Wild Side (Dark Side Series: Book 2)

Three

"Irene," Evan said, breaking free of my grip on his arm. His tanned skin paled. Sweat broke out along the back of his neck. "We can't leave, we've got to—"

A gust of wind roared through the trees, flattening the smokey haze against our ankles, turning it into a roiling sea that bubbled over the massacred bodies until they all but disappeared. Evan didn't seem to notice the shaking boughs and odd behavior of the smoke. He didn't even seem to notice my nakedness. His blue eyes were wide, staring out across the decimated village. In those eyes reflected torn limbs and tragedy.

I grimaced and reached for his hand this time. "Evan," I began, inching toward the truck, my knotted hair blowing across my lips. "We need to leave."

He stood still.

Somewhere in the jungle a loud branch cracked and tumbled to the ground. In the rush of leaves and creaking trunks it was impossible to know for sure where this thing was located, but I had a gut feeling it was following me, tracking me. Walking the path I took to reach the village. We didn't have long.

Evan squeezed my fingers so hard I thought they'd break. "What happened?" he croaked.

I shook my head. "C'mon."

"What happened?" he said again in breathless wonder. "We have to document this, check for survivors..."

"There's no one left to save," I pleaded, glancing over my shoulder at the jeep. The key was still in the ignition. Good. "It's only me. We'll come back, I promise, but we need to live to tell their tale." 

"What happened?" he asked in a stunned, soft tone. Only this time, his legs were moving. Back, and back and back across the dirt yard.

The wind shrieked howling curses.

Evan, at last, seemed to understand. He ran. Made it about five yards before his feet caught on something soft and slick. Down he went, yanking me hard into the earth beside him. Blood spattered his filthy cheek. In his free hand he held someone's shin bone. He screamed, dropped the bone in his lap and screamed, never letting go of my hand, dragging me against him. I kicked away from him, scrambled backward on my hands to untangle myself from his rocking body. At last I pushed myself free and managed to get him standing.

Over his shoulder, spilled pots from the upturned kitchen clanged against one another. Stones rattled across the ground. Ash spiraled upward in an orange whorl of serpentine smoke. Evan gasped, turning back to gape, but I shoved him forward into the jeep. His thick fingers slipped across the wheel, and then we were reversing in a quick motion. Branches slapped against my face and chest as he turned us around and floored it down the only road in or out of this place.

Bleeding from several small cuts, I twisted around in the seat and looked at the swaying trees. A black haze swirled around the heart of the fire pit. In the darkest depths opened a pair of fiery eyes with the keyhole slits of a snake. The gales pushed branches and vines across the road behind us and then we were rushing down the road alone. I let out a long breath and rested my shaking hands on my chest. Beneath the heavy scars raked across my body from Zakar, my heart sang with relief.

It took me several minutes before I'd realized Evan was trying to stutter out a conversation.

"What was that?" he asked. The jeep rumbled over ditches and bumps, making it difficult to hear anything less than a shout.

"Not sure," I admitted, watching the tires roll past endlessly lush scenery.  

"What happened?"

"I was in the jungle since last night. Got back minutes before you did."

"Who was with you?" I set my hands on my lap and kept my mouth shut. Evan took his eyes off the road to stare at me. The jeep slowed through a shallow water crossing. "You were alone? At night?"