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

"You're gonna shoot me, Siren?" Trenton asked, a smile spreading so wide across his face it looked like it was going to split it in two.

I grimaced. "If you give me no other choice."

He giggled again, staring up at the sky and then at me when he spoke. "Oh if only you weren't so messed up. If only you didn't chose them over me."

His voice quickly went from dreamy to cold and angry. I pursed my lips, my hand tightening on the body of my weapon. Felix had taken hold of Dimitri so that he wouldn't fall over, and now they were standing behind me, waiting for me to pull the trigger and kill my once best friend. The sick, sad part of it was: I didn't think I could do it. And honestly, I didn’t want to do it. Even though Trenton was ready to rid the world of us and go on his merry way, I wasn't sure I could do the same.

I had to grow up in this world. I had to mature at an early age and learn to survive on my own. I had to watch so many people I love die. I had to watch so many of those I cared about become one of the undead. Someone I had just started caring about, someone who I thought was the epitome of hope and survival in this world, was now dying before my very eyes. There was nothing I could do about it.

But there was something I could do about Trenton. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his caring nature for his group and for his own life. Selflessness is a wonderful thing, and it's something he gained when he became Isabella's second in command. However, self-preservation was something he lost in doing so. Trenton was someone well liked and loved in his group that he had grown up with. And then he had turned into something ugly, something vicious. A person without a soul.

Trenton became incapable of loving. Incapable of feeling anything other than the need to protect and survive. And when whatever happened to the group did happen, he lost his need to protect. The need for survival took over, and it seemed that was all he had been feeling for a while now. Whether he was looking for me or not, I'll never know. What happened to the group, I will most likely never know unless I ask Dimitri. I never wanted things to end this way.

"I'm sorry, Trenton." I said quietly, and pulled the trigger.

Red is such an ugly color. And yet, so beautiful. I used to think it was the color of death and violence. Obviously the color of blood, and anger. Though now I realize that red isn't just somber and full of death, but alight and full of life. Rebirth and rejuvenation.

I watched the trail of red on the road grow as Felix dragged Trenton's body to the side. I saw as blood trickled from Dimitri's bitten leg. He hadn't stopped bleeding since yesterday. Felix said:

"As long as he's bleeding, he's still alive. Pay close attention to the color of his blood, Sirenia. When it turns black, then our time has run out."

Even though Prophets possessed unworldly abilities, they had the same resilience to the Plague as anyone else. Except for Madrassa, who was virtually immune to any illness.

I helped Dimitri into the backseat of the car and sat down next to him. Felix instructed me into the passenger side, but I refused. When he objected, I hissed under my breath. "If he's going to die, I want to be with him for it."

Felix didn't argue further, and just started up the car and picked up driving where he had left off. Dimitri laid against my shoulder, all of his weight pressed into my side. Which wasn't much, considering the infection running rampant through his body.  He took a breath, coughed, and looked up at me. Even though he was sick, I was still shocked by the vibrancy of his eyes, now bright green. Dimitri sighed.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It's stayed pretty consistent. No better; no worse."

I nodded, leaning back in the seat. Staying the same was a better alternative than getting worse. At least he had that.

"We're only a few minutes away from the Haven." Felix informed from the front seat before turning back to the road.

I felt Dimitri grab my hand and squeeze it. I squeezed back gently, managing a small smile. I wanted him to live. I wanted him to see the end of the Plague if there was one at all. Out of all the people in this world, he deserved to see the cure the most. Not Terese, not Trenton, not even Felix or Isabella.

"Welcome home." Felix announced.

I looked up to see the giant gray wall surrounding the Haven. I sighed in relief, Dimitri squeezed my hand even tighter. Maybe now we could finally get some help. 

"I'm so excited to finally meet you, Sirenia!" Madrassa bounced on the balls of her feet, smiling broadly.

I laughed, a bit taken off guard. "You too, Madrassa."

The little girl stopped bouncing and wrinkled her nose, giving a mute shake of the head. "Call me Maddie! Not Madrassa."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Felix just-"

"That's what Felix calls me." She interrupted, rolling her eyes. "But he's the only one who's allowed to use my full name."

I nodded. "Gotcha. Well, then you call me Siren."

Maddie giggled. "But why? Sirenia is such a pretty name! I wish I was named Sirenia."

I pursed my lips, conceding. "Whatever you prefer."

The girl beamed at me. "Yay!"

As Maddie took me by the hand and led me back to the Infirmary they had at the Haven, I couldn't help but wonder if the timid little Maddie I had saved back in Isabella's group was still alive. Odds are she wasn’t, but I swallowed back the lump in my throat, not allowing myself to think that way. I knew there really was no point in questioning Dimitri's predictions as Felix had told me a few hours ago. But one could still hope, even if that was all that's left anymore.

The Haven's Infirmary I'm told was once a real hospital, not just a makeshift one when the Plague hit. The beds have been mended and with the generators they have, they even manage to get some of the machines up and running almost to their old prime. The Haven's main power source is solar as Felix explained, but they do have generators powered by gas when they are able to find some. The generators are only to be used for emergency facilities such as the hospital.

Maddie had already had one healing session with Dimitri the minute we arrived. Infected cases were the most important, and the little healer was brought to those people as soon as they made it to the Haven. I had naturally forgotten where Dimitri's room was where they were keeping him in the Infirmary, and Maddie had a crystal clear memory. On the way, she told me all she knew about me.

"I've heard you can throw fire. Real, live, fire. Is that true? Can you really? Why don’t get burned? And is it true that you can make fire all on your own? With no matches or anything?"

The questions from her kept coming, and I didn't even have a chance to answer one before she was asking me another. When we got to the Haven, Felix had picked up Dimitri and sprinted to the Infirmary, leaving me to huff and puff behind them. Maddie hadn't met me until now, and hadn't gotten a chance to ask any of her extensive questions. I was silently cursing Felix for spreading the word about me throughout the Haven.

"Yes, yes, I honestly don't know, yes, and yes." I answered with little more than one word. I wasn't trying to be rude, but I didn't actually have many answers to give her.

Maddie stopped walking at a random room and pouted. I must've disappointed her in some way. I was about to say something, apologize for my lack of knowledge, when Felix came out of the hospital room Maddie had paused in front of. He placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled.

"Now, now, Madrassa. Let Sirenia be. She's been through a lot." He chastised.

I was nearly knocked off my feet. Felix never defended me, and this time he was averting the attention from me. Another thing I never thought he would do. The little girl's pout deepened and she crossed her arms.

"C'mon Felix, you've told us all so much about her and now that I can finally ask her questions you won't let me?!" She asked incredulously.

Felix smiled kindly and got down on Maddie's level. "Later. For now, why don't we let her see her friend?"

At the mention of Dimitri, Maddie clapped and nodded in delight. "He's due for another session."

Felix stood and took her hand, leading her into Dimitri's room. When he noticed I wasn't following, he looked over his shoulder and chuckled. "Come along, Sirenia."

Inside the hospital room was a large machine I recognized as an old heart monitor, registering a steady beat in time with Dimitri's heart. Dimitri himself lied on a patched hospital bed, a wrap around his bicep connecting him to the heart monitor. Since his first session with Maddie, already I could see improvement. His cheeks had filled in and he was beginning to gain some weight back, his muscle returning also. He seemed almost back to normal. Felix had warned me that it would take a day or two until he was fully back to his old self, but already seeing all the little healer could do had set aside my worries.

Maddie strolled over to Dimitri, who's eyes were closed and fluttered open at the sound of her footsteps. His gaze travelled wildly around the room, going from Maddie, to Felix, and finally resting on me. His eyes were