Frenzy (The Frenzy Series Book 1) (12 page)

His eyes widened. “Let’s get someone.”

Saul kept his cool and tugged me toward the closest house, which was much too far away. “Mr. Bateman?”

Mr. Bateman, a man who had long been friends with my father, stepped out his back door. “What’s the matter?”

“There’s been an accident at the river. Meg Sanford is dead.”

His mouth formed an O. “How far up?”

“Near the falls,” I croaked. “The farewell pool.”

He grabbed a coat from inside the door. “I’ll get your father and we’ll take care of everything, Porschia. Thanks for getting me, son,” he said to Saul.

“You’re welcome.”

“Don’t go near the river. We’ll take care of everything.”

We watched him jog away and Saul rubbed his hands up my arms. “You need to get changed. Is your bag near the falls, too?”

“Y-yes,” I said, my teeth chattering.

“I’ll go get it and our food. Meet me at Town Hall. Go inside to stay warm,” he said, pointing in the direction he wanted me to walk.

I followed my feet, numb.

Before I reached the Hall, the sky began to cry. Fat droplets of rain splattered over the land, soaking into my hair and running down my scalp. Saul was no doubt getting soaked. I picked up my pace and jogged the rest of the way to Town Hall. The door groaned as I entered it, as if God himself didn’t want me in his space. My dress dripped onto the floorboards of the foyer. I couldn’t see Meg’s blood, but I knew it was there.

Tucking myself into the bathroom, I draped my coat over the sink and stripped my dress off. Maybe I would burn it, just like Mother burned Mercedes’ clothes. Banging my palm against the mirror, I watched the glass shatter and sprinkle to the ground. It fell all over, but even the brokenness of the mirror wasn’t enough to calm me.

Screaming at the top of my lungs, I cursed the one who took her from me. My only friend. The girl who was kind enough to look past the prejudices that influenced everyone else in this God-forsaken place.

Closing my eyes, I tried to repeat the words, “Meg is alive,” “Meg isn’t dead,” “Meg is alive,” “Meg isn’t dead.” Mother always said people could tell a lie so often that even they began to believe it. The truth would become muddied and difficult to discern.

Meg was alive.

Meg wasn’t dead.

Meg hadn’t been attacked.

A night-walker didn’t feed from her.

Didn’t throw her into the river like garbage.

Meg wasn’t garbage.

Meg wasn’t gone.

Meg would make tea.

Meg would marry in the spring. She and Jonah would be happy.

Meg was alive.

Meg wasn’t dead.

Meg was… A sound pulled me from the chanting inside my head. Freezing, my body shook violently. Saul’s heavy footsteps fell on the floor outside. Two soft taps on the door and I cracked it open, but it wasn’t Saul’s face who smiled back at me; it was Tage’s. He was too strong. I couldn’t close the door, though I tried with all my strength. I would have settled with smashing his fingers in the jamb. Pushing my weight against it and grinding my teeth together didn’t work.

“Are you finished?” he teased.

“Not on your life,” I huffed out.

“I just came to offer you a friendly piece of advice.”

“What’s that?” I pushed again, harder.

“Don’t tell anyone about the girl at the river.”

I finally gave up pushing and just held the door closed, but with a small gap. His eyes raked down my flesh. “Is
that
what you’re hiding under those dresses?” Tage’s eyes narrowed. “Keep quiet. If you care about Roman at all—”

“I don’t, and I won’t keep any dirty secrets for someone like you, either.”

He moved his hand and the wood slammed closed behind me. I heard his footsteps fade away and re-approach. “What now?” I screeched, throwing the door open.

Saul stood in front of me, mouth agape. “Uh, here.” He thrust my bag of clothes toward me and averted his eyes.

“Sorry! Thanks.” I took the bag, slammed the door, and dressed as quickly as I could.

When I opened it back up, Saul was still standing there. “What was that all about?”

“Tage.”

“Tage?”

“Tage was here.”

Saul’s hands balled into fists. “Did he...did he hurt you? Is that why you weren’t dressed?” Water sluiced off of his hair, down the sharp angles of his face.

“No. I took my dress off because I got caught in the downpour. I was freezing.”

“He saw you without it?” Saul questioned.

“The door was only open a couple of inches.”

“He was toying with you. What did he say?”

“He threatened me and told me not to say anything about Meg.” My voice cracked. Saul took two enormous steps toward me and I threw myself into his arms, wrapping mine around his neck. “She was my friend, my only friend in this God-forsaken place.”

“Not true,” he murmured against my neck. “You have me.”

In that moment, I couldn’t have been more thankful for that fact.

“And you have me.”

