Page 28 of Abiding Blood

It felt fresher. Cleaner. I stopped to take a deep breath of the night air. It was good to be out of the wreckage at last. But as I walked through the woods, the quiet darkness beneath the trees punctuated my isolation. I hurried along, eager to reunite with Nathaniel and the others. I didn’t regret not taking a car; with the roads blocked, it would only have slowed me down. With age, I’d gained incredible speed, and with the blood on my back, I knew I should be able to cover the distance in a single evening if I pushed myself. With that in mind, I increased my pace and headed south.

I traveled for several hours before stopping to check my map and down a bag of blood. I rested in a valley nestled between two large hills. Although they were too small to be called mountains, they were impressive nonetheless. The valley floor was lightly blanketed with snow that thickened near the tops of the wooded slopes, frosting the pines in a picturesque way. As I fiddled with my map, the wind picked up, whistling down the valley, rustling my hair and clothes, and carrying an intriguing scent.

I resisted the urge to jerk my head up, hoping to spot the creatures I knew were nearby. I casually refolded the map and shouldered my pack again. I lifted my gaze and scanned the treeline as I kept walking. It wasn’t long before I noticed glowing eyes among the trees. Two pairs followed me from no more than a hundred yards away.

I should have been more alert after entering the forested areas. I knew their kind had settlements throughout the state. This was as far as I’d ever journeyed from the city on foot before, and I’d never encountered them in person. If I was lucky, this wouldn’t escalate into a confrontation.

Halting, I lifted my hands. “I don’t mean any harm,” I said. I didn’t need to raise my voice; the creatures could hear me just fine. “I’ll be on my way.”

Maintaining a human pace, I kept moving forward. A low growl froze me in my tracks. The brush rustled as the creatures emerged from the trees and stood before me on the valley floor. One appeared to be a large gray wolf, its ears flattened, and its teeth bared. The other took the form of an enormous mountain lion, peering at me with bright yellow eyes and a twitching tail.

I continued onward, but as I drew closer, the growling grew louder, and I halted. This time, the creatures were no more than twenty yards away.

“I plan to go through this valley and out the other side. I don’t want any trouble.” All I got in response was more growling and the stomping of feet from the wolf. “Or we could discuss it,” I suggested. “I promise to behave if you do.”

The cat made a chuffing noise in response to my remark, which sounded a lot like a laugh. The two creatures exchanged a look, and then the wolf stepped back and began to shake all over. Within a few seconds, where the wolf had been, a large man now crouched, one hand on the snowy ground for support. He was naked and panting from the effort of the shift, his breath billowing in thick clouds. He had shoulder-length dark hair and looked middle-aged. He rose to his feet and glanced over at his companion before speaking.

“You don’t belong here. You need to leave, now.”

“There’s no need to be rude,” I said. “I’m just passing through. I have no plans to stay in this area.”

“You can’t go this way.”

“I suppose you mean to stop me?”

“If we have to,” the man said, rolling his massive shoulders as he studied me.

I sighed. This was tedious. “Listen, I’m just trying to reach my friends. You’re the first living people I’ve seen in many miles. I’m not sure how many will make it through this, but we should at least be civil to each other.”

“We’ll get through this just fine,” the man said. “This sickness only affects humans—and those who eat them, of course.” The smirk on his face told me he understood the challenges the disease posed to the vampire community.

“Well, I’m happy for you.” I looked up at the moon and thought it over. I didn’t want to stir up trouble, and this argument was slowing me down. I needed to keep moving if I hoped to reach my destination before sunrise.

“How about this: I’ll go over the top of that hill,” I said, pointing to my left, “and you can escort me as far as you’re comfortable. I’ll be gone in no time.”

The man shifted his weight from foot to foot and looked at the other shifter. The enormous cat hadn’t moved a whisker, but its yellow eyes had stayed fixed on me the whole time. I saw no communication between them, but the man turned back to me and said, “We agree. But you go now, and you go fast.”

“Noted. Whenever you’re ready,” I said as politely as I could.

The man quickly transformed into his wolf—which was no less impressive than it had been the first time—and snapped his teeth at me.

“Understood,” I said, nodding as I took off at full speed through the trees and up the steep hill. It wasn’t easy going. I was surprised to see the two creatures keep pace with me and seem to have little trouble navigating the terrain.

We ran for miles, clearing the hilly range and emerging on the other side, closer to my intended direction. After about five more miles, the wolf beside me let out a strange bark, prompting me to stop. The wolf and his companion rested on a low rise, staring at me. I nodded and pointed into the distance.

“I’m headed that way and have no plans to return.”

I received no response, but I took it as a good sign. I sped off, leaving the two far behind. There was a faint howl of a wolf as I disappeared from their view.

I had no real reason to hide my destination from the pair of shifters, but caution was habit. As soon as I was sure I was out of sight, I subtly changed direction, crisscrossing several rivers to mask my scent before heading more directly toward the mountain where the lodge was located. Perhaps I was a bit paranoid, but the shifters and vampires had never been particularly friendly, and I didn’t like the idea of other creatures knowing where I was headed.

I ran through the night, the hours ticking by. The terrain gradually grew mountainous, and even with my strength, the strain was intense. I finished the last of the blood I’d brought and eventually found my way back to the road. My reserves were fading quickly, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to keep up my pace. Thankfully, I made it to the mountainside resort with an hour to spare before sunrise.

I was elated to see the large stone-and-wood structure as I rounded the final bend. Aside from Nathaniel and Anna, I wasn’t sure who else I might know there, but I was relieved to have finished the journey. I was tired and filthy, but I’d made it. I needed rest and shelter.

There were lights around the building’s exterior, though it appeared that all the windows had been bricked up or boarded over. I slowed my pace to give anyone watching a good look at me as I approached. I didn’t want to rush unannounced upon a nest of strange vampires. I needn’t have worried.

There was a blur of motion from the large wraparound porch, and I braced myself. Not a split second later, a familiar figure came streaking toward me. Nathaniel collided with me, knocking me to the ground, and wrapped me in a hug.