Bleak Devotion (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Blade's attention snapped to Zach. “Are you sure?”

“
Pretty. I was in the library and saw a car coming. It looked full and I doubt they're human. People would be more cautious.”

Jessica's heart constricted into an acrid stone in her chest. Fears of the past gripped her, freezing her in place. Images of the slaughter of her family and Cindy pierced her mind. The room swayed around her, until someone reached out an arm to steady her.

“You're okay, Jessica?” Zach's breath was hot on her ear. “We'll be okay.”

Though the dizzy feeling dulled, the fear was still tangible. Wondering how Zach had appeared so quickly, she looked up at him, but his attention was focused on Blade. A slight tightening around Blade's eyes was the only sign that his mood had changed. He pointed a trembling finger toward the direction of the basement.

“Go!”

Jessica tried to hide the fear in her voice, but failed. “What about the kitch—”

“Go now,” Blade interrupted. “I'll take care of it.”

They locked gazes. An unexpected urge to stay with him gripped her. He grabbed her arm so suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. It shook as his hand grasped it and twirled her out of Zach's embrace toward the door. Blade let go of her arm and gave her a gentle push toward the basement.

“Make sure they all get down there, Zach.”

Jessica twisted her head around to see Zach herding Julie toward her with Ben not far behind. When they reached her, Zach let Ben pass him, then took a hold of her arm. “Let's go.”

She took a few steps forward after Julie and Ben under Zach's urge, but glanced back looking for Blade. The kitchen was empty. Her heart felt like it would stop any second as Zach raced her through the cabin and to the stairway.

As they descended, their footsteps thumped and the steps creaked, echoing against the naked basement walls. On the last step, she tripped. Zach grabbed her from behind, circling his arms around her before she fell. He made sure she had her balance then yanked her forward.

When they reached the hideout, Zach shoved her inside. Everyone else except Deborah sat around the edges of the room, some on chairs and some on the floor. Deborah stood next to the opening and shoved her farther in.

Zach raced in after her and took a quick glance around at the others inside. With a nod from Deborah, Zach slammed the thick door shut behind them, plunging them into darkness.

Jessica fumbled her way around in the dark looking for somewhere to sit, Zach’s footsteps shuffling behind her. No one spoke as she plodded past them, but helped to gently guide her onward. When she found an empty space, she collapsed on the floor in a heap. Someone shifted into a sitting position beside her, body heat radiating to her already flushed skin.

“
You okay, Jessica?” Zach whispered next to her.

“
She'll be fine,” Deborah hissed. “Not a word out of any of you until I say so.”

Jessica's heart pounded violently in her chest. She feared Deborah would scold her for not keeping quiet. The sound mixed with her own breathing, echoing loudly in her ears. Everything else around her was deathly silent. She couldn't even hear the others breathing.

The silent darkness made it hard to discern anyone else was there, intensifying her fear. The only comfort she had was the heat of the body next to her, which was growing faint. She curled her legs up toward her and wrapped her arms around them. Suddenly, the thudding of footsteps sounded from above. Her body froze in place, muscles becoming rigid like a stone coffin. She held her breath as the sound moved farther inside the house until they could no longer hear it.

Her last encounter with an alien before coming to the cabin jumped into her head. She saw Cindy's broken body lying on the floor. Her stomach tangled up, twisting and turning until she was afraid she would vomit. She swallowed and took deep breaths, trying to avoid retching. Though she managed not to vomit, the image adhered to her, accentuating the queasy feeling.

She fought the memory, trying to replace it with something else. Anything else. Flashing red, the memory battled to keep control of her. She fumbled for the self-control she had used for months among the monsters. Finally, the image morphed. But it wasn't the control she'd been searching for. At first she thought the body lying on the ground with red pooling beside it was her. A whimper escaped her when she realized it was Blade.

Zach laid a hand on her arm and gently rubbed it back and forth. In an attempt to free her mind of the disturbing image, she concentrated on the movement. His hand left her and for a moment the nightmarish image threatened, but then his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pushing it away. He pulled her closer and she allowed herself to lean into him. A free hand reached up and gently stroked the side of her face.

She focused on his hand brushing against her skin, the warmth and solace of his arm around her. Such close contact was no longer familiar to her. It kindled a warmth throughout her being, but it was so foreign part of her wanted to recoil from it. She attempted to ignore the oddness of it and snuggled in closer. His masculine scent mingled with the smell of freshly turned soil. He must have been working in the greenhouse. She closed her eyes, letting it comfort her.

