“Amanita muscaria. That’s the name of the mushroom the barrier arcing warped. Apparently, humans share around fifty percent of their DNA with fungi. The scientific notebooks I came across said the fungi mixed with decomposing humans and reanimated us. It seems the magic from the barrier confused the fine line fungus walks between life and death, and brought those who had died within two weeks back to life.”
“It did the same to half-vampires,” Maverick jumps in, bending forward as well. His black hair falls over his shoulder. “It’s nearly impossible for the offspring of a vampire and a human to survive birth, but I know the one who did, and she… was dead for less than a day. In fact, she was the first Bleeder.”
My mom has trouble swallowing as Maverick motions for her to continue.
“Anyway. I… left Mount Rook. I was one of the best assassins, but Lance, he… Showed me there’s a different life out there. We were dead, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t live.” She shares a sad smile with my dad, whose face grows more troubled as they take each other’s hands. “He never knew about my life in Mount Rook.”
She lets him go and huffs a breath, seemingly more comfortable now. “But. Magic isn’t the only reason we can reproduce as zombies. The fungus is as well. It spreads, and zombies didn’t know they could reproduce until… it happened. When we were pregnant with you, Zeke, it was a well-known fact we were able to, and we wanted to start a family.”
I push aside some gross imagery in my head.
“The Ambrosia weaved in our bodies is the reason our blood is ichor, and is the sole reason we’re alive. We cease to exist is when nothing is left to rot. The organs are always the first to go.”
“So we’re magical walking fungus?” I mutter, still grossed out by the images my mom unintentionally forced into my mind’s eye.
“More or less, I guess,” she shrugs, her voice growing softer. “I’m not sure if our experience with Ambrosia has done anything strange to you—”
“It has,” Maverick interrupts as starts to pace. “Zeke’s never been a normal zombie, but then again, neither has Mikaela.”
“Why were they testing on zombies?” Mikey asks Maverick.
He shakes his head. “They were trying to find out what exactly happened. Plus, the whole war was going to happen sooner or later, and they were preparing for it, trying to weaponize zombies, and they succeeded, until Bleeders started appearing, thanks to Ari. She’s always been feral, and she created more and more Bleeders without a second thought. She probably didn’t even have a first,” he adds under his breath, then stops walking, pointing at my mom. “I’ve seen Ambrosia. I’ve never eaten it, since I can’t have anything but blood, but I walked into the kitchen one time to those mushrooms of yours being squeezed into jars. It was a rusty honey color, but flowed like water. I asked questions and was ignored, so I let it go. I wasn’t in the mood to repeat myself, and if it was important, they’d let me know, since I was Mount Rook’s founder. Boy, was I wrong.”
My mom’s eyes widen. “You—?”
She grits her teeth as her veins pulse with adrenaline. The atmosphere shifts, and I’m immediately on my feet. Mikey is at my side in an instant, and my dad commands my mom to look at him. When she’s finally calm, Maverick purses his lips.
“Yes. I am. But none of this is my doing. What they did to you and forced you to do was not by my order. In fact, I’m the reason the barriers fell in the first place, because I was sick of what they were doing. I wasn’t aware on how deep their rotted roots dug.”
He grinds his teeth before nodding once.
“I think that’s everything we need.” He turns back to my mom. “And you don’t recall anything that happened while you were Mindless?”
My mom takes a beat but shakes her head. “Only blurs and flashes of faces. I know I’ve seen each of you before, and a few others I haven’t seen yet, but… that’s about it.” Her gaze lands on me. “And I keep feeling like there’s something that happened between us, Zeke. Like I hurt you somehow but can’t remember.”
My throat tightens. “It’s okay, mom. I’m fine. But… there are a few things I saw you do as a Bleeder that I hope you can replicate for me, if you’re willing.” I cross my arms, hiding the scar on my chest. “Bleeders have been around for a while, and I think we have some untapped potential that could help us have the upper hand in combat, should it come to that.”
She watches me as my dad rubs her arms gently. Before he can try to convince her to help, I notice her face harden. “I would love to.”