Niko Page 5

  Chapter 3

  She lay on a white bed, in a white room, with white lights shining down upon her. She squinted against the glare. The only time Niko had ever been in a room this bright was the time the free clinic had passed through, the only thing free the government allowed to trickle out of the city.

  “Is this a clinic?” She asked the two people standing at the foot of the bed.

  “Told ya.” The doctor said – at least she assumed he was a doctor from the coat he wore. He looked only a few years older than her, with dark tightly curled brown hair cut close to his scalp, golden skin and a wide flat nose like a lion. He turned to his companion. “Like I said before, a Southern Appendectomy.”

  His companion gave a slight shudder of distaste. “That’s barbaric.”

  Then, seeming to remember that Niko was awake and asking questions, she offered Niko a beautiful smile. “This isn’t a clinic,” she said. “We’re much better than a clinic.” She smiled again. Not only was her smile beautiful but also everything about her, from her smooth chocolate brown skin, big eyes and shiny black hair pulled back in a long ponytail.

  “I’m Arianne Banerjee,” She pointed a hand to herself. “And this gentleman is Benjamin King, he’s a doctor.”

  “I saved your life,” Ben said proudly.

  Arianne rolled her eyes. “He was the one you clocked on the head,” she said helpfully. “Rest assured, he probably deserved it.”

  Niko rubbed her eyes, she barely remembered hitting him. All she could remember was the house burning and her brothers trapped inside with the Slithers. Her chest ached.

  “Where’s Jared?” She asked. “He came out with me. Is he okay?”

  Ben and Arianne gave each other a quick glance and a whole conversation happened in less than two seconds.

  “This may be a bit difficult to hear.” Ben said in his kindest, gentlest voice. “You were the only one to make it out of that fire alive. No one else was with you.”

  Niko shook her head vigorously. “My brother was there, he was right behind me.” Her voice cracked. “I remember.”

  Arianne pressed her lips together in sympathy. Niko looked away. “He was right there ...”

  Ben came around the side of the bed. “More than likely it was a hallucination. You had inhaled so much smoke, it was probably your mind’s attempt to save your life.”

  It wasn’t a hallucination, it was real. They had her brother and for some reason they wouldn’t let her see him.

  “Not to worry,” he said, pointing to a tray holding water and a small paper cup. “Just take two of these with a glass of water and everything should be fine.”

  She looked at the oval shaped pills then back at him as he smiled and looked oh-so-helpful. Except when it came to finding her brother. Niko swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet. But her legs could barely support her and she staggered forward. Ben caught her before she could fall to the floor, her paper gown tearing slightly under his grip.

  She clung to his neck. Her body trembled and when she tilted her head back to gaze up at him she found his face inches from hers. He nervously licked his lips when neither of them moved, a darting flash of pink.

  She gazed into his eyes, searching for the truth there. One of them flickered, one iris changing from brown to fluorescent green and back again. It was very brief, but in the short moment his eyes were mismatched. Like a Slither.

  Her heart pounded and she tried not to let the fear show. She placed a hand on either side of his head and brought his face toward hers.

  She kissed him and he made a pleased sound when she took in his tongue.

  Her fingers lightly traversed the contours of his face until her thumbs discovered the soft mounds of his closed eyelids. She dug in.

  He screamed as she attempted to gouge out his eyeballs. He stumbled back, but she was still clinging to him, and they both crashed to the ground.

  “WHERE’S MY BROTHER!” She shouted at him as he tugged uselessly at her hands. She pinned one arm with her knee and bore down even harder, his eyes sinking under the pressure. She would only stop when she heard the satisfying pop of his Slither eyes. “Tell me how to find my brother!”

  A shadow loomed behind her.

  “Sorry about this,” Arianne said with no hint of apology in her voice.

  Niko felt something prick her neck and she collapsed, the world instantly turning dark.