Out Of The Ashes (The Ending Series, #3) Read online

  “It’s not mountain climbing, so you’ll be a pro in no time,” he said as I pivoted around to face him.

  “Thanks,” I chirped, and he answered with a nod before he turned and headed back for his horse.

  Turning around, I found Dani eyeing me carefully. Jake, a man who hadn’t uttered a single word to me since they’d found me but had taken to watching me with unnerving intensity, sat upon his horse behind her, his gaze equally assessing.

  “Jason,” Dani called ahead, startling me. I looked up toward the front of the caravan as Jason turned around in his saddle, his gaze questioning as it shifted between us. “We’re gonna pee,” she said. “It might be difficult for you to keep nulling for a minute, but we’ll be right back.”

  Jason’s eyes hardened. “Be careful.”

  “Come on, Zo,” Dani said, biting her lip. There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “There’s some stuff you should know.” She hooked her arm in mine, and we headed toward the tangle of bushes a dozen yards away.

  “Dani,” Jake said, swinging his leg over his saddle, clearly intending to come with us.

  Dani shook her head at him and patted the handgun in her shoulder holster. “We’ll be fine, Jake. I need to talk to Zo for a sec.”

  Although Jake didn’t seem pleased with the decision, he remained in his saddle, his gaze shifting between us as we turned away.

  “Wait, Zoe—” Sam, a forward little boy I’d spoken to only a few times, called from behind us.

  “We’ll be right back, Sam,” I said over my shoulder as Dani pulled me forward; I was practically stumbling as I tried to keep up with her. “What’s—”

  “Zo, I know you’re probably exhausted and more than a little confused about everything that’s going on, but you’re super close to getting yourself into a mess that you’ll regret later.”

  Trying to stay at least partially aware of where my feet were landing, I gave Dani a sidelong glance. Her bright green eyes were a bit glazed over in the sunlight. I could tell the pain meds were starting to kick in.

  “What do you mean by ‘a mess’?” I asked, near panting as we clumsily hurried through the underbrush and over uneven ground.

  “You’re with Jake,” she said.

  I blanched and stopped, the abrupt movement making Dani wince. “What?” A faint thrill wriggled down my spine.

  “Yeah, for a few months now, I think…” She shook her head. “What’s important is that you remember that, especially when you’re chatting it up with Tavis.” She urged me toward the berry bushes a few feet away.

  Falling into step behind her, I frowned. “But Jake hasn’t even talked to me.”

  She snorted. “That might have something to do with the fact that you don’t even know him anymore.” Pulling a wad of tissues from her pocket, Dani handed me a couple, and then looked down at her broken arm. “This is gonna be fun,” she muttered, and I tried not to laugh, though I didn’t do a very good job.

  I found that preoccupying my mind with observing Dani, her little quirks that I was still trying to understand, was a good distraction from all the things I was supposed to already know, the things that threatened to overwhelm me and bring me to tears.

  As we each squatted behind our own cluster of bushes to do our business, I allowed my mind to wander, if only a little. I considered what Dani had told me about Jake and me being together, and I found it impossible to picture. He seemed so quiet and capable, it was a little intimidating. I couldn’t even imagine having a conversation with him, let alone being with him. But in spite of my reservations, there was also a mysterious air about him that was intriguing, and I was curious to discover what the old me already had. The number of questions ticking through my head increased exponentially.

  Hearing leaves crunch beneath footsteps on the other side of the shrubbery, I sighed and finished up. “Geez, you’re fast.” I assumed I’d have to help Dani, not that she would leave me in the dust. Jumping up to my feet, I zipped up my jeans and stepped out from behind the tangle of leaves and branches. I froze.

  Sam was standing a few yards away, his bow drawn and an arrow aimed at the figure of a small girl standing between us. Her back was to me, her blonde hair hanging in a knotted mess.

  Sam’s expression was one of pure horror—his pale eyes wide and his nostrils flaring—but his stance and aim were unwavering.

  “What the hell are you doing, Sam?” I screeched.

