Everybody gears up for the night, including myself, as I fill my gun with bullets and strap to my belt. I'm also clutching onto the dagger that Zarius has given me, knowing that it has been the most reliable weapon that's protecting me during the fights.

As night crawls closer, we sit by the wall, just people watching. Maddie is getting our precious Mia to sleep, whereas Jace and I are deep in chatter.

I nudge him lightly. "Scariest creature that you've encountered so far?"

A shudder runs through Jace. "The sirens," he gulps. "I never want to see them again. Ever. I don't need them to chase after me like a bunch of scary fangirls."

I don't know how our conversation got here, but I don't think we're in the right frame of mind to have a normal one. "Fair enough," I say. "They are in the top two for me as well. The other one is that I'm honestly terrified of water serpents. I don't like how they would wrap their tail around my body and limit my movements. Not being able to retaliate means you're as good as dead."

"Ugh." Jace pulls a grimace at the image I've created in his head. "I haven't seen those and I certainly hope I don't. Okay, next question. What kind of creature have you not encountered and you do not want to?"

This question is getting ridiculous, instilling greater fear within me. I think back to those mutated creatures I've met; imagining their red eyes, long claws, pointy teeth and big webbed feet. I'm suddenly reminded of a pack of orcas chasing after seals. In the animal documentaries that I've watched, the orcas hunt tactically. They swarm their prey, cut off their escape routes, and give them a powerful flip in the air to stun them. And just thinking about it draws shivers down my spine.

And if whatever has affected them is in the water as well, I can't imagine how much they would have grown by now.

"I don't want to see the orcas. I don't need them to toss me at least twenty feet up in the air."

Jace sounds even more depressed. "Is that what they normally do?" When I nod, he leans forward so that his gaze slips past me and lands on Zarius. "Hey there, Poseidon's descendant, do you have any extra magical trident that I could borrow to fight them with? "

I let out a short bark of laughter as Zarius's bright blue eyes appraise his half-comical words. To my surprise, he indulges in Jace's joke. "I can find one, but a trident only recognizes an owner with a merfolk tail. You will need to grow one."

"Damn."

Jace sinks in his seat, dramatic at that, and I can't help but to chuckle at their interaction. As I peer towards Zarius, realizing that he has gone back to being silent, I can tell that something perturbs him. He shifts uncomfortably, twisting his fingers, and scans the crowd of people in the cafeteria with narrowed eyes.

I draw myself closer towards him so that nobody else can hear our words. "What's wrong?"

He glances at me briefly before exhaling. "I dislike this," he murmurs. "The humans, how trapped we are in this room; everything. It is just a matter of time before we're discovered."

I fully agree with him. We're heavily outnumbered. Staying here forever is not a long-term solution. Our escape routes are limited. The metal shutters are down on each side of the cafeteria and the only exits are through the front of the room or the back of the kitchen. If the monsters come running through them both, we would be so dead.

A weary sigh escapes my lips. "I don't think we have much of a choice. The cafeteria is the only place that's big enough to house us all and the supplies. Or are you suggesting we should split up?"

"Maybe that would be for the best."

I consider for a minute, recalling the conversation that I had with Maddie earlier. "There's an old bomb shelter right beneath this school. We have to get through the basement to reach the door, but the creatures hiding from daylight occupy the route. The last time someone went down there, they got to him. It's not safe."

His brows furrow into a frown. "Bomb shelter?"

Oh, I forget he doesn't know what that is. "It's a structure that's built to protect people against bomb and other attacks. They have sturdier walls, but there's only one door."

"Or you and I could just leave," he suggests quietly. "This way, the human scent doesn't attach itself to us and we would no longer be their targets." When he sees me eyeing him with a disbelieving frown, he lets out a sigh. "But knowing you... That's not what you want."

I know the only reason he's enduring being stuck in a room full of humans is because of me. Honestly, he can snatch me up anytime and carry me away, but he hasn't done so, and that alone speaks volumes. "Right. You know I can't do that," I say with a weak smile. "My family and friends are here. Until we figure out how to survive, I'm not leaving them behind."

Zarius nods silently, respecting my decision. Mr. Daniels stands in the middle of the room, looks at his watch, and places a finger on his lips. All voices immediately cease, and we all know it's time to stay still and silent.

Throughout the night, footsteps prowl outside the building and in the corridor. Except for some bone-chilling growls, the hours pass uneventfully. As much as I want to spend the entire night awake, fatigue eventually catches up to me. An involuntary yawn escapes my lips and my eyelids droop heavily.

Zarius pats my head once and whispers quietly. "You should go to sleep. It has been a long day. I can keep a lookout."

I barely respond because I'm already nodding off to sleep, eyes rolling into the back of my skull. I feel Zarius shifting me around so that my head is on his lap. My hands automatically wrapped around his thigh, unashamedly, like he's a warm pillow.

Something heavy weighs down on my left shoulder. I peek through a drowsy eyelid to find a messy mop of black hair, which I presume must be Jace's head. Zarius pushes his sleeping form off me and he flops onto the ground, murmuring some incoherent words, before curling into a fetus position.

My eyes flutter close. As I sleep away, nightmares invade my night. I dream of people dying, of being left abandoned as the creatures pluck us off a few at a time.

Premonition or not, my dream comes true; the military who promised to rescue us never turn up the next day.