Oh, Ali, I heard Cole say, dread dripping from his voice. Gentle fingers brushed over my face, lifted and turned my arm to survey the damage. Im so sorry. I shouldnt have left you. Im sorry. I got here as soon as I could.
I dont know how she knew, a man lashed out, but she caught several in our traps. His voice was unrecognizable to me.
Those gentle fingertips returned to my face. Every zombie that attacked you is dead, Ali. I promise you. They paid.
We need to get her out of here. Frosty had said that, I think.
Ill take her, Cole proclaimed, and the words were so sharp I knew no one would dare contradict him. You take care of her grandparents.
Take care of my grandparents how? Arms slid underneath me, hefting me up. With the movement, the burn those chomping zombie teeth had left behind intensified, and I whimpered.
Ive got you, Cole said. I wont let anything else happen to you.
Hours seemed to pass before we broke through the trees. Suddenly I could hear party sounds: muffled voices, laughter, fast pounding music, even splashing. Kids must be swimming.
I struggled against Cole, hurting myself further but not caring. I didnt want anyone to see me. As strong as he was, I made no progress.
Settle down, he said softly. Theres an underground passage into the room you and Kat discovered. Well be able to doctor you there. No one will see you, I swear. And you will recover, do you hear me? Ive already administered the antidote. You need other treatment, but the worst that will happen is youll miss your curfew and be grounded for a few weeks.
Maybe so, but my grandparents would worry every minute that I was late, and that I wouldnt allow. Needcall I managed to grit out. The painit was too muchtoo much Cantlet
Frosty will drug your grandparents, okay? Without scaring them, he added, probably knowing Id protest otherwise. Theyll never even know he was there. Theyll get a good nights rest, and wake up nice and refreshed in the morning. Theyll still know you missed curfew, theres nothing I can do about that since its twelve twenty-five, and Frosty wont get there for another fifteen, but they wont know what time you actually came home.
His voice had begun to echo. We must be in a tunnel. The underground passage, probably. If I screamedand I really really wanted to screamthe sound of my agony would echo into eternity and Cole would forever remember me as a wuss. Cant let that happen.
But I wasnt sure what was worse. The potential blow to my ego, or the fact that I felt as if Id fallen into hells fire.
When Cole stopped, I barely managed to turn the waiting scream into a hiss. I heard another patter of footsteps, then the whine of hinges. Then he was moving again, and I was being laid on top of a cold, hard surface. Suddenly there were voices all around me, both male and female.
How many got to her?
Eight that I saw. Could have been more. A nest of them chased her through the grounds.
How long were they able to feed on her?
Dont know. But she and I were separated for no more than an hour, so its gotta be less than that.
Any survivors?
No, sir. Pride in his tone, followed by the barest of pauses. How bad are Alis injuries?
The next pause was brutal, fraying what remained of my nerves. Very. What they got into her spirit is now in her muscles. If it sinks into her bones
Cole released a spat of dark curses.
Must be a very bad thing. Helpme, I managed. Stop talking to each other and help me! Every second was worse than the last.
My shirt was cut away, maybe even my bra. I hurt too much to care who was getting a peep show. For that matter, I hurt too much to care about my rep. I screamed, vocalizing the sharpest edges of my torment. Whoever was stripping me never paused. My boots and jeans were discarded in a hurry.
Something cold probed the wound in my neck, and my entire body bowed as I released another scream. The pain Id only thought I knew what it was before. This was true pain. Pain in its purest form. Pain, pain, pain.
Knock her out! Cole shouted.
Another question poised at the edge of my mind, but it refused to crystallize. It bothered me, whatever it was. Made me uneasy, even queasy. Or maybe that was the zombie toxin or the antidote or whatever was working through me.
After a pinch in my upper arm, something warm began to wash through me. Dizziness overshadowed that sense of pain, distracting me, and suddenly I was floating through a sea of soft clouds.
Floating
away
* * *
floating
back
I fought the return to my body. I wanted to stay in this vast realm of nothingness, where troubles were a thing of the past and nothing could hurt me. But I lost this fight the same way Id lost the fight with the zombies.
