Page 40

Eric peered at Lucy, who shivered beside him. Even with her six layers of clothing that gave her an unusual appearance, like her head was too small for her body, she was still cold. Caleb and Zaila scanned and sniffed the area, searching for threats. Zaila was just up ahead of Eric, with Lucy and Valen slightly behind him. Caleb remained in the back of the group with Seth.

Eric was the one who had decided they would go on this mission to find the necessary medicine. And although they were lucky to find more antibiotics to take back to their settlement, it wasn’t as successful as they’d hoped. Still, Eric was happy they were headed back, and so far, no one had been gravely wounded. Wounded, sure, but not bad enough to prevent self-healing or be healed by Lucy.

They’d been living in this hell on earth for over seven years and still weren’t sure how to stop the zombies. Thankfully, they were able to destroy the gate that Father Cornell had opened, but not before everyone and everything in their hometown had been destroyed. Eric’s only goal had been, and still was, to keep his family safe. They were all one another had in this world, and it was his job to keep them together and alive.

Lucy and Valen had insisted they try to work with other people to establish safe areas for survivors because they had gifts and abilities others didn’t to better defend the territories. Both Eric and Caleb had pushed back, but eventually gave in.

“Hey, get closer to one another. I’m going to put up a barrier, so Lucy isn’t so cold,” Valen said.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” Lucy insisted, her big eyes locked on Valen.

“No, you’re not. Let me help. I haven’t used any spells today. It’s fine.” Valen assured Lucy and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder.

Eric’s chest tightened. He’d never get over how gorgeous Valen was. Her smooth, sepia skin was lighter because it was winter, and she was his. It had been years, and he still couldn’t believe how lucky he was that she wanted to be with him. With a quick grin at him, she put her arm around Lucy and tugged her closer.

With a few words and a wave of Valen’s hand, everything shimmered for a few seconds around them and then appeared normal again. Even though none of them, except Valen, could see the magic she used, he knew it had worked from the chilled breeze that no longer assaulted them.

Zaila’s hand went up before she balled it into a fist, which meant she sensed a threat. They all remained motionless. Seth and Caleb moved from behind them to flank Zaila. Eric narrowed his eyes and peered into the darkness. His vision was the best out of the group, but he’d agreed that letting them take point to keep Lucy and Valen safe was smarter.

Something was moving toward them in the distance, something substantial, only he couldn’t make out what. He considered calling on his powers, but it was dangerous to use them unless he could control the environment. So many had died since the undead had taken over the earth. If he picked the wrong place to use his ability, he’d quickly be overwhelmed.

“Undead.” Seth’s gravelly voice said.

Eric zeroed in on the moment. Crap. Seth was right. That was why the movement didn’t make sense. It wasn’t one big thing; it was many human-sized things moving as a unit. Seth turned his head and locked eyes with Lucy. She signed I love you to him before she and Valen clustered together.

Valen and Lucy scooted behind him as he pulled out his rifle and aimed, as everyone moved into their familiar formation. The cracks and pops of Zaila and Caleb shifting were still unsettling but didn’t bother him the way they used to. They hadn’t fully shifted and were in their wolf-human hybrid forms. Terrifying to others who hadn’t witnessed it before. Seth pushed the hood down on his oversized hoodie, letting his long, straight, black hair free. He flexed his hands, his jagged claws already popping through his fingertips.

“They’ve caught our scent,” Caleb growled at them.

“I’ll trip some of them when they come at us,” Valen’s voice said behind him.

Eric set the rifle against his shoulder and focused on a patch of wooded area in front of them. Seconds later, the zombies were visible. He scanned them to see which was the biggest, most fresh, or fastest. He exhaled before pulling the trigger. The taller undead fell to the ground. As always, he never missed, and he always shot to kill.

Roots shot up from the ground and tripped up the faster creatures barreling toward them. Some branches in the trees shot out and knocked more down. Seth took off into the fray, leaping into the air and landing on one of the faster zombies, toppling it before springing up and jumping on the back nearest to him. Wasting no time, he sunk his lethal claws into the creature’s neck and tore its head off.

