Chapter 26

Evolution:

Dust stared out at the window of the old bus. He had wanted to come alone, but both Sammy and Josie had threatened him. Fear twisted his gut and he glanced over at where Sammy was sitting across from him. She turned her head to stare back at him, a faint smile curved her lips even though it didn't reach her eyes.

"You should have stayed," Dust muttered, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the sound of the engine.

"And you are beginning to sound like a broken record," Sammy replied, turning to look out of the window. "The storm clouds are building again."

"Yeah, I saw that," Dust said, sliding across to sit next to Sammy. "We'll pull up here," he called out to Josie.

"'Kay," Josie replied, pulling off the road onto the median. "So, is that the place?" Josie asked, turning off the engine of the bus.

"Yeah," Dust said, sliding out of the seat to stand up next to Josie. "Remember the plan."

"I know," Josie retorted. "You and Sammy keep the She Devil distracted while I sneak in and rescue Todd. I get him away, shoot up a fireball to let you know that we are clear while you two keep her distracted. Once Todd is hidden away, I come back and help you defeat the bitch while Sammy takes Todd and runs."

"Something like that," Dust retorted with a shake of his head and opened the door to the bus. "We'll drive slow to give you time to get there."

"Thanks. I just hope the storm holds off until this is over," Josie replied with a sigh.

"Me, too," Sammy said, pulling the strap of the sheath holding her arrows over her shoulder before she flipped the ponytail she had put her hair up into back out of the way. "Be safe, Josie."

Josie paused as she started down the steps. A wry smile curved her lips. She stared back at Sammy for a brief second before she shook her head and stared out the door.

"I'll bring little man back safe, don't you worry, Sammy," Josie replied in a soft voice before she disappeared out the door.

Dust and Sammy watched as Josie took off across the uneven ground at a steady jog. They waited in silence until she disappeared. Dust leaned forward and grabbed the lever for the door and closed it again.

"I hope the storm holds off," Sammy said softly, glancing up at the strange, swirling clouds. "I don't like the feel of this one. There's something weird about it."

"Yeah, I feel it, too," Dust muttered. "You'd better sit back down. The road isn't in too good of a shape once we turn off the main highway."

Dust started the bus and put it into gear. Releasing the brake, he gave the old bus enough gas to get it rolling. His gaze kept moving to the clouds. Sammy was right, there was just something weird about them today.

*.*.*

Josie breathed deeply to calm her pounding heart. Her gaze swept over the building. It looked more like a death trap. Large sections of the processing plant were lying like twisted skeletons on the ground, with long pieces of metal sticking upward.

She scanned the area thoroughly before she ran to the next section of debris. Dust had drawn a rough sketch of the interior of the processing plant from his vision last night. Josie just hoped it was accurate. If it was, Todd would be on the second floor in the main section where most of the windows were missing.

Jogging over to the side of the building, Josie glanced up to the second floor. She walked along the side, keeping a metal walkway between her and the windows just in case the creature decided to take a peek out. Her head turned when she heard the loud sound of the school bus and the flash of the headlights in the dim light of afternoon.

"Time to climb," she whispered, grabbing hold of a drainage pipe connected to the end.

She tested it before she began climbing. Her head turned when she heard the bus stop. From this angle, she could see Dust through the windshield. She paused until she saw him rise out of the seat. Gripping the metal railing of the walkway, Josie gingerly pressed her foot to it while still holding onto the pipe. Reassured that it would hold her weight, she nimbly climbed over the railing and pressed her back against the building.

"She Devil," Sammy yelled. "I want my brother back!"

Josie bit back a laugh. If that didn't get the bitch's attention, nothing would, she thought.

Peering through one of the broken windows, Josie decided it would be better to be inside than out on the walkway like a duck on the Duck Shoot at the local fair. She glanced inside and noted where the glass was before she climbed through the window.

Now, to find Todd, she thought as she moved through the first room.

*.*.*

Dust winced when Sammy yelled out. He knew it was part of the plan, but he suddenly wished they had thought of a better one. He definitely didn't like the fact that Sammy was standing out in the open.

Sammy stood with her feet apart, her bow gripped tightly in her left hand and an arrow in her right. The wind swirled around them, stirring up the dirt and sending icy chills from the wind down the collar of their jackets.

"She Devil!" Sammy yelled again. "You want me, you come and get me, but I want my brother first!"

Dust's gaze narrowed when the creature they were looking for stepped out of the shadows of the warehouse. She was dressed once again in a sheet the was wrapped around her like ancient tunic. A shiver ran through Dust when the creature's gaze moved down over Sammy with a slightly triumphant glare.

"Where's my brother?" Sammy demanded, threading the arrow and lifting it to aim at the She Devil.

The creature paused and tilted her head. Dust took a step closer to Sammy. His fists clenched in anticipation.

"I see why you enjoy him," the She Devil finally responded. "He is amusing."

"Where is he?" Sammy asked through clenched teeth. "If you've harmed on hair on him, I'll kill you."

A delicate laugh escaped the creature and she smiled, showing off her sharp teeth. "You have no powers, yet you threaten me. You are like the others of your species. You act fierce, but in reality you are weak. The men screamed and tried to fight me when I came to them, yet they were helpless."

"I'm the one you want," Dust said in a quiet voice. "Release the boy and let him and Sammy leave. This is between us. Leave them and the others alone."

