Her eyes fall to the sand. “Is it gone?”
Guy hesitates, then says, “Yeah, I had to remove it so the poison wouldn’t get in your system. We probably got the majority out.”
“My body hurts and my head feels funny,” she says.
“That’s the venom.” Guy glances at her hand, still wrapped in Jaxon’s blood-soaked shirt. “It should wear off over the next several hours.”
Olivia closes her eyes and swallows. “Where is it?” she asks. “My … my finger.”
Everyone looks at Jaxon.
“Don’t look at me. It’s not like I made him do it.” Jaxon’s already sunburned face reddens deeper. Though he acts upset with what’s happened to Olivia, he also seems relieved that she’s okay now. “Stop looking at me. All of you.”
“Jaxon,” Olivia says. “Where is my finger?”
Harper snorts, and now we look at her. “Oh my God,” she says. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to …” She shakes her head, covers her mouth, and waves her hand as if to ask us to stop staring.
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Olivia sits up and holds her injured hand in her lap. “I just got bit by a snake with horns, got my finger cut off with a switchblade, and I’m in so much pain, I feel like I could die.”
“Does your hand hurt?” Guy asks.
“Actually, no,” Olivia admits. “It’s throbbing, but it’s numb.”
“Probably the venom, but maybe it’s because of blood loss.” Guy narrows his eyes, thinking. “Maybe it’ll stay numb until we can —”
“Where is my finger?” Olivia screams.
Caroline bolts to her feet. “The cheetah ate it.”
Olivia’s eyes get so big, I’m afraid they’ll burst. “The cheetah. Ate. My finger.” The girl looks at each of us. “That’s what you’re telling me? That Jaxon’s Pandora ate the pinkie from my right hand? My writing hand?”
“To be fair, he won it from M-4.” Harper looks like she’s about to explode from laughter. I’m not sure whether I feel like laughing, too, or punching her in the ear. “They battled for it.”
Olivia’s gaze turns wild, and she stares off into space for a minute. Then a small smile crawls over her lips. “That is, like, the best way for my finger to go.” She looks at Jaxon. “Ever.”
Soon, we start walking. Olivia seems to be doing better, but the pain in her hand is now full force. Jaxon sets her atop the elephant and stays close by to ensure she doesn’t slide off as we travel. Every few minutes, the girl whimpers in agony. The sound gives me a nervous tic, and I find myself anticipating it, my hands balled at my sides.
As the last of the day disappears behind the sand dunes, I think about what Guy said. That we shouldn’t walk at night because of predators. A chill rushes down my spine — not only because of the plummeting temperature, but from thinking about what might be lurking nearby, invisible in the night. The smell of Olivia’s blood wafting around us can’t be good.
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Caroline asks. Her voice startles me. It feels too close and too far away at once. It’s been night for all of ten seconds, and already I can hardly see anything.
“We have to find base camp.” It’s Guy’s voice. I’d recognize it anywhere. And I know exactly what he’s implying: that if we don’t find base camp, Olivia may not make it. The poison is mostly gone from her body by now, but she’s clearly still losing blood.
I stop when I hear a scuttling sound nearby. “Did you guys hear that?”
“Oh God,” Caroline moans.
Everyone stops walking, and the sound continues. It doesn’t grow louder, but it doesn’t go away, either. I hear Guy sigh and know he’s contemplating what to do. Something brushes my ankle. I’m seconds from screaming bloody murder until I realize it’s Madox. Crouching down, I run a hand over his sand-filled coat.
“Everyone needs to ask their Pandoras for help,” Guy declares.
Immediately, there’s a chorus of voices as Contenders call out demands. I speak directly to Madox, who ignores me as usual. I still can’t figure out why other Pandoras seem to understand their Contenders and Madox doesn’t. Maybe he just wasn’t built with that skill. Thinking he’s incapable of doing something the others can pains my heart. Not because I want him to be the best for me, though there is that. It’s more that I can’t help but think of him as anything less than perfect.