Zombies.
The word was a tether, drawing me back for good. I droppedsettling inunable to escape.
My stomach clenched, shooting a blistering sting up and another down. A moan left me. My brain felt like a big, heaping bowl of Jell-O, and my eyelids felt as if theyd been glued together. I had to force them to part by blinking rapidly. I tried to focus. I could hear a quiet beep, beep in the background. Could smell the strong odor of room cleaner overlaid by the rank scent of rot.
A too-bright light hung above me, swinging back and forth. Last thing I remembered was the party, the zombies. Running, being chased, fighting. Teeth sinking into me. How had I gotten here? For that matter, where was here?
My heartbeat picked up speed, and the beeping sounds followed suit. I attempted to sit up but something caught on my wrists, holding me down. I twisted to look, cried out. The skin in my neck and arm pulled tight, shooting knifelike pains through every inch of me.
Calm down, someone said.
Not alone. Stiffening, I searched the room. The speaker was hidden from view. Whos there?
And stay still, someone else added. You dont want to rip your stitches.
Besides, you cant get free. A female voice I recognized but couldnt quite place. Youre restrained.
Restrained? At last my gaze zeroed in on my wrists. They were at my sides, cuffed to the gurney. Calm down? As if! Let me go! Now! The words scraped at my throat like glass shards in a blender.
If you wont calm down on your own, Ill drug you again, and youll be completely helpless. Do you want to be completely helpless, Miss Bell?
Reeves dad, Mr. Ankh, walked around a curtain. Hed traded in his suit for bloodstained scrubs and a lab coat. A stethoscope dangled from his neck. His dark hair stood on end, and his eyes were rimmed with red.
Beside him stepped a taller man with dark, though no less disheveled, hair. His features were rougher, the shadow of a beard on his jaw. His eyes were an electric blue, and his nose had a slight bump in the center. His face and arms were streaked with dirt, and yet his hands were scrubbed clean.
Beside him stepped Dr. Wright, who had thin, horn-rimmed glasses perched on her nose and her arms crossed over her middle. Shed ditched her dress for a large button-up shirt and sweatpants so long theyd had to be pinned at the ankles. Somehow, she appeared no less authoritative.
How are you feeling, Ali? she asked. Youve been out for most of the night.
I feel like I want someone to let me go. Heres a hint. That someone is you!
A newcomer spoke out. Theyre just going to ask you some questions. The sooner you let them start, the sooner youll be released.
Tensing, I watched as Cole eased through the open door. He hadnt changed his clothes, even though blood streaked his T-shirt and jeans. My blood, I think. A white ball cap perched on his head, his dark hair sticking out in spikes underneath. Shadows fell over his face, blocking his eyes from inspection.
Who is he? I demanded, motioning to the only one I didnt know with a tilt of my chin.
My father. His name is Tyler.
My eyes widened as I refocused on the rougher-looking adult. Now that I knew there was a connection, I could tell that his features were similar to Coles. Same slightly uptilted eyes, same stubborn chin.
I forced myself to relax against the hard surface of the bed and gave a stiff nod. Fine. Ask your questions.
Mr. Holland jumped in first. I just couldnt think of him as Tyler. It was too informal, too friendly when he was clearly anything but. How did you know where those traps were? Because Im thinking theres no way you could have known where wed set up an ambush unless youd been spying on us.
To tell the truth, or not to tell the truth? Maybe seeing glowing smears was a sign I was meant to be a slayerone of those many more abilities the journal had mentioned. Maybe not. Maybe it would end all the antagonism lancing my way. Or maybe not. Maybe the antagonism would grow.
Either way, I did it; I explained the glowing smears. Their expressions remained rigid and harsh, even when they looked at each other, as though curious to know what everyone else thought.
They had me describe the smears, and I tried not to use a you-are-such-an-idiot-what-do-you-think-they-looked-like tone. They had me pick out the color from a chart on a laptop. Who could have known there were so many shades of white? They drilled me about my father, about the things hed said and done, and then about the grandfather Id never met.
