The Forever Song (28 page)

Finally, the soldiers led us to a door at the end of the hall. The two men guarding it eyed us warily as we approached but didn’t say anything as the lead soldier pushed open the door and motioned us in. Beyond the frame was a room that had probably been an office once. But the desk was gone, replaced with a single bed, and a man in a white coat hovered over it with his back to us. A pair of soldiers in combat fatigues stood by the door, giving us the evil eye as we came in. Glancing around the room, I spotted Kanin in a corner, nearly blending into the wall, and Jackal slouched against the back window with his arms crossed. He met my gaze across the room and grinned.

“Oh, hey, there’s the little stool pigeon herself. Make any new friends while in the slammer, sister?”

“Shut up,
James.
”

The doctor turned at that, eyes widening behind his glasses when he saw me. He was a small, thin man with a balding head and long, elegant fingers. “You,” he blurted, blinking rapidly in the florescent lights. “It
is
you. The vampire girl. I recognize you.”

I recognized him, as well. He was the doctor who’d taken care of Zeke’s injuries when we’d arrived several months ago. He was also the person who had discovered I was a vampire, when he’d tried to listen for a heartbeat I didn’t have.

“Dr. Thomas,” rasped the person in the bed, and a man struggled to sit up. The doctor turned as if to help him but was waved away by a thick, bandaged arm. “Doctor, please. I’m fine. Let me see the bloodsucker for myself.”

The doctor stepped aside, and I stared in astonishment. The man in the bed was huge. Not tall or muscular, just… big. His stomach bulged against his hospital gown, his cheeks were pale but round, and his neck was thicker than anyone’s I’d ever seen. I’d heard the term
fat
before, but had never encountered such a thing before this. Hunger and starvation were so common in my world; I couldn’t imagine having so much food that your body would store it away for later.

His large torso was wrapped in bandages, his skin white and pasty beneath the cloth. His dark hair was short and damp with sweat, and the hand lying on his ample stomach was bandaged tightly, thick fingers twice the size of a normal person’s.

But his eyes, tiny and black, regarded me with a sharp, piercing gaze, one pencil-thin brow raised in surprise. “This is the vampire?” he asked no one in particular. His voice was surprising, too. High and clear. “A girl? I wasn’t expecting her to be so…small.”

We can’t all be walrus men,
was the retort that sprang to mind, though I didn’t voice it out loud. Dealing with volatile vampire Princes had taught me the value of diplomacy, especially when talking to the people in charge. Jackal, of course, snorted a laugh, and I glared at him.

“She’s stronger than she looks,” Zeke said in a quiet voice, making the mayor blink at him. “Trust me on that.”

“Yes, but…” The mayor peered at me intently. “When they told me a vampire was being kept in the barracks, I was picturing something…older. Not a girl. She looks young enough to be my niece.”

I held my tongue again.
You wouldn’t know a vampire if it walked up and bit you,
I thought ungraciously.
You have
four
vamps standing in this room right now, one of whom is a Master, and you’re making comments about my age? How did you get to be mayor of Eden, anyway?

“It doesn’t matter.” Kanin’s deep, calm voice echoed from the corner. “She is still a vampire, and you cannot afford to be choosy at this time, Mayor Hendricks. You need her.”

I frowned, glancing from my sire to the mayor, feeling confused and left out. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“Ah, of course.” Mayor Hendricks sighed and sat up straighter in the bed. “My apologies. Let me explain.” He winced, shifting his large bulk under the covers, trying to get comfortable. “As you’ve probably guessed by now…I’m sorry, what was your name again, vampire?”

“Allison,” I supplied.

“Allison. That seems so normal.” The mayor shook himself. “Well, as you’ve probably guessed, Allison, Eden is experiencing a bit of a…situation. With everyone driven from their homes, trapped between the lake and the rabids, tension is running a bit high. We didn’t mean to be rude, but I’m sure you understand we had to protect ourselves. Especially now.”

“I got that,” I said cautiously, and he grimaced, more in pain then from anything else. “What exactly is going on?” This was crazy. How had Sarren managed to drive
everyone
out of Eden? Even if he was insane, unhinged and unpredictable, he was still just one vampire. He couldn’t drive off an entire city by himself. “What happened on the island?”

