Alive Like Us Page 7

  Haven giggled as she laced up her own skates. She marched over. “Give me your icepick. I’ll get the hole started. If we set the poles up, we can do some skating while we wait for the fish.”

  Sanna passed the gear Haven had charmed off that shopkeeper’s son. “Pay attention to the ice as you go out. Have you skated before?”

  “Once or twice. It was popular in New Hope,” Haven said with a sly grin. She glided off, her movements fast and fluid.

  “Hey,” Sanna shouted after her. “That ice pick is sharp, you know!”

  Haven started spinning like a top.

  “Show off,” Sanna mumbled. She had the grace of a fat hen on the ice.

  “Haven! Over here. Come quick. Jace’s hurt!” A young man burst from the trees ten yards to Sanna’s right.

  She gritted her teeth at the sound of the young man’s nasally voice. Simon. What was he doing out here? She hadn’t seen his exit written in the guard’s log. The identical Johnson twins joined him, one supported by the other. Simon stepped onto the frozen lake, while Haven chipped on the ice near the center, oblivious.

  Snap! The sound sent a chill down Sanna’s spine. A white streak shot all the way to the tips of her boots. The ice was cracking.

  “Get off,” she shouted. “It’s not strong enough!”

  Splash! The sound was soft, but the silence that followed was deafening. Her stomach dropped to her knees.

  Haven was gone.

  Without thinking, Sanna sprinted across the crackling surface until she reached the dark hole that had swallowed her only friend. She took a deep breath, the cold air pricking her lungs like a thousand tiny needles.

  Then she plunged into the darkness.

  KAI MERRICK WAS IMMUNE to screams. They’d haunted him throughout his life, from his sister’s first hearty squall, to the desperate cries of other outcasts as the Infected picked them off in the dark of night.

  As a general rule, he avoided sounds of panic or pleas for help. Those who didn’t tended to end up dead. Right now, the sounds coming from the lake were male. Young, like him. If there were any Infected lurking about, they’d be making a beeline for those voices.

  Idiots. Didn’t they know they were on their own in the Deadlands? People were more likely to run away from sounds of desperation than towards them.

  “Sanna!”

  “Don’t—she went in. God, she never listens to anyone.”

  “Whatdowedo? Whatdowedo!”

  “Ivan will kill us if he finds out we didn’t save her.”

  Sanna? What were the chances there was another girl named that? Especially in a territory as small as Erling? Which meant that Sanna Larson—his Sanna Larson—was in trouble.

  He sprinted towards the cacophony, branches whipping his face. The ground sloped downward. Frankie loped alongside him; his black lips peeled into an anxious grin. A root caught Kai’s boot and he stumbled forward. His pack nearly flipped over his head.

  Another problem with being a knight in shining armor. You almost always got more than you bargained for.

  He was breathless and sweating by the time the dense woods cleared around an enormous lake. The frozen waters mirrored the dark gray sky, which promised more snow to come. He slid down the bank, nearly colliding with a panic-stricken teenager who reminded him of an albino catfish.

  Behind the stranger were two younger, identical teenagers whose broad, bland faces and light brown hair would let them blend in just about anywhere.

  The Catfish shoved past Kai as he tried to scrabble up the icy bank and race away.

  Kai grabbed his arm. “Sanna Larson. Is she here?”

  The Catfish’s eyes widened. “Who the hell are you?”

  Kai tightened his grip. “Where is she?”

  The Catfish jerked free. One of the twins flanked Kai, tense as strung wire. The other stayed behind. He was injured. Limping. They all looked soft to Kai. Typical colonists.

  Kai tensed, ready to fight. He’d take out the Catfish first.

  “Wait,” the injured twin staggered forward. “She’s in the lake. She jumped in after Haven like an idiot.”

  “Shut up, Jace!” His brother hissed, then glowered at Kai. “We ain’t seen nothing.”

  Kai looked past them and noticed the white cracks in the ice, stemming from a dark hole about forty feet in. Dammit. He’d come all this way. What would Iris do to Esme if he’d failed? He released the Catfish’s arm and shrugged off his pack, pawing through it. He found the coarse rope Iris had stashed in there. That woman had thought of everything.

