Alive Like Us Page 16

  You can do this. She braced her feet against the wooden siding and grabbed hold of the rope with both hands, inching down. A loud screech emanated from her room. She winced, imagining the bedframe scraping the floor. The noise stopped. The bed must be braced on something. She looked down, half expecting Erling’s entire militia to be gathered below. Nope.

  The rope went slack.

  She plummeted towards the earth, her stomach flying into her throat. The rope snapped tight, and she smacked against the wooden siding.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Haven whispered from above. “What do you think you’re doing? You could’ve impaled yourself on that fence.”

  Haven was right. The picket fence lining the backyard was closer to the house than she’d thought, and beyond was the rocky cliff that descended deep into the lake. She looked up, and found Haven glaring down at her, the makeshift rope held tight in her hands. “How’d you get in? The door was locked.”

  “As if...you could call that...a lock,” Haven said through gritted teeth. “Hurry, I can’t hold much longer.”

  Sanna climbed down the rest of the way and let go, landing in a deep squat. She glared at Haven. “I can’t believe you ratted Kai out. I thought we were friends.”

  “We are. That’s why I told. Do you really want another repeat of Nico?”

  “Kai’s met someone like me. She...took care of me as a baby. She knew my mother. I have to meet her.”

  “Are you sure he’s telling the truth?”

  “No,” Sanna admitted. “But he knew her name. Iris. My mom—grandmother—just told me about her. Kai said this woman can influence the Infected. What if I can too? What if they're drawn to me? Last summer my friends died because of a horde—”

  “That wasn’t your fault.”

  “You don’t know that.” Sanna snapped. “No one does. Except for Iris.”

  “Wait, Sanna—”

  She spun around, ignoring Haven’s pleas, and sprinted across the snow. She didn’t bother hiding, in fact, she longed for someone to try and stop her. For something to break and smash and shatter into a million pieces. Just like her life.

  A cramp twisted her side as she neared the church. Doubling over, she wrapped her arms tight around her middle as a dry sob ripped from her throat. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.

  She’d led her friends straight into a slaughter. All four of them, gone in a single gruesome day, leaving behind broken families that could never be made whole.

  She had to leave before she hurt anyone else.

  Swallowing her sadness, she straightened and set her shoulders. The church’s arched door loomed in front of her. Once upon a time, it had been covered in red lacquer. Only tiny rivulets remained of the original color, like veins etched across the worn surface. She climbed the steps and squeezed the handle, the cold metal burning her bare hand. The heavy door swung open, revealing an empty, shadowed narthex.

  She held her breath and entered. To her left was the sanctuary, where the banquet had been held last night, though any sign of revelry was long gone. Now, rusty folding chairs crowded the space, all facing a raised altar and a large, stained glass window whose mere survival was a testament of divine intervention.

  At the moment, the window was a giant, obsidian jigsaw puzzle but Sanna knew at dawn, the entire sanctuary would be bathed in jewel-toned light.

  She headed down a narrow hallway that ended at the minister’s office. Though the woman had returned to New Hope years ago, the stench of the incense she’d continually burned to ward off the spirits lingered. Sanna hesitated outside the door and noticed the amber glow underneath. There must be a fire in the hearth—was someone inside?

  The door was unlocked. She held her breath and nudged it open, peering into the small room. It was empty. She entered, creeping along the stone wall until she got to the narrow basement stairs next to the fireplace.

  This was it. Once she went down those steps, there was no going back. She’d be breaking two laws tonight, aiding a prisoner and assaulting whoever guarded him. Both were capital offenses. She could end up dying along with Kai, if she got caught.

  But without him, she’d never know the truth about her parents, or herself.

  She sucked in a trembling breath and descended the exposed steps. There was a pool of light at the bottom, as if a torch blazed somewhere below. The wood creaked beneath her boot. She cringed. The source of light jumped and moved.

  “Who’s there?” Raj’s familiar voice resonated off the stone walls. His heavy footsteps drew closer. “I hear you rattling about. Leave now or face the consequences.”

