Chapter 9
Key
Allie
She stood on a hill that floated in the sky. It occurred to her that she should be surprised by this, or afraid, but her dreams had taken her to stranger places.
Morrigan stood—or hovered—a few feet away, a female figure in a brilliant green gown that dissolved into ethereal smoke at the bottom. Her skin was pale but shadowy, as if darkness danced over it, and her large night-black eyes glowed. Blood-red hair swirled around her like a living thing.
Allie didn’t often have the chance to study Morrigan’s physical self.
The goddess’s regard was rather like having a spotlight aimed directly at her.
But Morrigan was currently scrutinizing what lay below.
When Allie followed Her gaze, she saw the United States almost as if from a topographical map, with bodies of water and the texture of elevations mostly obscured by man-made structures.
More importantly, the dark blotch of the zombie horde took up a large swath of the Midwest like a storm front on a TV weather report, albeit one so ominous she could nearly smell it.
If Allie hadn’t been in a dream, she might have vomited.
Even so, her heart began to beat harder when she realized how much of the horde had yet to pass over their general area as it headed east.
Yes. East. Then, it begins to veer south. Do you see? With a gesture, Morrigan indicated the upper portion of the horde.
The dark blurs of the zombies were beginning to bulge as a section broke away. It was like watching a giant flock of birds in slow motion.
“Yes,” Allie murmured.
That is good. Morrigan sounded satisfied. One week, at most, for it to fully pass. Travel then.
That was what Allie both hoped for and dreaded. Morrigan clearly wanted her to go with Cam, but leaving the bunker...
Allie’d been safe there. Isolated and half crazed with loneliness but safe. “Cam is going to contact his people. He may not want to wait that long.”
The goddess laughed, the sound surprisingly musical. The man has hot water, a comfortable bed with a woman in it, and plenty of food. He will be content to wait.
Allie flushed, or at least she felt like she should.
Morrigan turned to face Allie, that vivid, unearthly hair moving languidly with her, her eyes unnervingly bright and knowing. Tell him about Me. About your gift. He knows the world has changed. He has seen. He, too, is gifted, although he does not understand that yet.
“How?” Allie wasn’t sure what she was asking. How was Cam gifted? How was she to tell him?
Morrigan didn’t answer, focusing again on the map below them. His people are north and west. Here is your path.
A bright green thread appeared from the midst of the dark stain of the horde and ran up and away from it.
You will find what you need along the way.
Allie’s heart seized. She would have to use her gift. That meant she had to tell Cam. There would be no way to hide what she was doing, no way to explain how she knew where things were located without prior knowledge.
One week. Enjoy this peaceful time together. It will sustain you in the days to come.
If Allie hadn’t known better, she might have thought Morrigan’s haughty tone contained a hint of sympathy. “Thank you.”
In the next second, Allie was awake. Rolling over, she realized she was alone in what she had already begun to think of as their bed.
He’s gone. The thought tore into her subconscious.
No, she told herself sternly before she could panic. He’s awake. Eating breakfast. He can’t leave the bunker.
Sadly, that thought brought her comfort. Morrigan’s words came back to her, echoing in her head. She and Cam would have just one week in the bunker before they must emerge into an unfamiliar, still dangerous world. I’m going to enjoy every second I have left here with him.
After taking a few minutes to splash water on her face and tie up her hair, she walked into the kitchen. When she saw that Cam had left her some hot water for coffee, she smiled.
A woman’s voice, crackling with static, came from the other room. “... can’t believe Laurel’s gone. I’m so sorry, honey.”
Allie froze. If Cam responded to the comment directly, Allie didn’t hear it.
But she did hear him say, “I was on my way back to you when I ran across that horde. Then Allie found me.”
She forced herself to go ahead and pour the water into her mug. It’s got to be one of Cam’s moms. Keyshawna or Odette. But not Laurel, whom Cam had never mentioned.
He’d said he was trying to help someone he cared about. And he hadn’t been able to save that person.
She grabbed a packet of brown-sugar-and-cinnamon oatmeal, emptied it into a bowl, and stirred the rest of the hot water into it. Let’s get snacking. Let’s grab a bag.
The voices continued as she sipped her coffee. Allie couldn’t quite make out everything they were saying, but it sounded like Cam was describing the bunker.
She took a bite of oatmeal, still standing at the counter, but the food felt heavy and tasteless in her mouth. Now we’re crunching on Let’s Chips. Grab a ba-ag of Let’s!
