Page 25 of Vervain

While the brothers talk, their voices muffled as if I’m underwater, I reach for Dan’s remains. I want to bury the dead, but he is slop. How the fuck am I supposed to pick up the pieces of him?

“…and alert the other feeding grounds in the states?” Serun drawls, sound returning. “If we do that, others may fear we are purging and panic, disrupting shipments to the Undercity. No. Let the slayers deal with this mess.”

“They might blame us…”

I stand clutching a lock of Dan’s hair that fell easily from his head. Serun watches me pocket it, then looks at me with a silent question in his eyes. “I want a memory of my friends. While we get something with my brother’s scent on it, I want a memory of Manni as well.”

Serun holds his hand out to me. My fingers curl into fists, hesitant at first, only to remember his tender affection. I take hold, hoping the nightwalker I met in Darkovish is more than the Lord of the Undercity and the man who caged me.

My fingers dig into his skin, and with every new step, dried blood flakes beneath the soles of my boots. They had me dress properly for this, but I’ve never worn shoes before. It feels strange that my feet aren’t grazing the ground.

Avianna and Reyes follow close behind. “So, brother? Any thoughts on what I said earlier?”

“Leon’s group won’t do anything. We’re the only reason their settlement has food and water. Without us, their supplies would be completely cut off. No food, water, or electricity. The humans won’t blame us. They will blame someone they can see.”

My eyes turn into half-slits, and my hand tightens on Serun’s.

Reyes huffs a laugh.

There are no traces of blood on the first floor. The knot in my stomach unties, and I breathe easier, walking faster without Serun’s aid. Most of the stench congregates downstairs and near the mess. I suppose all the food is rotting in there as well.

My stomach grumbles at the thought I haven’t eaten since my capture. I’m surprised I haven’t passed out yet.

Serun stops halfway to my room, and I do the same, curious. He looks to his brother. “Could you find fresh human food while my consort and I gather items with her brother’s scent?”

Reyes tilts his head, a wave of blond hair falling out from behind his ear. “Should she not drink blood?”

“Nyun nyun bi,” Serun says, and even though I don’t know what it means, his dismissive tone makes it clear he won’t be questioned.

Serun turns, and we make our way towards my old room. My ear flicks at what sounds like padding paws, but when I crane my neck behind me, Reyes and Avianna are gone. There’s only more looming darkness creeping up from the stairway.

“What did you say to him?” I ask as we draw closer to my room, my erratically beating heart stuttering in panic.

“I told him to be on his way. Otherwise, Reyes would stay and ask why we are being so human.”

We reach my old room, and my focus settles on the evacuation diagram on the wall outside, rather than the foul stench rising from within. “Am I human? I’m a vegodian and nightwalker. I don’t know enough about being vegodian to know if there is anything human about me at all.”

Red eyes dip to my chest, then draw up to my face. “Your heart says so.”

“Aliens might have hearts that beat for all we know.” My eyes narrow on the delivery room in the diagram. “There’s so much I don’t know.”

“Focus on the now, kamai,” Serun says, his hand resting on mine. “We can learn more about you on our way to the Undercity.”

I step away from him and up to the door, only to be hit by the scent of sour fruit. Crimson stains the entire room. All over my mattress and the sheets and the ground beside the bunks.

Serun grunts irritably as I step into the room, my focus everywhere but the ceiling. Turning away from the arm hanging from the open vent, I focus on Cole’s bed. “Can you get a piece of Manni’s hair, please?” I ask in a hoarse voice, my mouth already thickening with the rising bile. “I don’t want the memory of her like this…”

“Anything,” he whispers, his voice velvety.

While Serun floats up to the vent, I grab the pillow beside Cole’s bed and peel off the case. Cole had a reputation for drooling while he slept. Emily and Manni would tease him—needling each other was our form of escape on the nights when it all became too much. Those seemingly insignificant moments made us smile and forget we were sheep in a system designed to feed the wolves.

Am I one of the wolves now?

“Saya.” A voice purrs in my ear, familiar and heart-clenching. I face the doorway, the violent thumping of my heart stinging my prickled ears. “Saya,” she says again, pleading, desperate.

“Emily?” I whisper.

“It’s not real.” Serun’s voice is gentle.