The Chosen Ones (5 page)

Will settled on a large boulder
and pulled open his pack. “You should have told someone you were injured.”

Flustered and embarrassed, I shrugged.
“Does it matter?”

“You know it does.” He wrapped
his fingers around my wrist and pulled me close. His touch was warm and so
human that it made me flinch. It was too much feeling at once, my mind and body
couldn’t handle the sensation. “You might have lived in a compound but even you
know it could become infected.”

“And what? I’d die from
infection instead of by the hands of the beautiful ones?” Even I was surprised
by the sharp bitterness in my tone. How much I’d changed in the last two weeks.
At least in that compound I’d still had hope.

He glanced up at me through his
lashes. “We do actually have lives here, you know. Something worth living for.”

As if to mock my bitterness, a
tiny white butterfly fluttered around my head, before catching the breeze and
drifting away into the smoke. A brief moment of loveliness, perhaps something
I’d imagined. I released a harsh laugh and glanced around the ruins. There was
nothing left of this civilization but gray destruction. The butterfly, as tiny
as it was, had a life. We didn’t.

“Really? Constantly on the run,
dying at a young age, no real home to speak of…yes, that’s quite the life.”

I was angry, to say the least. But
he didn’t look upset, mostly thoughtful as he tilted his head to the side.

“Here, maybe.” He pulled out a
metal container of some sort. “But there are others who have compounds further
west. Compounds where they have lived for years in peace. Men and women as old
as the servants at their castle.”

Could it really be true? He
spread some sort of ointment over my cut, the medicine sticky and sweet
smelling. Although his touch stung, his fingers brushing over my palm sent an
odd warmth through my body, a feeling I didn’t really understand. Maybe I
wasn’t quite numb after all. “You know this for a fact?”

He pulled out a roll of clean cloth.
“I do.” Smiling, he began to wind the cloth around my palm. “So see, we can
have a life out there. And these kids…that’s where they’ll eventually end up.”

I glanced at the group of
children who stood by, playing in the rubble. They were already over the
attack. To them this was normal, nothing to dwell upon, nothing to cry over.
They actually believed they were going west, and that they would grow up in a
better place. Personally, I couldn’t imagine us making it another couple of
days. I saw no hope within their round faces, only pain and death to come.

“We need to move,” Will called out
to the group, already dismissing me, assuming the role of leader once more. He
stood, swiping his hands against his black trousers as if to rid himself of my
touch. “Gather the supplies, whatever we can carry.”

There were fifteen other chosen
ones huddled around the flames, watching the beautiful ones burn. Fifteen,
which meant if Jim had been right, quite a few had died in those halls. I
glanced back at the huge building, smoke pouring from the open windows in thick
black clouds that would surely draw attention. A fire the beautiful ones had
started, thinking to smoke us out. Only a few beautiful ones, yet they had done
so much damage. Still, there was a tiny kernel of hope. I looked at the fire.
They might not be human, but they could be killed like one.

“Let’s head out.” Will scooped up
his bag and started down a road, disappearing between two large buildings.

“Here.” Kelly handed me a pack. “Supplies,
in case we’re separated. Extra clothes, few dried fruits, water.”

I lifted the bag, testing the
heaviness. The weight alone would do me in within an hour. Determined not to
complain, I slid the straps over my shoulders, allowing the bag to rest against
the sword at my back. They would not know how heavy the satchel felt, I was
determined to make it on my own.
 

“Thanks.” Without waiting for
Kelly, I hurried toward Will. I’d thought after he’d praised my abilities during
the attack inside that he respected me at least a little. But maybe not. For
the most part he’d avoided eye contact, moving away whenever I tried to get
close to him to ask questions. It was obvious he didn’t want to be around me,
although why I wasn’t sure. My legs trembled from disuse but I wouldn’t relent,
I would get my answers.

“Will,” I called out as I followed
him down the road. A few people looked back, curious. Will wasn’t one of them. He
didn’t slow, didn’t even respond. I wondered briefly where the man was who had
so gently carried me into that skyscraper two weeks ago. Apparently I’d worn
out my welcome. Then again I didn’t blame him for being disgusted with me.

