Chapter 82: 82

NADINE’S P.O.V

Amy and Joshua returned shortly after our conversation. They didn’t get a lot of things, just enough to get us through the next day after which we moved houses again.

I hated the idea of finding a new house every other day but Rowan and Joshua weren’t convinced that getting out of the forest would make the General leave us alone. There was always the possibility that he’d send guards after us so as long as we remained in town, we had to keep moving.

We’d spend one day resting in the house then the next day, we’d pack all our stuff and keep walking. I wasn’t sure how much ground we’d covered but it seemed to be a lot. We’d gone so deep into town that I couldn’t see a single expanse of forest.

Even my bruises were beginning to heal. They weren’t red and angry anymore, most of them were now a purple-yellow color. They also didn’t hurt as much and I was back to carrying my own stuff.

Rowan was still fiercely protective and watchful. If he even got a whiff of exhaustion on my end, he’d make everyone stop. Amy found it adorable but I could tell that it was beginning to annoy Joshua. The problem was, I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed because we kept stopping or because he just didn’t like Rowan much.

We’d been on the road now for almost two weeks and they still couldn’t get along. They barely spoke to each other unless it was absolutely necessary.

“We need to get some more water,” Amy announced. “There’s a park not too far from here. Chances are that it’ll have a pond.”

“How do you know that?” Joshua asked. “Have you been here before?”

“No, but I saw a sign. I’m not blind.”

He at least had the decency to look ashamed. “I’ll come with you.”

“No thanks, Nadine can follow me.”

I sat up straight at that. We planned to leave this house tomorrow and I’d been staring at the map with Rowan, trying to figure out the best way to Trent’s lab when I heard her speak. I turned to her, my brows raised slightly as I looked between Rowan and Joshua. Leaving them together was a recipe for disaster and she knew it.

“I don’t know,” I began slowly. “Rowan and I are looking at the map.”

“I’m sure Joshua can help him with that.” She didn’t give me a chance to respond before hooking her arm with mine and tugging. “We’ll be back in a few minutes. Try not to kill yourselves in the meantime.”

It was pure shock that kept everyone in place while she tugged me out of the house. I barely had time to grab my knives and sheath them before I was being pulled down the street.

“You know we could come back to a bloodbath, right?” I asked and she just shrugged.

“I don’t think Joshua is stupid enough to get into a fight with Caine.”

I hummed. “I hope you’re right. How far is the park?”

She shrugged. “I saw a sign about five minutes out that said the park was fifteen minutes away.”

I stared at her for a long minute. “You have no idea where we’re going, do you?”

“Nope,” she smiled. “That’s what makes it fun.”

It wasn’t that hard to find the park.

There was a large sign directing us and after that, it wasn’t so hard to miss. I stared at the now empty park, trying to figure out what it would’ve looked like on a good day. I could almost imagine the children playing, the smell of hot dogs and cotton candy. The shrieks and the laughter.

It all seemed so far away now, like a fever dream that never happened.

“My son used to love the park,” Amy whispered softly. “He loved to play with the other kids and eat corn dogs.”

“I’m sorry you had to leave him.”

She waved me off. “I was always going to leave. I just did it sooner than I planned. I saw the way they turned on Rowan, the way people accused me of lying for him. I knew they’d come for me next. I just don’t want him to think I abandoned him.”

“I’m sure he knows.”

I gave her shoulder a tight squeeze and she managed a watery smile. “Come on, let’s get the water and get back.”

There was a large pond in the middle of the park. We filled all the bottles and drank some for good measure. We were about to leave when I heard a sound. It was soft, barely there, but it sounded like nails scraping against something.

Amy must’ve heard it too because she straightened. She placed a hand to her lips, telling me to be quiet as we hurried over to the nearest tree so we could hide behind it.

I listened again for the sound. It could either be a monster or a guard, the problem was, I wasn’t sure which was worse.

We stood there in silence for what felt like hours before we finally saw it. It was a lone monster, it seemed… almost domestic as it stood there. I’d never seen them doing anything other than killing so it was a shock to see it just moving on all fours.

It hadn’t noticed us yet, but its claws scraped against the ground producing the sound we’d heard earlier.

“We have to make a run for it,” Amy whispered, her voice barely audible. “You go right and I’ll go left.”

Left was towards the monster.

“Like hell,” I hissed.

“We don’t have a choice, Nadine-”

“We either go together or not at all,” I cut her off. “Deal?”

“Fine. On three.”

I nodded. “One, two-”

“I’m sorry, run.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she rushed out of our hiding spot and whistled loud. The monster froze, its blood red eyes fixing on Amy who’d taken out both of her knives.

“Go, Nadine,” she hissed. “I can hold it off.”

I rolled my eyes.

Like hell she could.

She was a soldier and I knew she was stronger than I’d ever imagine, but I’d seen soldiers die. I’d seen a monster almost kill Jennifer and one actually killed Dan. I’d be damned if I’d watch another person die in front of me.

I waited until the monster charged at her before letting my knife fly. I struck a few inches off where I’d planned, hitting the monster’s side. It bellowed in pain before turning to me, eyes narrowed and mouth dripping with saliva.

Amy used the distraction and stabbed it in the neck. It let out another loud scream before dropping to the ground. She stood above its dead body, staring at me in shock.

“I thought I told you to run.”

“I told you we were leaving together or not at all. Don’t ever pull that kind of stunt again.” I pulled the knives out of the corpse. “We have to go, now. More could be on their way.”

She smiled. “You sound just like Caine.”

“That’s what happens when you spend time with someone.” I handed her knife back to her. “Come on.”

“You have good aim. You hit a running target.”

“I have perfect aim,” I corrected. “I never miss.”

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