Beyond(27)

“Warrior Queen,” I reply, grinning. “And I’m ready to leave when you are. How many men are we taking? We can’t leave the castle vulnerable.”

The men from the dungeon were released and were working alongside the guards, just to keep an eye on them. They seemed okay, and weren’t infected in any way, but we still had to check their characters.

“What about the men from the dungeon?” I say.

“What about them?” Sam asks.

“I don’t feel good about leaving them here,” I whisper, looking around us. “What if we took them with us?”

Sam and Jase share another look, and have some sort of silent conversation. “Might be the best option we have.”

“Where do you all think you’re going?” Gina says, eyeing my back pack. “Especially you. Don’t do anything stupid Olivia.”

“I’m going to bring back the men.”

“You mean you’re going to bring back Dane.”

I ignore her.

She sighs, scrubbing a hand down her pale face. “I’m coming.”

All three of us pin her with a look.

“I know Dane’s history, you don’t. I think I might know where he is too,” she murmurs, touching her bottom lip absently.

It still pisses me off she knows shit about him that I don’t.

“Gina--”

“Now she,” Jase says to Sam, whilst pointing to Gina, “will slow us down.”

Gina’s eyes narrow. “The hell I will.”

“What are you going to do?” Jase asks. “Fuck our enemies to death?”

“Jase that’s enough,” Sam growls. “Gina might not be able to fight but she knows shit, okay?”

“Fine,” Jase concedes. “A little sex on the way might be good.”

I slap him on the back of his head. “Stop being such a dick.”

He gives me a look that would make a lesser woman squirm. “Fine. You’re call princess.”

I rub my forehead. “Us, the dungeon men and five other men. What do you think?”

Everyone nods, including Gina.

It looked like I was finally going to see what was beyond these walls, but under the circumstances, I didn’t even care.





Chapter Fourteen





I shield my eyes from the bright sunlight as the gates close behind me. After years, I was outside of the castle walls. Looking around, I see no sign of life. Nothing but trees and grass. At least it wasn’t desert.

“You ready?” Sam asks, and I nod my head.

I roll my eyes as the men surround Gina and I. “Not necessary.”

We start to head north.

We’ve only been walking about ten minutes when I hear a scuttling noise from behind a passing bush.

Everyone stills.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s probably just… Ahhh f*ck,” Jase grits out, glancing straight at me.

“What is it?” I ask, looking around. Goosebumps travel up my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. What the f*ck was going on?

“Your dad is rolling in his grave right now,” Sam says, wincing. “He might just come back to life to kill us.”

That’s it, I’d have enough. “Explain. Now.”

“Olivia--”

I hear the noise again, followed by a hissing noise. What the hell was it? Intrigued, I step towards the noise. Someone grabs my upper arm, and pulls me in the opposite direction.

I resist.

And then I see why no one wanted me to see what it was.

Or who it was.

It was… one of them.

Transfixed, I stare at its almost translucent skin, hollowed eyes, and peeled lips. Its scalp had almost no hair on it, just a few long strands of blonde here and there. I remember when that head used to be full of thick, healthy hair, just like my own.

My mother.

She wasn’t dead, she was a zombie.

“Wh-why?” I stutter, staring at the woman who gave birth to me with horrid fascination.

Sam pulls me. “Evan told us not to kill her. She stays here, hanging around the walls.”

“Mom?” I whisper. She stares back at me, tilting her head like a curious puppy. There was no recognition in her gaze.

My heart was hurting.

It felt like I was losing her all over again, but this time it was worse because she wasn’t in a better place.

She was in hell.

Why did my dad want to keep her alive like this? Like a monster. She wouldn’t want to live like this. I knew my mother. She would hate herself.

“Jase,” I whimper.

He comes to my other side. I look up at him, my eyes pleading with him. He knows what I want, why I said his name instead of Sam’s.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

I nod. “She wouldn’t want to live like this. Please make it quick.”

“You walk ahead,” he says, surprising me with a compassionate kiss to my forehead. “You’re making the right decision. Your father was weak when it came to her. Blinded.”

We walk ahead for about ten minutes when Jase catches up to us.

I didn’t hear anything.

I look forward and try to push her image out of my mind.

I try to no avail.