Cam came into the kitchen, and his face, already less shadowed than it had been only two days before, lit up with a smile.
Do not shit in his cornflakes because of your own insecurities. “Hey,” she said, trying to sound chipper. “I take it you found someone?”
He gave her a quick hug. “It’s Key,” he said with a quiet joy. “They’re all okay.”
“That’s awesome,” she said, taking his hand. It really was.
He kissed her hand. “Thank whatever gods are looking out for us. They’re actually closer to us than they’d normally be. They’re at a place in central Missouri where Gray harvests herbs. And, well, herb.”
“Ah.”
Cam’s expression turned solemn. “I... ah, think I might have gotten Key to dream about turning on their radio.”
Allie raised her eyebrows. Is this what Morrigan had been talking about?
She still didn’t think Cam’s gift was a mental one.
If anything, the guy seemed to be physically gifted.
Surviving days of running had to be stamina beyond the normal, not to mention the amount of sex they’d had in these few precious days.
She felt heat rising to her cheeks and warmth pooling in her belly. Down, girl. Focus. “How?”
“Last night, before I went to sleep, I thought of her as hard as I could. Maybe it wasn’t me—maybe it was whatever sends her the dreams. Either way, it worked.”
Allie nodded. “I had another dream last—”
“Wait. I want to introduce you to Key. You can tell us both.”
He tugged on her hand, but Allie held fast. Meeting one of Cam’s mothers, one of the most important people in his life? Suddenly, she wanted to fix her hair differently. Put on a nicer shirt. Check to make sure she didn’t have oatmeal in her teeth. Yes, because that matters in a radio conversation.
Cam frowned. “You okay?”
Get past it. “Yeah. Well... I’m nervous.”
“Key’s going to love you. I’ve already told her about how you saved my ass, so you’re part of the family now.”
And with that, she let herself be dragged over to the communication station.
Cam
“Key? You still there?”
“Yes, Cameron.” The mild impatience in his mom’s tone made him grin. “Now, am I going to get to talk to the amazing Allie?”
Cam turned to his angel, who looked a little paler than usual. She was more than a little nervous, he realized with a pang. Damn it. He shouldn’t have railroaded her into talking to Key so soon. He’d just been too excited when after only a few minutes of tuning, his calls for her had been answered.
Key’s voice had brought hot tears of relief to his eyes. He still felt on the verge of giddy tears after finding out everyone was okay and that he would see them soon.
However, for Allie, he was kind of throwing her in the deep end without even giving her a chance to finish breakfast.
“You don’t have to if you’re not ready,” he said, rubbing her shoulders.
Allie shook her head vehemently. “No. I want to.” She stepped up to the radio and pushed the button. “I’m here. Hi, I’m Allie. Short for Allison.”
Her shyness and bravery melted him. How could she think his family wouldn’t love her?
“Allie, honey,” Key said, her voice full of joy, “thank you for saving our boy.”
Allie cast him a look. “I’m glad I could be there.”
The rusty chuckle was pure Key. “Cam’s glad you were too. I know he’s told you a little about us, but I’m Keyshawna. And not to be indelicate, but Cam says you dream true?”
Dream true. He’d forgotten that was how Key referred to it.
Allie nodded then blurted, “Yes,” as if only then remembering that Key couldn’t see her. “Mine are from a goddess. Morrigan.”
That was new. Cam stared at Allie.
“Mine are from a goddess too,” Key said. “Sekhmet.”
Allie sat down. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“No, it cannot,” Key said, sounding stronger and more alive even through the crackling radio. “Tell me more.”
As the two women compared notes, talking rapidly in a kind of shorthand Cam didn’t quite understand, he began to feel lightheaded.
A goddess? Goddesses? Why hadn’t Key told him before?
Why hadn’t Allie? It wasn’t fair to get irritated at Allie, but he would absolutely give his mother some crap over it when they met up again, after he hugged the hell out of her.
Before the zombies, he wouldn’t have believed anyone who’d told him about prophetic dreams. Or that they were communicating with goddesses.
Even after everything he’d seen in the past year and a half, he couldn’t quite wrap his brain around that one.
Religion had never been a part of his worldview, for various reasons. He’d never believed in God.
Now it seemed some goddesses he’d never heard of believed in him and the people he loved. Why did that make him feel chilled, like he was experiencing a twinge of Z-terror all over?