Caleb and Zaila crouched low, their hands barely touching the ground in the event they needed to push off it, their muscles tensing as they both growled, saliva dripping from their mouths in anticipation. Eric aimed and dropped three more undead before the big group reached Caleb and Zaila. Behind them were even more zombies. Damn it, they hadn’t encountered a group this large in a while.

Caleb and Zaila tore through the group with savage satisfaction. The two worked together fluidly executing a deadly dance as they tore apart their enemies. A gust of wind blew into the creatures bringing up the rear, knocking them into each other. Eric reloaded and continued to take down the undead.

“There’s more behind those zombies. We may need to leave.” Valen’s tone was heavy with warning.

Just as Eric was about to reply, a howl ripped through the noise of the battle. It made him freeze as terror ran down his spine. His always steady hands shook, and the urge to use the bathroom made him twitch. Shit, they were in trouble. Caleb turned his head to Eric as he ripped the zombie he held in half and nodded, confirming his fear that another werewolf had just shown up.

Werewolves were rare, especially since many had died during the initial fight to survive seven years ago. It was hard to predict how dangerous a werewolf was or what type they were. Some werewolves were like Caleb and Zalia. They controlled the shift and didn’t lose themselves to the beast. Others were raging, mindless creatures.

Given Eric’s reaction to the howl, it meant this werewolf was capable of using its howl to incapacitate others. Zaila had taught them a lot about werewolves. Seth ran towards them with an arm in his teeth, he pulled pieces off to eat as he joined them. They went into a defensive formation, back-to-back in a circle, as all the zombies froze and became silent.

“Why did they stop?” Lucy whispered.

“Why is there a werewolf?” Valen asked.

A giant honey-brown werewolf burst through the tree line, knocking down several trees, and snapping its jaws at them. It ignored the unmoving undead surrounding it, as it sniffed at the air and growled.

Eric gripped the rifle, lining up a perfect shot. The problem was, the bullets weren’t silver, and he wasn’t able to move again. Damn it, this werewolf was powerful. A tall, emaciated, almost skeletal man with dark brown hair that fell down to the middle of his back, strode into the clearing, unconcerned by the situation.

The wolf padded closer to them, moving towards the thin man. As the man neared the group, it became more apparent he was not just another survivor. Confidence, strength, and corruption oozed off of him. His complexion was almost corpse-like, his gaunt face showing every sharp angle, with tattoos covering every visible inch of his skin except his face. What drew Eric’s attention most were his eyes. They were glowing and were two different colors. One was an illuminated cornflower blue, and the other was a bright, deep green due to the glow it emanated.

The rail-thin man cocked his head to the side and studied them before he spoke. “What have we discovered? They are not human. Can you sense what they are?” He turned to the monstrous wolf.

The wolf continued to growl at them, probably so Eric wouldn’t shoot the man in the head. Or to keep them all immobile with its ability. The man strolled around them slowly, but the werewolf’s gaze remained trained on Caleb, Seth, and Lucy. Skeleton-man paused and peered at Valen.

“You have power.” He waved his hand in front of them. “Ah, you are a witch.” Dropping his hand, he narrowed his eyes at Lucy before he continued to Eric. He waved his palm in front of him, a crease forming between his brows.

“You want me to tell you what he is? You should know,” a gruff disembodied female voice said from beside the man.

Eric strained to see who had spoken. A breath later, he knew he’d made a mistake. The muted, almost colorless spirit floated closer to Eric. She was an older, petite woman who reminded him of Valen’s grandmother, only much smaller in frame. He hadn’t meant to use his ability. He could only assume his fear of the werewolf had triggered his ability to see and speak with ghosts.

The man frowned at the ghost’s words. Eric stopped breathing. Behind the man, still visible, were the zombies. Except something was wrong. Something was very wrong. They weren’t dead. Their spirits stared at Eric with a hallowed look.