The image finally melted all the way from her thoughts, but worry replaced it. What would they want with Blade? What would they think of him living here? Would they notice the large amount of food and think it odd? Would they press Blade for an answer? What if it turned into a fight? Would Blade be able to protect himself? Would she lose another friend?

Jessica clamped down her jaw as the questions grew. Unease spread through her like a disease, ravenous for a fresh victim. Her index fingernail went in her mouth, tasting of carrot. She pulled it out, but couldn't forget about the carrot. The one she had cut with Blade at her side. Was he alright?

Time dragged on. It seemed like they had already been in there for weeks. Every once in a while Zach's hand would reach back up to her face and stoke it for a few minutes before leaving. That was the only measure she had of time, but it was fallible. Darkness pressed in on her and a scream hovered in her throat.

She took a deep breath and began reciting times tables like she had when the monsters first attacked. One times one is one. Two times two is… What was happening? Concentrate. Two times two is four. Three times three is nine. Four time four is sixteen. Had Blade been able to clean up the kitchen fast enough? Did they know Blade was hiding humans? Five times five is twenty-five. Six times six is… Would Blade be alright? The reciting and questions continued until Jessica lost herself in a deadened stupor.

She pulled away from Zach's embrace, uncurled her body, and stretched it out. She leaned against the wall and left herself in the zombied state.

Some time later, Zach brushed up against her arm. She shied away from his touch as he traced down her arm to her hand. Before she could pull away completely, he grasped her hand tightly. Her throat tightened in fear of giving in to emotion, but her practice at controlling them so long left her body flat. A moment later Zach pressed something into her hand and his touch was gone. Stunned by the action, she sat frozen for a moment before she explored the object.

It was soft and flat. Realizing someone was passing out bread, she clamped down her teeth and let out a slow breath. She needed to stop overreacting. Grateful that she wouldn't have to be hungry any longer, she bit into the bread. It tasted too salty and she realized it was the batch of flat bread she had baked yesterday. Someone had probably stuffed it in here, hoping they wouldn't need it before it went bad and could toss it out. She blushed at the thought and promised herself to learn to cook better in the future. That was, if there was a future.

Sobered by the prospect, Jessica ate the meager portion without further thought. Finishing the slice, she wished for something to wash it down with. She had been thirsty already. All the extra salt made her mouth ache for water and the bread stuck in her throat. Shifting her body around, she attempted to get comfortable, which was hard to do with a full bladder. She wondered how the silence and no light rules would be enforced. Just when she thought she would have to get Deborah's attention, a shuffling came from outside.

She bit down on her fingernail, actually breaking through it this time, and held her breath. The hidden door opened to reveal a tall, bulky figure surrounded by a bright light.

Chapter Fourteen

The figure shifted, blinding the room with the vibrant light behind him.

“Is everyone all right?” At Blade's voice, Jessica let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she had been holding. The tension in her body fled with the darkness as someone turned a light on in the hidden room. Jessica squinted against the harsh light. Around her, everyone was getting up. She followed suit, allowing her body to adjust to the difference.

“
We're fine,” Deborah said. “Are they gone?”

“
Yes.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

The lines on Deborah's face eased. “What happened?”

Blade ran his shaky hand against the back of his arm up to the elbow and back down to his wrist. “Long story.”

“I want to hear it,” Kimberly interrupted, “but we've been stuck in here for quite a while.”

“
She's right.” Deborah rubbed the back of her neck. “Everyone stretch and relax. Go do what you need to. For those who want to hear what happened, we'll meet in the kitchen in ten minutes. The rest of you go relax.”

Kimberly and Ben filed out of the hidden room, anxious to leave the confining space. Vivian's eyes darted around the enclosed space and Erin patted her on the back. The younger girl looked surprisingly calm.

“We're alright now, Vivian. Blade took good care of us just like I told you he would.”

“
This time. What about the next?”

Deborah gently grabbed Vivian's arm. “We'll be fine, don't you worry. Why don't you go lie down and I'll fill you in on the details later.”

“I don't want to hear no details.”

Vivian scampered out the entrance, but Erin glanced back before moving on. Jessica caught her eye and the girl gave her a brief smile, but her lips trembled and then she was gone. Erin was scared, too.

Jessica paced next to Zach's still form, waiting for their own turn to leave. Blade stood by the door, speaking quietly with Deborah. She watched him from the corner of her eye, constantly reassuring herself that he was all right. His gaze continually shifted her way, sending a trill through her. Zach tensed more with each glance. She told herself none of these actions mattered, that she had just been cooped up too long.

