I try to move, but can’t.
“Corin!” I scream and sob and sob.
Corin sinks closer to the ground, until he is lying in a pool of his own blood. I watch the redness soak into his shirt, until I’m sure it can’t take any more.
“Do you see, boy?” Raleigh smiles, and his pure white teeth glisten. “You cannot beat me. The Untamed cannot beat the Chosen Ones.”
Then Raleigh disappears. And I am left, suspended in the air, to watch Corin taking his last breaths of life.
“It was just a dream.”
I say the words aloud to make them more true, to satisfy the doubt in my mind. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t change a thing. I should be relieved it wasn’t a vision, but I don’t feel relieved. My head pounds, my sight blurs, my skin tingles.
I’m shaking, sitting in the back of the car. Darkness is all around me, trying to soak up my fears and pain, but even the night cannot help me now. Only one thing can.
No. Can’t risk it.
I look toward Marouska’s sleeping body. She made that drink for me. She knows how to do it. Those yellow roots we collected, were they involved? Marouska said they were for soup, but that might’ve been a cover-up. I swallow hard. Could I make it? I could convert myself and hide the outward signs quite easily. But how can I find out the recipe?
Marouska breathes heavily in her sleep, stirs a little. But she’ll sleep through anything this night; I don’t know how I know. I just do.
But I can’t ask her for the recipe. She’s suspicious enough of me already. And guessing would be too risky. If it fails—which it most likely will—she’ll kill me. Or the others will when they get back.
I pause. Is there a way to consume the augmenter without getting the mirrors? I press my lips together. Could I sniff it? Inhale it? Or would that give the mirrors too? I can’t risk it to find out.
I take a deep breath. I just have to wait. Soon, I’ll be able to get away. I rub at my arms. The skin has goose-fleshed, and the bumps feel horrible. I am jittery inside again. Uncomfortable. My stomach turns.
It’s because of the dream.
A bad dream. That was all. It wasn’t a vision. It wasn’t my Seeing powers. The bison wasn’t there. It was just a bad dream. Another nightmare, like the one of my father and Five.
My father used to say dreams personify our worst fears; we remember them so we can learn a way to overcome them.
I can still see Corin’s bloodied body. With a painful jolt, I realize he was lying in the same position as the dead Untamed child was. I swallow hard. I just saw Corin die. One of my worst fears?
No! I want to scream. His death is not one of my worst fears. He means nothing more to me than Rahn does. And Corin’s not interested in me. I know that. So why am I dreaming about him? Why does the concept of his death scare me so much?
I blink away hot, angry tears and sniff loudly. I’m not interested in Corin. He’s arrogant. He thinks he knows best. He’s prejudiced toward my family because my mother’s a Seer, because Two was a Seer, because I’m a Seer. He hates me. He’s disappointed in me. Why would I ever be interested in him?
I bite the inside of my cheek, until I draw blood.
No. Corin’s death isn’t my worst fear.
Being left alone with Raleigh is. Yet, it’s his people I’m going to join.
When morning eventually dawns, I get up early, and, leaving a note for Marouska—I peeled the paper off a can and used mud for ink—I head out into the jungle. I take my knife and the Luger with me. Also attached to my belt is a small package of food.
I start up the small mountain—the one Corin and I first went up. From the top, I can look to see if they’re in sight. If they’re not, then I’ll have to leave. I can’t keep waiting until they come back, if they never return. I’ll just have to tell Marouska that I’m worried about the others, that I’m going to see if I can find them. It will bide me some good points in her book. Hopefully, she won’t suspect why I’m really going. She won’t, not if I play my cards right.
My legs move, almost in a mechanical manner, directing me. I have no choice. Something’s compelling me to go there. So I do.
It’s hard going, but it’s cooler than the average temperature, and the air is refreshing against my skin. I’ve tied my greasy hair up into a high knot, and I can almost forget about my disheveled, dirty appearance as I lose myself to the mountain.
