THIRTEEN
Soft light rouses me from a restless dream. I groan, wishing I could cover my face and go back to sleep, but the aches and pains spanning the length of my body refuse to be ignored. I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling. The dull gray appears brighter in the late morning light.
My gaze trails down the walls and I set about surveying the cave. It is bigger than I first thought. What I assumed to be the back of the cave is really a corner. The light from the entrance is dim, but it’s enough to see that the space narrows into a passage.
“I wonder if this somehow connects up with our cavern system.” I pace the floor for a few minutes, unnerved by the amount of time Bastien has been gone. Maybe he got lost trying to find my clothes, or maybe he ran into that patrol of guards. My stomach churns at the thought of him in trouble.
A draft near the opening of the cave reminds me of my need for clothing. As warm and cozy as this sweater is, I would kill for a pair of pants right about now.
I turn and zero in on Bastien’s bags. I rationalize that it’s not technically stealing since he obviously confiscated his clothes from the aliens. My need for decency outweighs my morals so I dash for the bag and peek inside.
What I find in the depth of the bag brings tears to my eyes. I carefully remove a small, ratty brown teddy bear and clutch it to my chest. Did this belong to a sister perhaps? Or maybe someone he knew from the City.
I run my fingers over the bear’s black nose where the felt is nearly worn off. One eye is missing and the other is scratched and dirty. A small puffed heart dangles from its hand─ broken like the rest of this messed up world.
Tears dampen my lashes, but I swallow my emotions and try to remain detached. Growing up in the rebellion has taught me one very important lesson──pain is good fuel for fighting. Living in the commune has never been easy. The sense of community, of belonging, was never something I wanted. I like my space, my privacy.
I like to keep people at a distance. Apart from Aminah and Eamon, I’m pretty much a loner. I prefer the solitude of the woods over the hectic cave life. Out there I am free to be me. No judging, no editing my thoughts to make people feel comfortable, no emotions. It’s just the way I like it.
I poke down through the middle of the bag and search for a pair of pants. Small boxes tinkle as they shift, but I don’t stop to inspect them. I brush my fingers against soft material and pull it free.
Holding up the black pants, I examine the foreign material up close. It is soft to the touch but looks to be as durable as leather. It will do. I dig deeper and pull out a matching black shirt. It will drape my slender frame like a tent, but it’s better than nothing.
I eagerly lift Bastien’s sweater over my head and lay it across the blanket, the cold nipping at my bare skin as I reach for the shirt. Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me and I turn in surprise.
“Bastien!” I scream as I scramble to cover my near nakedness.
His head whips up, eyes widening as he comes to an abrupt halt. I can see the indecision in his eyes as he takes a step back.
“Go!”
He turns and jogs back outside, tossing my clothes toward me over his shoulder. “Guess that one was kinda my fault,” he calls from just outside.
I run my hands over my face and release a nervous laugh. “Just don’t peek!”
I scramble along the cave floor and snatch up my clothes, wincing at the damp still clinging to the worn fibers. I look back toward the alien clothes and groan. If I’m going to be warm, I know I have to wear them.
I pull on the pants, amazed at how warm the thin material is. I snag a bit of rope from Bastien’s bag, wind it around my waist, and tuck in the billowing shirt. I roll up the sleeves and pat myself down. “You sure know how to make a statement,” I grumble as I head for the cave entrance.
Lifting my arm to shield my eyes from the noonday light, I discover that Bastien has fled from the cave. “Over here,” he calls.
I squint, fighting to adjust my vision to the brilliant, cloud-free day. I reach out a hand to steady myself as I approach the large rock he’s perched on. Instead of connecting with rock, my fingers grasp something firm and warm. Forgetting about the glare, my eyes pop open as I realize that my hand has fallen rather high on Bastien’s thigh.
“Hi.” He grins as heat stains my cheeks and I wrench my hand back.
“Hi yourself.” I wipe my hand on my pants and hoist myself up beside him. “Where have you been?”
“Foraging,” he replies, holding up a handful of winterberries. My stomach growls obnoxiously as I cup my hands.
The instant the last berry plops into my hand; I toss back my head, emptying the handful into my mouth. The soft flesh bursts with flavor as I chew, savoring the sweet taste. “Thanks.”
He looks down at the remaining berries and offers them to me. “Go on. You need them more than I do.”
I hesitate, torn between wanting to snatch them from his hand and remembering to be a decent human being. It’s a tough struggle with my stomach growling so loudly. “Seriously?”
He grabs my hand and rolls the berries into it. “I insist.”
I know I should feel guilty about taking his food, but I don’t. Well, not really. There is a slight twinge, but I choose to ignore it the instant the berries pop in my mouth. “Thanks.”
He smiles and leans back. I follow suit, wiping the berry juice onto the side of the rock. “Why are you out here?”
“Just needed some time to think.” He stretches his arms out before tucking them behind his head.
“About?”
“You.” He rolls his head to face me. I blink, shocked by his direct gaze. “What happened last night?”
