Page 26

Brie had been subdued for the last three days. She kept her hair in a bun or in a simple French braid, which meant she didn’t want to fuss with it. Her clothes and face were still immaculate, but something wasn’t right. Renee tried to get her to talk, but she wouldn’t. If she had to guess, she’d say she was depressed but Renee didn’t know why.

The first two days after the culling were decent, just endless walking followed by snuggling with Zane at night. No death. Everyone was stuffed from eating their former horde members during the culling. Barf . Zane made sure Renee had something cooked to eat for dinner each night.

He hadn’t slept since they left the cabin, which kinda creeped her out because it meant he spent the last two nights staring at her while she slept. They had bickered the first night, after they’d been on their feet all day walking, when he suggested cuffing her feet together. Why did he even have handcuffs? Renee wasn’t sure she’d ever regain his trust.

Finally, she persuaded him to lay with her and make out. He promised when they had proper shelter, he’d make her tremble again. She was desperate to arrive at their next destination until on the third day, she realized the horde approached another metropolitan city. Shit.

Zane barked orders at the horde when the broken skyline came into view and everyone shifted to different positions. Brie dragged Renee off to the side. A fierce look made Brie’s face tighten.

“What’s going on? It seems like he’s getting the units organized,” Renee whispered.

“Units?” Brie, tying her hair in a high ponytail, glanced at Renee. Shit, Brie meant business and didn’t want any carnage in her hair.

“Yeah. The horde is his army, right?”

Brie rolled her eyes. “He’s sending in the… ground troops .”

Renee grinned at her words.

“It’s dangerous to enter a city. He always sends in the shamblers first. It doesn’t matter if they die.”

Humans were always nervous about entering a city too, worried they’d be attacked. Apparently, large cities were treacherous for everyone. Renee paused at the word “everyone” as she realized she thought about both humans, and zombies.

She flattened her lips before she spoke. “Why is entering the city dangerous for the horde?”

“Because humans hide in them. They gather supplies and weapons. We always lose a lot of us in cities.”

Well, damn, that’s exactly what every human she’d ever spent time with thought too. Except, surviving humans didn’t understand this horde, whether or not it was true for other hordes, went into cities intentionally. Everyone Renee had traveled with believed the undead didn’t do anything strategically, especially plan how to enter a city.

“But you said the shamblers don’t matter.”

“They don’t. They’re not like us, they’re just animated corpses. They don’t feel pain or have any feelings.”

Woah. Renee’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at Brie, shocked at her words. That meant the other zombies felt pain and had… feelings? In all the time humans had spent fighting them, it seemed like nothing stopped them. They could have their limbs torn off or giant holes in their bodies, and they still kept coming. Her mind wandered to the zombie head that wasn’t dead even after being detached thanks to Zane’s rage. Nothing stopped them. Renee considered the amount of agony the zombies endured and she felt strange.

She glanced around her at the waiting zombies. The members of the surrounding horde were nervous. Renee wasn’t sure why or how she could sense it.

“I thought the horde was just the horde.”

“It is. But we work as a team for survival. We’ll always die, lose numbers, but the chosen must survive. The humans want to destroy us. We have to fight.” Brie’s eyes darted around, observing the horde.

Renee’s brow furrowed. Brie made it sound like they were at war, that somehow, they were the ones fighting just to exist. It was so backwards. Humans were the ones fighting to live. It was the zombies that were hell-bent on devouring them until there was nothing left. Zane had said as much.

“You already lied to me,” Brie began, flicking her ice-blue irises to her.

Renee averted her eyes. She’d been waiting for Brie to chew her out about her actions for days.

“You seem pretty cozy with him now. I doubt you’ll be as stupid again.”

Renee’s cheeks heated at her words.

“Are you really my friend?” Brie seemed to squeak out the question.

Something in her tone made Renee peer at her. She was being sincere, so Renee reached for her hand.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you. And sometimes, I wasn’t lying, I had no intention of running that night, and then, well, the opportunity presented itself.” She wouldn’t apologize for trying to run, but she could tell her she was sorry she’d lied.

Brie huffed. “If you’re sorry, prove it. Don’t be a dumbass and get yourself killed today. Stay with me and do what I tell you so I can protect you. You may think your humans will help you, but they won’t. You’re with us. They can’t tell the difference between enemies and friends.”

Renee studied her. There was more than what Brie was letting on. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but there was something personal about how she’d said that. Had Brie tried to help humans before?

The horde eventually split up and scattered around the outside of the city. Renee tried to find Zane. If she could catch a glimpse of him, she wouldn’t be so scared. Odd that she was with the enemy and was as terrified as she’d always been going into a city.

“Why is the horde dividing up?” Renee whispered.

“Because we enter the city from multiple areas and meet in the center. At least, that’s the plan with this city. He always tries to figure out the best way in and out of a location based on geographical features, city street layouts and any other information he’s gathered, so we don’t lose too many.”

None of Renee’s groups ever figured that out. It seemed like the undead were nowhere and then, suddenly everywhere, now it made sense why. He tried to figure out the best way so the horde wouldn’t lose as many of them? When Zane talked about it, he hadn’t cared at all. Or at least it seemed that way.

“It’s going to get messy today. You’re going to have to decide if you’re with us now. Or if you’re going to run. Because if you run this time,” she paused and averted her eyes. “Then you need to be gone. Don’t come back.”

“Brie,” Renee clasped her hand again. “I shouldn’t have lied. I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but I won’t put you in danger again because I’m being selfish.”

Brie cocked her head to the side. “You finally get that?”

“I get bad things will happen if I try to leave. I understand you’re supposed to protect me, even if it puts you in danger.” Renee stared at the ground. “I didn’t know at first. I was a selfish friend, but I won’t be anymore.”

“It won’t just hurt me , Renee, or just put me in danger. If you run,” she paused as her face tightened with anger. “You would put the entire horde in danger. You’d destroy everyone .”

The gravity of Brie’s words struck Renee in the chest. She was too anxious to ask why. She didn’t want to know. “I won’t run. I promise,” she whispered.

Brie grimaced and averted her gaze. “Your humans will be here.”

“I know. I… don’t want to see them right now,” Renee said because it was true. She was too mixed up, and being around others like her would only further confuse her. Perhaps the next city. Besides, she still didn’t know who the chosen were, and she should have that information before she ultimately left Zane’s horde.

“It’s time. We have to move. Stay behind me.”

Renee trembled as she ducked down and silently followed Brie. They only had to get through today. Everything would be okay as long as they didn’t run into any people. She couldn’t trust herself if she saw other humans because then she would be betraying her only friend and Zane.