The group ahead climbed over a
pile of debris without pause, as if it was merely part of the natural landscape.
I crawled up the broken cement like a toddler, unsteady and unsure of my
footing. By the time my feet hit the ground, I was exhausted.

“Linda.” He finally paused where
the road ended in an embankment of debris and dirt, and I was able to catch up.
“Take the younger ones and head south. We’ll lead the blood suckers west and
meet at the river base in a few days.”

The woman with the brown hair
and quiet disposition nodded. I questioned Will’s decision, although I knew
better than to speak my worries aloud. Was it really ideal separating the kids
from adults?

“You know what to do if anything
happens.”

She nodded again, quick to obey.
I frowned, wondering what, exactly, they were supposed to do. A group of kids
and one woman? The idea sounded about as good as sending them all into that
windowless room in the skyscraper.

“Sam, Jon,” she called out,
clapping her hands to gather the young ones. They went grudgingly, sending
wistful glances toward us. It was obvious they all thought Will was akin to the
Gods I’d read about in my books. Everyone here placed him on a pedestal, which
is why I didn’t dare question his decisions. Not when it was obvious they were
reluctant to allow me to enter their fold.

As Linda headed back through
town, the five younger ones followed her like little chicks after a hen. I was
glad to see she wouldn’t go alone, as two of Will’s men went with them. The
youngest child was most likely six. So small, but not innocent. No, no one was
innocent here. I watched them until they headed down an adjacent road, disappearing
behind the ruins of another building that had once been a skyscraper. I did not
wish them luck, for luck meant there was actually hope. Instead, I merely
wondered if they would actually make it to the meeting point at all.

“Jimmy,” Will said. “What are
you still doing here?”

“I won’t go with them, Will. I
won’t,” Jimmy snapped, his grubby hands balling into fists. His face was covered
in soot, his brown hair almost black. He needed a good meal and a good
scrubbing. “I’m old enough now to stay with you.”

They stared at each other in a
silent battle of stubbornness. Forgetting my head and body aches for a brief
moment, I felt the corners of my mouth quirk. Jim so reminded me of my
brothers. But just as quickly as my amusement came, it faded. Who knew if my
siblings even still lived? Every single person I had grown up with, every
single person I called a friend, could be dead by now.

“Fine,” Will said, raking his
hands through his hair in a flustered movement. So, Will did have compassion
after all. I hadn’t imagined it two weeks ago. “Stay. But you know the rules.”

Jim nodded, glowing with a happiness
I envied. How I wished something that simple could make me excited again. But I
had a feeling I’d never know peace, let alone joy. How could any of them,
knowing what they knew?

Appeased, Jim fell into step
with the ten of us who continued on, up the hill. I was at the back, panting in
my haste to keep pace with the group, torn between scurrying after Will, and letting
them go ahead just so I could rest for a few minutes.

Not one person seemed worried
about an attack. Did they know something I didn’t, or were they merely so used
to the fighting that the fear didn’t bother them? Not so at ease, I studied our
surroundings. Every little noise made me jump. The trees were slowly coming to
life, leaves uncurling, the earth damp and musky with rain. A few tiny blue and
white flowers dotted the landscape, flowers I’d never seen before. After years
and years of wondering what was out there, I finally knew. But it wasn’t what I
had expected. Yes, there was beauty here, but it was lost under the brutality
of the blood drinkers. How ironic that I’d finally gotten what I wanted, and
now wished for anything but this.

We started up a hill, my calves
knotting with exertion. I wasn’t sure how far we would travel, but I wouldn’t
last long. I cursed myself for sitting for two weeks, cursed myself for allowing
the beautiful ones to destroy my spirit. But I was determined. Taking in a deep
breath, I surged forward, passing the others in my haste to get to Will.

“How do you know the beautiful
ones will follow us and not the children?” I asked, breathless as I reached his
side.

Will didn’t answer, Tony did.
“Because we always take the worn paths, the obvious trails, drawing them away
from the kids. And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that blood drinkers are
lazy. They will go after the easiest prey.”