I clasp my hands in my lap and dangle my feet over the edge. “I was ambushed not too far from our camp. We got word that the Caldonians were on the move and we wanted to see what they were up to.”
“We?” His brow arches.
I nod and turn away. “My friend Eamon was with me. We got separated when the Squaddies attacked. I’m not sure what happened to him.”
Bastien is silent as I take a deep breath and continue. “I wasn’t familiar with the territory so I was forced to run. I thought I’d made it, but an alien found me.”
His arms clench beside me. “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” I say, staring up into the sky. My eyes have adjusted to the brightness and now I can see large puffy white clouds dotting the blue sky. The weather has been so unpredictable lately. I suppose I should enjoy it while I can because once winter hits, it’ll be gloom for several months. “He tried to save me, actually, but then one of those spider things showed up and shot at me─”
Bastien jerks upright, turning to stare down at me. “You were hit by a laser?”
“No,” I hedge, looking beyond his ear instead of meeting his gaze. “I sort of…caught it.”
His mouth falls open. “Caught it?”
I sigh and sit up, curling my legs under. “Apparently I can do that now, too.”
Running his hands through his hair, Bastien lets out a deep breath. “Did anything else happen? Other than the tornado?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think─” I cut off and eye him suspiciously. He’s not looking at me now. Something is off. “What are you digging for, Bastien?”
He scratches his stubbled chin and purses his lips. “I, uh…something happened to me last night.”
I turn my entire body to face him, my knees pressing against his thigh. My stomach clenches with worry when he refuses to look me in the eye. “Tell me.”
He stares out into the woods. From here, I can see the lake in a small valley below. The water ripples in the sunlight, stunningly peaceful, but I know appearances can be deceiving. “Something came through the woods last night. It was like a force field, invisible but very real. It knocked me out when I was hunting beside the lake.”
&nbs
p; I dig my fingernails into my palms as I fight the wave of nausea that rolls through my stomach. I have a bad feeling about this.
“When I woke up I felt…different.”
“Different, how?” I press.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I can’t really explain it. Just…stronger I guess.”
“So you haven’t noticed anything else?” I lean forward, trying to judge the expression on his face, but he remains infuriatingly blank.
“Well, there was one thing─”
I hold up my hand. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” He tilts his head and searches the woods around us. I already know that the voice I heard didn’t come from the woods. The birds are still singing in the trees. If we were about to be attacked, the birds would have fled to the skies.
“I don’t know,” I frown, chewing on my lower lip. I know if I tell him I thought I just heard a voice calling my name he’s going to think I’m crazy. “Probably just the wind.”
Bastien leans over and presses his hand to my forehead. I flinch back, but he holds me still. “No fever, but you need to regain your strength. You almost died last night.”
I know that he’s right. Although I do feel better, I’m certainly not in top form. “I don’t have time to rest,” I grunt as I slip down off the rocks. Pain reverberates up my legs as I start toward the cave.
“Wait!” he calls after me. I hear him land with a thud and then rush to catch up. “Where are you going?”
“Home. They will have search parties out looking for me now that the sun is up.”
He grabs my arm and spins me around. “I can’t let you wander through the forest on your own.”
“Then come with me.”
“That’s the second time you’ve invited me home with you.” He grins. His grip loosens on my arm, but I notice he doesn’t let go. “A guy might start to think you’re up to something.”
I laugh. “You know, I almost like you like this.”
“Like what?” He asks.
“Real.”
“Ah,” he sighs. “I have my moments.”
“You should show them more often.”
His gaze flickers toward me. “Maybe I would, if I had a reason to.”
A blush betrays me before I have a chance to hide behind my veil of hair. I catch a fleeting glimpse of his smirk before I get my mind right again. “Look, you can’t stay out here alone. You’re a City guy, not a tree hugger. You really should come with me.”
He rubs his neck, a signal I’m quickly discovering reveals his unease. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I like it that way. No rules. No one to care about. It’s easier that way.”
“I get it, you know?” I drop my gaze.
The wistful tone in my voice makes him pull my chin up to face him. “You do?”
“Sometimes I hate living in the commune. People are always watching me, waiting for me to run out on another one of my harebrained adventures. Most of them say I’m too reckless. The kids hate me, which I’m pretty much cool with, and my friends are great. Sometimes I don’t think they understand me, but they’re the only family I have.”
I step up closer to him, steeling myself to be okay with him in my personal space. This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this. My fingers tremble as I reach out as if to touch him but draw back. “Come with me, Bastien. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
He looks off into the woods, his sadness painfully evident. “I told you. I’m pretty good on my own.”
“Maybe.” I step even closer to him, his eyes widening as I approach. I have to will myself not to step back. His breath appears to catch as I stop only a couple inches from his side. “I still want you to come.”
He tilts his head, staring hard at me. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were hitting on me, Illyria.”
“You wish.” I snort and turn to head back toward the cave. I don’t wait around to see if he’s going to follow me. I know he will.