Dark fire snapped to life in her eyes. “Are you calling my father a liar?”

Yes! “I’m saying he was protecting you from the truth.”

“And just what, exactly, is the truth?”

Ethan’s attention zinged between us.

I remained silent. There were some things I still couldn’t share.

“Of course. More secrets,” she muttered, the fire in her dark eyes replaced by hurt. She looked at Ethan. “Do you see? This is what I have to deal with every day.” She gathered her purse and stood. “Let’s go, Ethan.”

Stay calm. “Please, don’t go.”

Ethan reached out and tugged the lapels of Reeve’s jacket closer, a total boyfriend move. “She’s your friend, sweetheart. I’ve had to hold you while you’ve cried about her. Stay and hear her out.”

The support surprised me.

“Hey, Eth—you don’t mind if I call you Eth, do you?” Kat asked. “Why don’t you escort me to the pond? I want to see the ducks, but I’ll need someone to throw in their path if they turn violent.”

He looked at Reeve, then looked at me. Reeve, me. As if he was considering every possible thing that could go wrong, and wanted to take measures to prevent it. Finally he nodded. “It would be my pleasure,” he said and offered his arm.

The two strode away, and Ethan only glanced back twice to check on his girlfriend.

Sighing, I took his seat and removed the bag from around my shoulder and waist. “Look, Reeve. I moved out because...I’m sick. Really, really sick, and I have these violent episodes.... We don’t know a lot about what’s going on, and your dad wants you safe. I want you safe. It’s not contagious, or anything like that, but...it’s just better this way.”

Her features immediately softened, and she eased beside me. “Oh, Ali. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

“I just wish you’d told me. I would have told you not to go,” she said, patting the top of my hand. “I don’t care about any violent episodes, and I know my dad won’t, either, if I talk to him.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Please, don’t talk to him. Don’t talk to anyone about this.”

“But—”

“Your dad will be mad that I told you this much, and—”

“Why would he be mad?” she interjected. “Unless something else is going on. And there must be. There’s a reason Bronx runs so hot and cold. A reason so many of my friends go to bed without any injuries, but wake up covered with them. A reason my dad has a horror dungeon below the house. A reason he tolerates Cole’s dad—a man he once hated.”

Mr. Ankh and Mr. Holland had once hated each other? “Look, Reeve—”

“No. I’m tired of being in the dark, Ali. So very tired. I need to be enlightened. I crave it. It’s become an obsession.”

Dark. Light.

Lies. Truth.

“If I tell you, you might long for the days of blissful ignorance, and I think that’s what your father fears most.” But then, she’d finally know what was out there and would be able to take measures to protect herself. Measures Mr. Ankh would never be able to take from her.

“Please,” she said.

“Let me think about it, okay?” I said. “I could get a lot of people in trouble.”

That was more than I’d ever offered before, and she nodded gratefully.

“So...Ethan seems nice,” I said, taking the conversation in another direction.

I was relieved when she said, “He is, he really is,” without pressing me for more.

There was no dreamy sigh from her, no smile. “I sense a but coming on.”

Her shoulders sagged the slightest bit. “He really likes me. He’s sweet, attentive and last year his mother died, and now his little sister is dealing with leukemia, so he’s learned to appreciate life and live every day to the fullest, but...I can’t get you know who out of my head.”

Yeah. “Believe me, I get it. When it comes to Cole, I’m the same way.”

Kat cleared her throat. “We’re, uh, back. Ethan was missing his girl.”

Reeve jumped guiltily, her cheeks flushing.

“You guys make up?” Ethan claimed the seat on the other side of her and snuggled up, offering his warmth. If he’d heard Reeve’s words about Bronx, he didn’t act like it.

“We did,” she replied.

“Thank God,” Kat said. “It’s about time, and seriously, go me for setting it up.”

Ethan nodded, kissed Reeve’s temple. “I agree.”

It was obvious he cared for her, and I could see why she had chosen him. Despite her feelings for Bronx, they could have something normal. No secrets. No midnight battles with the undead. No suspecting everyone they met of foul play. No worrying if the other would come home every night—or be eaten.

Hungry...so hungry...

As the words whispered through my mind, I jolted to my feet and spun, searching, trying to squash a sudden bead of panic. My emotions had been under control. This shouldn’t be happening.

“What’s wrong?” Kat asked.

Hungry, hungry, hungry.

HUNGRY.

Hurt. Maim. Kill.

Soon...

“Ali, your eyes,” she said.

No! I gasped for breath as I stumbled away from the group. Reeve stood, already reaching for me. Ethan grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her behind him, as if I’d sprouted horns, fangs and a tail. Maybe I had.

HUNGRYHURTMAIMKILLSOON.

The whispers... So loud... Blending together, somehow calling me, drawing me.

Kat withdrew her phone and started typing. Texting Frosty to come help me?

“No. Don’t,” I said, and tried to turn left. Somehow I’d lost control of my body and turned right. My feet moved one in front of the other without any command from my brain. I drew closer and closer to a creepy mausoleum, the whispers continuing to escalate. Surely my eardrums would burst, unable to withstand the chatter. “Syringe. Purse.”

I halted at the double doors.

HUNGRYHURTMAIMKILLSOON!

I leaned forward—until I could go no further and my spirit separated from my body, ripping from me with painful force, as if pushed. Inside the building, cold air nearly flash-froze my skin.

HURTSOON!

HUNGRY!

The small enclosure was dark and dank, but smelled of wildflowers and sunshine. I shifted to the side, and what seemed to be a thousand red eyes opened to track the movement. A gasp of horror escaped me.

I’d just found a zombie nest.

Chapter 17

The Zombies Are Back in Town

The shock must have brought me to my senses. As easily as my body had been dragged forward, it now whisked backward. Spirit and body collided, once again hooking up.

Kat was at my side, tugging at my arm. I tripped over her feet and fell, banging my knees into the cold, hard ground. The scent of rot clung to my nose, the wildflowers and sunshine gone.

“Frosty’s on the way,” she said. “He’ll make everything better.”

“Get back. Purse. Syringe. Throw.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Reeve asked with a tremor. “I know she’s sick, but she was just comatose!”

“Sick?” Ethan demanded.

“Gets violent,” Reeve said, distracted.

“Violent,” he parroted hollowly.

“Back!” I shouted, pushing Kat away from me. If I helped the zombies... If I hurt my friends... “Go! Please,” I croaked. I no longer wanted her to take time to search for the antidote in my purse. “Please.”

Ethan jerked a protesting Reeve away from me. She worked her way free and raced back to my side, but he quickly caught up with her, hefted her over his shoulder and took off for his car.

Maim. Kill.

Hungry.

Soon.

Cold.

The words played through my mind, a terrible song. I wanted to stand, but my vision was going dark. “Run, Kat,” I commanded. “Run and don’t look back. It’s happening. The worst is happening.”

The nearness of the zombies must have provoked Z.A. to rise.