fruit?”
Another howl pierced the darkness. James moved closer to my side. “That.”
Markus made a fire in a pit not far from our huts while I collected more kindling. I scoured the ground for the small, dry twigs that James told me were best for priming the fire. Lucy curled up near Alec’s hut and watched us. Alec and James had disappeared, and had been gone for over an hour. On the plus side, the sky had started to lighten again.
“Do you think they’re okay?” I asked Markus.
He prodded the fire with a larger stick. “Sure, they know what they’re doing.” The fire grew into good-sized flames. “Think there’s anything to drink around here?” he asked.
“The creek is right behind you. Caelia Pure is the hardest thing you’ll get while I’m around.”
Markus grimaced. “You always were a hard-ass.” Hedropped the stick by the fire. “Honestly, I’m not sure I can make it without a drink.”
I walked over to the fire. “The Consulate had me drugged beyond belief. I made it through the worst withdrawal ever. If I can do it, you can too. James has something that will help.”
He hunched down and warmed his hands by the fire. “Yeah, but you’re stronger than me. Always have been.”
I settled next to him. “I’m not sure about that. In any case, I’ll help you through it. I need you strong.”
He turned sideways to look at me. “You’re not still thinking you can beat Kale?”
“I don’t just want to beat Kale. I want to beat the Consulate too. And I want the guns back.”
Markus laughed. “Suicidal much?”
“Not lately,” I said. Not since I discovered I’d accidentally killed my little sister who I’d loved more than life itself. “If we find the guns and get rid of them, the Consulate and Kale will be powerless. Everyone will have regular ole guns and we’ll have an even playing field. Then maybe everyone will leave each other in peace.”
Markus tossed a twig into the flames. “I think you’re forgetting those Consulate bombs. We don’t have any of those. Plus, isn’t it human nature to be burners? Don’t you think people will always try to impose their will on others?”
The heat from the fire warmed my face. “Not all humans. But the ones who do sure cause more troublethan the ones who don’t. I still have hope. Otherwise, all this”—I waved my arm at the new world around us—“is for nothing.”
A grunting sound came from behind us. I reached for my gun and whirled toward the trees. Alec and James emerged, dragging something behind them. It was an animal—thankfully a dead one.
Alec grunted again as they brought the animal over to the fire. It was huge and had a large jaw that I guessed contained equally large teeth.
“Is that the same kind of thing that was howling earlier?” I asked.
“Yeah,” said James. “Luckily, they are solo predators. They’d be hard to overcome in a pack.”
I stared at the huge, dead-eyed creature. “It looks like it could bite me in half.”
Alec patted the gun at his side. “Probably could, but they’re no match for a laser between the eyes.”
I saw blood oozing from Alec’s hand. “It hurt you!”
Alec wiped the back of his hand on his shirt. “No, I cut myself on purpose. They’re attracted to blood. It’s fine—just a scratch, really.”
James put a large stick over the top of the fire. It was propped up by several forked sticks that had been wedged into the ground around the fire.
“What’s that for?” I asked.
Alec grinned. “Dinner. You might not want to watch the next part.”
I went over to Lucy and stretched out next to her. She nuzzled her nose into my side, and I petted her while the men did whatever they were doing to the animal. Her doggy smell filled my nose as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke to the aroma of something I’d never experienced before. My mouth salivated and I wiped the drool with the bottom of my shirt.
“Come and get it, Tora,” Markus called.
I stretched and
Another howl pierced the darkness. James moved closer to my side. “That.”
Markus made a fire in a pit not far from our huts while I collected more kindling. I scoured the ground for the small, dry twigs that James told me were best for priming the fire. Lucy curled up near Alec’s hut and watched us. Alec and James had disappeared, and had been gone for over an hour. On the plus side, the sky had started to lighten again.
“Do you think they’re okay?” I asked Markus.
He prodded the fire with a larger stick. “Sure, they know what they’re doing.” The fire grew into good-sized flames. “Think there’s anything to drink around here?” he asked.
“The creek is right behind you. Caelia Pure is the hardest thing you’ll get while I’m around.”
Markus grimaced. “You always were a hard-ass.” Hedropped the stick by the fire. “Honestly, I’m not sure I can make it without a drink.”
I walked over to the fire. “The Consulate had me drugged beyond belief. I made it through the worst withdrawal ever. If I can do it, you can too. James has something that will help.”
He hunched down and warmed his hands by the fire. “Yeah, but you’re stronger than me. Always have been.”
I settled next to him. “I’m not sure about that. In any case, I’ll help you through it. I need you strong.”
He turned sideways to look at me. “You’re not still thinking you can beat Kale?”
“I don’t just want to beat Kale. I want to beat the Consulate too. And I want the guns back.”
Markus laughed. “Suicidal much?”
“Not lately,” I said. Not since I discovered I’d accidentally killed my little sister who I’d loved more than life itself. “If we find the guns and get rid of them, the Consulate and Kale will be powerless. Everyone will have regular ole guns and we’ll have an even playing field. Then maybe everyone will leave each other in peace.”
Markus tossed a twig into the flames. “I think you’re forgetting those Consulate bombs. We don’t have any of those. Plus, isn’t it human nature to be burners? Don’t you think people will always try to impose their will on others?”
The heat from the fire warmed my face. “Not all humans. But the ones who do sure cause more troublethan the ones who don’t. I still have hope. Otherwise, all this”—I waved my arm at the new world around us—“is for nothing.”
A grunting sound came from behind us. I reached for my gun and whirled toward the trees. Alec and James emerged, dragging something behind them. It was an animal—thankfully a dead one.
Alec grunted again as they brought the animal over to the fire. It was huge and had a large jaw that I guessed contained equally large teeth.
“Is that the same kind of thing that was howling earlier?” I asked.
“Yeah,” said James. “Luckily, they are solo predators. They’d be hard to overcome in a pack.”
I stared at the huge, dead-eyed creature. “It looks like it could bite me in half.”
Alec patted the gun at his side. “Probably could, but they’re no match for a laser between the eyes.”
I saw blood oozing from Alec’s hand. “It hurt you!”
Alec wiped the back of his hand on his shirt. “No, I cut myself on purpose. They’re attracted to blood. It’s fine—just a scratch, really.”
James put a large stick over the top of the fire. It was propped up by several forked sticks that had been wedged into the ground around the fire.
“What’s that for?” I asked.
Alec grinned. “Dinner. You might not want to watch the next part.”
I went over to Lucy and stretched out next to her. She nuzzled her nose into my side, and I petted her while the men did whatever they were doing to the animal. Her doggy smell filled my nose as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke to the aroma of something I’d never experienced before. My mouth salivated and I wiped the drool with the bottom of my shirt.
“Come and get it, Tora,” Markus called.
I stretched and
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