Could Bren do that? Had I fallen prey to his charm and allowed him to use me as a pawn?
With a grimace, I freed my boot from the tangled roots. If only I could free my mind so easily. Maybe the key to ridding my thoughts of Bren was to stop him from completing his mission. Maybe then I’d feel in control again. Maybe even peace. A renewed sense of determination filled me. I wouldn’t let him destroy another person’s life.
I could play his game. Earn his trust. Then stab him in the back. Hopefully not literally—I didn’t think I was capable of that, no matter how angry and bitter and hurt I was. But if I couldn’t be an Elite Guardian to the insiders, perhaps I could to the outsiders.
Ding.
The suit’s chime announced the end of the Faust Night Trial. I had drawn first blood. I had won. But my opponent wouldn’t stop. Large hands reached for me, neatly flipping me over a broad shoulder. I landed on my back. Air escaped me in a giant whoosh. Pain should have followed, but I felt nothing. Only confusion. Because glaring down at me with a spear tip pointed at my chest was Bren.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came.
His lips curved into a sneer. “You really thought I cared? Thought I’d sacrifice the win for you? Who do you think you are, Lune? Do you think you’re strong? Because you’re not. You’re always afraid, remember? That makes you weak.” Tears burned my eyes at his callous assault. He laughed at my pain. “You are nothing to me. Just a means to an end. Got that?”
Words refused to form on my tongue when he continued to look at me with hatred, something he’d never done before. I choked back a sob as agony consumed me.
“Pathetic,” he spat. “No wonder Renold asked me to kill you. He knows you’re a failure, and now, so do I. Do the world a favor and stop trying.” His spear bore down, skewering me to the floor.
I gasped, not from the blade piercing my flesh, but from the realization that he’d ripped through my heart without remorse. The pain I felt was from my soul as it splintered, as it broke under the weight of Bren’s ultimate betrayal.
My suit dinged. Again and again. The high-pitched whine was an anvil to my temples, forcing me to close my eyes. I couldn’t bear to see Bren’s hate-filled expression a moment longer anyway. As the whining grew in volume, something nudged my neck. Gently. Then harder.
The sound of a deep woof had my eyes shooting open.
A fat snowflake plopped onto my nose as I scrambled to make sense of the massive form hunched over me. It definitely wasn’t Bren. A plaintive whine came from its throat and a cold snout brushed my cheek. Fear, my constant companion, rushed through my veins as awareness kicked in.
I was still in the gully and must have dozed off. Now, a beast was about to end me before I could take a single step toward my new purpose. Stupid. Stupid! I barely breathed as the animal nudged me again, noting that a large tan paw sat on my chest directly over my heart. My wrists were bound, but if I could reach the knife in my pants pocket . . .
A warm, damp tongue licked my left ear. I squeaked and jerked my head away. The creature leapt back instead of lunging for my throat, giving me the time I needed to slide the blade free. I double-fisted the weapon, trying and failing to stop my hands from shaking. We eyed each other from opposite ends of the pit. The Pit. Would I forever be plagued with memories of the Trials?
When no attack came, I studied the animal. Then squinted as I caught sight of its markings. Beige paws and chest, black muzzle and ears. No way. Could it really be him? I whistled softly and the wolf dog cocked his head. A sigh of relief escaped me. My shoulders sagged and I relaxed my death grip on the knife. Had he followed me this entire week? I couldn’t recall how many days I’d been traveling.
He must be hungry, but so was I. As I struggled to stand, the world threatened to tip upside down, confirming that I needed to feed myself. And find fresh water. But dusk had fallen while I’d slept, lowering the temperature to dangerous levels. Shelter was my number one priority. I did not want to lose any toes to frostbite.
I put away my blade, keeping one eye on the dog as I tentatively put weight on my injured ankle. Pain shot up my leg and I sucked in a gasp. Okay then. Possible sprain, but I didn’t think the bone was broken. Climbing out of the gully was a messy affair. I scaled the side mostly by crawling, using roots to pull myself upward. By the time I hauled myself over the edge, my knees ached and a cold sweat peppered my skin.