  “What’s wrong, Zo?” Dani called from behind the bushes. But I was too focused on Sam and the little girl he was prepared to shoot an arrow through to answer.

  “Sam,” I said again. “She’s just a little girl. Put your bow down.”

  Dark brown hair hung in his eyes, but he stared at her, unblinking, and I could see his uncertainty.

  “Sam…”

  As if hearing the scolding tone of my voice had brought the little girl to life, she slowly turned around. At the sight of her, my heart nearly stopped. The front of her nightgown was covered in dried blood, as were her arms and neck. Her face was doll-like, with crystal-blue eyes wide and gleaming in the sunlight, and her porcelain skin was hidden beneath what looked like weeks’ worth of layers of dirt and blood.

  “Mommy?” The haunting pitch of her voice sent chills up my spine.

  “Jesus,” I breathed. “Are you alright?” Although I had the innate urge to run away from the little girl, I took a hesitant step toward her, wondering what the poor child had been through.

  “Zoe, get away from her!” Dani said from behind me.

  The little girl took a step closer to me, her eyes narrowing and her lip curling into a snarl. Her body was suddenly trembling, like her muscles were coiling to strike. Gritting her teeth, she growled, “Mommy?”

  As she lunged toward me, an ear-piercing crack resounded through the air, and before she could take another step, the little girl fell to a crumpled heap on the ground. A crimson patch blossomed on her nightgown, spreading across her chest.

  My hands flew to my mouth and I screamed, tears trickling down my face. “Oh my God.” Turning around, I found Dani, handgun drawn and still pointed where the little girl lay. Dani’s eyes were wide, her face ashen, and her mouth hung open. “What have you done?”

  Dani blinked several times, and her gaze slowly shifted from the small body to me. Her eyes were filled with shock and horror. “She was a Crazy,” she said, lowering her gun. “She was a Crazy.” I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince me, or herself. “I—I had to…she was a Crazy…”

  “A what?” I turned back to the little girl and stared down at her. I was suddenly shaking uncontrollably. “What the hell just happened?” I asked no one in particular. “She’s just a little girl.”

  I heard a rush of footsteps and calling voices, but I couldn’t focus on anyone but the dead child lying horrifyingly still on the ground. Her eyes were open and staring directly at me. She thought I was her mother…

