Hers. Not my father’s. “But she never exhibited any abilities.”
“You know better than anyone you don’t have to see something for it to be there.” She settled in front of me, squeezed my hand. “You inherited Dad’s abilities, too. That’s why you’re so strong, and one of the reasons you can do things others can’t. One of the reasons your body hasn’t already died. If anyone can beat this, you can.”
“How?”
“I don’t know that, either,” she said. Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry.”
I tried to smile. I wasn’t sure I succeeded. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll find a way.”
She nodded, and I could see that she wanted to believe me. And then she kissed my cheek, said, “I’m still searching for answers. I’ll be back,” and vanished.
I crouched there, breathing in and out, my hands fisted. No matter what, I wouldn’t allow myself to become a zombie. I would fight this, and I would try to find a cure, but if I failed...
No. Not an option. I formulated a to-do list and calmed. Find a way to decode the entire journal. Learn how to kill the zombie inside me. Actually kill her.
Simple, yet amazingly complex. Whatever. I’d done worse.
“Ali!”
My brow furrowed. That was Cole’s voice.
I stood and turned left, saw a car speeding through the neighborhood. I turned right, saw a woman walking to her car, a cup of coffee in hand.
“Ali!”
Suddenly a sharp sting pierced my cheek.
Had Cole just slapped me? I marched forward, setting a collision course for the barn and all my problems, annnd...the world around me blurred, only coming back into focus when I spotted the big red building where I’d left my body. Someone had left the door open for me. Inside, I caught a glimpse of Cole, Mr. Holland and all of the slayers crowding in front of my chair.
Cole lifted his arm, palm flat, ready.
He had. He really had.
I slipped into my body with a gasp. “I’m here.”
He straightened. His gaze found mine and narrowed. It was a new day, but I was no longer surprised when a moment passed without a vision.
His father pushed a needle into my neck. “Antidote,” he explained.
“Are you okay?” Cole demanded.
Okay? No. Even with my to-do list hovering in the back of my mind, I wanted to curl into a ball and cry. I wanted to tell him what I’d learned. I wanted...everything I couldn’t have. His arms around me. His voice in my ear, telling me everything would be all right.
He was the only person I would believe.
It was odd, and probably just the moment, or my shock, but now that limits had been placed on my future, none of the fury I’d harbored for Cole remained. I was still hurt by what he’d done, and the way he’d been treating me, but none of that mattered just then.
A single night had changed me irrevocably.
Change.
I laughed without humor. Another change had come for me.
“Give the girl some breathing room.” Mr. Holland shoved the slayers out of the way.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice nothing more than a whisper.
Cole shrugged off his dad’s attempts and planted his hands on the arms of my chair, leaning into me, putting us nose to nose. “Where were you? What the hell do you think you were doing out there? Do you have any idea how much worry you caused m—us?”
I blinked at him. Gone was the gentle Cole, the one who had tended me after my panic attack. The one who had sweetly covered my hair with the bandanna.
“I can guess about the worry,” I said, and looked away from him. I was too raw, too susceptible to his concern and his mood, torn to shreds all over again. “And I’m sorry,” I repeated.
“Where were you?” he demanded a second time.
“At my old house.”
“Why did you go there?”
“I don’t know. I woke up, and there I was.”
Mr. Holland opened his mouth, but Cole cut him off.
“You don’t know?” Cole snorted, his anger far from assuaged. “How can you not know?”