Black emptiness crowded my sight and I took several deep breaths until my vision cleared. Rising to my feet was draining, but not as bad as when Catanna had stuck a knife in my back and I’d woken downriver near Tatum City’s electric wall. I had used Bren as motivation to push past the pain and weakness, and I would use him now. Back then, he’d been an inspiration for strength, but today, he was a target for justice.
I didn’t allow myself to use the word revenge. Because no matter how many times he’d betrayed me, I didn’t want him hurt. My goal was simply to stop him, not see those honey-gold eyes glazed over in death. Envisioning such a sight squeezed my heart and snatched away my breath. I sighed. They were right about me. “Pathetic,” I whispered.
My first task was to find a walking stick. Usually, I could push aside pain, but hobbling about on a sprained ankle without the full use of my hands would be incredibly stupid. You can’t be strong without first being smart. Ugh. Why were Ryker’s words coming back to me whenever I felt like a piece of crap? It was bad enough that I still felt pricks of guilt over leaving him. Now he was the voice of reason in my head?
After rooting around for a long and sturdy stick, I searched for a good spot to camp for the night. “Rocks,” I mumbled. “Where are rocks when you need them?” Ryker had said they helped block the wind, and the higher I climbed, the stronger it became. Rocks served a dual purpose: lessened the air’s impact and kept your scent from being carried to nocturnal predators. See, I was learning.
I could survive one night on my own.
Technically, I had a new companion though. Several yards off, the wolf dog, having climbed out of the pit without problem, silently trailed me. “You need a name if you’re going to stalk me,” I called to him through numb lips. “How about Pest? You did steal my bread after all.” He sneezed, as if in protest. “Fine. Bear then. Because your paws are seriously like a bear’s. You even look like one, did you know that?”
He didn’t answer. I guessed that he approved.
We traveled in silence until darkness forced me to stop. I couldn’t risk tumbling into another gully. With my luck, I’d crack my head wide open. Removing my backpack without being able to slip the straps down my arms took much longer than it should have. My frozen fingers struggled with the buckles—I could barely feel them. Alarmed, I pulled and yanked until a buckle broke.
I cursed, then tried to calm my erratic breathing. Panic would make things worse. To get the tent open, I had to use my teeth. The fabric snapped in my face, but I couldn’t muster a laugh at my own expense. Crap, I was turning into Ryker. I couldn’t help it though. The knowledge that my life was solely in my hands sobered me right up. And knowing that I was minutes away from frostbite terrified me. Maybe Ryker acted so serious all the time because he only had himself to rely on. I didn’t even know if he had friends. I doubted Skervvy was one of them.
After zipping myself inside the tent, I wondered if Bear would let me snuggle against his thick warm fur. But he’d wandered off, probably to catch himself a rabbit or something when I’d failed to feed him. Sorry, buddy. My rations are low as it is. Plus, an empty hole had taken the place of my stomach. When was the last time I’d eaten? I managed to flick on the lantern and quickly wrapped my fingers around it. Long minutes passed before I could feel the tips again. I studied each digit, checking for signs of frostbite, then remembered my toes.
Ah crap.
The process of removing my boots was slow and awkward, my hands shaking with nerves at what I would find. My swollen left ankle made the situation that much worse. “Please, please lo
ok normal. Please,” I whispered, wrestling one boot off, then the other. When I was staring at both bare feet, the tears came. My toes were red, not black. Sort of a good sign. I couldn’t feel them though. Water. I needed warm water.
But all I had was the lantern. What if it gave out? Then you’ll die, idiot. I could make a fire—I had matches. Half frozen and with your hands bound? “You’re not helping,” I hissed at my inner self. The tears wouldn’t stop. They left icy trails down my cheeks, adding to my misery.
You cannot break me.
I sucked in a ragged breath and nodded. If humans weren’t allowed to break me, neither was nature. I stuck my toes as close to the lantern as I dared, watching them closely for hours, praying that my one source of heat would last the night.
