Figure it out. Fast! In the distance, more and more zombies swarmed Cole. He was somehow using a crossbow and samurai sword in unison, shooting off arrows while remaining in a constant state of motion, slicing away at different parts of the enemy. Severed limbs piled up around him. One wrong move, though...
A few feet away, Camilla grabbed a zombie by the arm and tossed him at River. Then she grabbed another and another and another, as if they were in an assembly line, and tossed them, too. A grinning River decapitated each one. Nice tag-teaming.
I couldn’t find Bronx. Gavin was working his way through a horde of zombies, using his daggers to stab one in the eyes...then the genitals. Nearby, a zombie managed to tangle his fingers in Veronica’s hair and jerk her to the ground, but Gavin was too preoccupied to notice.
I raced over, and because I was in spirit form, I could move at a speed natural feet never could. Between one heartbeat and the next, I reached my destination. But my presence wasn’t necessary. Veronica kicked the zombie in the face, rolled over, punched another zombie and jumped to a stand, whipping out a sword from the sheath anchored to her back. Then she just started chopping.
Warm breath fanned over my neck, and a hungry grunt sounded in my ear. I spun, swinging my axes. I cut through a zombie’s open mouth just before he bit me. Black ooze spurted from him as he fell. Steam rose from the wound.
Camilla jumped in my path, her sword raised as if she meant to kill me. I ducked, instinct demanding I attack her first. Just before I obeyed it, her blade sliced through another zombie that had been sneaking up behind me, and I paused. Goo splattered me, stinging.
“Light up,” she demanded.
“I’m trying!” I swung to decapitate the zombie coming in hot at my right.
“Try harder.”
“You don’t understand,” I said.
“Oh, I understand. I understand you’re new, and you need a little encouragement to help your abilities kick in. Well, allow me to provide it.” She fought her way to Cole.
As I sliced and diced the zombies around me, I did my best to keep an eye on her. It wasn’t wise, dividing my attention like that, but what else could I do? She withdrew two guns and shot the zombies surrounding Cole point-blank. They tripped about in circles, unable to see, to bite, their faces in pieces.
Cole turned toward her, probably to say thanks, but she aimed the gun—at him. At his chest. Then she looked to me, as if to say, What are you going to do about it, huh?
His eyes widened as he lifted his weapons. To kill her before she could kill him? Maybe. But he would be too late.
“No!” I screamed. The surge of desperation did what I had been unable to, shoving a huge blast of power out of me. Little zaps of lightning pulsed through the air. All around, zombies suddenly catapulted upward.
Camilla lowered her gun and gaped. She’d never seen me use this particular skill.
Cole stilled.
I stood in place, breathing heavily, my hands raised and clenched into fists. I’d finally succeeded. But I didn’t care. Camilla had endangered the love of my life. Unacceptable! She hadn’t intended to follow through, I knew that, but accidents happened.
Rage poured through me, out of me...as if the intense surge of power had left some kind of hole inside me. One by one, the collared zombies began to explode, their bodies bursting apart at the seams, spraying more black goo in every direction. I never touched them.
I spotted Trina, flailing for some kind of anchor, and suddenly my rage was overshadowed by unending sorrow. I tried to switch off the power. Maybe we could capture and cage her. Maybe, one day, we would find a Z-cure. If we did, she could live, like Emma and Helen, as a Witness. Except...
Trina exploded.
I shouted a denial. My knees threatened to collapse. Stop, have to stop.
There went Lucas.
No, no, no! I scanned the remaining zombies...still exploding... Turn it off, freaking turn it off...
But there went Collins, too.
In seconds, uncollared zombies were gone, as well, leaving nothing but white ash. My knees finally made good on their threat and collapsed. I hit the ground, my brain rattling against my skull. But I was too weak to hold myself up and quickly tumbled to my face.
Can’t move... Something’s wrong... What’s wrong?
“Ali.” Footsteps. Cole crouched at my side.
I wanted to turn my head, to meet his gaze, but couldn’t. Was this why Helen had warned me to be careful? The more energy I used, the more useless I’d be afterward?
A second later, I was floating. No, being carried. Strong arms were banded around me, a heartbeat racing beneath my ear. Strawberries teased my nose. I was jostled as Cole...descended the ladder? Probably. I didn’t even have the strength to open my eyes and check.
Jostled more as... I don’t know what.
“Her spirit isn’t bonding with her body,” Cole said, clearly dismayed.
Ah. But he had to be wrong. With one touch, a spirit always returned to its shell. Its home.
He manipulated my arm, moving it forward and back, shaking it, but nothing happening.