Page 16 of Lies That Bleed
I shook my head. “That’s the thing. If you are destined to bond, you won’t be able to kill it. You will be equals.”
She nodded. “Maybe I will find a creature with a gimpy leg too.”
A few people in our group laughed but I didn’t. Creatures were perfect. I’d never seen one with a deformity or weakness. But they would see hers, they would see it as a weakness, and her an easy kill.
The Imperial Fleet suffered no weakness, just as the creatures didn’t. They were the same in that way. The more we walked, the more I wished I’d just convinced Tetra to take on that fox, though I had to admit I think it would have killed her. If a fox was too powerful, I’d have to try to urge her to a lower-class creature. She might be given grunt work when we graduated boot camp, but she’d be alive.
Chapter
Six
“I’m hungry.” Dev reached for crackers from his pack and munched on them. We’d been walking several hours now and encountered no other creatures. It was relieving and depressing at the same time. It meant we were going to have to make camp. We did, however, each find a decent-size hunk of ember to bring back. Anika even got a smaller piece for Meera. I abstained from taking any home on account that it was not a good look for the richest girl in Amersea to be taking ember from The Wilds. Tetra found one the size of a walnut that would ensure her mother would no longer have to work.
“Don’t you have any dried meats? Carbs will slow you down and make you sluggish,” I told Dev as he brandished the crackers.
My brain already felt slow. I was tired, but I’d have some coffee and perk up.
“Can we camp for the night? I’m beat,” Tetra said, basically dragging her leg behind her, limping with her good foot at this point. I knew all this walking was going to kill her arm that she leaned on.
“Yeah, let’s camp,” I announced for Tetra’s benefit.
The sighs of relief made their way through our group and we started to gather wood for a fire. Everyone dug into their packs and pulled out tarps and rope to make tents. Tetra uncoiled a puffy sleeping bag and sighed as she slid into it.
“Who gave up their pack for me?” she asked me as Anika started the fire.
“Charline.”
Tetra nodded. “I’ll have to thank her.” My bestie’s eyes were already closing.
“Hey, stay awake and eat something.” I pulled out some jerky but she waved me off.
“I’m exhausted. I couldn’t care less for food right now.” She rolled over and then she was out.
Time was hard to tell here. It was probably midnight but the sky was still a fiery glow above us. The canopy above the trees had some kind of shimmering coating to it, only allowing a pinkish light to filter in. It was kind of eerie and in no way refreshing like the regular sun.
I popped two caffeine satchels into my hot water thermos and chugged my water from the canteen while it brewed. I was gasping by the time I was done, not realizing how dehydrated I’d become. We’d haveto refill in the morning by the creek that was about three hundred yards to the right.
I watched as Anika reached into her little gray bag and shoved something in her mouth, chewing as she glared at me.
“Candy?” I asked with a smirk.
So it wasn’t tampons.Interesting. Whatever was in that bag she wanted to keep private.
“I wish,” she snapped, making a disgusted face as she downed some water to seemingly wipe the taste of whatever she’d just eaten off her tongue.
Maybe it was caffeine as well. She didn’t strike me as the type that would sleep in front of me or let her guard down at all.
Footsteps and low voices pulled my attention to the right. I grasped my throwing blade and pulled out my flashlight, beaming it right at a familiar pair of light blue eyes.
Kohen Badshah.
He walked about five yards from our camp and started to set up his tent with his group. He looked to be down about three people, and was sporting two cuts on his arm.
I stood, bringing my hot freshly brewed coffee over to where he was setting up. “Isn’t that a little close to our camp?” I asked him as he instructed one of his teammates on how to make a fire.
He shot me a glare, wandering over to where I took a long and delightful sip of my coffee.
Now that he was closer, I could see that his lip was split and he had a black eye.