Before I can reflect more on Madox’s inability to comprehend English, a flash snaps over the area. I shade my eyes for a moment, and when I pull my hand away, I can see everyone in our group and all our Pandoras clearly. When I spot Z-54, my mouth tugs into a smile. Jaxon’s cheetah stands a few feet away, his eyes shooting out twin beams of red light. I survey the area and don’t see anything. Whatever the sound originated from is now gone.
“Wicked cool,” Jaxon breathes, approaching and then petting his Pandora. He looks up at us. “Do you see this? Do you freaking see this? I never knew.”
“Perfect,” Guy says, as if this is the most normal thing in the world. “I just wish we had another set to light our rear as we travel.” Guy looks in my direction. Understanding floods over me.
“Madox doesn’t understand me,” I say quietly. “Or I’d tell him to.”
I wish he could understand me, I think to myself. I wish I could just ask him to listen to Guy and mimic the cheetah, and it’d happen.
Madox chases the beams of red light for a moment, like it’s a game. Then his eyes flick on. They scan the cheetah, and seconds later, my baby fox morphs into a large spotted cat.
“Holy crap.” Jaxon points at Madox, but looks at me. “No way.”
I pull a Guy and shrug like it ain’t no thang. “He does it all the time.”
“He rips off other Pandoras?” Jaxon says. He inspects Madox closer. “He’s like a fugazi.”
“A what?” Harper says.
Jaxon tosses the curly blond hair from his eyes. “A fake.”
“He’s not a fake,” I say. “He’s brilliant.”
“Fugazi,” Olivia croaks from the elephant.
Jaxon nods toward Olivia as if that settles it.
“Does anyone know anything else their Pandoras can do?” Harper says. “If so, spill now. These revelations are taking up way too much time.” Everyone stays quiet, and Harper waves a hand ahead of us. “Let’s roll, then, shall we?”
As Madox heads toward the back, his red-flamed eyes pass over Caroline and Dink. In that small moment, I notice just how terrible the boy really looks. His skin is ashen and coated with sweat, even in the cool air. And his chin touches his chest as if it’s too much to hold up his own head.
I move toward him. “Dink, are you okay?”
“He’s fine,” Caroline snaps, pulling him to her.
“Yeah, he’s clearly not,” I say.
“Tella.” Guy speaks my name in a way that says to drop it, but I’m not about to.
“What?” I tell him. “Why can’t I ask what’s wrong?”
Harper takes two steps toward Dink and then freezes. “Oh God. He’s really sick. Caroline, why didn’t you say something?”
“Everyone needs to leave him alone,” Caroline says in a whisper.
“You mean, leave you alone, right?” Harper cocks a hand on her hip, like she’s ready to go twelve rounds. “You seriously need to —”
“Just shut up!” Caroline screams so loudly, her words seem to echo for miles. Bathed in red light, her shaking body looks almost explosive.
Harper steps backward and holds her hands up. “Okay, sorry. Jeez. Freak out much?”
“Let’s keep moving,” Guy says, interrupting the weirdfest.
Madox, dressed as a cheetah, strides behind us as the real Z-54 takes the front. We move through the desert like this, ignoring what just happened, four beams of red light paving our way. For the first couple of hours, I can’t stop thinking about Dink. Then I start thinking about Cody and the prize. And how if I can make it to base camp first somehow, then I can make
my brother healthy again. If only for a few years.
I’m not sure if it’s the lights or the sound of our steps shuffling through the sand, but I never see any predators. Not that I want to make night traveling a habit. Then again, we’ve been walking for an eternity and I don’t feel like a puddle of sweaty filth. So that’s something, I guess.
When we finally stop, Guy and Jaxon gather a few twigs — only enough for a small fire — and M-4 lights them. Then we squat around the flames and warm ourselves. Walking heated our bodies fairly well, but now that we’ve stopped, the perspiration lacing my skin causes me to shake.
Jaxon, Olivia, and Caroline drift off to sleep, even though there’s little time before the sun rises. Even Guy closes his eyes. Maybe he’s asleep, though I like to imagine he’s not. It makes me feel better about the strange way Dink is staring at me.
“Can I do something to make you feel better?” I ask the boy.