“Well.” Mayor Hendricks, pressed his lips together. “Turns out, that person you’ve been chasing is a sick, sick bastard. Early one evening…”

He grunted, clenching his jaw in pain, and the doctor stepped forward anxiously. Hendricks waved him off. “Doctor, please. I’m fine. I need to talk to the vampire before you knock me out again. Give me two minutes, and then you can stick me with whatever you want.”

The doctor backed off, his face pinched with worry. Hendricks sighed and turned to me. “One evening,” he continued, “a barge floated up to the island. On the western side, near the town square. People thought it was abandoned. There was no one aboard that we could see, nor did it answer any of our communications. A crowd of people watched it crash into the docks, and gathered on the shore to see if they could help.” Hendricks shook his head. “Poor bastards,” he murmured, running a chubby hand down his face, before looking up at me. “Take a wild guess as to what was on that barge, Allison.”

My insides felt cold, and I briefly closed my eyes. I didn’t have to guess. “Rabids,” I whispered.

“Hundreds of them,” the mayor confirmed. “They came pouring out like ants, screaming and killing, attacking everything they saw. Instant pandemonium.” He snapped his fingers. “Eden was lost in minutes. Hundreds of people died fleeing the rabids or trying to get off the island. The military units were overwhelmed—there were just too many, and they caught everyone by surprise. Most of the army died that night, trying to protect the civilians and get them to safety. There just weren’t enough boats for everyone to leave at once.” Hendricks’s mouth thinned. “My own guards sacrificed themselves so that I could get out of there, and even then, I almost didn’t make it. But I know I’m luckier than a lot of people.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, because there was nothing else to say. Only Sarren would think of something that horrible. What had it been like, I wondered, being trapped on an island with a huge army of rabids? The one place that was supposed to be safe for humans, suddenly turning into a nightmare. I couldn’t imagine it.

“Everyone out there has lost something,” Hendricks continued, gesturing vaguely at the door. “A child, a parent, a friend and, at the very least, their home. We are stuck here. Every day, the soldiers go back to the island to look for those still stranded. Every day, they dig up and kill as many rabids as they can before the sun goes down again. But it’s not enough, and we’re running out of time. Supplies are almost gone, and the doctors can’t keep up with the sick and injured. Something drastic has to be done, or Eden will be lost forever.

“And then,” Hendricks went on, eyeing me again, “I get word that four strangers fought their way through the horde outside the gate to get here, and that one of them was Zeke Crosse. The same kid who left Eden to bring back a
vampire
for the scientists, because apparently they need vampire blood to finish their research.” The mayor glanced at Zeke. “We all thought he was dead, or at the very least, crazy. But here he is. With a vampire, no less.”

I caught Jackal’s knowing smirk from the corner of my eye and deliberately did not look directly at him or Kanin. “So, what do you want me to do?” I asked, feeling Zeke tense beside me. “Clear out your island? Even I can’t take on hundreds of rabids by myself.”

“From what I understand,” the mayor continued, glancing at Kanin, “we have a far bigger problem to worry about.”

I glanced at my sire as well, and Kanin slid out of the corner to stand before us.

“Yes,” he said, mostly to Mayor Hendricks. “The rabids, as I explained before, are only a distraction. A very clever, dangerous distraction, but they are not the source of your problems. You have a vampire on that island. It was he that set the rabids on you, and it is he that is using Eden for his personal testing grounds.”

The mayor’s gaze grew dark. For the first time, he looked dangerous, like he wasn’t someone you really wanted to cross. I suddenly understood how he was in charge. “Why?” he asked softly. “What does he want?”

“He’s after the cure,” Zeke said. “He wants the Rabidism cure, either to destroy it or to turn it into something horrible. He already destroyed New Covington with that virus— think of what he’ll do to Eden if we don’t stop him. Allie is the only one who stands a chance”

“So, we’ll send a vampire to fight a vampire,” the mayor mused quietly, and gave a grim smile. “What a strange way to answer our prayers, but I’ll take what I can get.”

Glancing up at Kanin, his tone became businesslike. “What do you need?” he asked briskly. “Weapons? Ammo? I would send some of my men with you, but I honestly don’t have many to spare. Or supplies, for that matter. But we’ll give you what we can.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kanin said. “Transport to the island is all that we require.”