Allie motioned to him, getting his attention. She began to describe her dream from the night before. Cam had told Key it might take days for the horde to pass overhead, but apparently, they were in for a week of waiting.
“Then,” Allie said, “we’re supposed to travel to you, heading northwest. Morrigan showed me that the horde is still moving east but veering south.”
That meant really bad news for folks in Kentucky and Tennessee, but there was little to nothing he and Allie could do about it except get out the warning via the radios.
“I’ll bet others are getting dream warnings too,” Key said, “but we’ll sound the alarm regardless.
And we can hang in for a week, especially if you can bring us some provisions.
” She sounded resigned but hopeful. “Gray’s still in the middle of harvesting, so we were planning to be here for a few more days. You remember the spot, Cam?”
“Yup.” He looked at Allie. “It’s about as far southeast as we go, a grower’s place for weed and mushrooms of all kinds. It’s where we found Gray back in the early days, and he goes back to restock his supplies for trade and medicinal purposes. People are generally happy to see us.”
Allie chuckled. “In this world, I bet they are.”
“We’ve got enough here for a week, especially if Ripper and Jessie can hunt and scavenge to stretch our supplies,” Key said. “But we’ll be running lean by the time you can get here.”
Allie nodded. “According to Morrigan, we should have no problems making it, and the bunker is well stocked. We’ll bring food.”
“That’s good,” Key said. “And, girl, do I have more questions for you.”
Allie laughed a little shakily then glanced up at Cam. “Same,” she said. “I’ll answer everything I can.”
“Cam, honey.” Key’s voice went a little sharper. “Y’all got everything you’ll need for the trip?”
Cam looked at Allie. “What all have we got here? We can make a list with Key to see what they need.”
The next few minutes were all inventory and planning, with Key and Allie going back and forth and Cam writing out the list and interjecting as needed, torn between pride at how well Key and Allie were clicking and wishing Allie had trusted him enough to tell him about her goddess.
She’d trusted Key, though, and he was grateful for that.
“Let’s check back in tomorrow,” Key said. “We need to save power.”
“You bet,” Cam said. “Tell everyone I’ll see them soon. Tell Odette...” He paused, a wave of homesickness passing over him at the thought of the other woman who’d raised him. “Dile que la amo.”
“I’ll tell her, baby. If your mamá doesn’t kill me for talking to you without her, that is.” Key laughed. “Hell, half of us are about to commit murder to get more time on the one comfortable bed in this place. We’re taking turns.”
Cam laughed. Looking at Allie, he couldn’t resist trying to tease out a smile. “We’ve... ah, only got one bed here too. Well, one dry bed.”
Key’s rusty chuckle came through again. “Hmm. I hope that’s working out for you.”
Allie gasped out a shocked giggle, her cheeks going pink.
Cam grinned. “So far, so good.”
“So long as you’re being safe. Remember, son, ‘Captain Condom says to wrap that rascal.’”
Now it was his turn to flush. “Right, yes. Thanks, Key. Over and out.”
He turned off the radio, and he and Allie regarded each other with bemused stares.
“Captain Condom?” she finally managed.
Cam groaned. “Key volunteered at Planned Parenthood, like, my entire teenage life and came up with this awful condom superhero. They rejected the idea, but she got T-shirts made for us all anyway.”
They laughed together in the quiet. Without Key’s voice there with them, the bunker seemed strangely empty.
Cam stood and went to Allie. “Morrigan, huh?”
“I wasn’t sure how to tell you.” Her mouth compressed into a line of pain. “The last time I tried to convince someone that she was sending me dreams, that I could... well, see things in my dreams...”
“It went badly.”
Allie swallowed, her eyes haunted. “Very badly.”
Instead of clenching his fists with the rage coursing through him or demanding to know what had happened, Cam opened his arms, willing her to trust him, to know and understand that he believed her.
The second or two that she hesitated threatened to break his heart before she finally took that step and slid her arms around his waist. He folded her against him, doing his best to show her that she was safe with him.
Eventually, she said, her voice muffled against his chest, “I want to tell you. Everything.”
Relief swamped him. “I want to hear it. But right now, let’s stay here a minute.”
He could have sworn he felt her smile even through his T-shirt.
“Okay.”
When she kissed his shoulder through the fabric, he nuzzled her neck and held her close.
One week together in safety before they had to head out into the unknown. He fought a brief, bitter wave of panic. They were going to make the most of it.