“Going to be okay,” a soft voice whispered.

Helen?

My eyelids popped open. I sprawled on the floor of the tunnel, slayers in motion all around me.

I heard Jaclyn. “—says there’s a guy out there, south side of property, and he’s not a zombie.”

“Spy?” Bronx and Frosty asked in unison.

“Let’s find out,” Cole said, ice-cold with determination.

He wasn’t worried about me anymore, wasn’t hovering; must mean I was going to be okay.

“I’ll help.” River buzzed past me, practically shoving Frosty out of the way to climb the ladder.

I managed to lumber upright—and did, in fact, catch sight of Helen. She sat next to me, her color waxen, her image fading.

“Going to be okay,” she repeated. “I took care of the problem.”

She’d sealed the leak in my spirit and given me strength the same way she’d given me her ability, hadn’t she? By sacrificing her own.

She offered me a small smile before vanishing altogether.

Chapter 17

I’M STILL DIGESTING

YOUR FRIENDS

“Ali. Good. You’re up.” Bronx motioned me over. “Gavin could use some help.”

Yes, he most certainly could. He’d been bitten, his neck a mess of blood, meat and black ooze.

I pushed to my feet without any problem and rushed to his side. Along the way, spirit and body separated. The moment I reached him I was able to press both hands inside Gavin’s wound. For once, I didn’t have to tell myself to light up. The fire came of its own accord. Was this thanks to Helen, too?

My heart squeezed. I desperately wanted to speak with her.

Gavin jolted up and would have punched me, I’m sure—he wasn’t in his right mind—if Bronx hadn’t grabbed him and shoved down. As the flames moved through him, he spewed the darkest curses I’d ever heard. Some were quite inventive, suggesting I have sex with a few of my weapons. In any other situation, I would have laughed.

Camilla stood back, watching me with wide eyes. “The things you do...I don’t understand.”

And I wasn’t going to explain.

I kept my attention on Gavin. The wound began to close right before my eyes. By the time two Alis became one, the skin had already woven back together. That quickly?

Why such a change?

Jaclyn held out a hand, intending to help Gavin stand.

He scowled up at her, even slapped her hand away. “You came out of the tunnel against orders!”

“Because you needed help.”

“You let yourself be cornered by zombies,” he continued, unfazed by her outburst. “I came over to assist you, and you decided to use me as a human shield. What’s worse, you would have left me there to die if they hadn’t cornered you again. So accept your help now, Bambi? No.” He stood on his own.

Bambi. Cute and insulting at the same time.

“I didn’t mean... It was an accident...and when I realized you were down, I fought my way toward you.”

He dismissed her words as unimportant and stepped into his body.

“Please,” she said, again holding out her hand, intending to clasp his. “You have to believe me.”

His gaze raked over her, somehow more scathing than a rebuke, and she dropped her arm. “I don’t have to do anything. I don’t even have to like you. Proof—I never fantasize about doing you, and I fantasize about doing everyone. You’re too flat-chested for me.”

Okay. Enough. “Gavin,” I snapped.

“What?” he asked, as if he hadn’t a clue about what he’d done wrong.

Had he not realized how fragile Jaclyn was? For months, she’d worn a little-girl-lost air like a second skin.

“At least my balls are bigger than yours,” she sneered, shocking me.

O-kay. Not so lost anymore.

“You sure about that?” Gavin sneered right back, and I couldn’t be sure, but it kind of looked like he was fighting a...smile? “Take off your pants and show me.”

“The only way I’ll ever take off my pants in your presence is to use the material to choke you to death.”

“Children, please.” Bronx clapped his hands. “Your verbal foreplay isn’t fun for the rest of us.”

Jaclyn flipped him off.

Gavin shrugged, his gaze remaining on the object of his anger...lust?

“Maybe we should go back to the house,” I said. Tempers were too high to wait patiently for Cole, River and Frosty to return. More important, we needed to be checked out by Mr. Ankh.

“Good idea. Move it,” Bronx commanded.

As everyone marched down the tunnel, I glanced back at Cole’s motionless form. I hated to leave it behind. Get everyone situated, go back.

Kat launched into my arms the moment I slipped through the door. “You survived! As if there was any doubt. Butterflies don’t stand a chance against the Ali-nator. But where’s Frosty? He’s okay, right?” She pulled back to shake me. “Tell me he’s okay.”

“He’s better than okay. He’s tying up loose ends.” Truth, without admitting he was on the hunt for a possible spy.

She beamed. “That’s my boy.”

“Ali. This way.” Mr. Ankh escorted me to a gurney and tested my vitals.

Meanwhile, Reeve stepped into Bronx’s open arms, and Juliana pulled Veronica aside to whisper something in her ear.

“What’s this I hear about your spirit not being able to join your body?” Mr. Ankh asked.