  “What are you going to do?” The Catfish sneered. “Save her?”

  “Let’s go, Simon,” Jace urged the Catfish. “It’ll be dark before we get back as it is.”

  “You’re just gonna leave her?” Kai asked Simon, who was clearly their leader.

  Simon’s gaze shifted to the lake, then back to Kai. His expression hardened. “Go back to where you came from, Outsider. Erling isn’t known for its hospitality.”

  Any other day, Kai would totally agree. But he needed Sanna—and it’d take a lot more than some ice cubes and these cowards to stop him. “I’m not asking for much. If I fall in, you can just leave me.”

  “Let it go,” the healthy twin said. He reached for his brother. “Sanna got what was coming to her.”

  Jace limped away. “What about Haven, Trevor? She’s in there too.”

  Kai tied the rope around his waist. He offered the other end to Simon.

  Simon’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he snatched it from Kai’s hands. “Fine. If your stupid plan doesn’t work, we’ll bring you to Iron Tooth and say you killed them.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Dread hardened in Kai’s stomach. “Either way, you’d be a hero. You guys,” he glanced at the twins, “build a fire.”

  Trevor paled. “But what about the Infected?”

  “Do it,” Simon ordered, then turned to Kai. “Go on, Outsider. It’s a great day for a swim.”

  Kai swallowed and crawled out onto the ice, careful to keep his weight evenly distributed. The ice groaned beneath him. He held his breath; certain it would give way at any moment. That girl better be as strong as Iris claimed. He’d hate to take such a risk only for her to be dead.

  A spiderweb of white cracks appeared underneath his gloved hands. His toes felt wet. A puddle of water welled around his toes. Oh no.

  He picked up the pace. Deep fissures shot underneath him and cleaved the ice as he neared the hole. His arms plunged into water so cold and dark, it stole the breath from his lungs. He pulled back, his arms aching as he spotted a pale shadow gliding beneath him under the sheer ice.

  He flattened on the surface and reached into the dark waters once more, his fingertips brushing something soft and silken, and far too cold to be alive.

  SANNA HAD OPENED HER eyes to a world of murky blue. The ice above glowed white from the sunlight, but the water below her was as dark and cold as night. She twisted around, still searching for Haven. A shadow floated into view.

  She swam towards it, each movement slower than the last. Her pulse pounded in her ears like a steady hammer. She grabbed Haven’s sweater and headed for the opening.

  Hello, Sanna. The intruder’s voice sliced through her thoughts. How nice of you to stop by.

  The body suddenly jerked out of her grasp and swam into a watery beam of light, revealing its bloated, waxen face. Infected.

  He snatched her ankle and pulled her towards him, moving through the water like a giant, fleshy snake.

  She screamed a torrent of bubbles and kicked out, her boot striking his head. He released her. Her lungs burned for air as she swam towards for the opening. Time slowed to crawl. Her thoughts were loosening at the seams. The water was so cold. Too cold.

  The Infected grabbed her again, pulling her down. She punched and thrashed, twisting out of her coat. Teeth bared he surged forward. She blocked him and wrapped her fingers around his throat. His jaws snapped inches from her face. His eyes r
olled backward, as if he could already taste her flesh.

  She needed air. Her muscles quivered.

  He pushed towards her, closer and closer. A black haze ringed her vision.

  A body floated by. Haven?

  If bitten, they’d be trapped forever with this horrible, nasty thing—and turn into monsters like him.

  She would not let that happen. She wouldn’t fail Haven like she’d failed her friends.

  Brilliant energy coursed through her unlike anything she'd ever felt.

  She shot above the monster, flipping over him and wrapped her legs around his torso. She dug her fingers into the head and chin, jerking it in a savage twist until the neck snapped.

  He stilled, a lifeless doll. She released and watched as he sank towards the deep heart of the lake and disapppeared into the darkness.

  Sanna spotted Haven floating above her, just beneath the ice. She swam towards her, wrapping an arm around her waist, and felt for the opening.

  Something grabbed her wrist and she surged upward into the blinding light.