I think I know what you saw, Mr. Ankh said. Or rather, what caused the glow.
When he said no more, I snapped, Well. What?
He and Mr. Holland shared a dark look before Mr. Holland nodded and Mr. Ankh said, The Blood Lines.
Cole had mentioned the pouring of a chemical around a home to keep the zombies out. But why would they mark the trees?
Mr. Holland flicked his tongue over an incisor. The zombies are coming out when they shouldnt, just to hunt you. Why is that?
I dont know, I replied. Why dont you tell me? You obviously know more about this stuff than I do.
He stopped flicking and started growling. You have to know something. How else would you have survived so many attacks?
Anger exploded through me, a white-hot lance consuming everything in its path. Are you suggesting Im working with the zombies? That I paid them to pretend to attack me so that Id trick you into letting me join you?
Did you? Mr. Holland demanded.
Yeah, okay, I said in a sugar-sweet tone. Youre right. I was having dinner with Zombie Carl the other night. You know, steaks, rare, and a bottle of vintage type A. He told me all his secrets, but too bad for you I promised him I wouldnt tell. In exchange I asked him to gather his best undead buddies and stalk me through my friends yard. And oh, yeah, it was totally fine if they wanted to use me as an all-night dinner buffet, because having organs is so last season.
Cole turned away, and I heard a dubious choking sound coming from his direction. Was helaughing at me?
How dare he! This was my life we were talking about.
I should have zipped my lips to prevent myself from adding fuel to his amusement but my anger urged me on. You know, theres a very good chance Im the best fighter in this room. Did you ever think of that? Never mind the fact that Id almost died. Maybe, if you were better, you wouldnt be so surprised when someone exhibits extraordinary abilities.
All three adults gaped at me.
Just so were clear, I said to Coles father, what exactly is it you suspect me of doing? What is it you think Ive already done? You havent said. Do you think Im going to tattle to the humans Justin Silverstone works with? Well, I wont. Their motives are questionable, according to Cole, and I have too much to lose.
I waited, but they offered no response. They merely stared at me, waiting. My mom had used the same technique, and I knew they hoped I would fill the silence by spilling secrets.
Do you treat all newcomers like this? I asked. Did you chain up Mackenzie and question her before you accepted her into your exhalted home?
Uh-oh, Cole muttered. The questions have started in earnest.
I ignored him.
Cole says youre the most curious person hes ever met. Mr. Holland massaged the back of his neck, an action Id seen Cole do on more than one occasion. But if you think well answer without proof of your intentions, youre as dumb as a box of rocks. Justin betrayed us. He taught those people how to hunt the zombieshow to hunt us. They arent the type to take no for an answer, and they certainly wouldnt think twice about sending a teenage girl into our midst to destroy us from the inside. They want us gone, not the zombies.
Why?
Why else? We fight them, hinder their research.
I didnt point out that he was the one who was dumb as a box of rocks. Hed just answered one of my questions without his precious proof. I cant believe you think Im here to sabotage you. That would mean Id purposely caused the car accident that destroyed my life. I tried to air quote the word destroyed, but the wrist cuffs prevented the action. Maybe I even murdered my own family to draw the zombies and their handlers to my side so that I could join their ranks.
Mr. Holland showed no mercy. Believe me, its possible.
And that meant I wasnt to be believed, no matter what I said. All right. Lets say Im working with them. What am I researching?
For some reason, Cole burst out laughing, no longer trying to hide it. Mr. Holland shot him a look that shouted shut up at lot louder than actual words, saving me the trouble.
What? Cole said. Youre not going to be able to intimidate her. Believe me, Ive tried.
Mr. Ankh said, With the zombies, they want to know how to cause immortality. With us, spiritual powers beyond imagining. What else?