Despite what she told herself, her heart beat faster as she drew closer. Zach scooted by first and quickly disappeared from view. As Jessica walked past Blade, he gave her a shaky smile. Her heart soared in her chest, warming her cheeks. She rushed out of the room short of breath. With a sigh of relief that no one was in the basement to witness her odd behavior, she hurried off and found a line at the bathroom.

“
Are you feeling okay?” Julie brushed her hand across Jessica's forehead. “You look a little flushed.”

“
I'm fine. It must be all the excitement.”

“
If you say so.” Julie's eyes narrowed. “You don't have to listen to Blade's report, you know. I could fill you in later if you want to lie down.”

“
Really, I'm fine. I can rest later. I'd really like to know what happened.”

“
Me, too.”

The bathroom door opened then and Julie rushed inside, closing the door behind her. Jessica took several deep breaths. She did feel a little sick. Maybe she should take Julie up on her offer. Then again, she had been around those monsters for months, surely she could handle a mere report on them.

When Julie came out, she took her turn in the bathroom. While there, she took a moment to splash cold water on her face. She felt better, but checked the mirror to make sure her face was no longer flushed. By the time she arrived in the kitchen, Zach and Deborah were passing around hot chocolate. She toyed with the idea of standing by Blade, who was pouring the drink, but shrugged off the thought. One couch was still empty. She planted herself in its cushy corner, close to the crackling fire.

A quiet murmur filled the room. Everyone was here except Vivian. Jessica wasn't surprised by the older woman taking Deborah up on the offer to lie down. Vivian always looked ill whenever they talked about the creatures and would escape the room at the earliest opportunity. Sometimes Jessica felt like doing the same.

She played with her hands, brushing them against each other and rubbing her fingernails. The nail on her index finger was a complete loss. She had bitten it to the quick. Scowling at the offending nail, she vowed to pay better attention to keeping her fingernail out of her mouth when she was stressed.

A mug of steaming chocolate moved in front of her face, blocking the offending view. She reached out to grab it and the masculine arm handing it to her swiveled to the side as its owner sat down beside her.

“Thank you,” she said as she took it and looked over, expecting to see Zach. Blade stared back at her. She wished the back of his arm had been showing instead of his forearm. She hated the sight of metal marring his skin, but at least she would have had warning it was him.

“
You're welcome.”

The warm, sick feeling she had worked so hard to rid herself of invaded again. Maybe she should lie down until they finished their discussion and let Julie fill her in later. She diverted her gaze back to the mug. The sweet aroma of chocolate made her mouth water and helped to calm her nerves. She pressed the mug against her lips and took a sip. The comforting flavor mingled in her mouth. Maybe she could to stay a little longer before giving in.

Zach sat down on the floor in front of Jessica and leaned against a pillow propped against the stones surrounding the fireplace. He grinned up at her, making him look like a young boy who had just received a big bag of candy. Returning a nervous smile, Jessica warmed under his stare. Remembering how he held her in the dark and cupped her face in his hand sent her temperature rising. She jerked her head back to staring at the steaming cup of hot chocolate. If only it was an ice-cold glass of water.

“
What happened, Blade?” Deborah inquired, interrupting her thoughts. Jessica glanced over to see her sitting on the other side of Blade.

Blade took a deep breath. “They were checking up on me.”

“Why?” Deborah prodded.

“
Things are changing outside the cabin. Our race is not used to freedom. We work in survival mode. Food, shelter, water, protecting our families, each other. The freedom here is changing that. We no longer have to run or fight for our lives. At first the change didn't matter, but now it is starting to take effect.” Blade shook his head and was silent.

“
How is it taking effect?” Jessica took another sip of her drink.

“
The fighting for example, it's a part of our lives. But now most of the resistance is gone.” Blade shook out a grimace as several members of the group gasped. “I'm sorry.” Blade gave a minute's pause before continuing. Jessica wondered at that. She hadn't realized any resistance was happening. Did that mean other humans could be hiding out like they were?

“
The aliens don't know what to do. The food stashed in your stores is running low. Some of my kind are dying where it's cold. It is… what is the word? No one is taking charge. Everything is falling into disorder.”

“
Anarchy?” Erin offered from across the room.

Blade nodded. “They are trying to change that. The group that came here is part of it. They want order among us. They hope that it will keep us from dying. At least that is what they say.”

Deborah leaned closer to him. “You don't believe them?”

