backed away, his little body alert and ready to run. “Poor baby,” I crooned, stepping through it and out to the other side. “What kind of horrors have you already had to see, in your short little life?”

I was taking a risk, a huge one. I couldn't be sure the dog was even healthy. Yet, I still picked it up, and as I did I wanted to cry. I could possibly be holding the last dog in existence.

Cradling him in my arms, I took a moment to just rub him. Part of it was to calm him down, but I also wanted to check him for wounds. Finding none, I sighed in relief. Already, I was feeling better. Maybe this was what I needed, all along. I'd always loved animals. I didn't know how I could be so lucky for him to have found his way to Kellan's home, but I was grateful he had.

“I'm going to take care of you,” I reassured him, holding his trembling body close to mine as I hurried back to the gate. His fur was wet, his body chilled. And that was on top of his obvious malnourishment. “Once we get back in, I'll get you something to eat, and I'll wash you, too.”

The quietness, combined with my concern for the dog, made me forget the danger, but the danger hadn't forgotten me. One moment, I was holding the puppy close to my chest. The next I was back inside the fence, with the gate closed, and teeth buried painfully in my neck.

The world spun. We'd moved so fast, it took my mind a few seconds to catch up. When it did I screamed, much to the delight of the one behind me, if his moan was any indication of his pleasure.

The pain in my neck was horrible. Whatever it was he was drinking my blood, and from the dizziness I was experiencing, he was drinking it fast. “Let go of me,” I screamed, realizing I only had seconds before I passed out. I was going to die, but it wouldn't be from a zombie. Whatever he was, he wasn't eating my flesh. A zombie wouldn't have been able to resist it.

I was still holding the puppy. If his body had been shaking before, it was nothing compared to the current state he was in. Holding him with one hand, I balled my fist up and swung it to the other side, connecting with my attacker's face.

He grunted, but he didn't stop. I kicked backward, connecting with his shin, before swinging my fist back and hitting him again. With his teeth locked in my flesh, I was able to feel the pain of my blows. So did he. He didn't release me, but he was no longer suckling at my throat, either.

“Get away from her,” Kellan ordered, his words cold enough to make me tremble. “Release her now or die.”

The strong hands gripping my arms fell away. I stumbled forward, nearly falling on my face. At the last moment I regained my balance, holding onto the puppy with everything I had. Drunkenly, I spun around as I tried to reach safety. I was drained, and it made walking difficult.

Kellan held a flashlight in the air, directing the light in our direction. The beam was powerfully strong, and it temporarily blinded me. I couldn't see who was with him, but I didn't care. I was just relieved the calvary had arrived.

He tossed something to the man that attacked me. I didn't see what it was, I was too busy scrambling to the light. Distantly, I heard him drinking, but I didn't dwell on it. I had only one thought. Survival. And the only way to survive was to get to Kellan.

Each step seemed to take a superhuman effort. I got closer, though, or maybe Kellan just moved closer to me. In the distance, I saw my parents racing in our direction, with James and Jayden following behind.

The flashlight dropped to the ground. Kellan wrapped an arm around me, holding me against his body. I might have been dying, but even then, I couldn't ignore the heat of his bare chest against my back. I smiled dreamily. Only a dead woman could have brushed off the pleasure I felt in his arms, and I wasn't dead, yet.

“Dammit, Tabitha,” he growled in my ear. “Are you just determined to die?”

The puppy whimpered in my arms. Through it all, I'd managed to protect him. I was glad. If I survived this, I'd have a pet. Somehow, that made it all worthwhile.

“You risked your life for a puppy?” Kellan asked, but his words were without any heat. Obviously, he knew I had. Kellan was just smart like that.

“Don't hurt him,” I managed to stutter out, but each word hurt worse than I could have ever imagined. My throat was on fire, the pain radiating up the side of my neck and down into my collarbone. Even breathing hurt. “I love him.”

Kellan sighed in my ear. I was going to pass out, after all, but I fought not to. I wanted his promise that the puppy would be okay. Only then, could I fall into the abyss.

“Of course, I wouldn't hurt him,” he reprimanded me, his voice low in my ear. “I might be harsh, but I'm not a monster.”

Right before I slipped away, I could have sworn I heard Kellan add, “Lucky dog.”

* * * * *

The next time I awoke, I was in Kellan's den. To my complete and total shock, I was also in his lap. It wasn't an embrace, though. He was holding me up as my mom tried to get me to drink from a straw.

“She's fully awake now,” she chirped to Kellan, her eyes briefly moving up to his. “Tabitha, I need you to drink this. It's orange juice, and it will help you to feel better.”

I hated orange juice, it never failed to give me indigestion. It was perfect for those that had lost a great deal of blood, though. I knew that from donating blood.

My neck felt like someone had taken a weed eater to it. I was weak, dizzy, and nauseated. My mind was fuzzy, my thoughts jumbled.
How did she expect me to swallow it?
It seemed impossible.

I remembered the puppy. I could see my dad, James, Amanda, and Sara, but I didn't see the dog I wanted so badly. Turning my face away from the glass, I rasped out, “Puppy?”

“He's fine,” Kellan said from behind me, his voice impatient. “He's in a lot better shape than you are. Jayden took him to the bathroom to clean him up. He thought you'd be asking for the puppy as soon as you woke up.” He stopped for a moment before adding in a rueful tone, “By the way, the he is really a she.”

Some of the tension within me went away. I nodded to my mom, drinking as much as I could. It wasn't a lot. The pain was terrible.

Kellan shifted beneath me. We were in a deep chair, which made it all the more intimate. I blushed. I needed out of that chair, just as soon as possible. “I think I can stand up now.”

“Stay still,” he growled back, making no effort to help me up. “You were all but sucked dry. If I'd been a minute later, you'd be dead. Drink the juice and relax. If you can't, I'm going to break out the IV again.”

My mom shuddered in front of me, her face paling. Her eyes met mine. They were red-rimmed and filled with horror. She offered the straw to me again, which I took.

After a moment, I pulled away. “Am I going to die?”

“At the rate you're going, I'm sure of it,” he informed us, his tone harsh. It was so completely at odds with the gentleness of  his touch, though. His large hands were wrapped around my upper arms, but they were loosely clasped, not rough. “Wherever there's trouble, you always seem to be right in the middle of it.

I became aware of someone staring at me. Turning my head, I met Sara's furious gaze. Her narrowed eyes were hot enough to singe me. She looked irate and jealous, which completely confused me. It wasn't as if she'd caught Kellan and I in bed together, and even if she had, what was it to her? As far as I knew, they weren't an item.

“Why on earth were you out there to begin with, Tabitha?” My dad bit out, his face reddened. He struggled with high-blood pressure, a fact that was glaringly obvious by the color of his skin. It wasn't healthy for him to get that upset.

“Calm down, Dad,” I choked out. “I just needed some air. It's not like I was making a break for it or  anything.”

Kellan still hadn't answered my question, not directly. I couldn't turn around to face him, and I hated it. I wanted to see his face as I interrogated him. “Answer me, Kellan. Am I going to die from the bite?”

His large body shook underneath mine. At first, I was a little worried, but I didn't need to be. He was chuckling at my question, which only infuriated me. I didn't see anything funny about it.

“No, you're not going to die. You weren't attacked by a zombie, but you were attacked by a vampire.”