Darkness Fades (Darkness Falls Series, Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

but
I can’t see anything. I whirl in the other direction and hear the
thump again. It’s coming from the side of me, down in one of the
crevices in the rock.
    I carefully make my way over to the edge,
keeping my senses on high alert. I can smell and taste the dirt,
feel the heat of the air, feel my hyperawareness as I peer down
into the crevice just over the edge.
    The gap is rather deep and burrows down into
the rock, but I can see movement in its shadows.
    Thump…Thump... Thump… Thump.
    The rhythm is steady and strong; I’m almost
positive it’s human. “Whoever you are, show yourself,” I yell, my
voice echoing down into the gap in the rock
    Fear is radiating off them—I can feel it—and
it makes me less afraid, if that makes any sense. I get down on my
stomach and stick my head into the gap. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt
you.”
    A girl’s voice answers me, “How do I know
that you aren’t a monster trying to trick me?”
    “If I was a monster, I’d be down in the
shadows with you,” I say, trying not to roll my eyes. “Not out in
the sun. I wouldn’t be talking to you, either.” I scoot closer to
the edge to try and get a better view of her.
    “You have a point,” she yells up to me.
Rocks tumble down the hole as a figure starts to climb up the side
through the shadows.
    When she reaches the top, I grab her hand
and pull her out of the hole. Standing up, I hoist her to her feet
and out into the sun.
    She’s taller than me, although she’s about
my age. Her skin is tanner than mine and her hair is black and
coiled into small strands that hang down from her head. She’s
wearing a dark shirt and pants, carrying a small pack on her back.
Plus, in her hand is a sharp dagger, and when she gets her footing,
she aims the tip at my throat.
    “You lied. You’re not human,” she says
warily. Her hand holding the dagger trembles. “What are you? And
how do I know I can trust you?”
    “You’re right. I’m not human, but I’m not a
vampire, either,” I tell her, stepping away from the tip of the
knife, even though I doubt she’s going to use it on me. “But I did
come from The Colony… there’s actually more of us around.” I pause,
assessing her over. “Did you get thrown out of The Colony in The
Gathering or have you been out for a while.”
    She doesn’t answer; instead she studies me
over for a moment. Then she relaxes as she lowers the dagger and
puts it into the bag. “Sorry about that, but you can never be too
careful.” She pauses. “My name is Nichelle.”
    I don’t give her my name. I’m too cautious
of her. “You didn’t answer my question. Did you just get sent up
from The Colony?”
    Her forehead creases. “No... I came from a
town off in the distance.” She points over her shoulder at the
hills and desert behind her.
    “A town? What? You mean another colony?” I
have no idea what she’s talking about. A town? Maybe she’s
insane.
    She nonchalantly shrugs. “Town, Colony, I
think they mean the same thing.”
    My jaw drops in shock because I can tell
she’s not lying—feeling she’s telling the truth—which means Sylas
was right; there are other colonies. How many are there? And how
can they survive out in this wasteland?
    “Hey, are you all right?” Nichelle asks,
inching closer to me and snapping me out of my stupor.
    “I’m fine,” I tell her, but I’m still in
shock. All this time there were other colonies. Are they better
than the one I lived in? Are there rules? “I just didn’t realize
that there were others besides us.”
    “It’s hard to believe, huh?” She smiles and
I’m not sure how to react to her cheerful demeanor. “The members of
The Colony forget that there is a whole world out here with people
and everything.”
    I’m silent for a while because I’m not sure
what to say. This is so crazy. More colonies all this time and what
if they’re better? I open my mouth to say… well, something, but
thunder suddenly claps as lightening