“He can see and hear me,” the female ghost taunted.

“You see shades?” The thin man’s voice was softer, almost kind.

Eric didn’t know what to make of the man, his questions, or his companions, but what he was positive of was, he and his friends didn’t need to fight this fight if they could avoid it. Caleb, Zalia, and Seth would be agitated, but he was the one who made the final calls. Eric sweat from the pain of the small movement as he forced a tiny, almost indecipherable nod.

Turning to the werewolf, the man’s fingers twitched at his side and he tilted his head left. The werewolf huffed at him while circling back and stopping in front of Lucy and Valen. As soon as the paralyzing effect wore off, Caleb, Zalia, and Seth turned to face the intimidating trio before them. The man waved his hand and spoke some sort of gibberish. They fell to their knees and groaned in pain. Eric steadied the rifle to take his shot.

“Do not be foolish. You sense my power. Your companions meant to attack, and I cannot allow that. I want to speak with you,” he shifted his gaze to Eric.

“Are they hurt?” Eric demanded.

“They are not human and will heal.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Eric was ready to pull the trigger. The man didn’t understand. He never missed. His shots were always killing shots. He wouldn’t survive, but… Eric wasn’t certain the thin man in front of him was human either.

“You are young,” Skeleton-man glanced at the rest of them. “You are all young. If you are intelligent, you will leave here tonight with your lives. I only wish to speak to you. Can you control them?” He gestured to Caleb, Seth, and Zalia.

“Yeah, but you and your… wolf, must agree not to attack us.” The werewolf’s head reached the man’s chest. Eric had never witnessed such a creature on all fours.

The enormous wolf’s eyes flashed brighter, the amber irises shifting to a molten steel for a few seconds before returning to the goldish color. The man reached his hand to stroke the wolf behind his ear.

“You must restrain yourself. I need information,” he told the werewolf.

“Good luck keeping him from raging,” the older woman’s spirit cackled.

Eric shot her a glare. When she noticed him looking at her, she smiled at him. Eric kept the barrel aimed at the thin man’s skull as he spoke.

“Stay calm,” Eric told them, counting on years of friendship and experience for them to understand the true meaning. Which was to stay calm until it was time to fight. His eyes darted around to the zombies, all with spirits attached to them. “Why did they stop?”

“Lower your ineffective weapon. You cannot harm us.” Skinny-man’s tone was arrogant, but he was probably right.

Eric lowered his rifle and stepped closer to Valen and Lucy.

“I will not harm any of you unless needed. Although you destroyed many of my creatures.”

“The zombies are yours?”

“Yes. I control them.” His voice and face were filled with indifference.

“But they’re… they’re not dead.”

Valen’s eyes widened at his comment, even as Lucy nodded like she already knew.

“I bound their souls to their forms. It was necessary to control them. I need their souls, otherwise they are useless to me.”

The strange man’s words confirmed Eric’s fears. They’d only come across one necromancer before and barely escaped with their lives. Caleb and Zaila’s low growls filled the surrounding space. The man chuckled.

“Yes, yes, I know the undead and myself are an abomination to you. Calm yourselves. With time you can build a tolerance and learn the self-control that will keep you and your companions alive.” Again, his words were flat. His face hadn’t changed even when he chuckled. It was like even if his voice changed octaves like it should, nothing else did. Eric wondered if he was also one of the undead.

“Still, if you bound their souls… aren’t they aware of what’s happening? Even if they can’t exactly feel it?” Valen asked.

His glowing eyes shifted to her. “Yes.”

“That’s worse than death - you’re a monster.” She hissed.

“I am more than a monster. I am a void in the shape of a man. I control souls, not dead bodies. If you displease me, you will join them.”

His words were a direct threat, yet something in Eric’s gut told him he was posturing. Perhaps he wanted to seem like the ultimate evil to intimidate them.

“Now, you admitted to perceiving shades. Tell me what she tells you.” He tilted his head toward the floating ghost that hovered near him.

