Travis paid her no heed and shouted, “You can't! You can't!”
Nerit took a step to one side and Katie came back into view. She was such a lovely girl. Nerit adored her, but she had a job to do. Katie would not want to become one of the undead. It would be a great injustice to such a strong woman.
“Nerit, no!” Travis shouted at her, blocking Katie once more from view.
Jenni sobbed uncontrollably, one hand pressed over her mouth.
Nerit could hear Katie whispering Travis' name softly, a sob in her voice.
“Travis,” Nerit said firmly. “Step aside and do what is right. ”
“It didn't go through!” Travis whirled around. “The bite! It didn't go through. ” He was holding Katie's arm out for Nerit to see. The pressure from the zombie’s mouth and hands had made enormous bruises, but there was no sign of the skin being broken. The heavy denim jacket Katie had been wearing had not torn.
“Thank God,” Jenni exclaimed and flung her arms around Katie.
Katie looked dazed and held tightly to Jenni.
Nerit lowered her rifle and walked slowly toward them. She felt hope rising within her, but she could not give it purchase of her emotions just yet. At times she hated this coldness within her. That enormous cold splinter that sliced through her soul. The place she could go when she needed to not feel and not care. It had always been there. Even as a child. It was cold and bitter and her burden to carry.
She was the woman who did what must be done.
Taking Katie's arm in her hand lightly, she turned it this way and that. Her keen eyes examined the brutal purple and green bruising. No puncture. No broken skin. No wound.
S
tepping back, she nodded.
For a second, she let herself feel the pure joy that that came from knowing that she would not have to release Katie from this nightmare world, but then she shoved it away.
For there was work to be done…
“Let’s move on,” Nerit said firmly and turned on her heel and started up the stairs to the ballroom.
5. The Top of the World
Travis wasn't sure he could even breathe anymore. Seeing the zombie lurch out of the darkness to fasten itself on Katie had been one of the worst moments of his entire life. In fact, he was pretty sure this day was responsible for all the worst moments of his life.
From the dining room massacre to Jenni's appearance on the balcony and everything in between, he had felt his hold on his emotions slipping. He had not experienced the sheer horror of the first days as Katie and Jenni had until today. The zombies had always seemed so far away and impersonal. But today, there was no denying their absolute power to terrify and destroy when there were no barriers between the living and the dead.
Moving slowly up the stairs after Nerit, he struggled not to hate her.
She walked in silence, her head up, her gaze sweeping back and forth, shoulders relaxed, but ready. He resented how she was so hyper-aware of all around her and how coldly she dealt with situations that made him feel ready to shit his pants. And he hated how easily she killed those they called friends once the worst has happened and they were on their way out of this world.
Yes, he had offered to kill Jenni when they had all thought she was a zombie, but that had been to spare Katie. Even now, he wasn't quite sure he would have pulled the trigger. Well, if she had lurched toward them to kill Katie, he probably would have. But all this death and killing was far removed from how he was raised. It did not come naturally to him like it did to Nerit or the others.
Frustration ate at him as he looked back toward Katie. She was walking with Jenni. Both of them were favoring injured limbs and wore bruises on their faces. He desperately wanted this to be over.
This day was made all the worse because of his feelings for Katie. He not only lived in terror for his own life, but for hers. Every moment that passed that they both survived, was nerve-wracking. He felt he could not relax. Could not enjoy that they had made it this far. If he lost her, it would devastate him. His was madly in love with her and he knew it made him a bit crazy, but he couldn't help it.
Stepping up off the stairs into an enormous foyer, he was startled by the sunlight pouring through high windows. The storm had moved on and was now receding over the hills. The marble floors shone beneath a fine layer of dust and the ornate gold-gilded metal ceiling with all its fancy designs gleamed overhead. An enormous chandelier sparkled and threw diamonds of light all around.
“It's beautiful,” Jenni sighed.
Roman goddesses were tucked into alcoves and plush red velvet couches adorned a few walls. Bouquets of dead flowers adorned a few small tables. The foyer stretched out to French doors that lead out onto a patio that encircled the entire top floor. To their right were two doors marked as restrooms.
They did quick, efficient sweep of the gleaming bathrooms. Empty.
“When we are done, I'm so using the ladies room,” Jenni said firmly.