As the first fingers of dawn snuck into the tent, I was half delirious with hunger and exhaustion. But I was alive. I, Lune Avery, stared death in the face and didn’t back down. I rolled my eyes at the dramatic thought. Switching the lantern off, I prepared to endure another day. There was a newfound sureness to my movements though. I could do this. Life had tried to crush me again but I had fought back. And this time, I’d won, all on my own.
“Who’s tough?” I wiggled my toes, then watched them disappear inside dry woolen socks. “That’s right, you are.”
The boots went on next, but as I worked on lacing them up, I realized my grave mistake. My ankle had been warmed too much by the lantern instead of packed in snow to bring down the swelling. I called myself every stupid name I could think of, grimacing as I rose and tested the pain level. “Well, crap on a cookie, that really hurts.” When did I become so chatty with myself? Was I that starved for companionship?
Ever since Bren, my inner voice helpfully supplied. But it was right. Spending every day with him for three solid months had ruined me. His silly jokes, witty comebacks, inane observations . . . I missed all of that. He had made life more than just bearable—he’d made it livable. I swiped the pointless memories away by repacking my sleeping bag and tent, then finally curbed my hunger with the last of my bread and a small handful of nuts.
My stomach still complained when I was finished, but I stored the rest and went in search of water. Snow would do if I couldn’t find anything, but it wasn’t fresh and could be contaminated—another thing I’d learned from Ryker. I didn’t want to fall sick on top of everything. Bear wasn’t in sight, but I had a feeling he was nearby. Was he hungry for companionship too?
I whistled, just in case he’d fallen asleep and didn’t hear me leave, then took off. It probably wasn’t wise to encourage his company, but the thought of being utterly alone up here . . . My lips twitched into a small smile as I heard the light patter of paws following me.
It was midday, the sun blazing bright overhead, when my senses went haywire. Until now, my gut had steadily tugged me northeast. And then, out of nowhere, my instincts told me to veer south. I blinked, stunned. No. No, no, no. All of this climbing for nothing? “Stars above, Bren, what are you doing?”
I didn’t know how long I stood there, blankly staring at nothing, but it was long enough for Bear to come investigate. He sat a few yards in front of me, still as a statue. Waiting. Like he had complete faith that I knew where I was going. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Bear. I’m . . . I’m lost.”
The admission stung. More than stung. It gutted me. I wanted to collapse in the snow and never get up again. Let nature bury me whole. As my knees weakened, as my hope dwindled, a twig snapped. My head whipped up, searching for the source. A figure emerged from behind a tree. Before I could make out the face, before I could sense if the person was a threat or not, Bear charged.
My eyes widened. A split second too late, I recognized who it was. All I could do was watch as a growling Bear lunged at Ryker and brought him to the ground.
“Bear, no!”
In my haste, I put too much weight on my injury. The ankle collapsed under the pain, but my walking stick kept me upright, kept me hopping toward the vicious-looking dog intent on tearing out Ryker’s throat. When I reached them, I didn’t know where to look first: at Bear’s wicked long canines inches away from ripping flesh, or at the crimson spatters littering the snow. Was I too late?
“Bear, no,” I repeated, putting authority behind the words the same way I used to with Freedom when she got ornery. “Heel!”
And, holy wonders of the mystical universe, he obeyed my command. I didn’t have time to speculate on it because Ryker’s rapid breathing drew my attention. I quickly scanned his body, but his dark clothing made it hard to tell if he was bleeding.
“Bear?” he said, grunting as he slowly sat up.
I shrugged. “He wouldn’t stop following me so I thought that was better than calling him ‘Bread Snatcher.’” I hesitated as he remained sitting in the snow, a very un-Ryker-like position. Was he injured? I jangled the metal at my wrists. “I’d offer you a hand up, but they’re occupied at the moment.”
Ryker slowly rolled to a stand, his movements stiff and jerky. “I see that. I also see that you didn’t take my advice.”
And our three seconds of politeness died a sudden death.
“And what sage advice did I fail to heed, all wise one?” My snark switched back on, fully charged after a solid day of neglect.
