They walked in silence a while, and Maria’s legs seemed to be back to full functionality. Maddix knew she wouldn’t run. She may have wanted to escape, but she wasn’t stupid. Maddix might conveniently let her go, but the chancellor’s kids would likely open fire, and knowing their lack of control, they could use a deadly setting without realizing it until it was too late.
She stared ahead, focusing on the path Flagro was taking. It was actually a game trail. Small, but more passable than trailblazing through the brush. But he wasn’t paying attention, rather he walked ahead as if he hadn’t a care in the world. But there was a snare up ahead. Even a beginner hunter could see it. But Flagro did not seem to see the hazard.
Maddix glanced over at her, a little gleam of amusement in his eyes. He saw it too, she realized. Saw it, and wasn’t saying a word.
A few moments later the elite cried out in surprise, then pain, as his foot was violently yanked out from underneath him, his body slamming into the ground before being dragged up into the air.
“Get me down!” he shrieked, clawing at the cord around his ankle. “Get me down, damn it!”
Maddix hurried to his aid, cutting him free and letting him drop with a thud.
“Why did you do that, fool?”
“I did as you asked. You were very emphatic, so I thought speed was of the essence.”
He glanced at Maria, the amusement clear in his eyes, but quickly wiped away as he turned his attention back to the angry young man.
Flagro was fuming. He rolled over and rose to his feet to dust himself off—or, he tried to—but he fell over instead, clutching his leg. His sister rushed to crouch at his side.
“How bad is it?” she asked, gingerly touching his leg.
“It fucking hurts, Galla!”
“Of course it does. Is it broken?”
“How should I know?” he snapped.
Galla leaned back and fixed him with the sort of cold, unsettling stare only a sibling could level at someone to achieve that kind of reaction. She was judging him, and he knew it. Worse, she was his kin and would not be bullied.
Flagro sighed, then gently poked and squeezed his leg, testing the bruised skin first, then seeing if his bones made the horrid grinding sound he’d had the displeasure of enduring once in his youth.
“It hurts, but it doesn’t seem to be broken,” he reported.
“Good. Then we can continue on.” She turned to Maddix, anger in her eyes. “Why didn’t you warn him of the trap? This is your area of expertise, is it not?”
“It is, indeed. But, as you clearly heard, your brother stated that it was he who was leading the expedition. And from the rear, it is much harder to detect any hazards that might lay at the front. I’m sure your brother understands. He is the leader, after all.”
Flagro and Galla both stared daggers at him, but there was no way to talk around the fact that he was right. He was rubbing their noses in it, no doubt, but even so they could not fault his logic. And rather than admit they were wrong, the duo decided to double-down on their bluster.
Flagro straightened himself up, took a swig from what was quite likelynota water flask, and made as if surveying the terrain that lay ahead. “Very well, then we will continue. How far would you say the ship is?”
“Another day’s walk, give or take,” Maddix replied.
“No, no. That’s not acceptable.”
“We made our approach on foot for a reason. The distance is what it is, I’m afraid.”
He did not like that answer. “No, that will not do. As leader of this group, I am ordering you to activate the ship’s auto-recall.”
“No.”
“No? Youdarerefuse me?”
“No, of course not. But I simply cannot.”
“Cannot, or will not,” Galla hissed, her eyes sparkling with venom.
“Cannot,” the hunter replied calmly. “You both hiked in just as I did. We were together the entire time, do you recall?”
