“Caym,” the words rush out in a whisper, “did you see that?” My breathing stills as I squint, focusing on the muddied features of the building.
He stops, staring at the direction of the structure. “We need to split up.” His words are barely audible but they register nonetheless.
Without pause, I head towards the treeline that’s mere steps away and dash into the undergrowth. Caym moves quickly, striding down the hillside at a breakneck pace.
I watch as his steps slow. He ducks behind a large boulder and waits for my move.
Cautiously, I begin my descent to the outcropping of trees just behind the building. The chill from earlier is gone, the blood in my limbs pumps haphazardly as my heart booms in my chest.
Don’t let us be caught.I repeat the words like a prayer as I shimmy down the rugged terrain. My hair catches in the thick brush and I curse myself for not taking the time to plait my dark tresses. I snatch the betraying locks from the thorny branch.
Once they’re free, I quickly look back to where Caym should be. Except he isn’t there. My eyes trace over the rocky slope, frantically scouring the boulders. Panic begins to rise in my chest as numbness begins to tingle through my fingers.
I follow the horizon until I locate movement where I least expect it, down at the storehouse. Godsdamn. Of course Caym would get there first to keep me from danger.
“You fucker,” I say under my breath. He’s always been dutiful, willing to sacrifice himself to protect those closest to him. It’s aggravating and at this moment I want to throttle him for leaving me behind.
My feet scale over rocks and fallen debris that are scattered along the makeshift trail. I advance faster, unwilling to let him face whatever is down there alone.
My chest burns from my rapid inhales—I don’t have time to worry about being quiet, my only focus on Caym and the sudden wave of unease that grows with each breath.
I jump over a log, throwing my skirts to the side, and land on crushed rock. The pebbly granular shale causes me to slide, rolling my ankle and suddenly I’m on my ass.
My skin smarts from the landing, the cold and sharp stones beneath me biting into my flesh. The building is only a few paces away but I’m frozen on the ground. My body hurts, like really hurts, from the fall so it’s all I can do to not sit there and scream.
I splay my fingers into the gravely surface, begging the earth to let me breathe.
My mind can’t focus on anything but the blinding pain.
“Alora,” a husky whisper calls to me as I hear the pulverized stone crunch near me, “what the fuck was that?”
Inhaling, my head spins to where the voice came from. Caym is there, walking towards me while his brows reach towards the heavens.
A groan escapes my lips, it’s the only sound I risk making.
“Is it your ankle?” His eyes drift over my prone form assessing what could be keeping me down.
The burn in my chest begins to settle as I make an effort to slow my breathing.
“No,” or at least what sounds like it leaves my lips, “I damn near broke my tailbone.”
“Do you need a minute?”
My eyes shift closed until I’m sure it looks like slits.
“I need you to shut up.”
A chuckle is the only sound in the too quiet air. Caym stands there, hands to his side, waiting. The wrinkle of his brow eases as I shuffle slightly, stretching a leg out and straightening my spine.
“Where were you?” It’s all I can manage as I twist my leg around under me. Gods my tailbone is sore, but at least it doesn’t seem to be broken.
“I scaled down in front of that boulder back there,” he points behind us motioning to where I just basically ran from, “there’s a dip just below it. I bet you didn’t see me since it's somewhat of a hole.”
My head nods. It would make sense. There was no way he could have gotten down that quickly without me noticing sooner.
“I thought you had left me to go be the big brave warrior.” It sounds harsher than I mean it to, but maybe it’s more true than I hoped.
Vulnerability has never come easy and right now it feels like I’d rather flay my skin off than let Caym, who’s been my brother for longer than Hanin was, see the broken bits of me.
