Smolder by Abigail Livinghouse (best young adult book series TXT) 📕

 "You've been there before?"

 "Just left actually. I came with Felix. Not sure of his full name though." I said with a shrug. It didn't matter if I gave out Felix's name or not. He was a big boy and he could take care of himself. Not to mention his powers or whatever. Something dawned on Dimitri's face, and he seemed to look at me in a new light. Perhaps not a flattering one though, for his expression was stern if not a bit judgmental.

 "You're Sirenia? Felix mentioned you before. That explains the fire." He said, and we both looked down at the burned corpses. I laughed a bit, hoping to break the tension he had just formed.

 "Yeah. Sorry if that alarmed you, I thought you were dead." It sounded insensitive, but it was true. So much for breaking the tension.

 He waved a hand to dismiss it. "No problem. Where I come from in the Haven, we were taught to fight the dead like it was a sport. We learned how to survive quickly after the Plague hit. I'm sent out as someone who performs errands. I gather medicine and food whenever needed. Pregnant women on the inside need the meat and vegetables, so I went out."

 "It's some place you got." I said. I hoped I sounded emotionless, but it came out accusing instead.

 Dimitri's expression darkened for just a moment. He tried to conceal it by smiling, but it didn't touch his eyes. One thing though his teeth were as white as Felix's. Did everyone in the Haven have white teeth or something?

 "Yeah it's definitely something." The tone of his voice suggested that there was something deeper going on in the Haven other than just a civilization trying to thrive. He cleared his throat, readjusting his bag.

 "Well, if you want I'll help you look for your group. I do owe you a favor." He offered.

 Foolish to take a stranger along with you? Or foolish not to? Was the real question here. Dimitri seemed to have a decent amount of weapons with him. I was lacking a gun because I had been dumb enough not to bring it along with me when I fled the hospital. He was able to handle himself with a herd of Half Deads, and perhaps if he wasn't too tightlipped then he could give me some more info about this Haven place.

 "Okay." I agreed.

"How long have you been traveling with this group of yours?" Dimitri made conversation while we walked. I didn't mind, just hoped that he wouldn't ask me anything that would be too difficult to answer.

 "A few weeks. I was accustomed to travelling alone but complications arose." I said vaguely.

  He nodded and didn't ask for any more of an explanation. "Who's the leader? The Haven has contacts with all groups in the neighboring area. Perhaps we know them."

 I shook my head. "No. They're not from around here."

 Even though I wasn't sure what my status was regarding Isabella's group, I wasn't about to give her away. I knew better than that. Dimitri didn't push to know more, which I was thankful for. We had only been walking a few minutes before we came to the intersection of shopping malls, convenient stores, and the hospital.

 "It's there." I said, examining the area.

It didn't look too much different. Manny's body had been taken away from the entry. I wasn't sure if they had buried him, or if he had been eaten by something else. His blood was dried and caked on the pavement outside. There was no one posted outside as watch. Which worried me. Had they done that to take extra precaution prior to Manny's death? Or was the quiet calm a sign that they were in fact gone?

 I ran for the hospital, not even bothering to look and see if Dimitri was following or not. When I got inside and bounded up the stairs I did hear footsteps behind me.

 "I take it no one outside is a bad sign." Dimitri commented almost sarcastically. I could've spun around and punched him in the face right then for the snarky remark, but I didn't. I just kept moving up the first flight, then the second, until I was on the third floor.

 I was met with the barrel of a pistol pointed at my nose. I threw my hands up immediately, and Dimitri who rounded the stairs next to me stood still by my side.

 Nathan's sneering face was directed at Dimitri when he ordered. "Drop your weapons and put your hands up!"

 I wasn't sure if this went for the both of us. The idea of being weaponless with a gun pointed at your face wasn't too appealing to me, and I had a feeling Dimitri felt the same. He hadn't raised his hands or made any attempt to discard his weapons. He stood calm with his hands in his pockets and even leaned against the doorway of the stairwell.

 "With all due respect sir we have done you no harm and presented no threat. We didn't come here for trouble. In fact, is she not one of your own?" Dimitri said coolly.

 Nathan's gray eyes narrowed at what he had said, but other than that his expression didn't change. I realized with a shuddering of fear and wonder that he had not looked at me.

 "Don't know her. Don’t' try to pass her on us neither, she's your problem now." He said nastily.

 A punch of betrayal and sadness hit me in the gut. It wasn't unexpected of Nathan to do this. He had never taken a liking to me. He had even seemed to hate me at some point. I felt he considered me extra baggage for the group. But to completely refuse me when I returned? Just because it was unexpected didn't mean that it didn't sting.