I listen to its sounds, smell its earthly aromas, take in its bountiful supply of beauty. Soon, I am at the top. A few stubby trees loosely surround a fallen trunk, which I sit on and then watch over the valley below.
The trees look tiny. Like they’re not real. Like nothing’s real in this world. There’s no guarantee of anything. I take a deep breath and breathe in the jungle air. My knife rests on the trunk next to me. The gun is back in my belt. My pockets are empty, except for the augmenter. It would be the perfect time to get rid of it. If that was what I was going to do. There’s no one else here. And I know that the right thing would be to dispose of it, to remain Untamed. The bison told me that.
Still, the need for self-preservation is strong.
I pull the vial out my pocket; my fingers almost cling to the glass. I stare at it: my connection to the Enhanced. Throw it away, or drink it. Either way, it’s just one sudden movement of my arm.
My lips feel strange.
Make up your mind. Take it or throw it.
Something stops me from doing either action. I don’t know why. It’s silly. I already know I’m going to join the Enhanced—I’ve already decided that—so I don’t know why I’m pretending to hover in between.
Over the course of the day, Marouska doesn’t come up to find me. She must realize I need to be alone. Maybe she’s wondering what I’m doing. Maybe she’s not.
Around midday, I eat my food. What’s left of the meat pie is going stale; it does little to revive me, and there’s something about it that makes my stomach harden. It tasted a bit strange last night too, though Marouska insisted it was okay.
I need water. But I left that behind, and I can’t bring myself to move from this spot to go and find some just yet. I don’t even know why I’m not on the move. New Sié looks so close, in the daylight. I could be on my way now, quite easily. I’d be there in a matter of days. Probably sooner—I’m the fastest runner the Untamed have.
For a few minutes, I entertain the idea of leaving now. I see myself just walking away, dancing in the city, and drinking augmenters. I breathe in deeply, letting my mind wander. But I don’t move. I just sit here, alone, with only the jungle’s sounds for company. It really is beautiful. Amazing. Wonderful.
In all the time I’m up here, I see no animals. Nothing. Other than mosquitoes. I sit still, blending into the background, yet no animals come through. No birds. No rodents. Nothing. Even in the sparsest parts of the desert, I’d have seen some sort of life, but here there’s nothing.
It’s like the life’s just gone out of this place. Zapped away. Drained. It’s the fear, that’s what it is. Everything in the wild is scared—the people: the Untamed. Everyone lives in fear. It doesn’t have to be like this. I know that now, and the knowledge frees me.
A few hours later, I stretch my legs out and groan as they click and crack. They feel dead. I wait for the blood to return to them. It does, and my legs tingle.
A little while later still, I hear the first sounds of proper life since climbing the mountain: the faint hum of human voices.
I get up and walk over to the edge of the mountain, peering around the trunk of a young larch. I see them, far, far below. They’re walking on an open pathway. Four of them. My heart lifts. Something strange fills my body. How didn’t I see them earlier? And how can I hear them, from here?
They’re laden down, huge bags humped up on their backs. For several minutes, I admire them, relief pouring through me. Corin. Three. Esther. Rahn. They’re back. They survived.
I watch them for a good fifteen minutes, mapping their progress alo
ng the track. I look at them, then toward the part of the woodland where the car and Marouska are. They’ll be there in less than half an hour. Then it dawns on me that I won’t be there in time. Even if I set off now, and run at my top speed, I’d probably make it back a few minutes after them. That’s if I hadn’t killed myself falling down the mountain.
After a few seconds, I shrug. I’ll stay up here then. Rahn will be angry. But his anger won’t really make a difference to me—that’s what being up here all day has made me realize. Nothing can really affect me anymore. Not now, since I’ll be leaving anyway.
So, I sit back down on the fallen tree.
Time passes slowly when you know you’re going to be in trouble, even if you’re not that bothered about it. Several times, I have to stop my legs from shaking as I sit on the tree trunk. My nerves are on edge, but I remind myself that soon—very soon—I’ll never feel like this again. It gets me through it, for now anyway.