“You can tell him he’s an arrogant shit that doesn’t appreciate me even in death.” She shook her head as she spoke.

“I… she said…” Eric faltered. He was pretty sure if he said that the necromancer would kill them.

“You got no balls, kid. He’s a powerful, evil bastard, although that’s not all he is. You can reason with him. Stop being so scared. You got two werewolves, and whatever the fuck that kid is,” she pointed to Seth, “so just tell him his name. His name is Ander. And then tell him to stop fucking with your heads.”

The man’s jaw tightened as she spoke. Eric could tell he wanted to respond, which likely meant she was telling the truth. He cleared his throat.

“Ander, your name is Ander.”

“Indeed. You are useful to me.” He turned to Valen. “You could be useful, too. However, you must move past your narrow views.” He gazed at Lucy. “You are a mystery but… have a connection to life and death, which also makes you useful.”

Ander’s gaze locked on Seth. “You are also an enigma, not human, but not quite anything else, either.” The werewolf huffed again and smacked its paw against the ground three times. “Yes, I sense that as well, but I would need to examine him further to be certain.”

Eric wondered if he was psychic because he seemed to understand the wolf. “What do you want with us?”

His mismatched eyes moved back to him. “Your group attacked mine. Destroyed my minions. I did not seek you - you engaged me. We are traveling to find answers.”

“Okay, what answers do you want from us?” Eric countered.

Ander’s gaze was so intense it was hard for Eric not to look away. Silence consumed the area while they waited for him to speak again. After what seemed like an eternity, he took one step closer. Before Eric could react, Ander snatched his hand, pressing something into his palm. Eric’s heart thundered in his ears, terrified, as his eyes dropped to their clasped hands. When Ander lifted his, a pink flower necklace rested in his palm. Eric lifted his head, confused.

“We are seeking a female. The one who used to wear that necklace. She is a shade now.” Ander’s tone had shifted back to the softer one he used earlier, and his face morphed to a more humane expression. A human in agony. As if the words had ripped open a wound so profound it would never heal.

Eric hadn’t considered what it would be like for someone who controls spirits to lose someone they cared for. Their group had been through a lot, but they still had each other, which was almost unheard of in this world. Most survivors they came across had lost those they loved along the way. The wolf hung its head and whimpered, dragging its front paws against the ground.

“I told you this is a fool’s errand. You need to let go,” the female spirit said.

In response, the wolf growled at her and showed teeth.

Ander’s eyes flashed. “If you repeat that one more time, I will bind you to the necklace. Do not test me.”

“I’d… I’d need to know what her name was and what she looked like, but if she’s been gone a long time, she won’t be herself,” Eric spoke before anyone lashed out.

“It matters not. I will mend her if needed.” His fingers stroked the wolf’s gigantic head. “Her name is…” he paused and clutched the wolf’s fur. “Her name is Maeve. She is the most beautiful creature to have ever graced this plane of existence.” His expression softened. “She is five feet nine inches, with long, dark brown hair that contains red undertones, her skin is alabaster white, and she has deep, bottomless eyes that delve into your soul. Her voluptuous form is perfection, but it is her heart that truly identifies her. She is the most giving, compassionate soul that exists. None compare to her.”

The more he spoke, the more grounded and alive he seemed. The wolf made grunts of agreement. Shit. How could he begin to explain how hard it would be to find an unknown person when so many ghosts were haunting everywhere now? He pinched his brow. Surely Ander knew, or he wouldn’t be asking for his help.

“Is she - should she be around here?” Eric asked.

Ander sighed. “We are certain she is on the east coast. Over the years, we have narrowed the search area to two states.”

“We’re in New York. What other state?”

“She is here or in Massachusetts.”

Damn it. They were on their way to Massachusetts. What shit luck. Eric ran his thumb over the flower, trying to figure out the best way to deal with Ander. All necromancers were bad, and he seemed almost irrational. Definitely unstable.