Maybe they believed me, after all. The answers were coming more easily now. Or, maybe this was common knowledge among slayers and hazmats. Either way, I didnt care. I was having trouble digesting what hed just said. Hoping to find a way to allow everyone to spend eternity as a rotting, walking spirit-corpse? Not cool. Now, research on the people who could see those zombies I got. Hated, but got.
How were the zombies first created?
The two Mr.s shared another look before Mr. Holland said, Zombies exist because evil exists. We dont know exactly how it happened, we can only guess.
We think the source of evil was here before we were, and slowly managed to work its way into human life, Dr. Wright added. Like any disease without treatment, it has spread and grown worse, stronger.
The men frowned at her, but didnt rebuke her.
I was inclined to agree with her. As I already told you, zombies caused the crash that killed my family. I will never work with them or for anyone who helps them.
Gaze sharpening on me, Mr. Holland stepped closer. As a joke, me and my friends dragged your father out of his house one summer night. Zombies were either following me or hunting him, because they came out of nowhere and attacked. He and I were the only ones to react. That was the first time anything like that had happened to me. The next day, I went back to talk to him, but hed packed up your mother and moved.
Tears filled my eyes at what my dad must have suffered that night. I wanted to hate Mr. Holland for it, I really did, but I hadnt treated the man much better, had I?
Im sorry about what I did, Mr. Holland added gruffly. Im also sorry for your loss.
The tears trickled onto my cheeks and I managed to choke out hoarsely, Thanks.
I guess I made Mr. Ankh uncomfortable, because he hurried to change the subject.
Why were you snooping through my home, Miss Bell?
And why was Kat with you? Dr. Wright asked. Is she involved?
No way Id rat on Kat. No, shes not involved. We wanted a place to chat privately, thats all. Besides that, you cant blame us for wandering around. You guys knew about the party. You knew kids would be drinking and roaming. You should have put up barricades.
I did, he said.
Well, someone removed them!
The three adults leaned together, a whispered conversation soon wafting from them. Deciding my fate? Or whether or not I was worthy to join them? Maybe they hadnt heard, but Cole had already shown me to the curb.
What are you doing, just sitting here? Nows your chance to act. Even though Cole was watching meI could feel the heat of his gazeI stealthily tugged at the restraints. The movements, slight though they were, pulled my stitches tight and caused me to wince. I gritted my teeth and kept going. Helplessness was not something I would accept ever again.
Success! I managed to free my hands from their bonds. A quick glance down proved Id opened my wounds, my skin abraded with little beads of blood springing forth. Worth it.
We have decided to trust you, Miss Bell, Mr. Ankh announced. Just know that we are watching you.
Awesome, I replied drily. But you must not have spoken with Cole. He has other ideas.
We know he invited you in, and we know he kicked you out, but he did both without permission. Therefore, neither counts, Dr. Wright said.
Mr. Holland faced his son. Shes all yours, Cole. Good luck.
With that, the three adults strode from the room.
Cole stalked over to my bed and eased down beside me. I watched him through my periphery. He removed his hat, set it aside and plowed his fingers through his hair.
You can look me in the eye, he said. Its almost morning, and you woke up once during the night. We already had todays vision.
We did?
Okay, so I did.
Whatd you see?
A repeat of the first vision.
Kissing. Well, you can forget about that. I scooted away from him, not allowing any part of our bodies to brush. He noticedand scooted even closer.
I was so not doing this with him. I stayed put. He wanted to touch, wed touch, but it wouldnt mean anything. I wouldnt let it. Whered the Terrible Trio go? And why were you laughing?
His mouth curled in a slow, easy grin. Because youre cute when youre asking too many questions for one person to possibly answer. But Ill try. The guys went to tell the others to treat you right. He lifted and studied my wrist, offering no comment about the lack of restraints. This is exactly what Id hoped to avoid. You, injured.
I told you. Id die for this cause.
You might have to, he snapped.
I gave him the same silent treatment hed often given meuntil his thumb grazed one of my injuries and I whimpered.
Everything about him softened in an instant. Im sorry I wasnt there. His voice broke there at the end. So. Yeah. Theres no out for you now. Youre stuck with us.