His expression flattened as he tapped his forehead, staring pointedly at mine. I awkwardly brought my hands up and felt a dry, flaky substance there. Then I remembered. Thane had bashed my head against a tree and I hadn’t bothered to clean the cut. Oops. Excuses formed on the tip of my tongue, but a fresh red dot plopped into the snow at Ryker’s feet. I changed gears.
“Looks like you didn’t take your own advice. Where are you hurt?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve got it taken care of. What happened to you?”
Deflection? I knew that game all too well. “Thane happened. I’m guessing you know who he is, too?” I would cross my arms if I had the ability. I settled for narrowing my eyes.
Sighing, he said, “It’s not what you think.” I didn’t miss the way his hand hovered over the left side of his torso before it dropped. Injury located. “I used to work with them, but not anymore. I guess you could say our current interests lay on separate paths.”
“And yet you’re both interested in me, it would seem.” Might as well be blunt. Get a reaction out of him.
His gaze remained steady and I struggled not to look away. “Yes,” he admitted without inflection. “But for very different reasons.”
“And what are those reasons? I should probably know in case I need to choose a side.” Why couldn’t he just spit it out? Was I doomed to spend my life with people who wouldn’t be honest? Stars, I missed Asher with a vengeance. He had always been open with me.
“It’s simple.” Another drop of blood fell. “They want to enslave you and I want to prove my loyalty to Supreme Elite Tatum. And believe me when I say you wouldn’t want to be their boss’s slave. Elite Tatum treats you a whole lot better than he ever would.”
I blinked, digesting the information, surprised that he’d actually given me a bit of ammo. “Okay,” I drew the word out. “But this doesn’t make us friends or anything. I’m only following Renold’s orders because I have no choice. If it were up to me, I’d never step foot inside Tatum City ever again. That’s not the life I want.”
He watched me shrewdly, probably wondering where my chosen path lay. Well, he wouldn’t get an answer—all of my paths were currently broken anyway. Without replying, he unbuckled his pack and rummaged inside until he’d produced a small case. As he flipped it open, I learned his intentions. A pick. He had a lock pick! The raw skin at my wrists tingled with anticipation.
His fingers wrapped around my forearm. The pick was inches away from setting me free when he paused. “On one condition.” My hands tightened on the walking stick. “You tell me where you’re going. Because you’re obviously not heading back to Tatum City, something that I thought you’d do when I said I’d lost
Bren’s trail.”
I refused to meet his penetrating gaze, staring at the hovering pick instead. “I’m . . . following Bren’s trail.” Crap. I should have told him I was running away. But I really didn’t want to be electrocuted again.
“How?”
“That’s two conditions.”
“How, Lune?”
“My instincts tell me where to go, that’s how,” I snapped, hating the power he currently had over me. “I think about him and my gut tugs me in the right direction. That’s all I know. Now unlock the cuffs.”
The scrape of metal was the only sound for several unbearable moments. I dreaded knowing where his thoughts were taking him. Would he tell Renold? Of course he would. He was Renold’s little pet. I needed leverage and fast. My attention fixed on the fresh droplets of blood near his boots.
Game on.
“What else can you do?” His tone was calmer now. Placating.
Nope. Deflection time.
“First, tell me about your injury. Did the beast that attacked Thane get you?”
“No. Don’t worry about it.”
Click. The cuffs unlocked and Ryker removed them.
As cool air washed over my tender skin, I had the urge to jump up and down, shouting, “I’m free!” Somehow, I resisted, instead saying, “I’m not worried.”
He rolled his eyes. “All right then, where to next, tracker?”
Ugh. I knew he would go there.
“See, that’s the funny thing. My instincts stopped working the moment you arrived, so I guess your presence has a cancelling effect.” I started walking downhill as if to head back to Tatum City. Bear fell in beside me.
“Why are you limping?”
He wasn’t asking the right questions! “Why are you bleeding?” I threw back. At his soft snarl, I smirked.
“Fine,” he gritted out. “Will you try to find Bren again if I keep your little gut instinct trick a secret from your father?”
Adaptive: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The Elite Trials Book 2) Page 8