Beyond The Walls (NOW ON AMAZON!!!)

Respite

Hadley felt like she was resurfacing from the depths of a bottomless lake, gasping deeply for air as she quickly sat up.

She had failed!

She hadn't made it out!

She had doomed Jamila and Ruqwik!

Looking around, Hadley expected to see puke green paisley wallpaper, the four-poster bed with light green linen and the brown puritan dress folded over the wooden chair against the empty vanity table, ready for her to wear once Mrs. Smith unchained her.

Instead, Hadley's eyes fell on Ruqwik.

The vampire's gaze was soft, her eyes thick with emotion. Hadley looked away and focused on where she was. She was on a bedroll in a tent. The same tent that Trisca's people had assigned her and Jamila. The one she'd woken up in to find Teroi waiting at the door flap for her the last time she'd been in it. The same one she'd packed onto her new backpack before...

"Hadley?" Ruqwik whispered, as though afraid to speak louder.

Hadley froze.

The vampire was healed enough to speak again. How long did it take for a vampire to grow new vocal cords? How long had Hadley been here?

She ignored Ruqwik and took off the T-shirt and underwear she was wearing. They were drenched in sweat from the nightmare she'd just had, most of which she couldn't remember, thankfully. Without looking at Ruqwik, Hadley rummaged through her backpack which was at the foot of her bedroll and pulled out a clean set of clothes. Once dressed, she pulled on her boots and practically ran out of the tent.

She took a few deep breaths of fresh air, trying to calm her angry mind.

"Hadley!" a surprised, cheerful voice called for her.

Hadley turned to see Jamila race to her and gave her the biggest hug, almost knocking her over. For the first time since she'd woken up, Hadley's body relaxed, her heartbeat slowed down, her mind went silent, and her breath come in easier as she took in Jamila's essence. The familiar, homey scent drowned hard and painful memories pressing against Hadley's mind, giving her a break from the nightmares that had threatened to seep into real life at the sight of Ruqwik.

"Jay," Hadley breathed.

"I'm right here, Lee," Jamila whispered back, further chasing away the ghosts of weeks past.

Weeks.

Hadley pulled out of the hug and held Jamila at arm's length, looking her over carefully. Jamila had large dark circles under her eyes, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

"Are you okay?" Hadley asked.

Jamila gave a solemn nod. "Are you? When Ruqwik helped me out of the basement, and I saw you..."

Hadley looked around them, at all the tents that surrounded hers in a protective cocoon. At Crystal, Billy, Jael, and Teroi and Juvan – the last two remaining Progeny men – all of them standing around the camp's edge with sharpened spears of bone and stone heads in hand. The mothers and children's absence was palpable. Only Drew had survived, miserably poking a stick into a campfire. His dog was nowhere to be seen. The others turned to look at Hadley, and it was then that she realised she didn't recognise everyone. There were some new faces added to the group.

All the faces, both new and old, were strained, wearing heavy bags under their eyes. Hadley looked around some more and recognised where they were. It was a beautiful late afternoon, and she could see the steam past their tents and a few trees. They were camping at the hot springs.

"Who are they?" Hadley asked warily, after properly appraising most of their party. Many of them frozen in their tasks, staring at her in shock. She was specifically pointing at two heavy-set women standing a few feet away.