 Dimitri didn't look at me in surprise or contradict what I had told him. His eyes stayed locked on Nathan's face, completely emotionless.

 "There must be some mistake then. Are you the only group here? Perhaps is there a leader that we could speak with?" As soon as he had finished his request, Trenton burst out of one of the rooms down the hall and came running towards us. 

 "Siren?" He asked in breathless dismay once he reached Nathan.

 Trenton was a complete mess. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were dirty and bloody, and he also clutched a gun in his hand. His blue eyes were dull, but lit up once he saw it was me. Then seconds later, they began to dim again.

 "You came back." He said as if he couldn't believe it.

 "Of course I did." I said. I hoped I sounded strong and steady, even though I could feel my knees about ready to buckle under me.

 "I wouldn't leave you like that." I whispered.

 Trenton's hard expression broke apart in a full blown smile and not caring that a gun was still pointed in my face and that he was stepping in the line of fire, he hugged me.

 He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me to his chest, burying his face in my hair. I sighed, feeling my throat tighten as my eyes pricked with tears. No. I was not going to cry. Not for me, not for Trenton, not for anyone. The last time I had cried was when my sister died. I wasn't planning on crying again anytime soon.

 When Trenton pulled back but kept his hands on my shoulders his eyes were bright and watery. Oh god . . . he better not start crying.

 "I-I don't know what to say or where to start. Are you alright? Where were you? You have blood all over you. Who's", his gaze went from assessing me to Dimitri and instantly became accusing. He released me and got in front of the guy, the butt of his gun shoved in Dimitri's stomach.

 "Are you responsible for the state she's in?" Trenton growled in his face. He pressed the weapon deeper into Dimitri's gut, who simply watched him in stoic silence.

 "Trenton stop, he's done nothing!" I yelled in Dimitri's defense.

 "If you've hurt her I swear I'll kill you." Trenton threatened as he readied his finger on the trigger.

 "Stop!" I screamed.

 "If you don't all stop I'll blow your brains out!" Nathan shouted above all of us.

 Trenton paused, looking at me and seeming to fully assess the situation for the first time. Thankfully, he withdrew his weapon and stood there waiting for Nathan to do the same. Which he didn't.

 "I didn't approve of this bitch joining us in the first place and you knew that. I tried to convince you otherwise but you wouldn't listen. She's more trouble than she's worth, and I'm going to put an end to this once and for all." With his gun at the ready, Nathan pointed it right at my head.

 "Put your fucking weapon down!" Trenton shouted, inches away from Nathan's face. Nathan ignored him.

 "Nathan, if we could just calmly talk-" I began.

 "I'm through talking!" He shouted, cocking his weapon in a gesture for silence. It worked.

 "You won't leave us alone any other way. Trenton needs to get over you to begin with. Once he gets over your death, things will all be back to normal. " Nathan said calmly, and pulled the trigger.

 I heard Trenton yell in outrage. I didn't feel any pain. At first I wondered if his shot had hit me. Examining Nathan, his expression was wide eyed and shocked. Without warning, he fell face first onto the ground. I jumped back as he hit the cracked linoleum. Blood pooled from a wound in his back.

 I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Looking closer though I understood. Nathan's gun wasn't smoking. Examining the weapons from the rest of us, Dimitri's was.

 I gaped as did Trenton, at the new boy who had just killed one of our-well, who knows who Nathan was anymore.

 "You-"Trenton started but seemed at a loss for words.

 I wasn't sure what to say either. What could I say? I hadn't been this dumbfounded since . . . well yesterday I was guessing, when Felix brought me to the Haven.

 Dimitri holstered his gun and looked at the both of us. His eyes were void of all emotion, and he regarded our shock with the same calm as he had with speaking to Nathan.

 "He was going to kill her. I wasn't going to let him." He said simply.

 I wasn't sure whether to be grateful that I was still breathing, or angry and coming at Dimitri with my fire in outrage that he had killed Nathan. My flames were warming my palms, but not enough for harm. Truth be told, I just did not know what to do.

 Trenton on the other hand, did. 

He lunged at Dimitri, his gun pointed at Dimitri’s chest this time. Instead of calmly standing and watching as he had before, Dimitri reacted. He grabbed the neck of Trenton’s pistol, easily snatching it away from him. He tossed it behind his back and Trenton watched in horror as his weapon slid under a hospital cart too far away for him to reach.

I jumped in between the two boys, putting my hand on Trenton’s chest to keep him back. “Stop it!”

Clutching