“I can get you a boat,” Hendricks said immediately. “And a pilot, if you need one. The ice hasn’t completely frozen the lake yet. It’ll be a bumpy trip, but you should be able to get there. When are you planning to leave?”

“Tomorrow.” My sire spared a glance at me. “As soon as the sun goes down.”

Hendricks started to reply, but gasped and started to cough, causing the doctor to scurry forward with a syringe. “I’m sorry, but he really needs to rest,” he told us, over the mayor’s breathless protests, pushing the needle into his arm. “You’re welcome to stay in the infirmary, provided you can find an empty bed. And that the…er…young woman isn’t a danger to the patients.” His bespectacled gaze went to me, which I found ironic, given the circumstances. Especially with Jackal leaning against the corner, watching us all. I felt the smugness radiating from him even without turning around.

“I won’t stay here,” I told the doctor. “So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“It’s fine, doctor,” said Hendricks, having recovered from his coughing fit. “Look at her. She’s not going to go on a killing spree.” He glanced in my direction. “Will you, Allison?”

“No,” I said simply.
I’m not the vampire you have to worry about.

“Oh, and Mr. Crosse.” Hendricks looked at Zeke. “I had someone track down the names you gave me,” he said in a solemn voice. “Would you like to know what happened to them now? I warn you, you might not like what you hear.”

Zeke closed his eyes for a moment. I could see him bracing himself, preparing for the worst. Opening his eyes, he gave a stiff nod, his voice grim. “Tell me.”

“Very well.” The mayor nodded. “Silas and Theresa Adams died of natural causes not long after you left the island,” he began, making my stomach clench. “They were both found in their bed one morning, no signs of struggle, no apparent wounds or sickness. It seemed they both just went in their sleep.” He gave Zeke a sympathetic smile. “They’re buried in the town cemetery on Eden, if you wanted to look for them.”

Zeke took the news stoically, though a muscle worked in his jaw. “And the others?” he asked in a voice that wavered only slightly.

Hendricks sighed. “Jake Bryant and his wife, Anna, managed to escape the chaos when it first broke out,” he continued. “Unfortunately, Mr. Bryant was struck with a stray bullet and badly hurt. He remains in the clinic with his wife, in critical condition, but they don’t think he’s going to make it. The others…” The mayor paused, and by the expression on his face, it was clear that he was reluctant to go on. “Mrs. Brooks made it off the island, but her husband was killed in the first attack, as was her adopted son, Matthew. Her other two children, Caleb and Bethany Brooks, remain missing. Alive or dead, we’re not certain. All we know is that they are not here.”

Zeke’s voice was choked. “No one has gone to look for them?”

“We send out search parties every day,” Hendricks replied, his voice gentle. “The men leave as soon as the sun rises, and remain on the island until an hour before it sets. Any longer, and it becomes far too dangerous for them to continue. They can’t be everywhere at once, and lately, they’re finding fewer and fewer survivors each time they venture in. This last time, they didn’t find anyone. I’m sorry.” He shook his head, genuine regret spreading over his face, then added, “I think you need to accept that they might be gone.”

Zeke clenched his fists. Without a word, he turned and left the room, moving past me with his head down. I watched the door swing shut and hesitated, torn between rushing after him and giving him space. If he was upset, he might want to be alone to grieve for his family in peace. But he was also a vampire now. And I knew how quickly sorrow could turn into a blinding, bloodthirsty rage, as the monster lashed out at everything around it.

I looked at Kanin, and he nodded. “Go,” he murmured, and I went, slipping through the door into the hall, searching for Zeke.

Chapter 15

I found him on a narrow pier over the lake, well away from the building and the wounded people inside. The icy wind tugged at his hair and shirt, tiny flurries dancing around him and settling on his bare skin, but he didn’t move as I approached.

“Zeke.”

He didn’t answer. Stepping up beside him, I peeked at his face. It was dry, no red tracks slicing down his cheeks, but his expression was blank once more. Alarmed, I put my hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at me. “Hey.”

“I’m fine, Allie.” His voice was low, tight. He didn’t sound fine. He sounded like he was barely hanging on to a swirling mess of emotion inside. I stared at him, worried. “I’ll be all right,” Zeke insisted. “I’m just…”