  Sanna crouched against the wall. She prayed the shadows would hide her. At the base of the stairs, Raj’s bulky form appeared, a torch illuminating his patchwork coat.

  “I’d think twice before crossing this bridge.” He bellowed.

  Sanna didn’t dare breathe. She pressed her spine further into the wall and kept her head bent low. Don’t come up. Don’t come up.

  “H-hey, is that all you’ve got?” Kai whispered; his voice hoarse.

  “Shut up!” Raj glared at him.

  Now. She leapt down the stairs, tackling Raj from behind and throwing him against the wall. The torch extinguished, cloaking them in darkness. Silver flashed. She knocked the blade out of his grasp and kicked the side of his knees. He tumbled to the floor, taking her down with him. She hooked the crux of her elbow around his neck and squeezed.

  Raj thrashed in her grasp. He clawed at her arm with one hand and blindly jabbed the air near her ears with the other. Sanna wrapped her legs around him, holding firm. Minutes inched by, painfully slow, and at last he stilled.

  She released, not wanting to kill him, and realized she was pinned by his weight. She braced her hands on his shoulders and pushed, grunting from the effort. Raj’s massive body finally shifted over, and she wriggled out.

  She fished the keys from his pocket and tossed them to Kai. Together they dragged Raj into the cell and locked the door. Guilt soured Sanna’s stomach at the sight of him, crumpled on the floor.

  “He’ll live.” Kai’s face was nearly obscured beneath the lumpy layers of swollen tissue and dried blood. The gruesome evidence of Raj’s brutality. “Unfortunately.”

  Her gaze caught on the bulging knot of flesh above Kai’s left eye. “What happened?”

  “He wanted me to turn on Hayes, the leader of the Inferno.” Kai shrugged, wincing. “I tend to bring out the best in people.”

  Raj groaned, startling them both.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Sanna helped Kai into his coat and looped his arm around her neck. They hobbled out of the cell, which Kai locked with shaking fingers.

  He’s in no condition to travel. She had to find a place to hide him before Raj regained consciousness and began to bellow. Then the whole town would be alerted and out looking for him.

  They climbed the stairs, shuffled through the narthex and out the front door. Sanna took in a grateful breath. The cold, clean air was welcome after the musty quarters of the church. Dawn burned a rosy glow to the east, but the rest of the sky was still dark indigo.

  She peered out onto the street. Three people tumbled out of the nearby tavern and staggered towards them, swaying to the rhythm of their latest drunken ballad. Sanna yanked Kai back into the church and waited. She didn’t realize her dagger was clasped in her hand until after the trio’s jaunty tune had faded. She looked down at the lethal blade, stunned, and wondered if she actually would have attacked the unarmed villagers.

  She poked her head out of the doorway and looked both ways. The street was deserted.

  “Okay. We’re good.” She gripped Kai’s wrist.

  He pulled her into the darkness, his lips sealing over hers. The kiss was soft. Brief. And shocked Sanna straight to her core. “What was that for?”

  “When I was down there,” Kai whispered, his breath warming her ear, “I told myself if I lived, I’d kiss the first pretty girl I saw.”

  A blush
warmed her cheeks. “I-I’m glad you’re okay but... you really shouldn’t. I could be...contagious.”

  Doubt flickered across Kai’s face, then cleared. “Theo said you weren’t infected. He may be an arrogant, self-righteous jerk, but I’d like to think he got at least that part right.”

  The thought of what could have happened terrified her. “We have to leave. Now. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here.”

  Somewhere a screen door opened and shut. Dawn was breaking, and soon workers would flood the streets.

  “C’mon,” Sanna pulled him down the street. “You’ll be safe at the clinic, I think. Theo can look over your wounds while I’ll get some supplies.”

  “Great,” Kai said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I can’t wait to be thrown at his feet. He’ll probably finish what Raj started.”

  Sanna drew up her hood. More and more people were leaving their homes.

  “Make sure your hair is covered,” Kai whispered gruffly. “It’s...noticeable. Anyone who sees it would know it was you.”

