She groaned. “I have some potions left over from Ness’s battle with the old pack. That’s about it. They’re in the pantry, though.”
While Cerri peered out the window, I crept to the pantry to claim the potions, but there were only two. My stomach dropped. That wouldn’t be enough to protect us against the parking lot full of undead creatures. We needed something with more firepower if we were going to get through this.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered over and over.
Cerri smacked me upside the head. She took the bottles from my grasp and set them on the counter, so she could take me by the shoulders. I didn’t expect her to shake me so hard that my head snapped back.
“Use your damn arcana for once.”
I bit my lip to keep from whimpering. As if summoned by Cerri’s words, my arcana unfurled. Cold fingers reached in every direction. She must have felt it because she let out a soft gasp as my power brushed past her on its way towards the parking lot.
There were more than I’d thought. That or they were moving faster than normal, because the warehouse apartment building was now surrounded. There was no clear exit, at least not as far as I could tell.
There were several sparks of life, people minding their own business in their apartments, in the building. Yet, one stood out. Someone climbed the stairwell, taking the stairs three at a time as they rushed towards us.
I warned Cerri that someone was approaching. She took up one of the potions and gave me one last look of warning before heading towards the door.
Alone in the kitchen, I stared at the other potion. My arcana still stretched like a languid cat. It didn’t roil or burst with life. My arcana was slow and hungry, like a zombie from an old horror movie. This power craved a taste of life. It could put that energy to good use.
I wasn’t going to allow it, though. It was bad enough that I could raise rotting things from the ground. I hated the fact that I needed to pull from living things around me in order to do so. My arcana was cursed. It hurt people.
The dead things outside scratched at the walls. They knocked at the windows. Footsteps thundered outside the door.
I remembered my stepmom’s complaint that she felt sick and tired all the time. They’d taken her to the doctor over and over again. How many miscarriages did she have because of my arcana feeding on the life around me? If I didn’t shove my power down, it would continue to hurt everyone.
Cerri wanted me to take control of the zombie creatures wailing on the glass of her window, but I shuddered to think of the consequences. We were surrounded. I wasn’t going to make this worse.
The person outside Cerri’s door paused. Their chest heaved from racing up the stairs. I could feel their life pumping. If I grabbed at it and took it for myself, then I could use that energy to take ahold of the creatures outside.
I’d never directed my power before. I didn’t know if I could control it and only pull from the killer outside, but I had to trysomething. Raising a shaking hand, I directed it towards the door. Cerri stood between me and the person in the hall. The sight of her in my path made a spike of cold pierce my chest.
I yanked my hand back and clutched it close to my chest. I couldn’t do this. Using my arcana would hurt the people I loved.
The glass behind me groaned from the things hitting it from the outside. Belatedly, I realized the zombies had climbed the outside of the building. Maybe someone would have noticed by now. Lakesedge was home to many supernaturals, including two dragon shifters. There had to be someone around who could take care of this for us.
Right?
The door flew open. Cerri prepared to throw the potion in her hands. Gun pointed towards the floor, Maddox came face to face with a determined Cerri. Pulse lurching, I threw myself on Cerri.
I caught the potion right before she could throw it. Gaping, Cerri shook me off.
“Ms. McCauley!” Maddox shouted.
For a split-second, I thought he was yelling at me. Only when skeletal hands grasped my arms did I realize that his shout was one of fear. Undead hands yanked me onto my back and started dragging me across glass shards.
When had the window broken? Did they break through when Maddox broke in the door? I’d been so caught up in trying to protect him that I hadn’t even noticed.
Maddox, frozen in fear, balked at the creatures behind me. For a heartbeat, his face was drained of all color. I didn’t have time to explain. Thankfully, I didn’t have to. A switch seemed to flip. Maddox’s brow flattened. His attention focused beyond me, and he raised his weapon.
The gunshot rang out in my ears. The ringing drowned out the sound of bones scraping against the floor. I couldn’t hear what Cerri shouted. I could only see her face, drawn with a mixture of exasperation and fear.
Maddox blinked at the creature still dragging me towards the window. He must have hit it. A bullet wouldn’t stop a zombie, though. The thing was already dead. There were only two ways to stop it.
Dismember it until it could do nothing more than wiggle or…
Take control of it.
My breath shuddered out of me as I twisted. The zombie hoisted me and the dark world beyond the broken window yawned before me. My stomach flipped at the sight of the sheer drop. The rest of the creatures moved away.