She heard me approach, and her eyes slowly lifted up to stare at me. I saw a small hint of surprise and relief in them. I swallowed the commentary on her current state and primed myself to eat crow.
Instead, we spoke at once: "What I said last night..."
We both closed our mouths, and she averted her eyes as sure as my face began to heat up in embarrassment. Silence descended between us. Seeing a healthy-sized piece of wood nearby, I picked it up and tossed it into the flames. She watched it for a moment, a relieved smile on her face as the wood caught fire and burned brighter. I sat down next to her and enjoyed the warmth.
"So what do we do now?" she asked.
"Well, I am starving, so—"
"Galian," she said with a small laugh. My heart fluttered. "That's not what I'm talking about."
The fluttering quieted as quickly as it flared. "Maybe we need to agree to...not talk about the war."
"So we'll just pretend it doesn't exist?" Thankfully, her question wasn't laced with any heat.
"While we're on the island, the only war is between us and the elements," I said, looking down at her. "And I need you on my side, Theo. And you need me on yours." With a heavy sigh, I watched the pink sky above us. "If we ever get out of here alive, we'll worry about everything else."
She seemed to be considering her odds. After an eternity, she finally answered me. "Fine, princeling. No more talk of the war."
I grinned as she took my hand, noticing how small and frail it was inside mine. She released it and looked away, the rare moment of vulnerability causing a blush to rise on her face.
She cleared her throat and looked everywhere but at me. "Maybe I can do something with your ship? I used to do work on my own. Maybe I could fix yours."
"Yeah? You're a mechanic too?" I blew air out between my lips. "Full of surprises, aren't you, Theophilia?"
"Call me that one more time and I'll jam this stick up your dickhole."
I coughed, shifting uncomfortably. "Yes, Captain."
EIGHT
Galian
Theo cursed as she tinkered with my engine. She was hoping to get it to work to power the radio, although I knew it was simply something for her to do since we had already captured breakfast for the morning. My engine was never going to start again, thanks to her bullets and the impact of the crash.
It had been four days since our fight, and over a week since we'd landed on the island, by my count. We'd settled on a tepid peace that almost resembled friendship. I think we'd both grown accustomed to the meager food allotted to us. At least, the near-constant pang of hunger was down to a dull roar for me, and I felt I could function without biting her head off.
She called me over to help her off the nose. I placed her gently on the sand to make sure she had the right weight on her good leg. She grunted to me and nodded towards the edge of the forest, where the ground was less sandy and she could hobble along a little easier. I could easily pick her up and carry her, but we weren't quite there yet.
"What do you think?" I asked, motioning back to my ship.
"I think I did a damned good job of banging it up," she said, shaking her head. "I can't get the radio to work either."
"Shame I blew up your ship," I said.
She grimaced, looking at the ground. "Yeah, she was a good girl. Kept me safe in a lot of battles."
I wasn't sure about broaching the subject of her tears, but curiosity overruled caution. "Why were you so upset?"
"It's not that." Her face grew stony. "That ship was the only thing I ever called mine. I mean, she belonged to the Raven government. But she felt like mine." She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."
"I think I do," I said. "And I'm sorry."
She poked at the sand distractedly before wiping away the design she'd made. "It doesn't matter." She glanced out onto the blue sea before us. "We need to figure out what to do next."
"Maybe we should build a boat?" I had often thought about jumping into the ocean lapping against the dull gray sand just to get myself clean. But I was already dealing with a permanent chill, so I was sure jumping into the frigid Madion Sea probably wasn't the smartest idea.
"It's possible," she nodded, looking out into the gray water. "The seas are choppy right now, but if we can build a big enough boat to withstand the waves, and get enough food to last us for the days—or weeks..." She paused, thinking more. "We'd need a compass. There's a lot of ocean to cover."
"So that's a no, then." I sighed, looking back at the wooded area behind us. "You know, we haven't really seen all that's here on the island."
"We've been a little busy trying to survive." She followed my gaze to the forest behind us and then gave me an appraising look. "I don't think that's the best idea."
"Why not? What if there's something out there that could help us? You said yourself that those wolves and all the rabbits we've found aren't native to this island. So maybe we can find some remnants of what brought them here."
"And what about food?" she asked. "We need to make sure we have dinner before we start going on leisurely walks."
"If I could find us something, maybe we won't have to worry about food."
She didn't seem to believe I'd find anything, but she acquiesced. "At the first sign of sunset, come back. And if you run into any more of those dogs, don't engage."
"Yes, ma'am," I said with a salute. She'd sounded so captain-like that I couldn't help teasing her a little.
A small smile was my reward. "Leave me over near the traps," she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder as I helped her up. "That way at least one of us will have dinner."
Theo
The princeling was gone before I even knew it, and I could hardly blame him. I think we were both looking for some good news.
