“I’ll talk to her while we’re on the move,” Rhys sighs. “Speaking of which, get a move on and clear camp. I want us on the road in half an hour.” With that, he stalks off back into the woods to do fuck knows what, leaving us to break up camp.
“This fucking sucks,” Tobiasgrumbles beside me as he pulls his coat closer against his body.
“It really does,” I say as I squint at the road ahead through the rain.
Ketchup, who’s using my shoulder as a perch, chirps in agreement as she shakes and ruffles her feathers. Beside me, Bean snorts, her thick mane soaked and plastered against her large neck. The injured woman riding her—Elise—is struggling to hang onto the saddle with herviolent shivering.
Harlow’s up front with Alex, trotting happily by his side even though she looks like a drowned rat. She seems to be the only one out here who doesn’t look gloomy as hell.
Two hours after we set out on our journey, cold, heavy rain made an appearance, turning the British countryside into a muddy swamp. It’s miserable, and the downfall is relentless with no sign of stopping. The downpour not only chills us to the bone but makes it difficult to see the road ahead or hear anyone—or anything—who might ambush us.
Which is exactly why we don’t see the small horde of zombies until they’re almost on top of us.
Tobias curses as they emerge from the rain like ghosts and races towards them, knife out and ready. Others do the same, their faces set with grim determination. But panic ripples through the group as those with little to no combat experience scream and blindly scramble away from the undead horde. They bump into each other and those trying to defend them, making what was already a tough fight into a deadly one.
Fuck.
My hand tightens on Bean’s reins as the mare snorts and prances beside me. Elise whimpers and grips the saddle tighter with white knuckles, but at least she doesn’t scream as she stares at them with wide eyes. There’s no way Bean is going to settle enough for Elise to be safe, even with me holding onto the mare.
“You’re getting off,” I tell her as I move to the side, jarring Ketchup enough that she caws and flies off to a nearby tree to seek shelter.
Elise blinks down at me before nodding and shakily dismounting from Bean.
“Good. Now go find cover and stay out of the way.” She nods again and doesn’t linger, hobbling towards a nearby abandoned car.
I watch her go, making sure no zombie trails after her. At least someone can listen to orders. Everyone else who isn’t taking down zombies are screaming their heads off, luring the undead towards them like they’re ringing the dinner bell.
Huffing, I swing up onto Bean’s back, wincing at the uncomfortable pull of my muscles. It’s been a few days since I last rode her and my body is making that known. Beneath me, the mare snorts and arches her neck as she prances, doing a pretty good impression of a dragon. Patting her neck, I get myself comfortable in the saddle before nudging her into action, my bow out and ready to fire.
Bean launches herself forward, her hooves thundering against the tarmac as we gallop towards the fight. Rain pelts against my face, blurring my vision as more zombies emerge from the downpour. Taking aim as best I can, I fire several arrows, cursing when only a few hit their mark while the rest serves only to piss off my targets.
Damn it. I’ll need to slow down and get closer to them if I want to hit my shots.
I pull back on the reins until Bean breaks into a trot and urge her closer to where the horde is concentrated. Rhys, Alex and Theo are all there, using their knives to take down as many zombies as they can. Tobias is further back with Rachel and a few others, defending the still panicking people as they run around and scream like headless chickens.
Using my height and speed to my advantage, I ride around the horde and flank them from the side. Arrows fly from my bow, this time hitting their intended targets and taking them down. A few zombies shuffle towards me, but I urge Bean into a canter to outmanoeuvre them before shooting arrows at their heads.
I’m so focused on them that I don’t notice several more zombies shuffling out of the thick rain on my other side until they’re almost on me.
I wheel Bean around with a curse, but it’s too late.
One of them snags my arm as I ride by, wrenching me to the side. I stifle a shout as agony shoots up my arm and down my shoulder, and I almost topple from the saddle. My thighs clench, barely keeping me in place as the arrow I’m holding clatters to the ground. The rotted hand lets go, but the damage is done.
My arm hangs limp and useless, and the forward momentum Bean and I had is gone. Zombies appear out of nowhere, blocking the way ahead. I turn Bean again only for the mare to slam on the brakes when more zombies appear out of nowhere, blocking our path. Behind us, I hear the desperate moans and groans of the undead edging closer and closer.
Fuck. We’re surrounded and Bean is refusing to move.
Using Powers for Evil
Olivia
Bean rears and strikesout with her front hooves, knocking me off balance from the sheer force of the hit. Several zombies go down, their heads bursting like watermelons as they smash into the ground. The stench of rot thickens until my eyes water and bile burns my throat.
With the zombies so close and my left arm useless, I drop my bow and turn to my knife. I hack and slash at anything that comes close, but the rain makes it almost impossible to see my targets. And no matter how many zombies I kill, they just keep coming.
Rotted hands claw at me, grabbing onto bits of clothing and digging into my flesh. My body is a riot of agony as my heartslams into my chest and adrenaline surges through my veins. Beneath me, Bean is a writhing beast, kicking and biting at anything that comes close to her, defending us both with fierce determination.
We’re surviving. Barely.