He doesn’t answer, just wraps his arms around his legs and sticks his head between his knees. I glance at Harper to see how she’s handling this. From the looks of it, she’s not. She glances everywhere but at Dink, and I realize it’s the most nervous I’ve seen her. I don’t think she knows what’s going on with him, but it certainly makes her uncomfortable.
“Harper,” I whisper. “What do you think we should do?”
Her head snaps in my direction. “How should I know?” she says. “He’s just a kid. Why is he even out here?” She shoots up and walks away into the darkness.
“Harper,” I yell-whisper. “Harper!”
But it doesn’t matter. She keeps moving. I think about waking up Guy and ordering him to do something. But it’s obvious she wants to be alone, so I inch closer to him and keep my eyes trained on the boy. My chest aches as I watch him. I want to do something to help. We’ve been so focused on Olivia ever since the snake, but now I’m wondering if Dink didn’t need our attention just as much. The only thing I know for sure is that we have to get to base camp soon. For both their sakes.
I must have drifted off, because when I open my eyes, I see Harper smiling over me.
“Wake up, woman,” she says. “I found a flag.”
“Really?” My voice sounds like a truck driving over gravel. Nice.
“Yeah, hop to.” Harper moves away and rouses everyone else. I wonder if her waking me up first is her attempt at an apology. I decide to think it is, and accept it as an early-morning gift.
“You found a flag?” I hear Jaxon saying over and over. The pride in his voice is evident, as if Harper’s success is partly his own doing. He lifts her up and spins her in a circle.
She shoves an elbow into his chest. “Let me down or I’ll aim lower.”
He sets her on her feet. “You’re sexy when you threaten me.”
“You disgust me,” she retorts. But I don’t miss the blush that brightens her cheeks. Harper looks at me and Guy, and attempts to hide her reaction to Jaxon’s words. “It’s this way.”
Guy glances at me, and I notice his skin has become even bronzer in the desert. It’s like his body is made to withstand any situation, while the rest of us wither like dried cranberries.
I hate him.
The corner of his mouth quirks upward.
Or love him.
Jaxon checks on Olivia, who mumbles that she’s still in pain, thank you very much. And keep your idiot Pandora away from my other fingers. He seems pleased that the girl is well enough to be difficult and nods to Harper that the two are ready to travel. Caroline puts an arm around Dink and signals that they’ll follow.
Harper straps her canteen across her chest. “Great. Let’s get going. We can have RX-13 catch us some breakfast after I show you where the flag is.”
Oh, the anticipation.
It takes about a fifteen-minute walk before we get to the blue flag, which lies lifeless against the tall rod. My fear that we’d trudge through a windy desert every day was obviously unfounded. I bet RX-13 hates days like this, when she has to beat her wings often in order to fly. Then again, maybe that’s the fun part. Who knows.
“Why didn’t you take it down, champion?” Jaxon asks Harper.
Harper shrugs.
“If I were you, I’d strap that baby around my head like Rambo.” Jaxon looks at Guy. “Have you ever seen Rambo? It’s an old throwback action movie where —” He pauses, and his face brightens. “Hey, that’s it. Let’s be the Rambos. Yeah, we’re totally the Rambos.”
“That’s the worst one yet,” Harper says, her eyes trained on the flag.
Jaxon looks at me. “You like it, right?”
“Actually, I kind of do.” And it’s the truth. I could totally sport a flag around my head and Rambo out if someone threatens us. “Maybe we should vote on —” I stop when I notice Guy bending down a few feet away. “What’s going on?” I ask. “What do you see?”
“Footprints,” he answers.
Caroline moves closer, leaving a red-faced Dink behind. Harper is nearest Dink, though I don’t expect her to offer support. Watching her shy away from the boy, I wonder again who she’s here for. She and Dink are the only ones of the old group who haven’t volunteered the information. I move next to the kid and wrap my arm around his shoulders. He leans against me and makes a low, guttural noise. Something dies inside me when I hear it.
“Maybe the prints are from Harper,” Caroline offers.
