“That’s up to Catalina,” Sonco says. He briefly eyes the distance between us, his brows pulling together into a stern line. Manuel and I share a log, but he’s on one end and I’m on the other. “And whatever Luna tells her.”
I clench my wooden cup, the last drops of water clinging to the bottom. What if Luna doesn’t have another message for me? What if I’m not as helpful as I hope to be? I shakily stand and walk over to my pack. The telescope is on top, and it feels heavy in my hands.
Footsteps clamor through the brush. Branches snap. Leaves rustle. Everyone jumps to their feet, weapons raised. Manuel is at my side in an instant. “Pull out your weapon.”
I stuff my telescope into my belt. As for weapons, all I have are the darts dipped in poison. When I show him, his brow furrows. “That’s it?”
“Chaska has my dagger.”
Manuel is about to reclaim it when there’s another loud crash. “Over there!” Kusi exclaims, his spear raised. A figure bursts into our camp, huffing. I let a blow dart fly, and it lands nowhere near him. A second later I’m glad for it. He’s one of the guards.
“Where is Sayri? Has he come back?”
Chaska steps forward, her arms raised. “Calm down. He’s taking the first watch.”
“No,” the man replies, frantic. “We were together, but there was a noise—I turned around andmy brother was gone.”
“He can’t have disappeared,” Kusi says. “He might’ve walked away to relieve himself.”
“I looked,” he says, panic threading his words. “I lookedeverywhere.Called his name. Made a racket. But he’s nowhere! Help me find him, please.”
Chaska looks toward her cousin. “What do you think?”
“I’ll go with him to search,” Kusi says. “The rest of you stay here. Protect the camp. Keep the fire blazing, your weapons close.” He and the guard disappear into the tree line, and for a horrible moment I have a feeling I won’t see either of them again.
“He didn’t say what kind of noise it was,” I mutter. Was it a scream? A growl?
What’s hunting us?
Manuel clenches the handle of his machete. I reach for my telescope again, but he catches my movement. A snarl escapes him. “Don’t even think about it.”
“But Luna might offer guidance.”
“The nearest clearing is a ten-minute walk away. We stay together, with the fire.”
I stuff the scope back into my bag.
We wait for what feels like hours, until at last,at last, the pair reappears. Kusi looks to Sonco first, a slight shake of his head. My stomach drops. Sayri hasn’t been found.
“We’re going to attempt another search in the morning,” Kusi says. “For now no one—not even the watch—steps out of sight.” He motions toward Manuel and me. “You two sleep first.”
Sleep?How is anyone supposed to sleep with a monster on the loose?
We each settle into our hammocks. Mine swings wildly until I slam a foot down to keep it steady. Manuel checks to make sure I’m safe before climbing into his. I stare up into the dense canopy of trees, tangles twisting like long limbs, ready to choke the life out of anyone who draws near. I remember the loneliness and terror I’d felt that first night in the jungle. It was a miracle I’d survived at all.
Manuel says softly, “Catalina.”
“What?” I whisper back.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” There’s iron in his vow. “Try to sleep.”
I avert my gaze and turn away from his hammock. Somehow sleep claims me after all.
The next morning we look for the missing guard. Kusi keeps us all together, searching beyond our campsite. I get down on my knees, peering into the thick greenery surrounding a massive tree trunk. A tarantula creeps on a long palm frond and I shudder, drawing away. Manuel stays close, lifting tangled vines, trying to forge a path through the dense jungle.
We look for an hour, but there’s no sign of Sayri. And then someone calls, a few feet away.
“Over here,” Chaska says.