When his lips found mine, they were soft and searching. He lent me his warmth and I knew that we had taken a huge leap forward together. Saul pulled away first, leaving me breathless. “Your father needs to talk with you before we go, but we need to hurry.”

I brushed my fingertips over my jaw, where his stubble had deliciously rubbed against my skin, bereft that the feeling was over with and wanting to capture it again. Instead, I captured his hand and we walked out of Town Hall back to the last place I wanted to see: the river.

Not only was Mercedes Infected, her favorite place was, too.

The rain steadied, but the earth was overwhelmed. It absorbed the moisture as fast as it could. Through the haze of rain drops, Father approached, holding his coat over his head. “Where did you say you saw Meg, Porschia?”

“She was in the pool that Mercedes loved, and the water around her was full of blood. She’d been doing laundry.”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing there now. Your mother said you took off after you woke.”

“She burned everything,” was all I could say. Meg was there! I saw her!

“I saw the pile, but Porschia, I don’t see anything at the river. I’ll keep looking, but you should go. It’s already nightfall.”

He was right. Somehow, the night had descended. We were late again. “She’s in Mercedes’ spot. I swear. I saw her, I swear.”

Tage knew I had. If he moved her or took her, I would kill him.

“You have your knife?” Father asked.

“Yeah.” I had it clipped onto the waistband of my pants.

Father nodded. “Keep safe, and remember what I told you earlier this week.” He eyeballed Saul. “That stays between us.” His brows raised.

“I understand.”

Saul squeezed my hand. “We’re late.”

“Again.”

He echoed my words. “Again.”

The ring on my left hand was loose because of the rain, so I pushed it up again as we rounded the corner between streets and approached the pavilion. Everyone was there. The rain would make tonight unbearable. It was turning cold without the sun’s warmth. We would all freeze before morning, but the sound was a blessing in disguise. It might mask the crunches of our footsteps and give us the upper hand over our prey.

“You can stand,” Roman said, standing in front of me with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. “You’ll get soaked if you sit.”

I laughed mirthlessly. “I’m already soaked.” Shuddering, I thought about Meg’s unfocused eyes, the weight and drag of her body through the dark water. Why wasn’t Father able to find her? Did the rain swell the river so much that she’d floated away? No – I pulled her onto the river bank. It couldn’t have swollen that much.

I glanced over at Tage as he drank from Mary, who still seemed aggravated at the change of partners. I didn’t blame her. As Roman moved my heavy, wet hair to the side, Tage’s eyes locked on mine while he drank what I knew was more than his fill.

“Mary,” I whispered to Roman.

“That’s enough, Tage,” he warned.

With a grin, Tage released Mary’s throat and gave it a slow lick. She clamped her hand over her throat and moved away immediately. Tage stalked toward us and I instinctively moved closer to Roman. “Tage. Back off,” he warned.

“Want me to hold her still for you?” His hands clamped down on my arms. I twisted to get free, but couldn’t fight him. And then in a flash, Roman was gone and Tage’s hands were off of me.

Tage was on the ground, holding his nose, while blood gushed from between his fingers. “Never lay a finger on her again,” Roman warned. By this time, Saul and Dara were finished and rushed over. Saul stood with me and Dara helped Tage up.

“Let’s go,” Dara told Tage.

Tage’s eyes locked on mine. “Fine!”
This isn’t over
, his eyes said.

Roman turned to find Saul by my side. “Are you her guard dog?” he barked.

Saul stood up straight, the same height as Roman. “I’ll be more than that by this time next week.”

Roman scoffed. Water dripped off his hair and into his eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Porschia, come here.”

I stepped forward and placed my hand in his. He jerked me flush to his body and snaked a hand around my back, holding me tight. I leaned my head to the left, baring my neck to him. His fangs carved delicate paths down my skin, stopping short of breaking the skin, and then slid his tongue over my supple flesh. It was agony, a fire he ignited that only his fangs could cure. Was it true that vamps could manipulate people? Make them feel things they normally didn’t or wouldn’t? Because I shouldn’t have been standing next to Saul enjoying Roman’s tongue on my skin or his fangs in my flesh.

At Saul’s growl, Roman chuckled and let me go before quickly sealing the wound. “You all have your rings?”

Everyone murmured in the affirmative.

“The blood is still good. Remember what I said: one drop will turn a human.”

Words flew out before I could tuck them inside. “When is the last time a human changed into a night-walker this way?”

Roman stilled and turned to look at me over his shoulder, his eyes grazing Saul in the process. “It’s been several years, but we don’t want it to happen. It’s merely a safeguard—part of the original treaty.”