“No, there are different sizes.” Guy sweeps the sand with his fingers and looks over his shoulder at Jaxon. “Did you come here last night? Did you follow Harper?”
Jaxon holds his hands out. “What am I, some sort of stalker?”
“You’re totally stalking her,” Olivia mumbles from atop the elephant. We’ve had to move slower since EV-0 is carrying the girl, but I’m just thankful we can get her across the desert. Though I wonder how long the elephant will be able to continue with the extra weight, especially if we travel in the heat.
“There’s nothing wrong with a little infatuation.” Jaxon raises a single eyebrow at Harper, and she pretends not to notice.
“If someone else was out here, they would have seen the flag,” Harper says. “And they would’ve taken it.”
Guy’s shoulders drop. He stands up and glances at me, then at Madox. “Maybe they weren’t interested in the flag.”
“Oh snap.” Jaxon tugs the flag off the pole, wraps it around his forehead, and ties the ends behind his head. “The Triggers tried to jack our Pandoras. But never fear, the Rambos are here! Am I right?” A huge grin stretches across his mouth.
Guy shakes his head at Jaxon, then looks back at me. “It may not be him.”
But we both know it is.
“Just in case it is,” Guy continues, “we need to travel through the day.”
“But we’ve hardly slept.” Caroline eyes Dink with worry.
“And they probably haven’t, either.” Guy looks around the desert like he’s already searching for the next flag. “Which means they’ll be stopping soon to rest.”
“It’s the only way we can try and lose them,” Harper says, finishing his thought.
Guy nods to himself. “We agreed to go north after we headed east, but this flag was directly east. So what do we do? Continue east or head north?”
I glance up into the sky and locate the sun. It’s the morning, which means the sun is currently east. Which also means … I look in the northern direction. On the horizon, I see something. Squinting, I can just make out a different sort of landscape. It appears almost darker. “Look,” I say, pointing. “Do you guys see that?”
Everyone stares into the distance.
After a moment, Jaxon looks at me like I’m crazy. “Uh, yeah. It looks like sand.”
Caroline shakes her head. “I don’t see anything, either.”
“That’s because there’s nothing there.” Jaxon takes a drink of water from his canteen. “You people are dehydrated. Seeing visions and shit.”
“No, farther out,” I say. “There’s somethi
ng there.”
“I see it, too.” Harper steps toward the blurry shape as if that’ll help.
Guy starts walking. “We head north.”
I look at Caroline. She shrugs and takes my place next to Dink. “I guess we’re going north,” she says.
Getting in line behind them, I pray what I’m seeing is something worth pursuing. Otherwise, I could be the reason we perish in this desert. But right now all I’m worried about is getting as far away from those footprints as possible.
After trudging through the sand for half a day, we find another flag. I gloat. I point fingers in people’s faces. I tell anyone who will listen that I know this desert like the back of my hand.
Harper almost slaps me.
I don’t blame her. I almost slap me.
I’m just so happy what I saw pointed us in a direction that didn’t lead to certain death. Then again, there’s still a ways to go before we reach the thing I discovered, which has more or less turned out to be rock formations.
“So we just keep on heading north, right?” I ask.
Guy nods. “We keep heading north.”
“And why is that?” I twist side to side, a huge grin splitting my face. “Because we found another flag?”
My dark-haired, blue-eyed, bronze-skinned muscle man rolls his peepers so hard, they nearly fall from his head.
“Okay, but we’re going to stop once the sun sets.” Caroline places a palm to Dink’s forehead. “I mean, we have to.”
“Yeah, we’ll stop,” Harper answers for Guy.
After walking for several more hours, we’re still a day or more away from the rocks. It doesn’t seem like base camp would be this close, but it still gives me hope. Maybe we found it really quick this time. It’s only been, what, five days? That means we have nine left. Piece of cake.
Oh my God. Cake.
Once I start thinking about it, I can’t stop. I picture chocolate on chocolate and strawberry with pink frosting. Then I think of the more interesting kinds: carrot cake, pound cake … German chocolate. And cheesecake. Oh, holy mother. Cheese. Cake.
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