How ominous he suddenly sounded. There was an out for Justin.
Yeah, and look where that got us. Cole stood, strode to a cart with all kinds of things scattered on top and wheeled it over. We wont make the same mistake twice. If youre not for us, youre for them, and with your ability to see the Blood Lines in the spirit realm, we cant let you be for them.
All right, so wed jumped from ominous to straight-up threatening. You would get rid of me?
A muscle ticked in his jaw. I wouldnt, no.
Clearly, others would. Gotta say, so far Im not liking the sound of my new team. I hadnt made a formal decision to rejoin the group, but with the words, I realized the decision had been made. Indisputably, I couldnt do this on my own.
He cleaned up my newest set of wounds. Youll come to love them. Theyre the ones who will guard your back.
And Id be responsible for guarding theirs. So no one else can see the Blood Lines while in spirit form?
No one currently living, but a few years ago, there was a guy who could. Hes the one who led my dad and his friends.
I thought about the journal Id found. Maybe this former leader was the one whod written it. Did he like to write things in code?
Cole blinked down at me, frowned. Why would you ask something like that?
Uh, Ill tell you later, I said. Maybe. If I ever trust you again.
His mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to press me for more, but in the end he merely nodded. Fair enough. And because I know how much you love details, Ill tell youwithout being askedthat no one was ever able to figure out why he could do it when no one else could.
What happened to him? I asked, then pursed my lips in irritation. Several times hed mentioned my curious nature. I had to get control of my tongue.
He died during an attack and that was that. He finished cleaning my wounds and wrapped bandages around both of my wrists.
There were only two known cases of people with that ability, then. The journal had mentioned we should all wield all abilities, if only we would yield to the power inside of us. Maybe this guy and I were the only ones who had yielded.
You were bitten repeatedly and deeply, Cole said, but the antidote finally neutralized the toxin. Youll be tired for the next few days, not as strong or as fast, but you should recover completely.
He said that as if thered been a chance the antidote wouldnt work, and I wasnt sure how to feel about that. Relief that Id made it or dread that I could have died. Have you I mean, youve been bitten before, Im sure.
More times than I can count. The longer the zombies are alive, for lack of a better word, the smarter they become. They learn how to circumvent our trapsthough never the Blood Lines. They work together. They ambush. They track.
That phrasing caught my attention. I had been tracked. Bridezilla and her Groom of Doom had appeared in the forest beyond my backyard many nights, then again at Reeves. Obviously, theyd singled me out.
So, these Blood Lines I prompted, without asking.
You want to know more about them?
I nodded.
There was a sparkle in his eyes as he said, They create an energy that causes objects to solidify in the spirit realm, preventing the zombies from ghosting through them. That energy also gives off a scent the zombies find offensive, which is why we launder our clothes in a diluted mix of the chemicals. Only thing it doesnt make manifest is a human body.
Fascinating. I want some.
After Ive taught you how to properly use it.
When?
Soon.
Hard to argue with that, but oh, I wanted to. Does your dad fight? Well, dang. Another question.
No. He developed an allergy to the antidote and has to hang back.
Something in his tone had me thinking wed all develop an allergy one day, but I wasnt going to worry about that now. So what happens next?
The look Cole gave me was as comforting as a blanket woven from shards of broken glass. Youll go home and rest. Youll decide on the lies youre going to feed your grandparents. And as soon as youre healed, your training will begin.
13Knock, Knock, Says the Evil
To my astonishment, my grandparents were sleeping peacefully as promised when I returned home late Sunday morning. (Thered been no rabbit in the sky. Id checked. And yeah, I now knew the cloud had to do with zombies rather than cars, but a girl couldnt be too careful.) Cole had dropped me off with a curt Ill pick you up tomorrow morning for school. Seven-fifteen. Be ready.
Id told him not to bother, that Id ride the bus. I had to set things straight with Justin sometime, and better earlier than later. The look Cole had next given me could have frozen the Pacific.