“Okay, I’ll look for her. It would be easier if I had a picture.”

He nodded and reached into a pocket in his black cargo pants. “Yes, I should have shown you this before. Perhaps I am not thinking clearly.” He muttered and pushed the side of the phone.

Eric’s mouth dropped open. He had a cell phone? One that powered up? There were no working cell phones, there hadn’t been in years. There wasn’t a point anyway since most of the towers didn’t work. The screen lit dimly as he slid his fingers over the glass. Valen shot an expression of disbelief at him.

Ander lifted the necklace from Eric’s hand and lowered the screen to reveal a woman in her twenties grinning at the camera. It looked like she was in a bed inside a log cabin. It reminded Eric of when he used to go hunting with his dad. She was pretty, but he wouldn’t say the most beautiful woman in the world, that was his girl, Valen. However, he had described her accurately.

The wolf padded over and pushed its snout against his side of the phone until Ander showed the screen to the wolf. The wolf whined and nuzzled against the phone before Ander pulled it back and turned it off, tucking it away again.

“How will I contact you if I find her?”

“That is the question, is it not?” Ander stared at nothing for so long it was uncomfortable.

Caleb and Zaila inched closer toward the man until his eyes swung to them, and he shook his head.

“Things are going well. Do not test me.” His tone shifted back into the hard one he’d used when he arrived.

“Can you control any zombie?” Eric asked, mostly to distract him.

“Yes.” He turned his attention back to him and then frowned. “No. I could control any I encountered as long as I bound their souls or a soul to the corpse. Recently though, I have not been as successful. Some are different . Have you also noticed this?”

Eric nodded. They had. Ever since zombies had started grouping up, their behaviors were slowly changing. Some of the bigger groups seemed to have an almost a mob mentality, moving as one versus a bunch of uncoordinated zombies.

“It is puzzling to me, at times infuriating. A mystery I must resolve. Not more important than her, but a secondary goal.”

“That’s the only goal you should be focused on. You’re not a god, Ander. No matter how much power you gain, you’re still the same person-”

Ander whipped his head to the spirit. Sweat broke out on Eric’s back despite the cold temperatures when he watched all of Ander’s arteries and veins turn black. They’d learned the hard way what that meant with the other necromancer they had encountered. He recited a spell and, to Eric’s surprise, he recognized some Latin words, just not the others. The spirit shrieked.

“You evil bastard! Stop!” the woman cried out.

“I told you not to push me. Cease your nonsense and be grateful I preserved you. I make the choices now, not you. Accept it or move on.”

“I’m done!” the ghost said with heavy breaths.

“Yeah, we’ve noticed the changes when they are grouped up. They’re more dangerous now.” Eric said once again, hoping to distract Ander.

“Exactly. The singular undead are no threat, even if there are a large number of them.” He waved his hand dismissively, and the surrounding zombies twitched with life before they shuffled to create a circle around them. “They will keep watch while we speak. You need not be fearful.”

Eric grimaced. The damn zombies weren’t the thing that was unsettling any of them.

“Where are you traveling? And do not lie to me. I may not be as I once was, but I still can discern a lie, even a small white lie.”

Eric didn’t want to tell him anything. He wanted to get his people the hell away from this sickly looking man, his wolf, enslaved ghost, and mass of zombies. But he also believed Ander’s words.

“Boston.”

Valen gave him the stink eye, and Caleb huffed behind him.

An evil grin crossed Ander’s mouth as the wolf nudged his side again. “Yes, of course. Let me finish.” He petted the giant wolf and took another step closer.

Eric wasn’t like Valen and couldn’t pick up on someone else’s magic unless they used it before him. But it was impossible not to feel the weight of his power as he approached.

“It appears our goals are aligned. Tell me your names as we will travel together.”

The female ghost shot him a sympathetic look and shook her head.

“I’m Eric, though I think it would be better if-”

“Your consent is not necessary, but I would prefer not to force you. I would like it if we could travel as companions instead of enslaving you. Do you not wish that as well?”

