“Good,” he said, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. Sit down.”
I obeyed, saying, “There’s been an incident.”
“All right,” he acknowledged, folding his fingers together. “How bad is it? Does it need to be covered up?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just—”
“So there are no dead bodies?”
“No.”
“No zombies?”
“No. Just—”
“Then listen,” he said, once again cutting me off. “I’ve been told you’ve been cleaning up the house and only eating bagels and cream cheese. That isn’t acceptable, Miss Bell. I pay someone to take care of the house, and I have enough food for an army.”
“That’s wonderful, but I’m not going to take advantage of you. Now. We went to a strip mall today and—”
“Does your grandmother know what you’re doing? How you’re starving yourself?”
“I’m
I’d grabbed it with every intention of handing it over to Mr. Ankh, but now, peering into his stern features, I just...couldn’t.
“Oh, no,” I said, tugging at the sleeves of my shirt, making sure my bandages were covered. “No one’s following me around.” No telling what they’d see me do.
He frowned at me. “Privacy means nothing in the face of safety, Miss Bell. I’m sure your grandmother would agree with me.”
Low blow. One I ignored. “No guards,” I insisted. “Reeve might notice them and start asking more questions.”
He relented. As I’d known he would.
He really did love his daughter.
For the first time, I began to wonder about this man’s life...his past. “The woman you mentioned... The one who had the anxiety disorder... Was she Reeve’s mom?”
“Yes.” His tone was short, clipped, letting me know he’d said all he wanted to say on that subject.
How awful. Poor Mrs. Ankh, to feel death was the only way. Poor Mr. Ankh, left to pick up the pieces. Poor Reeve, a little girl drowning in sorrow and confusion. No wonder he insisted she be kept in the dark. He didn’t want the same fate to befall her. “I’m sorry.”
He waved my sympathy away. “The past is the past, Miss Bell.”
Such easy words to offer—but was he actually living them? “Just so you know, I saw a rabbit cloud in the sky. Zombies could be coming out tonight.”
He arched a brow, saying, “And you want in the rotation.”
I’d told myself I wasn’t ready to see Cole again. I’d even questioned my ability to fight. And still I found myself saying, “I do.” I couldn’t waste an opportunity to slay my enemy.
Mr. Ankh grilled me about my health. Was I feeling okay? Had I had any moments of weakness? Had I had another panic attack?
I answered the first two bluntly but sidestepped the last one. “Look, I was born to kill zombies. So, tonight, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Whether you’re on board or not. And yes, that’s a threat.”
He grinned at me, but it wasn’t a nice grin. “You can’t do anything if you’re unconscious.”
He would drug me? “Try,” was all I said.
He studied me for a long while before sighing, nodding stiffly. “Fine. You’re determined. I get it. And this time, I’ll let you have your way. You’ll have to hurry, though. The slayers are at Cole’s gym, and rotations are about to be decided for the week.”
Crap. My day with Nana would have to wait. “Slight problem,” I said. “I don’t have a license or a car.”
He released another sigh. “Be ready in five. My driver will be waiting out front.”
“Thanks, Mr. Ankh.” I stood and walked to the door.
“By the way, I wasn’t teasing about the cleaning and the food.”
“I didn’t think you were.” And he would learn I hadn’t been teasing, either. I paused and glanced back at him. “I admire the way you’re protecting Reeve, I do, but all our secrets are hurting her. She’s already suspicious, and those suspicions are making her unhappy. There’s got to be another way.”
“Miss Bell,” he said, slamming his pen on the desk.
I knew a very stern lecture was coming, so I hurried into the hall.
In my room, I changed into battle-ready clothing and gathered everything I’d need. More daggers, a syringe filled with the antidote, a pocketful of throwing stars and my phone.
I tucked the business card the man had given me in the bottom drawer of my desk and saw there was a note resting next to my computer.
What could this mean?
Right.
But this had to be the surprise Nana had mentioned. And what an amazing surprise it was.
I owed that woman a million hugs.
I didn’t mean to, but I glanced at the vanity mirror as I opened the door. A habit I’d developed after first meeting Cole. I’d always wanted to look my best for him. This time, my reflection caught me completely off guard.
.
dying
Who Are You?
Your Doom
I checked the halls. Empty. Good. Reeve must be in her room, and I wasn’t sure where Nana had gone. Even the housekeeper was nowhere to be seen. As promised, the driver was waiting for me at the front door. I sailed past him without a word and buckled into the backseat of the dark sedan. I held my breath as he slid into the driver’s seat. He started the engine. Eased forward.
I exhaled.
Along the way, I checked the sky. The rabbit cloud was still there.
My phone rang, startling me. I recognized the number and experienced a conflicting tide of emotions, from uncertainty to gratitude. “Justin,” I said. “I should have called you. Thank you for helping with the fight and taking what was meant for me.”
“Hey, I owed you.” Then, “How are you, Ali?” His voice was low, as if he wasn’t sure of his welcome and was determined not to spook me.
“I’ve been better.”
