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“Amira,” he whispers, the longing in his voice making my nipples harden.

“I want to know you.” I get off my tiptoes so I can see his eyes. “Let me in and maybe you can have more than just a kiss.”

I flick a glance down, gratified to see his sizable erection outlined against his pants.

His expression has turned serious again. The hostility is gone, though. He sets off, leading Jane, and I follow.

I touch my fingertips to my lips and smile, butterflies still clamoring in my stomach. Nothing is promised in the postvirus world, but that kiss, and finally getting some vulnerability from him, are mine to keep forever.

26

“Donovan was my best friend. Alice brainwashed him until he was weak and worthless. When I get my hands on her, she will suffer.” – Justin Lynch, leader of the Deadmen

Marcus

Briar isn’t even walking straight anymore. She staggers, the pain from the plants and trees burning in the wildfires crippling her movements and her mind.

“This isn’t right,” she says, puzzled. “We’re going the wrong way.”

We’ve been off our planned route for the past ten miles, but she hasn’t noticed. The pain I’m picking up through our link has gotten a lot worse; I can’t imagine how overwhelmed she must be.

It’s like inhuman screeching I don’t just hear. I feel it. It rakes up and down my senses like long, jagged nails, never letting up.

She stops, crouching and putting her hands on her head. “I need a sedative. If I can just get a break ...”

Flecks of gray ash fall on top of her. Our bandannas are stifling, but necessary. The smoke and ash from the fires are getting worse.

I crouch beside her, putting a hand on her back. Her shoulders shake and I realize she’s crying.

That’s all I can take. I pick her up like I’m going to carry her over a threshold and she jolts with alarm.

“There are caves near here,” I say. “That’ll give you some relief.”

“Really?”

“It’s about a signal and proximity. You were locked out in the submarine because you didn’t have either one.”

She lays her head on my shoulder, her body limp. “Don’t you dare take it out of me. I mean it.”

“You think you can keep going like this? You’ll pass out eventually.”

“As long as I’m still alive. That’s what matters.” She cringes and curls in on herself. “I think I might throw up.”

“Need me to stop?”

She moans softly. “Yes. Quick.”

She hasn’t been able to keep anything but water down, and as soon as I set her down, she tears off her bandanna, bends and pukes out all the water.

When she tries to stand up straight, she tumbles sideways and I catch her, then pick her up again.

“You need to get into a cave as quickly as possible.”

She cries softly. “I want to be stronger than this.”

“Hundreds of thousands of acres of forests are burning. If they all have aromium, you’re tough as shit for making it this far.”

“Am I a freak?” she mumbles. “Can I control entire forests?”