“About what Dane said.” He pressed his lips into a thin line and his jaw worked. “And you still didn’t promise me you won’t try … doing again what you tried to do at the beach.”
I shook my head. “I can’t promise you that. I really can’t. I won’t be tortured again, and I won’t let anyone else suffer or be killed because of me.” I couldn’t really talk about it without remembering my family. It hurt too much.
He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to stop, and turned me to him. “I’m not sure if you believe me or not, but I told you I’ll never let that happen again. I meant it.”
I looked into his eyes. This was one of those rare moments when he was too serious. Well, perhaps it wasn’t that rare anymore.
“I believe you, but in case you fail, I’ll do it.”
He leaned closer, holding my stare. “I won’t fail,” he said, his voice low. I held my breath, aware that his lips were a couple of inches from mine.
Knowing it was better not to argue, I nodded. I glanced down the corridor—we were three doors from my bedroom. I retreated, causing him to let me go.
“Thanks for bringing me here.”
He reached one hand to me, but I retreated one more step. “Wait. I need to explain about what Dane said.”
“You don’t need to explain anything.”
“But I want to.”
I closed my eyes for a second, gathering strength to resist him and his charms. “Micah, I don’t want to hear it. Seriously.”
Hurt flashed on his features, but it was so quick, I may have imagined it there.
He nodded and before he could say anything else or stop me again, I rushed to my bedroom. I pushed my door closed, and then jumped into my bed, hugging Pinky as if the stuffed animal could save me from the madness I lived in.
26
“No!” I cried as the fire surrounded me, engulfing my family with its flame.
A tiny hand shot out from the fire. “Nad, help,” Nicole croaked.
I took the little hand in mine, and it became dust.
“No!” I sat up, waking.
Breathing hard, I looked around. I was in my room in the underground bunker in northern Greenland. It was okay. I inhaled slowly. It was okay. Everything would be okay. I would fix everything.
I laid back on my pillow, but couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Nicole’s terrified face and her bloody body on my lap.
I kicked the covers away, dropped Pinky over my pillow, put on sweatpants over my shorts and a cardigan over my tee, and left my room. I tiptoed in my heavy socks down the hallway, afraid of waking up anyone else. Nobody had to suffer through the night with me.
A nice soda, or maybe even black coffee, sounded good even if it was three in the morning. Besides, I knew I wouldn’t go back to sleep tonight; I might as well eat an early breakfast and start training.
A clink noise, like a pin dropping on a hard floor, brought me to a halt.
“Hello?” I whispered. Nobody answered. I wouldn’t call out with my normal volume; I’d wake up everyone, so I continued down the hallway, sure I would find whoever was also having trouble sleeping.
I turned a corner and something grabbed me, yanking me back. Panic shot through my veins. A hand over my mouth stifled my scream as I bumped my back into a hard surface.
“Shhh. Stay quiet,” Micah whispered in my ear.
I nodded and he removed the hand from my mouth, placing it around my waist, keeping me close to him. Not that I was complaining, but it felt somewhat silly.
“What is it?” I asked in an equally low tone.
“I think someone is here.”
I tilted my head to the side and glanced at him. “Of course there’s someone here. There are eleven people in this shelter.”
“No, I mean someone else.”
“Oh.”
Wait. Who did he think was here? Before I could ask, the clink noise vibrated through the walls again, louder this time, but still too faint to wake up anyone who was sleeping.
Micah tugged me with his arm around my waist, and we retreated to the closest door and into an empty bedroom. We leaned against the wall, leaving a tiny crack of the door open.
I could hear my heartbeat as the seconds passed. We peeked through the door as footsteps shuffled along the floor.
Demons. A bunch of demons.
Fear and repulsion burst through my system, and I shrunk into Micah’s arms.
Micah lowered his forehead to my shoulder. “By the Everlast.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I.”
Hauling me with him, Micah scooted farther into the room.
“All right,” I muttered, trying to keep my fear in check. “Let’s think about the logical action here. We have to find a way of waking the others and getting out.”
“I don’t really see how we’re gonna make it past the demons.”
Disentangling myself from Micah, I peeked through the crack in the door. “Let’s pray they take a wrong turn and go in the direction of the tech room instead of the other bedrooms.”
Micah stood behind me again, spying out the door with me.
I held my breath as the demons approached the end of the hallway where they would have to turn left or right. I counted the monsters. I stopped at thirteen, but I didn’t think there were many more. Not on this level at least.
The demons turned left, to the tech room.
I sighed in relief.
“Okay.” Micah turned me around to face him. “Chances are we won’t be able to wake the others and get out without being noticed, so go to the gym and grab as many swords as you can while I wake up everyone.”
“But ... you’ll be too close to the demons.”
“We don’t have any other option.”
I watched the door. “Do you think there are more demons around?”
“I do.” He pressed his lips in a tight line. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I lied. It didn’t matter if I was ready or not. We had to do it now, or we were all demon dinner.
We looked out the door. It was clear.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out, but Micah held my hand. “Be careful.”
I squeezed his hand. “You too.”
He winked before letting go, and as silently as possible he rushed toward where the demons had gone. I watched him for a few seconds hoping he was quick.
I turned the other way, imitating Micah’s hurried tiptoes. In my mind, I prayed not to bump into any demons, at least not until I had grabbed a few swords from the gym.
Oh God, there were demons in the compound!
I inhaled deeply again. No time for freak out mode now. I pushed those thoughts and feelings aside and focused on action.
I got to the gym without seeing anyone or anything. I picked a belt and fastened it around my waist before filling it with daggers from the wall. Then I reached for the swords. Some had scabbards, and I simply slung them across my shoulders. I didn’t know how many weapons I had gotten when a noise came from outside the door.
My heart stopped.
Oh God.
Fighting a full-on panic, I hid behind two big weight lifting machines to the left side of the room, somewhat close to the door. I held my breath and waited, hoping luck was on my side.
Seconds later, Chael, Eklan, and Deven entered the gym.
Relief coursed through me. Micah must have woken them first and sent them here to help me. I started to stand to call them.