Free to do as I pleased, I kept an eye on the rudimentary trap to my left while I attempted to make a better one. One rabbit a day wasn't enough to sustain us, so I attempted to fashion a cage to capture more at a time. Using the knife, I stripped some twigs down to a pliable width and wrapped them around thicker branches to connect them. It took me a few tries, but the joint held, and I managed to repeat it.
As I worked, my mind wandered to the princeling and the curiosity of this island. I had no idea if Galian would find anything out there, and part of me was glad that he'd gone. He'd been hovering over me like a useless hawk for two days and his attentiveness was getting on my nerves again. He was trying, and so I kept my tongue instead of barking at him.
Still, if I didn't have dinner when he returned, then we would go a night without. And I wasn't very much looking forward to that.
Yet again, I found myself leading the troops, being responsible. Being the strong one. It was exhausting. But I didn't even have time to feel sorry for myself. It was up to me to ensure our survival.
I looked at the makeshift cage and smiled. It would definitely trap a rabbit, but the question was how to keep him in there. I put down the cage and considered my options. It wasn't long before my mind wandered again.
Had someone already taken my mattress, the way I'd casually taken others' when they didn't return? Had Lanis already given up hope? Had a new captain already been promoted, taking over however many of my young pilots were left at the Vinolas base from Kylae's last invasion?
I smiled to myself. I thought I'd be a captain for maybe a year or two before Lanis managed to swing me an assignment with the armed forces headquarters in the capital city of Veres. There I could have been promoted to Major, maybe even Lieutenant Colonel. And never have to risk my life in battle again.
I'd given all that up to try to kill the princeling. That was what I got for letting my ego get in the way. Fat load of good it had done me. Stuck on an island with the very man I tried to kill. Trying to make a cage to feed us both.
And yet, as much as I missed the availability of a warm bed and a roof over my head, I wasn't all that upset to be there. I was no longer on edge, waiting for the siren's wail that would signal an impendin
g battle. There was still the danger of death, but I felt like it was more in my hands. As long as Galian and I stuck together, our survival chances greatly increased.
I picked up the cage again, trying to figure out the problem. But to my horror, it disintegrated in my hands, nothing but a pile of sticks. I blew air out in frustration. Perhaps the princeling was having better luck.
Galian
As I crept through the lush green forest, I forgot that I was marooned there and started to enjoy the fresh air and the movement. Walking briskly had warmed my cheeks and my body, I even halfway forgot that I was starving.
I was, however, not a complete idiot. I stopped every other tree to carve a long line in the bark, a marker of where I'd been so I could find my way back to camp.
I wasn't in any hurry to return though. It still felt like I was walking on eggshells around Theo—the same sort of feeling I had around my father. One wrong move, and it was disapproval and disappointment or worse.
But as I pushed aside branches and trudged through the empty forest, I was free to do whatever I wanted. I could take a left or a right or keep marching straight ahead. There wasn't much difference between one way or another, but the freedom to choose my destiny was exciting.
I stopped in the middle of underbrush and looked around, listening to the silence. I let my eyes drift along the thick trunks, the branches and the leaves, and the trees that had died and fallen over, and I found myself thinking that those stupid Kylaen tabloid photographers could have found any number of places to hide and take photos of me if they'd been there.
Although I could only imagine what I looked like, with the spotty beard growing on my face, and my hair sticking up at odd angles from the dirt and the grime of the island. My shirt was now five shades darker than when I'd left Kylae, my pants torn and singed in several places.
I could see the magazine cover now: "Prince Turned Wild Man."
I snorted as I carved another mark into the tree. They may not have even recognized me at this point. I rubbed my hand along my face, the hair annoyingly scratchy already. I'd tried to grow a beard when I was eighteen, but shaved it after a day of merciless shit from my two brothers. From the feel of my face, I could tell that I was no better at growing facial hair at twenty-five than I'd been at eighteen.
I paused as I considered Rhys and my mother, and what they must be going through to have lost a second brother and son. The ache in my chest was too much, so I soldiered onto different thoughts.
The island was bigger than I'd thought, and what seemed like a few hours later, I was still walking through nothing but forest. My stomach ached from hunger, and I began to question the intelligence of leaving. I had seen some different birds, and one or two rabbits, but I wasn't as adept at catching and killing as Theo.
I stopped in the middle of the path, realizing that I was walking up an incline. I hurried up the hill, standing on the edge.
The area was clear of trees, with overgrown brush tumbling over a gravel pathway. My eyes were drawn across the flat land to a structure in the center of the clearing. It was rusted, covered in brush. But there was no mistaking what I saw.
Theo
It was getting dark and I was now getting worried.
I poked at the fire, willing the light to glow brighter to lead the princeling back. My concern was only partially selfish, as I'd grown a little protective of His Royal Pain In My Ass.
I poked the fire again and stared at the darkening woods.
I began to second guess allowing him to leave, as if I had any say over his decision-making. But perhaps if I had gone with him, I might have been able to prevent him from making a boneheaded decision. Or from getting hurt. Or any number of outcomes my overactive imagination was now considering.