  “I’VE GOT YOU.” KAI said as he pulled the girl onto the ice. She was blond, about average height, and so pale he could see the delicate tracery of veins near her temples. Her lips were tinged with blue, and her toned arms were wrapped tight around a dark-haired girl who seemed to be even worse off.

  The rope around his torso tightened as Simon and Trevor pulled them toward the shore.

  “A bit cold for a swim, isn’t it?” Kai said to the blonde girl, who seemed numb with shock. “What’s your name?”

  The girl huddled closer but didn’t answer. The ice groaned and cracked beneath their added weight. Black water rushed over them, flooding Kai nose and mouth. Panic seared his brain, numbing him to the cold as they sank beneath the surface. Darkness swallowed them.

  Kai’s foot landed on the shifting, pebbly lakebed. He gripped the girl tight and pushed off, shooting upward. Ice sliced through his face as broke through the surface. The blond girl coughed and sputtered.

  Sheets of pale ice bobbed around them as he kicked towards land. Frankie bowed on the shore, his tail whirling behind him like a propeller. Kai’s arms and legs felt leaden, but he knew better than to stop. Once he could stand, he pried the dark-haired girl from Sanna’s grasp and carried her.

  “Haven!” Trevor splashed through the water to meet him. “Is she breathing?”

  “I’m not sure.” Kai passed Haven to his waiting arms.

  “Get that fire hot, Jace,” Trevor shouted to his wounded brother as he raced back to shore.

  Must get warm. Kai’s teeth chattered as he waded through the water. Sanna—the blond one—walked alongside him, quiet as a ghost. His bones ached with the cold. A sharp wind cut across the lake, creating a whirlwind of snow and ice. Kai shivered, shielding his eyes. Frankie barked as he approached, dancing in circles. Trevor had Haven laid out on the ground and started doing CPR.

  Simon blocked Kai’s path. “Looks like your plan worked, Outsider.” His voice was colder than the waters that lapped around Kai’s bare ankles. “Almost.”

  Sanna walked around him without a second glance.

  “Haven’s alive!” Trevor crowed as Sanna approached. Haven curled onto her side and threw up. Sanna stepped over her and sat down next to the fire.

  Simon turned to see for himself and Kai took his chance, rushing past him. He grabbed his knife from his pile of stuff and jabbed it at Simon. “Back off.”

  The Catfish smirked as Trevor rose from Haven’s side. “Two against one? Really? You can’t even hold that knife straight.”

  He was right. Kai’s whole body was shivering, and if he didn’t get warm soon, it’d all be over. “What do you want?”

  “You’ve got a lot of nice things in that bag of yours,” Trevor said, Kai’s bow clutched in his hand. He nocked an arrow and drew back, aiming at him. “For an unclean.”

  “C’mon, guys,” Jace said. He was standing beside the fire. “It’s getting late. Let’s just take the girls home.”

  “S-so you’re r-robbing me now?” Kai said through his chattering teeth. He couldn’t lose all his supplies. It would be a death sentence out here in the Deadlands. He shifted his stance so he could see both Simon and the twins. “I thought we had a d-deal.”

  Simon slipped the axe from his belt. “Consider it renegotiated.”

  Frankie growled at the tree-line; his ears pressed to his skull. Branches snapped Trevor shifted his aim to the trees. “What’s that? Is it the...Bone Boys?”

  A chorus of clicks answered. Infected.

  Jace shrieked as he hobbled towards his brother. He bumped into Sanna; whose gaze never wavered from the roaring flames.

  Kai lurched into action, yanking on his boots and throwing his coat over Sanna’s shoulders. He shrugged into his pack. They had to get out of here before they were surrounded. He didn’t know how far Erling was, but the cabin he'd slept in last night was close. A silver handle gleamed in the snow. He picked it up, surprised to find a sizable battle axe.

  He touched Sanna's shoulder. “We need to go.”

  Boots crunched the snow behind him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Kai spun around. “The Infected will be here any second. My stuff won’t matter much if you’re dead.”

  “Shoot him,” Simon said from behind the safety of the twin. “He’ll be a distraction.”

