The Consort (MalexMale) 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Fiona kicks away the books pooling around our ankles. The action stirs up a flurry of dust. It spreads into the air, its spindly fingers reaching into our throats and causing us both to cough. Fiona swats away the particles while covering her mouth with the end of her sleeve. Then she waves for me to follow her.

I swipe up my backpack and dust off my jeans. The remaining shreds of sunlight are fading beyond the horizon, and a heavy sense of panic settles against my chest as I realize we need to get home soon. Bogdan said he and Kelly would be back tonight. He never specified the time, but I can't imagine either of them will be overly pleased if they show up and we're both gone.

"I wish we had more time," I mutter with a sigh. "If we could find even one book about the Secondaries, I think it'd make a world of difference in helping us find them."

Fiona climbs over another piles of books. "I know. If we have another chance to come out here, we will. But we need to get going, Finn."

Her voice becomes strained, so thick with emotion that the last few words become caught in her throat. She's right; if we don't get home before Bogdan and Kelly do, finding the first clue to Bogdan's past will be for nothing. He'll be furious with the both of us and won't listen to a thing I have to say about it.

I nod in agreement and grab her hand without another word. She follows a step behind me, and I navigate the two of us as best I can with the minimal, fading light. The musty smell of books taunts the chilling air. By the time we clear the library, I'm happy to be rid of it. My happiness is short-lived, however, when the smell of stale blood and rotting flesh take its place.

I grimace as I try to squint into the darkness. The sun dips below the horizon, and the two of us huddle near the end of the walkway leading to the street. The first glimpses of moonlight flicker from the night sky, bright enough to illuminate the shards of glass littering the street. Each piece shimmers against the pale light, a macabre sight spilled across the floor of this broken town.

"We should have left earlier," Fiona whispers behind me.

I nod in agreement. "Just stay close. We'll go nice and slow."

She clutches tightly to my side, and the two of us weave through the path of destruction in silence. Small pieces of glass crunch beneath my feet. Fiona's right. We should have left earlier. The stagnant, still air feels heavier than it did this afternoon.

Fear creeps through my temples and around my eyes, creating invisible blinders of trepidation with every step I take. My lungs burn from the cold. All I want to do is scream against the pain, yelling for Bogdan to get us from this place.

But I can't.

For all I know, Bogdan is still hundreds of miles away. I swallow hard and keep moving. The journey back to the house is taking longer than the trip out here. It's like we're moving in slow motion. Even our feet seem to be hesitant as we continue to move forward.

"Finn."

Fiona's hold tightens around my hand. She jerks on my arm, forcing me to stop abruptly in the middle of the road. She points forward and a little to the left, her finger trembling and her eyes widening in disbelief. I follow her silent direction, squinting into the darkness until my eyes settle on a still figure sprawled across the sidewalk.

It's a man, one of the many I recognize from our trip to the library. He's another victim to the ruthless carnage that took place in this town. But as I continue to stare at him, I notice the ragged rise and fall of his chest.

He's alive.

My pulse quickens, and I take a diffident step forward. The glass seems to shatter the silence, and I swear I hear a whispered plea leaving the man's lips. My eyes never leave him as I lean back to whisper to Fiona.