The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

DELIA IS THE UNDEAD. Or at least she feels that way. Between the excruciating pain in her thigh and the throb in her head, she wishes she were dead. The agony is practically unbearable, and it's steadily growing more and more intense. The slightest move sends a fire up her leg and through her body, and the hay-bed is terribly uncomfortable, pricking her through her clothing.

She wakes up with sun streaming in through the cracks of the barn. She lolls her head to the side, scanning the area. There's two unfamiliar people, a girl and a woman who appears to be pregnant. Then there's Robbie and Poppy and Eve, and a sliver of serenity eases the pain because they hadn't left. They had come back for her and they were still there.

Eve is curled into a tight ball, her face in a frown, and Delia feels bad for her. Most people always appear comforted when they sleep, their faces blank or sometimes holding a small smile. But Eve looks just as angry and afraid in her sleep as she does awake.

Of course, Eve would never admit she's afraid, but her facade isn't as convincing as she'd like to believe.

She hears footsteps coming down the stairs and her body goes cold. A sigh flees her lips when it's only the vampire that rescued her. Hadn't she thought about the mere idea that one would? Was it a coincidence or utter luck?

He's got a can of baby carrots, and Delia's mouth waters. Eating junk food and rubbish snacks only satisfy you so much. The carrots aren't fresh, but they're carrots nonetheless, and when he offers her a forkful, she hastily takes the bite. It's not hard to believe she and her brother hadn't struck the pot of gold with food. All the mini markets and gas stations were the first things to be wiped clean by the street gangs, and that was during the war with the food rations. She hasn't had a decent sized meal in months.

The vampire helps Delia sit up, even though she's nearly screaming against it. She doesn't want to wake the others up because it seems pretty early. He props her against the side of the barn, her legs stretched out on the hay-bed. He hands her the can of carrots to eat while he examines her blood-soaked bandage.

"What's your name?" she asks breathlessly, still reeling from the pain of moving and the delicacy of canned baby carrots.

He frowns a little, and nods his head towards Eve.

"What about her?" She mirrors his frown. "Do you not have a name? Can you not speak?"

He either ignores her or confirms her question about him not being able to speak because he focuses on her leg instead. He has another roll of bandages with him, and he gives her a warning look before he starts to unwrap the dirty one. She hisses through her teeth, keeping her eyes averted from the sight. Blood has always made her queasy, especially her own.

"I knew not all of you could be bad," she whispers when he begins winding clean bandage around her thigh.

He peeks up at her with this, but goes back to his bandaging just as quickly.

"Thank you," she says earnestly. "You know, for saving me back there. I thought for sure I'd be a goner."

He gives her a nod of acknowledgement.

She stares at him for a long while, trying to make sense of the events in her head. She can't help but to smile, and when Eve wakes up, she'll be sure to announce her achievement. She had told Eve not all of them were bad, just like not every human is bad. You can't judge an individual by a mass majority.

It's easy to stare at him because he's quite nice to look at. Even though his red eyes are a bit strange, his dark lashes make them oddly beautiful. His chestnut curls and chiseled jaw and strong arms...