Alive Like Us Read online

  “I’ll go,” Haven said as she brought her mug to her lips. She stared at Sanna over its chipped rim, curiosity glittering in her gold-green eyes.

  Sanna steeled herself for battle. Haven would be a burden at best, and her mother’s spy at worst.

  “Really?” Anne turned towards her. “Are you sure?”

  “Why not?” Haven lifted a single shoulder. The corner of her lush mouth ticked up in a feline smile. “It could be fun, right?”

  “I don’t think you’ll like it,” Sanna said quickly. “It’ll be cold. And boring. Just me and some fish, if we’re lucky. Oh...and...uh ...probably bears.”

  “Bears?” Anne’s hand flew to her mouth. “Since when? They haven’t been around in ages.”

  “Sounds like you could use an extra set of eyes.” Haven sipped her tea one last time before setting it down. “For the bears.”

  Ivan studied Haven, dubious. “Can you even hold a bow and arrow?”

  Anne shot him a withering glare. “Just because she’s not one of your meat-headed soldiers doesn’t mean she’s useless.” She shifted to Haven. “Go on, I’ll cover your patients for you.”

  Despite the early hour, Haven and Mom were meticulously dressed from the elegant twists of their hair down to their plush slippers. They looked like Erling’s royalty, which made Sanna their pawn.

  “I mean it, Haven,” Sanna pleaded. “You really, really don’t have to come.”

  “Don’t worry,” Haven said brightly, rising from the table. “I’ll only take a minute.” She floated across the threadbare living room and up the stairs, leaving Sanna to wait and sweat in her winter coat.

  An hour later Sanna followed Haven down the steps of the sagging wrap-around porch and onto the narrow swath carved through the thick snow. The remnants of a sidewalk buried beneath made the path treacherous and every time Sanna almost tripped, anger simmered in her chest. It was so frustrating trying to argue with Haven—especially when the whole world bent to her will. Sanna would have had better luck shouting at the snow.

  “Be safe, girls!” Anne called from the front door. “And get home before dark.”

  They waved goodbye, and she disappeared inside the ramshackle, two-story house.

  Crossing the small front yard, they headed for town, passing by a string of log cabins and the Lieutenant’s decrepit Victorian—reminders that this area had once been a popular vacation spot before the First Night, when the course of humanity’s future changed for the worse. The road widened, becoming more crowded as it led to the humble heart of Erling.

  “You can talk to me, you know,” Haven said, dodging an icy puddle. “Something’s wrong with you. Even Ivan noticed it, and he’s about as perceptive as a carp.”

  Haven’s concern surprised her. They’d been little more than roommates ever since she came to live with them five years ago. She seemed to prefer it that way too, disappearing into her room whenever she wasn’t shadowing Sanna’s mother.

  “I’m worried. About a lot of things.”

  “And Nico?”

  Sanna stiffened. In the days since his death, she’d done everything she could to not dwell on him or their brief, heady relationship. Otherwise her eyes would start to burn, and she’d feel stupid all over again. Better to dismiss the weeks spent with him as a strategic failure. A miscalculation. She should have known a guy like him would never be interested in someone like her.

  “It’s okay to feel sad about him,” Haven said.

  “I’m not sad!”

  The people bustling around them did double-takes at Sanna’s sharp tone. Haven didn’t flinch—she never flinched—but her face hardened into a cool mask.

  “Fine. Whatever.” Haven shook her head. “But I’m not gonna let you do something stupid just because you can’t handle basic emotions.”

  “Hey,” Sanna hurried after her. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’ve been taking dumb risks ever since that supply run failed.”

  “I’m a soldier. It’s my job.”

  “And it’s theirs too,” Haven gestured towards the towering walls lined with men and women dressed in thick leathers, “but I don’t see any of them doing extra hunting.”

  “If I don’t, then who will?”

  “Anyone else. Why does it always have to be you? Do you have a death wish or something?”

  “If you’re so scared, then stay home.”

  “Of course, I’m scared. It’s the Deadlands. You should be scared too, instead of running out there every chance you get.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen—”

  “You can’t know that,” Haven said, her voice wavering. She glared at the drab audience forming around them. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

  The gawkers shuffled on, whispering amongst themselves. Sanna cringed. People would be talking about this until spring.