  Kai ducked as an arrow whizzed over his head. The raging fire splashed a demonic light on the other guys’ faces. He hooked his arm under Sanna’s and hauled her up, pulling her behind him. She stumbled at first, but quickly found her footing. They dashed up the bank just as three Infected burst out on all fours, their teeth bared in bloodthirsty grins.

  Another arrow whizzed by Kai's ear.

  “You idiot!” Simon shouted.

  “I’m sorry—” Trevor's words sharpened into a shrill scream. Kai glanced over his shoulder and saw a stage one tackle him.

  “No,” Jace cried out, limping towards his brother while Simon scooped up the dark-haired girl and ran for the trees. “Trevor!”

  His cries ended in a gurgle as more Infected poured out from the forest. There had to be at least a dozen now. Kai gritted his teeth and blazed onward, pulling Sanna behind him. Thin branches lashed across his face as the wet, smacking sounds of feeding rose behind them.

  The small cabin apeared through brush. Frankie was already on the porch, whining. Kai flew up the steps with Sanna in tow. He flung open the door and they poured inside like water. Slamming the door behind him, he fitted the heavy wooden plank into place, then stepped into the darkened room. It seemed like he’d left it a lifetime ago, but it had probably been no more than hour.

  The girl had already stretched out on the cot near the fireplace, her eyes closed. He doubted she would flinch even if he shouted in her ear. He didn’t believe in curses, but there was definitely something very different about Sanna Larson.

  And he was afraid he was about to find out exactly what it was.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Sanna’s eyelids shot open. Her blood roared in her ears. Instinct warned she was in a new place. Likely captured. Her first thought was to fling off the covers and charge, but whoever kidnapped her had been foolish enough to cover her face. She had the element of surprise—her greatest advantage.

  She slowed her breathing and tried to identify her location. The air was musty. Warm. A fire crackled and popped beside her, its orange light shining through the worn quilt like a stained glass window. She must be indoors. Probably in a building that hadn’t been used in a while. She shifted her hands and feet. They were unbound. It was almost like...she had been rescued.

  Or underestimated.

  Her thoughts flew to the lake. She remembered pulling Haven to the surface but nothing else. The Bone Boy she’d wounded—Zane, was it?—could’ve followed her. He’d want revenge for his leg, even if she'd saved the rest of those common thieves from certain death.

  And then th
ere was the Inferno—the terrorist group that wanted nothing more than to destroy the colonies. They prided themselves on being unpredictable—it was how they had survived for so long. Uncleans could’ve have taken her as well. Young, healthy women could fetch a fortune on the flesh market, especially since so few survived past childbirth.

  Sanna pinched the blanket above her stomach and pulled it down from her face. The room was dark, the only light coming from the fire. She was in a small, sparse cabin. A heavy iron bar and a jumble of furniture blocked the door. She recognized the curtains covering the window beside it. The cabin was one of Erling’s primitive safehouses scattered across the territory. It was nightfall.

  “You’re alive.”

  Sanna jumped at the sound of the young man’s voice. He was leaning against the wall by the window, so still and quiet she hadn’t noticed him. His accent was faintly elegant. Urbane. He must be from New Hope. Her wariness doubled.

  She leapt off the cot, searching for a weapon. Where was her axe? Her dagger? Cool, damp air kissed her skin...everywhere.

  She looked down and gasped. She was undressed down to her bra and underwear.

  She glared at the man as a sick feeling curdled in her stomach. What else had he done while she was unconscious? Whatever it was, she’d kill him for it. She’d rip his throat out with her bare hands...

  “Hey, relax. It’s okay.” The man walked over; his hands raised. He was still cloaked in the shadows of the room. He was taller than she’d thought and painfully thin. His voice was deep, raspy. She couldn’t guess his age as long as he lingered in the dark. Not that it mattered. She could take him down. Easy. If he’d only come a little closer...

  “I saved you, you know,” he continued. “Those guys from Erling would have let you drown.”

  “And taking off my clothes? Was that part of saving me?”

  His gaze narrowed. “I don’t like what you’re implying.”