Id stood my ground against him. I wasnt going to jump when he said jump. I was more likely to give him the finger. Hed dumped me, insulted me, and let his dad grill me. Id help him with the zombies, of course I would, and I wanted to train with him and learn how to be a better fighter. I wanted to make a difference in this new world, wanted to help people, but I wouldnt follow him slavishly to do it.
Hed taken off without another word. I had a feeling he would be waiting outside my house tomorrow morning, despite my protests. Guess he wasnt going to jump when I said jump, either.
I spent the next half hour walking the edge of my home, searching for some sign of the Blood Line that proved so powerful against the zombies. I found nothing, nor did I smell the aroma the zombies found so offensive.
By the time I finished, I ached a thousand times worse than when Id started. With a sigh, I lumbered to my room and slid into bed to grab a quick power nap before I got ready for church.
Four quick hours later, high-pitched laughter woke me up. The neighbor kids must be playing outside, and my grandparents must have decided to stay in. I wriggled out of the warm cocoon Id made for myself, showered as diligently as possible without wetting my stitches and dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and baggy sweatpants to hide each of my injuries. The clothes were plainly winter wear, and the heat of summer still reigned, but what else could I do?
I finally understood Mackenzies wardrobe choice.
My gaze caught on the journal still resting on my desk. At some point, Id have to tell Cole about it. Plus, he might be able to decode it. I walked over, opened to the page Id markedand blinked with astonishment.
The page was no longer in code.
Baffled, I just kind of fell into my chair and read, Those abilities I mentioned? Some slayers have inklings of the future. Some can see the Blood Lines and recognize our sanctuaries. Some can destroy the zombies one by one, then two by two, after being bitten a single time. Something in their spirit infects the zombies and spreads from one to another like a contagious disease, with no more action on the slayers part.
Some can do none of that. Some can do all of that.
I have yielded completely. I can do all.
Thats how I know about the war thats coming. Thats how I know that not a single slayeror civilianwill survive unless something more is done.
Thats how I know what needs to be done.
I need to die.
The rest of the words were written in that same code as before. I banged my fist into my desk, my laptop shaking. Why, why, why? How, how, how? English, then coded, English, then coded again. Why had it changed? How had it changed?
What I knew: Cole and I saw glimpses of the future. I could see the Blood Lines. I wasnt sure whether or not my spirit was poison for the zombies, and wasnt sure I wanted to find out. Put it all together, and it was more than Id ever before knownbut it still wasnt enough. How had I yielded to anything? How could I yield to more?
I rubbed my eyes, set the journal aside. Id try to read it again tomorrow. Maybe another passage would open up to me, maybe not. Until then, I had to deal with my grandparents.
I had a feeling theyd do one of two things when they saw me:
Ground me from everything except breathing.
Ground me from everything including breathing.
I was only surprised they hadnt burst into my bedroom already to demand answers.
I trudged my way to the kitchen. Nana stood at the counter putting together a sandwich.
Pretty as a buttercup in her yellow blouse, she offered me a soft grin. Something must be in the air. Pops and I slept in, too, so we thought wed go to church tonight instead.
Ill go, too.
Great. Are you hungry?
Okay, that had to be a trick question. If I said yes, she would then say, well, youre never eating again! Uhyes? I gave it a shot, anyway.
Ham and Swiss all right?
Yes? Again with the question in my tone. I gulped back my nervousness and said, So about last night
The curtains were open behind her, morning light spilling into the area. Pots and pans hung above her, casting shadows over her cheeks. She tilted her head to the side and sighed. We heard you come in. Ten minutes past curfew isnt a huge, horrible deal, but I do hope youll call us next time if youre going to be so much as a minute late. Pops worries.
Thank you, Frosty! Of course, yes, I rushed out. Im sorry I didnt this time. I lost track. Im sorry, I repeated.
Youre forgiven. She hooked a lock of hair behind her ear. Now Ive got two questions for you. Why are you dressed like that, and how was your date?
New style. I couldnt tell her Id woken up cold, because I had sweat beads on my forehead and shed think I was feverish and in need of a full body exam.