I look ahead at what I can see of the valley. There’s no movement. Everything’s still. Waiting for me to go back down.
I don’t feel like going down. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like going back down. I wonder whether Marouska has gone back on our little secret and told them about the augmenter. This very second Rahn could be banishing me from the group. Would that be a bad thing?
Evening draws in. Heat melts away. The mosquitoes’ constant buzzing gets louder and louder. I bat more and more of them away from me. My stomach rumbles loudly, but I ignore it. I brought no more food with me.
Then I hear a sound, like the pushing back of foliage. And footsteps. A twig snaps, and I stand up, legs braced. The sounds come from the woodland path leading up here. I pause, then grab my knife. Something is coming up here. Something is coming toward me. An animal? A leopard? Or Rahn, ready to disown me, to kill me?
My mouth gets drier as the sounds get closer.
I can hear humming. A human noise.
My hand shakes as I hold the knife. I remember about the Luger in my belt and pull it out. But I’m holding it with my weaker hand, and my shoulder burns. The weapons should be the other way around; I’d get a better shot with my left hand. But I don’t know if there’s time to switch them. Whoever is coming is big. The footsteps are heavy. I swallow, then flex my left arm slightly. The knife’s sharp blade glistens.
I see the figure.
Corin.
He pushes his way into the secluded area, and his eyes rest on me. He folds his massive arms slightly, making his body look even denser, even more powerful. The patches of skin that were burnt raw before are now browning and beginning to peel. But his dark hair—a lot darker than it was in my dream— is messy, and his clothes are scruffy, not neat and tailored.
“What’re you doing?” He doesn’t look away from the weapons in my hands.
I lower them, scowling. “I—I was sitting here.”
Corin crosses the small grassy stretch, stopping a foot or so away from me. His eyes narrow. “You were supposed to stay with Marouska.” When I don’t say anything, he continues. “She says you might be angry with me.”
I blink, remembering my dream in vivid detail, then how annoyed I’d been that the powers that be thought I cared about him more than anything in the world. Had it been that easy for Marouska to read me, especially when I thought she was asleep?
“Are you angry with me?” He looks surprised.
I shrug, and the motion sends a dull ache through my bad shoulder. Oh well. I can get that fixed soon. Corin’s eyes flicker to it, then back at my face.
“Look, Sev, just because I don’t want to be with you it doesn’t mean you’ve got to behave like a spoiled kid, does it?”
“If you think you’re the reason I’m up here, then you’re even more obnoxious and arrogant than I thought.” I put the weapons back in my belt. His expression doesn’t change. “I’m a Seer, Corin. Seers need solitude sometimes.”
Well, everyone needs to be on their own at times. It’s just human nature.
Corin nods slightly. “Okay, but Rahn wants you back now. We’re leaving again.”
I look up at him. He’s not that much taller than me. “He sent you to get me?”
“He said if you weren’t back before nightfall we’d go without you.”
Yes, do that. Then I can leave for New Sié without any objection.
“And Three isn’t trying to find me?”
The corners of Corin’s mouth twitch, and he brushes at his dark hair with a grubby hand. “He went off in the wrong direction. I knew where you’d be.”
I grind my teeth. The arrogant—
“But I got you this.” He produces a small bottle from his pocket.
My eyes widen. A neon blue liquid. My heart races. I freeze. My back stiffens. My ears burn.
Corin frowns, glances at me. “It’s the one you like best, isn’t it?”
I take the bottle slowly, turning it around in my fingers. It’s not labeled at all. I can barely breathe. What will it do? The possibilities are endless. But… Corin? I look back up at him, his face blurring before my eyes.
“I couldn’t take the whole bottle,” he says. “But I found this small one, and I transferred some. It was the best I could do… You do still want mouthwash?”
The wind whistles through the trees.
“Yes.” My voice is weak as I meet his eyes. “Thank—”
My gaze jerks behind him. Movement. In the foliage. An animal. Soft eyes. A large muzzle. Velvet fur.