Easiest prey? The words left me
ill. I nodded my thanks. But I had more questions, and I didn’t want to have
this discussion with Tony, who treated me like I was an idiot, and looked at me
with about as much warmth as he looked at the beautiful ones. I didn’t want
answers from him, or even Kelly. I wanted answers from the man who seemed to
know the most, the one who was in charge. The very man who was so far ahead
that within minutes he would be a mere pinpoint on the horizon.
 

“Will, please,” I called out.

Most of the group glanced at me
in surprise. A heated flush of embarrassment rushed up my neck and into my
cheeks as I wondered if I’d done something wrong by addressing him directly. What
sort of leader was he? But I didn’t care what they thought, at least that’s
what I told myself. And I wasn’t going to relent until I got answers. “Will?”

He paused and glanced back. I
didn’t miss the utter look of annoyance that flitted across his face. “What?”

“Are we headed to the compound
where I lived?”

He frowned. “Why would we?”

Confused, I looked for reassurance
from Kelly, but she was already up the next hill. “I assumed we were headed to
the compounds to help the others escape.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Because…” But I couldn’t speak
the words without offending him. Because I had assumed they were warriors, an
army marching to war. Perhaps they weren’t going to war after all, but hiding
from it.

Will rubbed his hands over his
face as if he was exhausted with life in general, or maybe just me. “We can’t.”

“But—”

“We don’t have the time or
resources, Jane. If we go in there without careful planning, then we all die.”

“I understand, but…”

He turned and started after the
others in the group as if our conversation was over. Here, in these woods that
seemed to stretch forever and ever, I’d never felt more alone in my life. Frustrated,
I raced ahead, catching Will halfway up the hill. “So then we’ll be going there
soon?”

He didn’t respond.

I panted, trying to keep pace. Even
though my body screamed at me for rest, I wouldn’t pause until I had the truth.
“I need answers, Will.”

I didn’t miss the way Tony
rolled his eyes. Everyone else looked just as annoyed when I kept interrupting
their progress. Did they expect me to merely accept everything as it was? No
questions? No worries?

“You guys go ahead,” Will said.
“Lead the way, Tony. We’ll take up the back.” The moment they were out of
hearing, Will turned toward me. “What do you want to know?”

One small victory. “First of
all…what are they?”

He sighed and glanced at the
group who was disappearing through the trees. It was obvious he would rather be
anywhere but standing there with me. “You read the book,
Dracula
. Although it’s not completely accurate, it gives you an
idea.”

“Yes,” I said, brushing aside
his comment. “But why are they the way they are?”

“We don’t really know, but we do
know they’re born that way.” He reached up and scratched the scruff along his
jaw. “Some think they are super human beings, I suppose. Some say they are
fallen Gods. Fallen angels. Demons.”

Half the stuff he mentioned I
had never heard of and didn’t understand. Books. I needed more books. But I
realized as I looked around me, that it would be impossible to carry much of
anything when one was constantly on the run. Instead, I had to rely on Will and
his knowledge.

We started toward the trail,
following the others. The city remains gave way to forests, with tangled vines
and trees so tall they would have loomed over the buildings we’d left behind. “What
else do you know?”

He shifted the satchel he
carried from his shoulder to his back, and all the while his gaze flickered
around the woods, always on alert. I’d underestimated his indifference. It
wasn’t that he didn’t care, it was merely that this life had become so natural
that it was a part of him…like his hazel eyes. “They can eat other things, but they
are sustained by blood.”

“They eat blood?”

“Those people at the compound
are basically like chickens in a coop.” He lifted a branch for me. I ducked
underneath, following the trail. I didn’t know how he knew the way. Everything
looked the same. Tree after tree. “They pick people at the compound based on
how ripe they are. Somehow they can smell the blood. Just like when you know if
an apple is ripe or not.”

An image of Thanatos’ nostrils
flaring as his gaze rested on me flashed to mind. I hadn’t imagined that moment,
as I’d thought. At the compound he had sensed I was ready, and they had chosen
me. Chosen me to be their next meal. My head throbbed, beating in time to each
step I took. We’d thought being picked was an honored position. How stupid we’d
been. How clueless they still were.