  “What I’m trying to say is,” Haven’s chin trembled. Sadness flitted across her face like a shadow. “No matter how much danger you put yourself in, it won’t bring back the people you’ve lost. Trust me.”

  “You’re right.” Sanna released the frustration building inside her. Haven was only trying to help. “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

  “Just remember there are people who still care about you.” Haven’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “Including me.”

  They continued in companionable silence until Haven paused outside the general store. The shopkeeper’s son perked up.

  “What are you doing?” Sanna asked, watching as he fixed his hair and clothes.

  Haven leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m gonna get us some ice skates. There’s no reason we can’t have a little fun out there, right?”

  She glided up the steps and breezed through the door, bells jingling. “Hey John, it’s been awhile...”

  Haven’s voice lilted up with syrupy sweetness as the door closed, saving Sanna from the conversation.

  She looked out on the only home she’d ever known. The street was lined with shopfronts, though most were boarded up. She knew that wouldn’t always be the case. Thanks to their location on Lake Superior, goods could be carried by boat with little fear of the Infected. Erling would be a thriving colony one day.

  But that wasn’t why she was so determined to protect it. She’d promised her friends last summer that she’d keep their families safe. And that meant finding whatever this voice was and destroying it. Even if it killed her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Two hours later, Sanna pulled her collar tight around her neck to ward off the bitter cold as they neared Crimson Lake—her favorite ice fishing spot. A wet winter wind threaded through the underbrush and rattled the bare branches overhead like bones.

  “Man, I never realized this would such a hike,” Haven said. “We should’ve taken the horses.”

  The hem of Sanna’s coat snagged on a bramble. She reached down to extricate it, careful not to rip the precious fabric. “I didn’t want to make a fuss. The lake is only a few miles anyways.”

  “Are you sure the Bone Boys aren’t out here looking for you?”

  “It’s been over a week. Even they must have better things to do.” She glanced at Haven, whose pretty face was tight with nerves. “Hey, relax. This is supposed to be your day off, remember? The area’s been cleared, and the Infected have probably moved on or started hibernating again.”

  “If you say so.”

  The trees thinned as they approached the bank, and in a few minutes the frozen lake spread before them like a vast, gray mirror. Sanna drew in a cleansing breath and drank in the solemn beauty. She felt better out here, more solid and sure. Maybe that strange voice really had been nothing more than just a residual symptom of her concussion. There certainly hadn’t been signs of anything else unusual. “It’s nice out here, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t get it—how is this all uphill?” Haven stopped beside her; cheeks rosy with exertion. “Are we on top of a mountain or so
mething?”

  “An old range, I think.”

  “Carry me next time, will you? Think of it as one of those crazy workouts you’re always doing.”

  Sanna laughed. “Sure.”

  Haven stared out onto the lake. “I guess the first step in ice fishing is making a hole, right? Provided we don’t get kidnapped or eaten by whatever lives out here.”

  “We won’t." Sanna stepped onto the ice. Her foot immediately took off without her and she landed hard on her butt. Embarrassed, she tried to stand again, but her legs seemed intent on going in opposite directions. She finally made it to a fallen log along the shore and sat down, kicking off her boots.

  Haven giggled as she laced up her 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. Unlike her, she had the grace of a fat hen on the ice.

  “Haven, over here! Come quick. Jace is 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 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 exiles as the Infected picked them off in the dark of night.

  As a general rule, people were more likely to run from sounds of desperation than towards them. Those who didn’t tend 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?

  “Sanna!” One of them cried.

  “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. 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 gunmetal 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. 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 nothin’.”

  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, finding the coarse rope.

  “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 ducked 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 Kai’s stomach. “Either way, you’ll 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 he 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 to find her 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. He plunged his arms in, the 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 OPENED HER EYES to a world of murky blue. The ice above glowed ethereal white, 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. 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 jerked out of her grasp and swiveled around, revealing its bloated, waxen face. Infected.

  He snatched her ankle and pulled her down deep, moving through the wat
er like a giant, fleshy snake.

  She screamed a torrent of bubbles and kicked out, her boot striking his head. He released her. She swam for the opening. 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 rolled backward, already tasting her flesh.

  Her muscles quivered. Time slowed to a crawl. Her thoughts were loosening at the seams. She needed air.

  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, disappearing 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. “You almost got away.”

  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?”