Then again, I thought, nibbling on rabbit meat still hot from the fire, I wouldn't have dinner if I'd gone strolling around the island with him.
There was no way he was going to find anything. He was wasting his time, and I needed him to help around camp.
His share of the meal was hanging on two sticks in the ground. I was still hungry, and I could rightfully eat his half of the food. After all, it was nearly pitch black out. And I thought he might already be dead.
I looked at the dark sky. I hoped he wasn't dead.
I heard movement in the dark brush, and my fingers tightened around the flare gun never more than a few inches from my hand.
"Galian?" I called into the darkness.
When no one answered, my heart raced, and I picked up the flare gun.
"Hello?" I tried again. "Galian? Is that you?"
More rustling, but this time from another direction. I shook my head to clear it, hoping that my mind was just playing tricks on me. Or it was the wind.
I lifted the gun—
"Theo!"
I screamed, dropping the gun before I fired it into Galian's chest. He stopped short, giving me a strange look as I covered my chest to keep my heart from beating out of it.
"Theo, I found—"
"You idiot!" I screamed. "Do you even know how worried I was about you?"
"I— You were worried?" he said with a small grin.
I pushed myself to my feet, storming over to him as angrily as I could with my stupid limp.
"Galian, I can't do much of anything without you, so please, if you're going to give me a heart attack, don't!"
"Sorry, but—"
"Where have you been?" I continued, ignoring him completely. "I told you to be back before it got dark? What if you hadn't been able to find your way back? What if you'd been injured?"
"Theo, I—"
"Galian, I know you've never had to worry about your own survival—"
"Hey!"
"But please try to have a little sympathy—"
"Theo!" he barked loudly enough to get my attention. "I found a building."
NINE
Theo
"See? I told you!"
I'd been ninety percent sure the princeling was hallucinating from hunger when he came barreling into the camp, talking about some "building" he'd found. But he'd insisted I come with him when day broke, even going as far as to carry me the whole way. His innocent excitement was a little endearing, and I'd figured it would be better to let him get it out of his system than to fight him on it.
But I'd never actually expected to see a building on this island. It was definitely military, but from which country, I wasn't sure. Judging by the overgrown vines and rusted doors, I knew it didn't matter. This place was abandoned and had been for a number of years.
"I told you there was a building here!" Galian repeated for the fiftieth time, walking up to the doors with a satisfied look on his face.
"Do you have a key?" I asked, looking at the thick iron front doors. His face fell, and I felt a bit guilty. "Maybe it's rusted enough that we don't need one."
He nodded and ran his hands along the door. "I didn't get a chance to really look yesterday, but..." His fingers slipped into the cracks, and he pulled at it valiantly and pointlessly.
"Maybe there's a back entrance," I offered, hobbling over to the outer wall and peering around the corner.
"Right, because an impenetrable base would have a backdoor," Galian grunted, still pulling at the iron doors.
I glanced up at the roof, which was a particular shape, as if something large had been on top of it at one time. A grin spread across my face.
"It's not a base, it's a radar station."
Galian's voice floated from the front, laced with exertion. "And why does that make you happy?"
"Nobody reinforces a radar station," I said, using the wall to brace me. I turned a corner to the back and saw a small, less difficult-to-enter back door.
"Well, shit," Galian said, peering over my shoulder. He walked up to the flimsy door and jiggled the handle. With a grunt, he lifted his foot and slammed it into the metal, causing the door to fall off the hinges and a foul curse of pain to emanate from the princeling. Dust fell from
the door frame, covering him in a new curtain of grime.
Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed a sink, counters, and cabinets lining the walls, and small tables in the center of the room—a mess hall. Finding such a modern room on this overgrown, remote island was surreal.
"Theo, look over here." Galian had moved to the countertops, brushing dust off a dark wall.
I inched closer so I could make out the symbol better. The paint was peeling and faded, but there was no mistaking it.
"Kylaen...I think?" It resembled the lion on Galian's uniform, but it was slightly different.
"Kylaen kings change the crest when they come into power," Galian said. "This one was definitely my grand...or wait, it might have been my great-grandfather Thormand's. But it's definitely not my father's."
"So what does that mean?" I said, looking around. "This radar station hasn't been used since before the start of the war?"
Galian frowned and flipped a switch on the wall. "No electricity, either."
"But it's a shelter?" I offered. "Maybe there's supplies."
"I'm going to go check it out some more," he said, more to himself than to me. Before I could stop him, he disappeared into the darkness. I heard him banging into things every few minutes, followed by a filthy curse. Soon he was too far away for me to hear, so I used the small bit of light from the open door to explore the room.
I checked all the cabinets for any food that might still be edible half a century later and found them all barren. A couple of drawers had some left-behind serving spoons and small knives, but nothing helpful.
As I leaned against the countertop, I spotted the sink in the corner. Slowly, I twisted the knob on the faucet and held my breath. I heard air moving then black liquid sputtered out of the tap. After a few minutes, the water ran as clear as crystal.
The Complete Madion War Trilogy Page 8