Tested

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

We stayed in an empty house in an empty street in an empty town. We watched from the upstairs windows as the world was set on fire. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but we saw the flames, and they didn’t die down for a very long time.

“They’re cleaning up,” Sonia said, her palm pressed against the window. “Burning out the nests. I’ve heard of this. Well, back in the old days when vampires were a menace. Now it’s something worse.”

"How did we survive?" Pria whispered. "It's some kind of miracle."

"It's not over yet." Sonia sounded tense. "The vampires are being overthrown, but what will replace them? The fae?"

"You don't trust them?" I asked.

She released a humourless laugh. "After everything that's happened, I'm going to find it hard to trust anyone ever again."

I knew exactly what she meant.

Our injuries were healing nicely. We had access to clean water, we hadn’t run into any more enemies, and we slept in real beds. It went a long way to restoring our spirits.

Once we left the vampires and werewolves behind Sonia had declared she knew where we were. It took a few more days to figure out where the detention centre was located though. She had never made it that far, and I hadn’t paid enough attention to my surroundings when I had the chance. I had been too busy crushing on a despicable human being. I couldn’t imagine ever falling for anyone again.

“Bruce and the others were brought there as far as I know,” Sonia said. “So the detention centre is our next pit stop. Remind me not to be stupid enough to get separated from my group again, okay?”

“Why would anyone sell people to the vampires?” I didn’t expect an answer. The more I thought about it, the less believable it seemed.

“Protection, money, status,” Sonia said. “He was worthless, and he made himself valuable. Kept himself safe. He can’t be the only one. I’m not surprised at all. The world is full of ruthless people with a deaf ear for their conscience.”

"The detention centre hadn't ever been attacked," I said, remembering. "Maybe he made a deal with them. I hate him."

"And he'll pay," Sonia said firmly.

“I just can’t believe werewolves exist,” Pria said for the seventeenth time.

“Neither can I,” Sonia replied as we followed her downstairs and into the kitchen to eat. “They’re supposed to be extinct. Good thing somebody somewhere was sneaky enough to keep a few.”

“I thought one was going to eat me,” I confessed. “Did either of you see the people leading them?”

“Fae royalty he said.” Sonia shrugged. “I didn’t see them. Don’t care to see them either.”

“Whatever they were, they saved us.” Pria took a seat at the kitchen table, her face still ashen. We had driven through her hometown to find nothing but bloodstains and stray dogs roaming like feral things. Her family was gone. She had no idea if they were evacuated or killed by the beasts.

Sonia reached out to squeeze Pria’s hand. “The south must be clear by now. I don’t know how they did it, but it looks like we're winning. Life will soon start getting back to normal, and people will reunite with their families.”

Pria tried to smile. All three of us worried for someone. As soon as we had driven away from the fighting, it seemed like the world had emptied again. I was just glad I wasn’t completely alone.