“
I don't know. I haven't seen what's going on.”

“
How's this affect me?” Ben barked.

“
I'm not entirely sure yet. They looked over the cabin and the size impressed them. The electricity impressed them as well. They were also curious about—” the couch vibrated as he trembled, “why I am here. Alone.”

“
What do you mean?” Julie nudged.

“
Even with this… anarchy, my people have mostly stayed together in groups. We aren't solitary creatures. The war against us pushed us to stay close to one another. After things being like that for so long, they wonder about anyone who is different. I don't think I am the only one, but I can't be sure. They'll be back to check up on me.”

Ben growled. Deborah shushed him, but her face scrunched up. Erin was doing a great job of remaining expressionless, but Julie patted her hand. Jessica was glad someone offered the younger girl comfort. They all needed it whether they showed it or not. Ben muttered under his breath about not wanting to go back into the hidden room and others broke out in discussion. Grimacing, Jessica remembering how long the last time had felt. There was Zach's embrace, though that had made her feel... she didn't know what.

“We can deal with this.” Deborah sounded confident above the worried chatter, quieting them. “We will find a way around it or find a new place to make our home. We have enough supplies, just need a way to transport it.”

Blade closed his eyes and his tremors grew stronger. “That's not all.”

Deborah glanced sharply at him. “What else?”

“
They saw all that we had here. They took everything out of the greenhouse that was anywhere close to being ready. They took other supplies. When they come back, they expect more waiting for them.” Blade glanced at Jessica and then down at his hands.

Ben cursed. “We should poison it then. They won't be able to come back for more if it kills them.”

“No, they won't, but others will. And if we keep poisoning them, they'll realize something is going on.” Blade shook his head. “You have to realize how smart we are. We might not have the technology you possess, but only because we haven't had the time to work on it. Instead we've been forced to learn quickly.”

“
Let's poison the first batch anyway. We'll get rid of some of them at least.”

Deborah silenced him with a glare. “We won't be poisoning anyone. We'll figure something else out. I suppose they'll expect you to keep up what we've been doing so far.”

Blade nodded. The room grew quiet.

“
Well.” Deborah stood. “It's getting late. I'm going to get a good night’s sleep and see what we can come up with in the morning.”

“
Sleep sounds divine.” Julie stood with a yawn.

Silently agreeing, but worried it wouldn't happen after the day's events, Jessica leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She ignored the chatter of voices and the footsteps of people leaving the room. How would she deal with more time in that room? It was such a long, horrible day. One that she didn't want to repeat. More than that, how would she handle Blade constantly being put in danger? She pushed the thought away, but the seed of worry was already planted.

The room around her was quiet. She stretched her neck out, rolling it in a circle and then tilting it to each side. She sat contentedly for a few minutes, enjoying the soft couch under her. The fire crackled and popped. Deciding she should drag herself to bed, Jessica opened her eyes. Familiar hazel eyes stared back at her.

Jessica jumped. “Oh!”

“Sorry,” Blade whispered. “I thought you knew I was here.”

She scolded herself for not realizing he was still there; the shaking couch made it hard to miss. She looked closer at him. He had shifted farther from her, sitting on the other end of the couch, but had turned his body toward her. His left arm formed a triangle with his elbow on the couch and his head resting on the palm of his hand. Her breath caught in her throat. She diverted her gaze to the hem of her shirt.

“You're fine. I should have known you were still here. It's kind of hard to miss.” Jessica pointed at the couch. “I thought you only shook when you were controlling an emotion.”

Blade straightened and cleared his throat. “I do.”

“Oh.” Jessica's brows crinkled together. “Worried about what happened?”

“
Sort of.”

“
Do you want to talk about it?” She held her breath, suddenly hoping he did. He glanced at her, his expression entirely unreadable. Darn the emotionless creature!

“
I don't know.”

“
You know, you'd make a great poker player.”

Blade shook his head. “What?”

“I never have any idea what you are thinking or feeling. I've never played poker, but I understand you have to be careful about giving anything away with your expression. You would be a master at that.”

“
I guess I would.”

“
Is your whole race really like that? I know all the males I ever saw were, but it just seems so weird.”

“
Yes, we are. They say females are a little more open when they are among other females. I've never seen it, at least not that I remember.”

Jessica hesitated. “If that's the case, how do you know if a girl likes you?” She looked at her hands, wondering why she had allowed the question out of her mouth. She felt Blade's gaze on her, but didn't look up at him. After a few moments he spoke.