  Sanna stuffed the end of her braid into her coat, his words and the brief kiss they’d shared still warming her. They sneaked along the edges of buildings and dove into alleys whenever a door opened unexpectedly.

  A familiar yap echoed in the clinic’s alley. Frankie.

  Kai turned in time for an orange and white blur to leap into his arms. He grimaced as Frankie laved his chin, growing more excited with each swipe. A long leather lead trailed from his collar, gnawed through on one end.

  Kai tilted his head away from Frankie’s excited kisses. “Hey, hey, Frankie! You escaped! Can’t keep a Merrick down for long, eh?”

  Frankie wriggled out of his grasp and landed in the snow. He whipped around, and crouched in a play-bow, his fluffy tail waving.

  Kai laughed, a rich melodic sound that pierced through Sanna’s inner gloom. “Aren’t you a happy guy—is it because you know she’s coming with us?”

  He shot Sanna a sidelong glance, raising a dark eyebrow. Frankie pranced forward, butting Kai in the stomach. He winced, doubling over.

  Sanna helped him rise. “Quit fooling around. You almost died.”

  “Ah, this is nothing,” Kai said as she looped his arm over her shoulder. “Besides, why live if you can’t smell the roses?”

  Sanna studied him, utterly baffled. Then she remembered the thick scars on his forearms. This wasn’t the first time Kai had been tortured. He’d escaped then, too.

  He winked at her, which flustered her all the more. She refocused on the path ahead. They were nearly to Theo’s now. To safety. The day guard hadn’t arrived yet, and the gate had been left open—a punishable offense. Kai stumbled, groaning when she caught him.

  He was hurt more than he was letting on. No matter what happened, she’d find a way to get him out of here.

  Even if it cost her life. Or her home.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “Are you sure about this?” Kai’s ribs ached as they hobbled up the steps to Theo’s clinic. Even with Sanna taking most of his weight, he could barely make it.

  “Theo’s an old friend. I trust him,” Sanna said, her words transforming into clouds of vapor in the cold. “Besides, you need help.”

  “What makes you say that?” Kai grinned despite the ache in his jaw. Once on the porch, he dropped his arm from her shoulders and leaned heavily on the railing. He had no idea how he looked but figured it was somewhere between a bloody pulp and ground meat formed into a human.

  Sanna raised her knuckles to the door.

  “He’s not going to turn me in, is he?” Kai asked, shifting his weight off the railing. If he had to see Theo Martin again, he’d sure as hell would be standing on his own feet.

  She paused, her lips thinning, then knocked anyway. Kai didn’t care for her hesitation.

  He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he could dive off the porch before the door opened. Then he could make a run—or limp—for one of those abandoned buildings he’d seen on the main street.

  Too late. The hinges squealed as the door opened. Theo squinted through the narrow crack. “Oh—hey Sanna.” The door widened. “Do you need something?”

  “Is the Outsider with her?” A female voice asked from inside the cabin. “Move, Theo.”

  Haven shoved Theo aside. She was shorter than Kai remembered, no more than five-one, but he was sure the fire in her hazel eyes more than made up of it.

  Sanna stiffened beside him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I want to help.”

  “You expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s the truth.” Haven assessed Kai, her gaze lingering on his aching face. “You look awful.”

  “You should see the other guy.”

  Haven’s face paled, her gaze snapping back to Sanna. “You didn’t kill Raj, did you?”

  “What do you think?” She pushed past her, into the clinic.

  Kai limped after Sanna, Frankie trotting alongside. Theo shut the door. The harsh scent of disinfectant clung to the chilly air as the four of them squeezed into the clinic’s dark, drab lobby.

  “The guard will be doubled as soon as they find out he’s missing,” Haven said. “What’s your plan, exactly? Or have you even thought this through?”

  “Why would I tell you?”

  “I just want to help.”

  “I’ve had more than enough of that.”

  The air crackled between them. Kai longed to sit but they were blocking the few chairs and he knew better than to call attention to himself.

  “So, um,” Theo cleared his throat. “Why is the Outsider bleeding in my clinic?”

  Sanna’s expression softened. “He needs stitches before we go.”

