Underland(49)

“Thank you, Alice.”

She slowly reappeared. “Just remember me, please. Don’t forget about me.” She was gone, and the fragrant aroma of her presence evaporated.

“Come. We have to move.” Den demanded they follow him.

“Wait,” Kira said. “Will she be okay? What’s after us?”

Den shook his head in frustration. “Dip. A demon dog that lives off the blood of those he hunts.”

“But Alice is a ghost, so she should be fine right?” Kira needed one of them to allay her fears.

“Dip is a demon.” He gave her a look as if that explained everything. Kira didn’t understand the connection, but Den was only concerned about getting them as far away from their current location as possible.

Kira looked to Zeke for an answer. He whispered, “Yes, she is a ghost and for the most part can’t be hurt.”

“What are neither one of you telling me?” She was too tired to run. Her head felt as if someone was playing dodgeball inside her skull.

“Ghosts can only be destroyed by someone of the supernatural realm, like angels…” He trailed off unwilling to say the rest.

“And demons,” Kira finished, uneasy. Why would this ghost girl sacrifice so much for them? It didn’t make sense.

“Kira,” Zeke reached forward and touched her shoulder. She felt an electric shock at his touch. “She’s fast, she’s good, and she’s old.” Kira stared up at him in confusion. “Which means she’s strong.”

“Then why hasn’t she left the compound? She’s a ghost. Couldn’t she leave anytime?” Kira was already losing her breath.

“She can’t.” Zeke stepped quickly over a boulder and turned to look back at her. “She died there. She has to return to that place frequently so that she can remember her death. The longer she’s away, the weaker she becomes, and the more she fades. And if anyone forgets her—including herself—she’ll disappear for good and not have the strength to return.

“If the demon gets to her in this state, she’ll never come back.”

It made sense. Alice’s parting words—they were said out of fear. A pang stabbed Kira in her chest, and she stopped on the trail. She couldn’t protect the girl, and she had promised herself she’d try. This was exactly why it was so hard to care for people, why she hardened her heart against feeling anything. Because everyone she loved or cared for eventually died or betrayed her.

“Kira, come on,” Zeke pleaded.

Kira glared at Den as she hurried breathlessly along behind him and knew it to be true. Traitor. He’d let the girl go off to face the demon alone. Even if they had a plan, Kira couldn’t help but feel resentment towards Den.

He looked back. “You can’t save everyone.” He must have read her expression.

“You can try,” she snapped.

“Not overnight. Right now, I just need to focus on saving you and him.” He gestured for them to follow him as he turned into an even darker tunnel.

Kira’s eyes adjusted fast but not before she stumbled. Zeke reached out through the blackness and touched her hand. She pulled back, startled by the coldness of his skin. Somewhere between life and death. Kira realized it probably seemed like she didn’t trust him. She slowed and reached behind her until she found his arm. She felt past his elbow. And this time, she gripped his hand and held on.

A flash in his pupils said she’d surprised him. It almost made her pull away, but instead, she pressed her lips together and gave his hand an affirming squeeze.

As soon as they stepped out of the darkness of the tunnel, they were on the outskirts of the city. She wasn’t sure why, if they were hiding, they’d go to a densely populated area. Maybe so many different scents would throw off whatever hunted them. Maybe hiding in plain sight was a favorite tactic of Den’s. Either way, better than cowering in a tunnel somewhere, waiting to be attacked.

She doubted Den ever cowered.

“Why the city?” She stumbled, and Zeke slowed to wait for her to catch her breath.

Den didn’t wait. “More scents, and easier to pay for silence,” Den pulled his cloak over his head, hiding his identity.

Paying for silence. That was smart. How easy would it be to disappear? Especially if she was on her own.

Landmarks were starting to look familiar, mostly because she used Olympus Tower as her point of reference. When they came to a steel grain silo, Den tossed his duffel bag on the ground and unlocked the door. He disappeared inside. From within, they heard an electric buzz, followed by a pop. Den muttered something, and eventually, a flood of light spilled forth.

The last thing Kira wanted was to be trapped—even with Zeke and Den. Sure, it was somewhere new, but she still wasn’t free until she could get the band off. All they had to do was activate it again and they’d find her. Kira tried to back up, but she bumped into Zeke, an immobile wall. Too tired to fight him, Kira took her first tentative steps into the building.

“Home sweet home,” Den said as he closed an electrical box and came to stand near them, his hands on his hips. His face beamed with pride.

“You should fire your decorator,” Kira joked. The vastness surprised her, but it didn’t keep the room from feeling like a large round prison cell. More than anything, she just wanted freedom.