by Alexia Purdy
Shade sat on a large, smooth rock near her tent, proud that she erected it all by herself. The fresh breeze rippled the nylon violently, but it held. She staked it down well, just like her father had shown her. She had lots of practice staking down tents for herself and her sister. Every time they went camping, she was in charge of tent setup. Remembering how much she loathed it made her chuckle. She thanked her lucky stars that her father had pounded the basics of camping and surviving in the wild into her, just in case. She doubted he had ever considered how useful the knowledge would be on a perilous faery journey.
Dinner was cooking atop a blazing fire. There was a fox roasting over it, which Than had skinned, gutted, and staked to a spit. It turned round and round over the flames, giving off a pleasant but smoky aroma. It looked like he’d done this many times before. The fox was a good size, nice and plump, and would feed them all. She wished she could take a shower, but that wasn’t going to happen out here. Once again, she was covered in dirt, and a film of her salty sweat stuck to her skin. She was sure it would never come off.
The air was cooling rapidly as the sun sank over the mountains. Shivering, she rubbed her arms to warm them. She’d traded her hoodie for a jacket but wished she’d brought a thicker one. She felt somewhat unprepared for the cold nights, even after layering her clothes and wearing a thicker sweater. Unfortunately, the extra clothes were not working too well at guarding her against the cold.
Dylan plopped down next to her, disturbing her thoughts before draping a large, thick, fur-lined blanket over her shoulders. She jumped up, letting the blanket spill off her into a cascading heap. Dylan grabbed it just before it hit the ground.
“What are you doing?” Shade glared at him, her face flushed with anger. It wasn’t nice to intrude on her space, and she was through tolerating it.
He held his free hand up, smirking a little at the same time. “The polite thing to say is thank you. I’m not sure what humans are accustomed to, but when someone gives you a blanket to keep warm in the cold, our kind is grateful. But who am I to say so? I might be wrong to think that way,” he added sarcastically.
“You’re a prick, Dylan, you know that? I can see it’s in your blood, by the way. Just stay away from me. You and your brother can just go to hell!” Shade stood there staring at him, her breath steaming in the cool air as her words came out in a huff. The night pushed hard against the remnants of the day, making her feel suddenly overexposed. Dylan remained calm while he watched her. He lifted the blanket up to her once more. His smirk smoothed out, and the former captain’s face fell flat and unreadable. His eyes did give away some feeling; there seemed to be a spark in them that showed he was amused by her reaction.
“Shade, just take the blanket, okay? It’s cold out,” he muttered. “I’m not really affected by the cold, but, being that you’re mortal….” He looked like he was working hard to suppress a smile. “Well, I packed for two. I knew you’d need help out here.” His smile returned as he continued. “Really, it’s a warm blanket. Think of it as a peace offering.” Standing up when she did not go to him, he moved closer until he was in her face, almost touching. He swung the blanket around and draped it over her shoulders. Shade stiffened but let him place the blanket on her, and she held onto it this time, unsure of what to do. He nodded, looking satisfied before turning to walk away.
“Dylan, wait,” Shade choked out. Her voice was tight in her throat. She turned to look at him as he stopped in his tracks. He didn’t turn around but paused, waiting. “I… I’m sorry, Dylan. I feel like you don’t like me, but you don’t even know me. Maybe that reminds me of Darren a bit, and that freaks me out. You two are pretty similar, but I know you aren’t like him. I know that… I can feel it. I….” She sighed, frustrated with her stumbling tongue. “Thanks for the blanket. I do appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Shade,” he answered with a little more warmth than he had ever shown before.
She glanced around and noticed the others working on their own tents. Jack had one, and so did Ewan. Sary and Braelynn looked like they were sharing, and so were Stephen and Than. Shade thought that maybe some of the group were probably pairing up because they didn’t have enough tents. Soap had his own tent, and unless they were sharing, it was unclear where Dylan was going to sleep.
“Don’t you have a tent, Dylan?”
“I do, but I find it really confining. Besides, I have to stay by you, and there isn’t enough room for another tent here. The ground is my bed tonight.” He tilted his head slightly, one eye watching her intently.
“Why do you have to camp by me? Do you really have to?”
“No,” he stated simply.
“Then why are you hovering? I feel like you’re suffocating me.”
“No, I wouldn’t ever do that. I’d never hurt you!” He whirled back around, his face now serious and his eyes wide. He’d taken her words at face value.
“Whoa, I don’t mean literally! It’s like an expression.” Relieved as he relaxed, she sighed. “Look, you don’t have to be stuck to me like glue. I’m not an invalid, and you’re not my bodyguard. Get this straight: I do like my space.” She’d lost her patience with him and headed off, with the blanket still wrapped around her, toward the smoking carcass that was dinner.