I slowly lowered the stick. And I stared into the jungle, wishing I didn’t feel so out of sorts.
“Your arm’s still bothering you,” Fara said when I woke her for her shift.
“Yes.” No point in lying to someone who knew about wounds. “I’m sure it’ll be fine by morning, however.”
Frowning, she pressed her palm against my forehead. “You’re hot. We can look for herbs. I’m pretty good at identifying those with healing properties. Try to rest.”
“I appreciate that.” With her concerned gaze following me, I went back to where Derren and Lexie slept and settled against the wall beside Lexie. Even with the pain, exhaustion won, and I slid into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Dawn’s gray light woke me. I rolled carefully onto my back and stared at the ceiling, watching sunlit patterns flicker across the stone. The rain had finally stopped, and the scent of dirt and fresh vegetation swirled through the cave.
People slept around me. Maddox’s oppressive snore dominated them all.
But it felttooquiet.
I sat up, my arm shouting with pain at the movement. The rest of our group lay scattered on the dirt floor. Seven including me, exactly what I’d expect with one on guard. I didn’t see Fara, but she…
She was supposed to wake Derren when her time was up, but that would’ve been hours ago. I couldn’t find her inside the cave, and she wasn’t standing guard.
In fact, no one was standing guard.
Had she stepped outside to go to the bathroom?
Rising, I hurried to the entrance and peered around, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Birds shrieked in the jungle, crying out their fury at the new dawn.
“Fara?” I called, not caring if I woke anyone up.
Bryson joined me at the entrance, straightening his tunic.
“Fara’s not here.” Unease spiked through my belly.
His concerned gaze met mine before he turned to face the others.
“Derren,” he barked. “Did Fara wake you to stand guard?”
Derren sat up, rubbing his face. “No, she didn’t.” He rose, glancing around. “Where is she?”
“I think…” Fuck. “I think… Well, maybe she got lost.” The words sounded stupid even to my own ears.
“Who’d wander away in a place like this?” Maddox asked, getting up from where he’d slept beside his brother.
“We need to look for her.” My voice came out sharp enough to cut through the stone surrounding us. “Now.”
Everyone stirred, grumbling and stretching. Lexie sat up, her braids messy from sleep.
“All of you remain here,” Bryson said grimly. “I’ll go look for her.”
I laid my hand on his arm before he could stride away. “No, we can’t split the group.”
He studied my hand, then my face, before giving me a curt nod. “You’re right. We should remain together.” He glanced toward the others. “Everyone up. We’re going to look for her in an organized, concise way.”
Maddox sighed. “We could wait here. She might come back.”
“You can wait here while the rest of us look for her,” I said, almost hoping he’d take me up on the offer. I mean, I didn’t want to add his carcass to the two men I’d already killed, but I’d be glad to turn my back on him and walk away.
“Her pack.” Jaxon pointed to where she’d been sleeping. “It’s still here.” He grimaced at his brother. “She didn’t go wandering.”
“Maybe she got scared and decided to take off on her own,” Maddox said.