He groaned. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry I bit you. I don’t know what came over me. You were there, and you smelled so good, so clean and pure, and my mouth was watering, and the urge hit me, and it was so strong, so intense, I couldn’t fight it.” The words spilled from him with barely a breath. “I didn’t
A crackling pause that set my nerves on edge. “Like what?”
Yeah, like I was really going to confide in him. “You tell me,” I said, using a tactic Cole had once used on me.
Cole. I ran my tongue over my teeth.
I had to stop thinking about him.
“To be honest, I’ve been normal,” Justin said. “Nothing’s happened. To me, at least,” he added. “I’m guessing something’s happening with you, though.”
The brakes on the car squeaked, and I peeked out the window to see we’d reached our destination. So soon?
“I have to go,” I said.
“Don’t want to talk about it?”
“I’m kind of busy.”
“Yeah. I think so.”
I hung up and stepped into the cold of the evening. The sun would soon disappear, and the moon would take its place, full and golden in the sky. Even though darkness had yet to fall, the path to the barn was lit by small halogens meant to discourage any zombies from drawing near.
I used the code on the ID pad to open the door. Before our breakup, when I’d come here and he hadn’t, Cole had finally broken down and given me the “key.” I pushed my way inside, only to discover the meeting was already in full swing. A chair had been carried to the center of the boxing ring, where Cole was perched.
Veronica sat in his lap.
His arm was wrapped around her waist.
The girl was relaxed against him, completely at ease, as if she had no doubts about her reception.
Cole was disheveled, but also perfectly at ease. As if they’d messed around before settling down, and he’d never been happier.
The details hit me like bullets, one at a time, fast and sure. He’d always liked touching me. Sifting the ends of my hair through his fingers. Ghosting his knuckles across my jaw. Pulling me into the hard line of his body for a kiss. Seeing him act that way with someone else...
Pain? Yes, I felt pain. Betrayal? Jealousy? Yes, I felt those, too. Felt them so deeply I wasn’t sure how I remained on my feet—or out of that ring. I think a part of me had hoped he would eventually come crawling back to me, no matter what I’d told him. No matter what I’d told my friends. But he wasn’t going to, was he? We were done, just as he’d said. Just as I’d agreed. Only he’d already moved on.
Okay, so I hadn’t exactly switched my focus.
Threads of fury joined an already toxic mix of emotions, whooshing through me. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t fair. How could he do this to me? Was he trying to punish me for the vision I’d had? A vision I couldn’t control? A vision I wouldn’t allow to come true?
No. This wasn’t for my benefit and wasn’t a punishment. He hadn’t known I would show up. This was for him. He wanted that girl in his lap.
My hands fisted. I’d been wrong about his sense of honesty. He’d lied to me.
I remembered what he’d said to me.
Me:
His spirit?
Oh, good glory. Was I thinking like the zombies now?
I raised my chin, squared my shoulders. I’d rather die.
I forced myself to concentrate for real.
“—report every detail,” Cole was saying. “I don’t just want to hear that you survived the night, or that you did or didn’t see any zombies. I’m not kidding, I want every detail. In writing. From all of you. Two partners can’t turn in one report. I want two from two, and I want you to write them separately. After what happened to Justin and Ali, I’m in an information-gathering mood.” Shadows and light battled for dominance on his face, giving him a sinister bent. “Got me?”
He scanned the murmuring crowd, bypassed me and quickly returned. Guilt flashed in his eyes, only to be extinguished, leaving the cold, blank mask. He stood, forcing Veronica to stand as well, and dropped his arms to his sides. She remained only a whisper away and frowned when she noticed me.
I held Cole’s gaze, again not expecting a vision, but wanting one—no, I didn’t want one, shouldn’t want one, but...
It never came.
Disappointment grew wings of sharply honed iron and flew through every inch of me, cutting at me.
Cole cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.
“Or her,” Mackenzie called, and snapped her teeth.
“Now you’re just giving the girls permission to take a nibble anytime, anyplace,” Frosty retorted. “I’ve got enough trouble keeping them off me as it is.”
Chuckles resounded.
I couldn’t force myself to laugh.
“You know who your partners are,” Cole said, “and where you’ve been placed in the schedule. Do what you have to do to get ready.”
The group broke apart; some kids were to walk the streets, hunting zombies; some were to go home and rest, catch up on schoolwork; some were to stay here and guard the bodies of the slayers, also waiting in case backup was needed.
Veronica rose on her tiptoes and whispered in Cole’s ear.
The fury returned, expanded, but I managed to calmly say, “What about me?” and step up to the ring.
All eyes darted in my direction.
“Ali Bo Bali,” Frosty said, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “I didn’t think we’d see you tonight.”
I appreciated the show of support.
“What about you?” Cole replied, hesitant.
“What happened today?” Veronica asked, coming over to rest her head on his shoulder. Staking a claim? Digging the knife deeper?
If anyone told her what I’d gone through...
Cole eased away from her and massaged the back of his neck, a habit of his. Right now he was more than uncomfortable. He was discombobulated.
Good.
“You’re injured,” he said.
“I’m healed. Besides that, others have fought injured and you never complained.”
“Others have had more training. And why do you have bandages on your wrists?”
He’d noticed them, even though I wore long sleeves?