face, a baby in a basket floating down a stream underneath the compounds gate, being chased by slagpaw, the long teeth and bloody claws. Finally I jerked awake, out of breath.
I got up for a glass of water, my bare feet against the cold cement in the darkness. The kitchen and cafeteria was next to the dining area; what used to called the Food Court, according to the faded signs. We didn’t have enough electricity to power all of the appliances, but the knives were mostly still sharp and there were all kinds of plastic dishes and utensils.
Past the mess hall, the main hall of the shopping area was like an underground street, lined with shops – the rebels had filled the middle section with a garden, fruit trees, and flower beds. The effect was calming, even in the dark, and the air was rich and soothing.
Kids had drawn pictures on the smooth tiles in colored chalk. I picked up a piece and added a row of stars. I’d never seen them, but I knew their shape. I’d taught Loralie how to draw them a few years ago.
I took deep breaths until I felt my heart rate calm down. Then I decided to check on Penelope. I tried to convince myself I wasn’t just craving elixir; that I’d never feed on her blood without permission. Jacob had collected the unused elixir after the last mission, but I wished I’d kept some for myself.
The hallway was empty this time as I crept into the garage and lifted the door to the armored truck. Something moved in the darkness and I blinked. The shadows looked different this time, and that’s when I realized someone else was here, blocking my view. The dark figure was bent over Penelope, holding her wrist against their mouth. Her long, pale limbs twitched, and her eyelids fluttered as she drifted near consciousness.
I gasped as Camina spun around, her silver eyes wild, blood dripping down her chin. She growled at me like a dog whose meal had been interrupted. I stumbled backwards, falling out of the truck and banging my tailbone painfully on the concrete.
9
The next morning I missed breakfast. I’d run out of the garage after discovering Camina’s midnight snack, unwilling to confront her in the moment, and struggling to process what I’d seen. Part of me thought it was just another terrible dream. But now in the light of day, I knew it was real, and that I had to put a stop to it. I wondered how long she’d been feeding from Penelope. No wonder she always seemed so calm and put together, so energetic in the mornings.
Unlike me. I was tired and sore, even after getting a full night’s rest. Today I felt especially drained, because I didn’t know what to do about Camina. I knew I should tell someone, but we were already on thin ice as guests here. We didn’t truly belong, like the other rebels and outcasts who had grown up outside the compound system. To be harboring an elite was bad enough; to also have a chosen that was feeding off of her... it was too complicated for most people to understand. I barely understood it, or at least, I wish I couldn’t.
The truth was, I’d had cravings like this before, with Damien. Once I started getting a steady dose of elixir, I could smell it whenever I was around an elite. I wanted him, but the attraction was confusing. I didn’t know how much of it was me, and how much was the thirst.
I headed down to the canteen. Most of the inhabitants were already doing chores or fulfilling various roles, so it was mostly empty. I poured a glass of hot water and mixed it with powdered burdock root. It wasn’t exactly coffee, but the dark bitterness was comforting.
I found Jazmine playing cards with a few of the younger men in the compound, with a sizable pile of contraband in front of her. Two of the guys weren’t wearing shirts, and one was pantless.
“Strip poker?” I asked. “What did you bet?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she smirked. “I won’t lose.”
“Have you seen Camina?”
“Yeah I think she went for a run.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Laps, around the top floor.”
I headed up the metal stairs, stepping over the twisted roots. The mall was built in rings, with an open central space, and curving platforms on each level. A portion of the two top layers had collapsed into each other, so they were mostly used