A big cat. I know that look; it’s been watching us. I freeze. How the hell didn’t we notice it?
“You need to come back now, Sev,” Corin says. “Rahn’s serious. He will move on without you. Marouska told him about that child’s body. It’s not safe here.” He takes a step backward, but doesn’t turn away.
The cat takes a step forward, lowers itself into a pouncing position. A leopard. I can see it clearly. It reminds me of a carcass Kayden brought back a few years ago.
The mouthwash drops from my fingers.
“Don’t move.” I pull my gun from my belt. The Luger flashes in the streaky light.
“Sev? What are—”
The cat springs forward, eyes on Corin.
The moment the cat moves, so do I. I flick the safety off the Luger, lunge to the right, pull the trigger.
The cat pounces toward Corin, but the bullet—although not hitting it—sends it off path, slightly. But it’s enough.
Corin swears loudly. Then he reaches for his Glock. The cat jumps forward, his head following me, but then darts toward Corin. A second later, it skids, changes its mind, and bounds away, tail weaving through the air. I line my shot up with its retreating body. I fire again as the leopard turns.
This time, I don’t miss.
The leopard falls onto its side, dead.
Corin turns and looks at me. His face is white, save for the sunburn—though even that’s faded.
“They still like me then,” he says, his voice wavering.
“What?”
“Cats. Always attracted to me.”
“Oh.” The wildcat, when we were younger. I shake my head, breathing hard.
A few seconds later, Corin walks to the cat’s body. I stay where I am, I don’t want to move.
“You got it in the heart,” he calls back. “A heart-kill.”
I take a few steps forward. I feel strange. Dizzy. Corin meets me halfway.
“Sev?” He swallows, and his Adam’s apple bobs up, then down. “You can put the gun down now.”
I stare at the semi-automatic pistol for a few seconds. I saved Corin’s life. He could have been dead now.
I flick the safety on, then put the gun back in my belt. My fingers shake.
“Hey,” Corin says, and he touches my good shoulder. His touch is tender and full of—full of something I don’t know. Something new. “Uh, thanks, Sev.”
I make the mistake of looking into his eyes, and the smallest of shivers runs down my spine. We’re standing s
o close to each other. So close I could—
Corin leans forward. His hand moves from my shoulder to my jaw. His touch is soft, and I think of the leopard’s fur as he tilts my face up slightly. I’m looking into his eyes already, but the change in angle makes it more intense. My heart speeds up. He closes his eyes.
He kisses me, his lips warm and soft despite the sunburn. It’s short, over even before I can comprehend what’s happened. I watch him as he lets go of my face, stepping away. His hands shake and, stupidly, all I can think of are his words from the last time we were on the mountain: I’m not interested in you.
I don’t say anything. He doesn’t add anything. We stare at the cat’s body. It’s big. Impressive. My heart pounds. I can still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I glance sideways at Corin, feeling my face burn.
“If the Enhanced get me, they’ll have all of us. All the Untamed,” I blurt out, surprising myself. My spine clicks. “I think I’m the key to it all.” I freeze. Why the hell am I saying this? I’m leaving him—them all—soon.
Corin meets my eyes. His are unreadable, and there’s something within them, something of real depth that I can’t identify.
“I’ll protect you.”
His words float above us, then he pulls me to him. I almost expect another kiss, but this time his arms awkwardly hold my shaking body against his. He feels sturdy, safe, and strong. His arms are like a cage around me.
“We need to get back.” His voice is hard. “Come on.”
“I—the mouthwash—” I start to turn back, but he shakes his head, stopping me with a hand on my shoulder.
“It smashed. I’ll get you more. Come on.”
I let him lead me back down the mountain, my hand encased in his.
A few minutes before we get back to the car, Corin lets go of my hand. Esther sees us first. She waves at me. She looks the same as she did when she left, except she’s more tanned. Healthier, especially after that stomach virus.
“Oh, Seven! We were worried! Three, she’s here!” She grins as my brother appears.
Untamed Series, #1 Page 23