  “I’ve never seen a kid one before,” Sam said, and I looked at him. “I tried to warn you.”

  ~~~~~

  “This is gonna be bright,” Harper said as he sat me down on a log beside the fire and clicked on a small, near-blinding pen light. He shone it directly into my eyes. On instinct, I tried to blink, but Harper wouldn’t let me; his fingertips were warm and firm as he held my eyelids open.

  “Sorry, Baby Girl, but I just want to check one more time…”

  Still trying to understand the whole Ability thing Sam had explained during the last stretch of our journey, I decided now was as good a time as any to start asking more questions, especially since Sam was probably getting tired of being the one having to answer them all. “Harper?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Were you a doctor before, or is this, you know, just part of your Ability?” I had no idea what counted as an “Ability,” only that Sam had said everyone who survived the Virus had one—at least those who weren’t “Crazies.”

  Harper smiled. “This doctor stuff is al
l training, Baby Girl. I was a medic in the Army. My Ability has to do with visions and seeing things that haven’t happened yet.”

  I snorted, determined not to cry out in confusion and disbelief.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in, especially all in one day, but we can’t risk another incident like earlier today.”

  I shrugged, figuring the more answers I had the easier it would be for me to fit in. “Yeah, Sam said he has heightened senses, that he can hear, smell, and see things that others can’t.” I shook my head.

  “Try not to move, Baby Girl.”

  “Sorry.”

  Harper shifted his hand down to my chin, gently gripping it while he moved my head from side to side in tandem with the flashlight he waved in front of my face.

  “What are some of the others’ Abilities?”

  “Well,” he began, “let’s see—I’m not sure what Tavis or Daniel can do, but Carlos can control electricity, Dani can communicate with animals, Sanchez is telepathic, Jake can regenerate…Chris and your brother, well, they’re the reason you’re dealing with things as well as you are; Chris is keeping you calm, and you’re brother is keeping your Ability hidden. He can actually nullify or amplify other people’s Abilities.”

  Regeneration? Communicating with animals? Telepathy? Controlling electricity? I was almost afraid to ask… “What’s my Ability?” I placed my hand on Harper’s, gently pushing the pen light down so I could look him in the eyes. “What’s Jason protecting me from?”

  Harper gave me a sympathetic smile. “You can see people’s memories. You can feel what they’re feeling. On top of everything that’s happened today, we didn’t think it was a good idea to add your Ability into the mix, too.”

  Jason and Chris had been shadowing me pretty closely all day. Part of me wondered if I should be offended that they hadn’t told me about this sooner. But then again, the idea of having an Ability, especially one that was so intrusive, didn’t seem like something I could handle on top of everything else.

  Harper clicked the light on, blinding me once more.

  “Is there something wrong with my eyes?” I asked a bit tersely. The more he wanted to check them, the more concerned I became.

  “No. Sorry to scare you. There’s nothing wrong, I just—” He gave me another sympathetic smile as he clicked the light off. “I was just making sure there’s no brain damage, or…I just want to make sure I’m not missing anything that might help us figure out exactly what she did to you, or how bad it is.” He sighed. “But I don’t see anything, and I doubt I will without doing an MRI or—”

  “It’s only been a day,” Dani chimed in as she walked by. It was the first time I’d heard her speak since the incident with the little girl…the Crazy. Dani stopped in the narrow clearing where everyone was setting up their tents for the night. “You might be back to your old self by tomorrow, Zo. Could be all you need is a good night’s sleep.”

  Dani fought to keep a nylon sleeping bag from slipping out from under her good arm. Although she flashed me a smile over her shoulder, I could tell it was weak and forced. I could picture a real Dani smile brightening her face to glowing, nothing like the halfhearted smile she gave me now, which had quickly faded.

  I watched as she struggled to open a tent bag. “I’m sure you’re right,” I said and glanced up at Harper. “Tomorrow will be better. Can I be done?” I felt like I needed to be doing something to help Dani, since I was otherwise useless and she was having such a hard time after such a crappy day.

  Harper nodded absently, not really staring at me so much as staring through me. He rubbed his jaw and took another deep breath.

  I stepped toward Dani but hesitated the moment Jason appeared beside her, crouching to help. He muttered something I couldn’t hear.

  “Yeah…I just want to go to sleep,” Dani said.

  “This isn’t even our tent, and you shouldn’t be doing this on your own, Red. You’ll just make your arm worse. Please…just ask me for help next time.” Jason, a man of words that were few and to the point, continued to grumble as he pulled the tent out of its bag and unrolled it like doing so was second nature.

  “I didn’t want to bother you.” Dani rested her hand on his shoulder, his body tensed and stilled. “I was thinking Zo and I could share a tent tonight. You know, since it would be weird for her…” Dani’s gaze drifted to Jake.

  Hurt flashed in Jason’s eyes.

  “It’s alright,” I rushed to say. The last thing I wanted to be was more of an inconvenience than I already was.

  Jason and Dani both looked at me.

  “I don’t mind having my own tent. You guys share, really.”

