Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 78: Balancing The Scales

Chapter 78: Balancing The Scales

Tank swept me up in his arms, not letting me respond to Dante’s statement. I found it funny, though, what he had said. The Devil was never scared of anyone, and the fact that Dante had the gall to think otherwise made me wonder what the Devil was going to do about him.

It would be entertaining to watch.

Tank stormed out of the throne room, his stride never slowing down as Mathis rushed forward to open the doors for us. There was a third person beside Tank, one who had accompanied the others to take us to Dante, but Tank didn’t seem to mind him at all.

Strolling toward the elevators, Tank continued to look forward, never so much as turning his head to look at the other man. "You didn’t seem surprised to see me spitting flames," Tank grunted at last as the chime dinged to let us know that the elevator had arrived.

"You might be the first of us to demonstrate your powers, but you won’t be the last," announced the man. His voice was almost lyrical, and I sighed in contentment. I could listen to him reading a grocery list and be happy.

"So that’s part of the new normal?" asked Mathis from where he was standing on the other side of Tank. It was getting frustrating that Tank refused to look around; I wanted to know what the new guy looked like.

"I’ve heard a few things," shrugged the man. "And I’ve seen a few more."

"Who are you?" I asked, turning my head toward the man. I might not be able to see him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t look. And it was rude that no one had introduced him to me yet.

"Ghost," grunted the man. But as harsh as his voice seemed to be at that one word, there was also something in there that I heard often when Tank or the sins spoke to me. He was indulging me.

"What do you do, Ghost?" I pressed, unable to hold back the smile on my face.

"There are some things that you shouldn’t ask, Princess," remarked Mathis, his voice slightly rebuking. "What we do is at the top of the list."

"I gather information," interrupted Ghost, softly laughing. "If you want to know something, then I am the man to find it. If I can’t find it, then there is nothing to know."

Nodding my head, I rested my cheek against Tank’s shoulder, my blank stare never leaving Ghost’s.

"So, is everyone going to be able to throw fire at people?" I continued, enjoying the fact that someone was actually treating me like an adult. He didn’t tell me that it was none of my business or that I should just shut up and let the adults talk.

He treated me like an equal, and for that, I would do something for him.

"From what I can understand, there are eleven powers that humans seemed to have developed after taking the flu vaccine this year," started Ghost. I heard him shift so that he was leaning against the back of the elevator, his arms crossed against his chest.

"There was a vaccine?" I asked, blinking rapidly. I wasn’t surprised that I hadn’t gotten one. Père was not known for taking care of my health, but the idea that a simple shot could grant you powers made me wish I had.

"Earth, air, water, and fire are the basic ones. It seems like the majority of humans have shown an affinity to one of them. From there, there is metal, strength (or fighting), lightning, and space. This second tier is more powerful than the first, and only maybe 5% of the current population shows an affinity to one of them. The top tier consists of spirit, healing, and poison. Less than 0.005% of the population has shown an affinity for one of these three, and they are considered to be the most powerful and desirable. There are even an incredibly small percentage of the population that have demonstrated more than one power, but even then, they tend to rely on one power more than the other."

My brain seemed to have stopped for a moment as I digested the information Ghost had given me. Apparently, the majority of people have turned into mutated humans with supernatural powers...

And I wasn’t one of them.

Meh. At least I wouldn’t be asked to fight zombies or do anything else. Those with powers could keep them. It seemed to be more of a hassle than it was worth.

"Always a fountain of information," smiled Mathis. "But I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk so much."

"She asked," shrugged Ghost, and I couldn’t help but smile.

"Is there anything you wish for? One gift deserves another," I announced, almost needing to grant this man a wish.

"A wish?" repeated Ghost softly as Tank growled.

I hummed in agreement, nodding my head. "Anything your heart desires, it can be yours," I assured him.

"For a price," grunted Tank, clearly not happy that I was showing interest in his friend. But things needed to be even. Ghost had given me important information, and now I had to give him something in return.

And if that tied his soul to me, then that was a sacrifice he should be willing to make.

Ghost was silent as the doors to the elevator opened, and Tank walked forward.

With nothing more than a thought, I made sure that everything I had taken from his apartment before we left was put back in place.

Mathis opened the door, and the four of us entered the room.

"A wish," mused Ghost. "I have one," he agreed after a minute. "But it needs to be a secret between you and me."

Tank let out a low growl and even Mathis seemed to disagree with that idea, but I only shrugged. "That’s fine. We can go into the bedroom and talk there."

Before Tank could do anything, Ghost swept me out of Tank’s arms and into his own.

Carry me into the bedroom; Ghost gently placed me on the bed before closing the door to the room and locking it behind him.

"I can’t say I’ve ever heard of someone granting wishes as a result of the vaccine," said Ghost, his voice never changing. But instead of coming back to the bed, he stayed by the door.

"Probably because I never took it," I replied, my voice just as apathetic as his own. "But I refuse to owe you for the information. The scales must be balanced."

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