Friction (The Frenzy Series Book 4) (22 page)

Ford guided the horse and wagon back into Mountainside’s gates for the final time. The people were ready. They had packed everything they could carry, and that included the last of the plants everyone had been digging up. I met him and offered a bucket of water to his horse, Boots, stroking his mane and cooing at him. He was a beautiful creature.

Smiling brightly, Ford jumped down from the wagon. “Hey, Delilah. He needs to rest before we make the trip back.”

“I’ll care for him,” I said sweetly.

“I’d appreciate that. I know
he
would, too.” Ford cared for Boots so it was important for me to show that I shared the same sentiment. For now.

I pushed my hair behind my ears, drawing attention to the beautiful face I’d created. “What is Blackwater like?”

“Are you worried?” he asked sincerely.

“Yes. It’s silly, I know. But it’s different, and I think everyone fears change once they’ve become comfortable.” He smiled with his eyes and lips. Brushing his fingers through his short, wheat-colored hair, he looked up at me.

“There’s no shame in being worried. Blackwater has changed lately, too, but for the better. We’re governed by a council. The Colony itself is really a suburb of a larger city, one that once thrived. We survived because of a simple concrete flood wall that the Infected couldn’t climb over and a strong river they couldn’t cross. But with the cure, a lot of people are choosing to live in the city. The housing in Blackwater is full now, so the city is the only option for you.” He looked at me apologetically.

“That’s fine. Any shelter is better than nothing, which is what I currently have. I can’t go home. It’s not safe.”

“What about The Glen? Tell me about it.”

“It was also made safe by a wall. You know, I really should get Boots something to eat.”

“Yeah.” Ford shook his head. “Let me unharness him real fast.” He was young and worked fast to free the great horse. I gave him a demure smile as I led his stallion away.

This wouldn’t take nearly as long as I thought.

When I woke, Tage was lying beside me, watching me. “Hey,” I said, slowly blinking awake. My arms and legs felt like lead.

“Hey,” he answered softly, with no anger lacing his voice. I wanted to ask him why he was there, why he wasn’t mad anymore. What changed? But I held my tongue.

The nickering of a horse in the distance caught my attention and I sat up fast. “Ford is here? Already?”

Tage sat up, too. “Do you remember anything about last night?”

I tried to remember. “The storm?”

“Yes, there was a storm. You also attacked Roman.”

My eyes widened and I sucked in a sharp breath. Roman wasn’t there. “Is he okay?”

Tage nodded. “He’s fine. I intervened in time.”

An awful thought flittered into my mind, delicate as falling ash and just like it, a remnant of what burned within me. “What if you hadn’t?”

“Let’s not worry about the what ifs. Do you know why you snapped?” he asked cautiously.

I shook my head. “I don’t remember anything but being cold and laying here, and then the sound of the thunder and wind.”

“You don’t remember me holding you away from Roman? Or Roman and I both holding you down?”

I swallowed thickly. “I don’t.” Why didn’t I remember? Did I really attack him?

“It
did
happen, Porschia. It wasn’t a dream or a hallucination.”

“No, I... I don’t remember a dream or anything about it at all.”

Roman swung the door open from the outside. “Morning, sunshine. Feeling homicidal?”

“Not particularly,” I answered honestly.

Tage looked at Roman. “She doesn’t remember anything.”

“You don’t remember any of what happened last night?” he asked, brows raised.

Tage just shook his head.

“Seriously?” Roman asked, crouching down in front of me.

“I swear, Roman. I didn’t mean to try and hurt you, and I don’t remember anything but laying here, being freezing cold, and the violence of the storm outside.”

He pinned me with a look, one I returned. Something was happening here, and it wasn’t good.

Then Roman opened his mouth. “Saul’s back.”

“Is Ford okay?” Porschia asked, leaping to her feet in a panic. “Is my brother okay? Why didn’t you tell me if he was here and safe?”

“Yeah,” Roman said slowly. “He’s good. And he literally
just
arrived. Why are you so panicked about Ford?”

Porschia clawed at her throat absently. “I’m not sure.”

“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning in to watch her movements.

“Yeah,” she said absently. “I’m fine.”

Her pale blue dress was wrinkled and her hair lay in tangles down her back. Porschia didn’t look like herself. Even in the rotation, she took great care to braid and pin her hair back. And she sure as hell wasn’t acting right.

Before she reached the door, she clutched her stomach. “Oh, God.”

“What’s wrong?” I yelled, running to her and looking her over.

With wide, terrified eyes and trembling lips she asked, “What if my blood turns him into a monster?”

“Who?”

“Saul,” Roman answered for her.

“What if he’s like me now?” she asked fearfully.

“What if he is?” I growled. “It was his choice!”

“I asked him to feed from me! It was my doing!” Palms to her temples, she paced, gritting her teeth and letting out a sorrowful, frustrated keening sound I’d never heard. “I may have damned him.”

Roman smiled and eased toward her, palms outstretched. “If he were human, your blood would have done something to him, like with Lydia. But Saul had already changed. It wouldn’t affect him at all, other than to nourish and satisfy a base need.”

She gasped and held her heart. Crimson tears flowed from her face, splashing onto the dirt floor underfoot. “I thought I’d killed him. I don’t want to kill anyone ever again. Ever again. Ever again,” she muttered, staring at the door as if the wood were strong enough to contain her should she want out. “Ever again,” she said brokenly.

I hoped she wouldn’t have to. Porschia was disintegrating, and it wouldn’t take much to wash the remnants of her completely away.

Roman approached me before I even stepped out of the gate. He refused to elaborate when I tried to question him, but said to watch out for Porschia and that something was ‘off’ with her today. She wasn’t feeling well or something. And he asked me twice if I felt sick or strange. I didn’t – I felt fine, but worried for Porschia, obviously.

Tage was sticking close to her side on the opposite hill as we walked along, guarding the wagon and the last people fleeing Mountainside. I vowed to guard them, but didn’t know what I’d do with myself after they crossed into Blackwater.

Roman and Ford said they would go to the council and ask them to reconsider, but I knew they wouldn’t reverse their decision—not so soon after making it. Doing so would show weakness and they couldn’t afford that right now, not with the chaos of taking in so many new residents at one time and the pressures that came with feeding and housing them all. Would these people want to be governed in the same way as our citizens?

There would be growing pains. It was inevitable.

The wagon rumbled through the valley, staying low. Ford took them through the flattest trail he could, one he’d tramped down himself. He was a good kid and looked awfully comfortable with Delilah sitting on the bench beside him. Porschia felt uneasy about her, but she hadn’t done anything bad that I could tell. Porschia looked out for Ford as best she could after Mercedes fell. I hated to tell her, but he was almost a man. He could take care of himself. If he liked Delilah, there was nothing she could do about it.

I walked alone the majority of the way until the wagon came to the river crossing. The storm last night had swollen it, but not so much that it couldn’t be crossed if the people were off the wagon. So they unloaded, leaving their baskets and belongings. Women held onto their children and old men held the hands of their wives, placing each step carefully along the riverbed.

Ford guided the horse across the current, its muscles straining to free the wagon wheels from the rocks and muck. I was about to offer a push when Roman splashed into the water. The horse bent his head to look at what was behind him and then found that he would rather pull the wagon than face a night-walker. I chuckled and watched as the horse won the battle, Ford stopping him on the far side of the river. Roman helped the stragglers across, but the horse never let the vampire out of his sight, pawing at the ground and flaring his nostrils.