Eric’s eyes flicked to Valen. Could this strange man enslave them if they were still alive? Her mouth was a thin line. She rolled her shoulders back. “I’m Valen. We’ll travel with you, but only if you swear not to hurt or enslave any of us - no matter what happens - even if we piss you off. If you try, I’ll die trying to kill that wolf of yours.”

His wolf? Ander’s mouth twitched in amusement until she mentioned his wolf. Then his gaze turned into a glare.

“Then we understand each other. You agree, and we won’t make a move against you - right Eric?” She turned her dark eyes to him.

“Yeah. I’ll keep us calm and help you look for her, but we must go to Boston.”

“We also are traveling to Boston. There is a large concentration of undead in that area I must study. Are you going to the human settlement outside of Boston?” Ander asked Eric.

“Yeah, we’re the scouting party.” If they were to stay with this crazy bastard, he’d know the truth soon enough, anyway.

“I see. Curious, the humans allow you to remain with them.” His glowing orbs moved over Caleb, Zaila, and Seth. “Regardless. Are you, their leader? If so, we must enter an agreement.”

“Yeah,” Eric answered, speculating what the hell an agreement meant with a necromancer.

“Step forward.”

Eric took a breath and moved in front of him.

“Put out your hand,” Ander said and put out his right one.

“Eric-” Valen’s worried tone made his insides tremble.

Eric raised his left hand. Ander clasped his wrist as Eric grabbed the necromancer’s wrist. His hand, wrist, and arm were covered in strange symbols that held a dim glow.

“We will travel as companions until we reach Boston. We will work together to achieve success and safety for all of us.” His voice deepened and an odd, warm sensation enveloped Eric.

“And we won’t hurt or enslave each other,” Eric added.

“As you have requested. Do we have an agreement?” Ander asked.

“Yeah.”

As soon as he responded, the marks on Ander’s skin brightened until Eric squinted. Ander spoke some additional words. None were Latin, so he couldn’t tell what was said. Eric’s eyes darted to Ander’s, which made him squint more. It was like staring at the sun. More warmth enveloped him as his hand tingled.

“It is done.” Ander released his hand and stepped back. He glanced at the night sky. “We should find somewhere for you to rest. It is late for most humans. We can discuss the path forward tomorrow.”

The circle of zombies parted to let Ander and his wolf pass through. Eric hurried to Valen’s side. She snatched his hand into hers and lifted it, turning it over to examine his palm. Her full lips flattened again. Ander strode forward without concern for anything around him. His wolf showed its teeth to them and joined the necromancer.

Lucy hurried to Seth and touched his face, healing the skin that had started to sag before she pulled his lips to hers. His claws retracted as he threaded his fingers into her hair. Caleb and Zaila shifted back to their human forms before Eric approached him.

“That wasn’t a good idea,” Caleb said in a hushed tone.

“What did you want me to do? If we fought him, not all of us would make it. I’m not willing to lose any of us, and neither are you,” Eric fired back.

“Still, you let him cast some spell,” Caleb sneered at Ander’s back.

“I’d do it again if it protected us. I’ll manage it. You manage your rage.”

“How are we going to be free of him?” Caleb adjusted his eye patch.

“It doesn’t matter until we get to Boston. At least this way we don’t have to worry about zombies, right?” Eric tried to think of the positive outcomes. No random, wandering undead would surprise them, and if they crossed more dangerous creatures like demons, vampires, or shifters, they stood a much better chance with a necromancer at their side.

“I don’t trust him,” Caleb grumbled.

“Neither do I, and he doesn’t trust us. Although, for now, it is what it is. It’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with assholes. Let’s just get to Boston, okay?”

“Fine. He moves to hurt any of us-”

“I know, man,” Eric patted Caleb’s shoulder.

Ander and the wolf stopped and peered at them, waiting. Eric stepped forward and tugged Valen with him. Good idea or not, for now, they were teamed up with a necromancer.

To be continued in…