  “W-wait a minute,” Theo adjusted his glasses. “You’re going with him? Where?”

  “I’m sorry,” Sanna brushed Theo’s arm. “I know it’s a lot to ask. I’ll only be gone for a little while. And I owe Kai. He saved my life.” Her gaze slid back to Haven. “Both our lives.”

  Light flickered outside the clinic’s window. A kerosene lamp was bobbing across the yard. The clinic guard must’ve returned.

  “Better decide doc, unless you want him to do it for you,” Kai said.

  Theo jammed his hands into his tightly curled hair and made a frustrated sound in his throat. “All right. Fine—”

  “Thanks.” She threw her arms around him, squeezing tight. “I knew I could trust you.”

  “That’s what...friends are for, I guess. Lying to people with the power to arrest you.”

  Sanna pulled away, turning to Kai. “Get some rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She strode out of the clinic and into the morning light, shutting the door behind her.

  “Oh God,” Theo moaned. “There’s no way this is going to work. We’re going to get in so much trouble.”

  “I’ll stitch up the Outsider,” Haven said. “Find a place to stash the dog and act normal. Or...as normal as you usually do.”

  Great. Kai followed Haven down the narrow hallway. She’ll probably pop out his eye while she was at it.

  She paused outside a door and turned the knob, a set of golden bracelets tinkling on her wrist. Beckoning Kai inside, she entered a small exam room dominated by a metal table. A hard, rectangular support was on one end and the whole surface was slanted towards a hole at the base, where a stained bucket waited. A collection of lethal-looking instruments gleamed on top of a nearby table.

  This wasn’t an exam room. It was an autopsy room.

  The door clicked shut behind him. Kai whirled around, wincing as pain burned up his side. His left eye had swollen to a crack, but through his right he saw she was trembling with...rage?

  “What are you doing—

  “Who’s Iris?” Her pretty, coquettish mask had fallen away, revealing the hardened woman beneath. A scalpel glinted in her hand. Small and lethal, like its owner. “And what does she want with Sanna?”

  “She wants to help her. I think.”

>   “You think?” Haven advanced, her sweet perfume enveloping him.

  “W-we barely know each other.” Kai staggered back, the hard edge of the gurney hitting his thigh. He was in no condition to fight. Especially in such close quarters. “I-I’m doing this as a favor.”

  “A favor? For a stranger?” Her scalpel brushed his throat in a deadly kiss. “Try again.”

  Kai swallowed, the sharp edge biting into his skin. “Not a favor then. A deal. My sister is sick. Iris agreed to take care of her while I fetched Sanna. She thinks someone wants her dead.”

  There was no hint of softness in Haven’s green-gold eyes. “Explain.”

  “She didn’t tell me about the threat, but you know Sanna’s different. The whole town does—they’re all just itching for a chance to be rid of her.”

  “But she’s safe with you?”

  “She has a chance. Iris knows more about this than anyone.”

  Haven glared at him a moment longer, her expression inscrutable. Kai was about to grab her wrist when she drew away, the scalpel disappearing into the folds of her apron.

  “This place doesn’t deserve her.” Haven scowled, shaking her head. “I always thought she should get away. Go someplace new. But she’s so...devoted. No matter how awful those hicks are to her.”

  “Haven?” Theo shouted down the hall. “I hope you're done stitching him up because we've got company. Two guards are coming. They look...pretty determined.”

  “Shit!” Kai scanned the room, panic seizing him. There was no way out. He should’ve never come here. He should’ve taken Sanna and run the second he got out of that dungeon.

  His gaze locked with Haven’s. Dying of exposure out in the Deadlands was far better than being at this girl’s mercy. “You’re not turning me in, are you?”

  “You’re just gonna have to trust me.” Her ruby lips curled in a feline smile, and he never felt more like a rodent. “Outsider.”

  SANNA SLUNK ALONG THE alley, a cold wind knifing through her coat. She’d slipped past the clinic’s guard and melted into the dense shadows when two familiar soldiers marched past. Friends of Raj’s. The hunt had begun.