The She Devil shook her head. "As long as she lives, you will never really be mine. You may go after the boy, but the girl is mine in return. Then, you will come to me," she stated with a wave of her hand.

Dust's shook his head. "I can't do that," he replied when he saw a brilliant flash of light in the sky behind the warehouse. He turned his gaze back to the She Devil. "Sammy, get out of here."

*.*.*

Sammy nodded and started backwards, keeping her gaze and the arrow on the She Devil. She had seen Josie's signal as well. The soft growl of the beast caused her to pause for a moment, but on only for a moment. She turned and ran for the bus when the warehouse behind the She Devil suddenly exploded into flames.

Rage flared in the creature's eyes and she snarled. Her face twisted, changing as her body shifted. The loose fitting tunic ripped as she continued to grow in size. Sammy watched in horror as the She Devil mutated into a far different beast from even the night before. Her legs lengthened and hair grew along her body. Her nose grew into a long muzzle and her sharp teeth became even longer.

"Oh my god," Sammy whispered as she slid into the driver's seat of the bus. Her fingers fumbled for the key. She turned it to the on position, waiting impatiently for the light to go out so she could start it. "Come on!"

A startled scream escaped her when the creature howled loudly. Sammy twisted the key and pressed on the gas. Gripping the shifter, she pulled it into reverse and pressed her foot down as far as she could. The She Devil had evolved again – this time into a werewolf.

*.*.*

Dust could feel the change sweeping over the She Devil. He felt his own body reacting to the danger. For a moment, it felt like he was trapped inside himself, struggling to get out. Saliva flooded his mouth and when he tried to swallow it, his tongue brushed against the back of his teeth. That wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that his canines felt strange, longer than normal.

His vision suddenly cleared and he swore it was sharper than before. He could see the pulsing vein in the She Devil's throat. The sound of her heart beat like a drum in his head. Dust backed up, staring through the doors of the burning building. He could see a figure emerge from it. Behind him, he could hear the grinding of the gears of the bus as Sammy sped away. All of this he was able to process within seconds.

"What's happening to us?" Dust choked out, staring at the large fur-coated beast in front of him.

The She Devil snarled at him. Dust felt sure that she would attack, but instead, she turned and headed straight for Josie. A dark rage hit Dust hard and he moved. One second he was behind the beast, the next he was in front, forcing the beast to fall back.

"Uh-oh," Josie whispered, the flames lighting her body up. "Dust?"

"This is between us, Josie," Dust growled, staring at the She Devil as she paced back and forth. "Go find Sammy and Todd. Make sure they get back to the gym safely."

"Okay," Josie muttered, eyeing Dust and the She Devil with wide, wary eyes. "Are you... Are you sure?"

"Get out of here, Josie," Dust snapped, his eyes blazing a dark red.

Dust turned, circling the She Devil when she snapped at Josie. A hiss escaped him when the She Devil lunged and snapped her teeth. He threw up his arm, blocking her from getting past him.

"I told you that this was between us now," Dust warned.

You should have joined me, the She Devil snarled. Now, we are mortal enemies. If you had joined me, we could have ruled the world.

"I never wanted to rule the world," Dust responded a quiet voice.

The power was ours, she growled.

"The power should be used to make this a better world," Dust argued, circling around the She Devil.

There are others like me, she hissed in anger. I wanted you to rule by my side. The two powers could have forged a greater one.

Dust paused and shook his head. "We have evolved, Daciana. What we make of our species will be up to us."

The She Devil slowly shifted, her face and body twisting and pulling back into itself as she became more human-like. She stared back at Dust with dark, distrustful eyes. Dust kept his gaze locked on her face, waiting for her response.

"You know that this is just the beginning, Dust. We will meet again," she stated more than asked.

"Yes, I know," Dust said, taking a step back.

"The female, she will not accept what you have become," Daciana sneered.

Dust hid the feelings of unease. He knew that Sammy might not accept him now. But, they were both still young. He would worry about her accepting him when they were older. Right now, they were still just learning how to survive.

"I won't let you kill other survivors," Dust warned. "I'll hunt you down if you do. I mean it."

Daciana flashed her teeth at him and stepped back. She rolled her shoulders before she glanced up at the strange, swirling clouds. Time would tell who would evolve to be the most powerful of the two new species – the Lycan or the....

"Until we meet again, Dust," Daciana chuckled. "It will be interesting to see how long you can resist killing your own kind. I might not have to."

Dust didn't say anything. He watched as Daciana shifted again. Her dark brown and black fur appeared to glow against the dying fire. Dust's gaze followed her as she took off at a run, disappearing into the growing darkness.

He stood there for a long, long time before he turned back in the direction of the gym. For a moment, he thought about what Daciana said. She was right. He wasn't sure how long it would be before his hunger made it impossible for him to resist turning on those that he cared about. Bowing his head, he breathed deeply as an agonizing pain washed through him. He couldn't go back. He would never risk endangering Sammy, Todd, or the others.

Looking up at the sky, he released a cry that shook the surrounding area. Already he could feel the need to hunt burning at him. The craving gnawing at his gut. Taking off at a run, he focused. Long wings formed behind him. This time, they were not made of sand, but from his very thoughts. He swept up into the sky, heading away from old gym and the only family he had.