  “I don’t think you should be alone tonight, Zo. What if something happens?” I noticed Dani’s eyes skirt to Jake again; he’d just dropped his own tent on the ground on the other side of the fire.

  “What if your memory comes back and you’re all alone?” Dani said, bringing my attention back to her. “I should be with you…unless…” Again, her eyes drifted to Jake.

  What does it mean that he can “regenerate”? A rush of anxiety filled me as I thought about sleeping in the same tent as him. Dani might’ve told me that Jake and I were together, but she hadn’t given me any of the details, and I wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

  Becca walked past, startling me. Her face was soft and glowing in the building flames. “We can share a tent tonight, if you would like,” she said. I hadn’t talked to her much since we’d left Colorado Springs, so I was surprised she’d even offered.

  I flashed her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Becca.” Looking at Dani, I asked, “Do you mind?”

  Dani shrugged and shook her head. “Only if you’re sure, Zo.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “You can use this tent,” Jason offered, prepared to pull the tent poles out of the pack.

  “That’s okay, Jason. I can finish. You guys can set up your stuff. Can you just point me to my things?” I hadn’t needed them for anything yet, since we’d been riding all day. “I do have things, right?”

  Jason nodded to Dani, and with a willing smile she picked up the flashlight he’d set on the ground and walked with me over to Mocha.

  As I trudged along behind her, I noticed how many people were bustling around, chatting while they set up for the night. Our cramped little camp was in a wooded area off the highway, out of sight but not so far away from the road that I couldn’t hear one of the horses clip-clopping lazily on the asphalt.

  Stepping up to Mocha, Dani started untying the two long stuff sacks secured behind the saddle with one hand, tossing me each as she freed them. Both were black with a purple Celtic knot painted on the side.

  “That’s your sleeping bag and sleeping pad,” she said, pointing to each before she peeked into one of the saddlebags, which were still on the horse. “Yep, your clothes and whatnot are in here. Give me a sec and I’ll have these down for you.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get them,” I said, not wanting her to struggle needlessly. As I fumbled to loosen the saddlebag, I stared at the knot painted on it. I had no idea what the heck it meant. “Apparently I really like this symbol,” I said. “It’s all over my stuff.”

  Finally unfastening the bag, I turned around. Dani eyed me a moment, her face cast in shadows; obviously it meant something important to her, too. I glanced back down at the bag, the knot glaring at me.

  Assuming it was my confusion that made her expel a tiny sigh of sadness, I released a sigh of my own. “I’m sorry, Dani. I wish I could remember…”

  She stepped closer and nudged my arm with her good shoulder, offering me a reassuring smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “It’s okay, Zo. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. It’s been a long day, and we all need our rest.”

  I nodded and turned to tug the leather bags off of Mocha’s back, but grunted when they were heavier than I’d expected. “What the hell did I put in he—”

  “Here.” A deep rumble came from behind me, and a
n arm reached over my shoulder and grabbed the cross strap of the saddlebags. Jake pulled them effortlessly off the horse and asked me where I wanted them.

  “Over by Becca,” I said, pointing dumbly. I’d decided Jake was intimidating—alluring but intimidating—and it prevented me from putting on a show of calmness around him, like I could around everyone else.

  A pained expression pinched his features, but without another word, he headed to the other side of camp, toward Becca.

  Dani was watching me, idly patting Jack, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She gave me a reassuring nod—the nod that I’d grown used to over the past twelve hours—before I followed quickly after Jake.

  Feeling inadequate in our silence, I occupied my mind with observations of the rest of the campers, busy in their various stages of getting situated.

  Chris, just finished setting up a tent for Camille and Mase, was pulling her blonde hair up into a ponytail, while Mase, huge, dark, and imposing, stood in front of the tent with Camille in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. They’d been inseparable since she’d awoken right before we stopped for the day, and despite being unconscious since before they’d found me, she still looked exhausted. Mase stared at the nylon dome like it was from another dimension. He seemed constantly confused—even more than me, which I thought a little strange—but after a brief moment of hesitation, he ducked inside the tent with Camille.

  Gabe, the tall, blond man who seemed to keep to himself, was setting up another tent beside theirs.

  “What’s his Ability?” I asked Jake. When he peered back at me, I pointed to Gabe.

  Jake’s jaw clenched, and I immediately regretted asking him. “He can manipulate people’s dreams,” he said. I didn’t need to know the history between them to know it wasn’t a good one.

  “Oh.”

  Sanchez, who seemed to be leading the group with Jason, was stacking wood next to the campfire, while Sam and easygoing Tavis hauled over bunches of kindling. I enjoyed watching Sam and Tavis interact; they acted more like brothers than father and son—though I’d been told they were neither—and they laughed more than the others, which I found comforting.