Alive Like Us Read online

  Kai grinned. “Careful. I’ll be back soon.”

  Esme shoved the dog off, giggling. “Okay!”

  He crossed the meadow, heading for the stream. His stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing Sanna again. He wondered what she and Iris had been doing, and if she was glad to have come so far. Melting snow dripped from the trees as he entered the forest, and the ground squished beneath his boots. Water babbled nearby, guiding him

  “I thought you said you've done this before,” Iris scolded. Her speech was smoother than Kai remembered, without the halting stops and pauses.

  “I did! But it was different. Erling was under attack.” Sanna sounded exasperated.

  Kai pushed his way through the dense underbrush and stepped onto the rocky bank. Sanna whirled around, her face lighting up. Over her shoulder, he spotted Iris’s lips curl into a frosty smile.

  Oh no.

  Something crashed through the underbrush to his left. Panic zipped through Kai as a stage two took a running leap from the bushes, his shadow eclipsing the morning sun. Kai lunged to the left, his wounded side burning. The stage two landed hard where he’d been moments before, skidding a few feet over the ice until he laid still.

  “Interesting,” Iris mused.

  “Are you okay?” Sanna rushed over. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “You look...” Kai noted the shadowy veil of veins beneath her skin. “Different.”

  Sanna helped him stand. “The more I use my powers, the more I look like my father, apparently. This doesn’t help either,” she held out her arm. It was bandaged near her elbow, where the Alpha had bitten her. “Though Iris thinks the bite was what broke Twig’s hold over the Alpha. When he lost the Alpha, he lost the horde.”

  Kai glanced at Iris, who’d beckoned the stage two closer and was checking him over for damage. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?”

  A shadow fell over Sanna’s face. “Sure.”

  Sanna discussed something with Iris in hushed tones, then headed downstream, waving at him to follow. Sunlight glimmered through the dense evergreen canopy, dappling their path, and the air seemed warm with the promise of spring. Kai knew it was a trick of nature, however. Snow could dump on them as late as April.

  “Here,” Sanna said as they approached a collection of large boulders that sat halfway in the river. The largest one had a flat top, and the others led to it like natural stairsteps. She helped Kai climb them and sat down, tucking her knees under her chin.

  The dark scrawl of veins across her skin had faded and her eyes had dimmed to their normal dazzling blue.

  “Before you say anything,” Sanna said, looking out onto the rushing water. “I want you to know that I’m grateful for all that you’ve done for me. Without you, I probably would’ve never made it out of Erling, let alone here.”

  “Has she helped you?”

  “I think so. We’re very different, but she promised my father she’d look out for me and I think she’s really trying. She says I’m too human.”

  “Maybe that’s a good thing. You survived this long, haven’t you?”

  “I’m not strong enough. Not yet.” She studied the river for a moment longer, lost in thought, then turned towards him and smiled softly. “I’ve missed you. I couldn’t get too close—Esme was quite protective—but I’m glad you’re better. How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. I feel pretty good, considering what we’ve been through. I think I needed sleep most of all.” Kai leaned back, enjoying the warm sun on his face. For the first time in weeks, he felt relaxed. “Sorry about Ez.”

  Sanna joined him, folding her arms beneath her head. “I get it. Turns out I’m pretty protective of you too.”

  A comfortable silence spread between them as they basked in the sun. A few minutes later, Sanna sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Her brow scrunched as if she were wrestling with some inner turmoil.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Kai asked. “Did Esme say something? Whatever it was, she didn’t mean it.”

  “It’s not that.” Sanna hesitated. “I was...wondering, now that your better, if you were going to find an unclean settlement somewhere. And how far would that be from here.”

  “I was thinking about staying, if that’s okay with you and Iris. I know her place is small, but maybe I could build something nearby for Esme and me. It might take awhile, but we’re used to living in trees so—”

  “Really?” Sanna gripped his arm, beaming. “You mean it?”

  “Yeah,” Kai laughed, relieved at her excitement. “With the Inferno after us, this is the safest place to be, given all the Infected hanging around. Even Hayes would turn around at the sight of them.”

  Sanna’s smile fell. “You should know, Kai, I don’t plan on staying here forever. I think Twig might’ve been telling the truth about a cure for the uncleans. I’m gonna try to find it. Out west.”

  “Why?” Kai sat up. “That sounds pretty dangerous.”

  “Well...there was this guy I knew for just a few seconds before he lectured me about how unfair everything is.” She gave Kai a sidelong glance. “It turns out I really care about him.”

  She was serious.

  “I’ll go with you, Sanna,” he said, his throat tight. “I promise. If this is what you really want.”

  A delicate smile played at the corners of her lips. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  The air around them thickened, and Kai felt that strange magnetic pull deep in his chest, drawing him closer. He traced the line of her cheek, then caught a tendril of her silken hair between his fingers. How could someone so strong feel so soft?

  Her lips parted, her eyes were as deep and blue as the lake he’d pulled her from.

  He kissed her, the harsh world melting away, and he knew that whatever horrors the journey would bring, he’d stay with her, this strange and beautiful girl, for as long as she would let him.

  About the Author

  Quinn Hallows lives in the Midwest but longs for somewhere more exciting. Perhaps that's why she spends her days dreaming of faraway places and talking to the voices in her head. Sometimes she even writes it down. Her debut novel, Alive Like Us, was inspired by her spouse's love of zombies and video games. You can hear about Quinn's next book by signing up for her newsletter: www.quinnhallows.com