Rune and I had come in with a compass each. It spun, stalled, vibrated, and then pointed northwest…sort of.
“We should camp high,” she said softly, wincing at the echoes that came back from her speaking. “Get to a clearing.”
I turned in the direction the compass pointed. “Steep elevation might mean less magic distortion. Not to mention whatever creatures are around.”
“True. Let’s not draw attention to ourselves,” she said.
I raised my hand toward the incline to the northwest. “Koa, take Slater and Zuko. Sweep the ridge line west before meeting us back at the top of that mountain. Dry nuts, clean water, anything edible.”
“Sure,” Koa said with a carefree smile.
Slater threw an arm around his shoulders. “Brother-mate bonding time!”
“If only Rune were with us.” Zuko frowned.
“I’ll be at camp when you get back.” Rune winked at them before she pivoted to Eleanor. “With you two being shifters, it’ll be easy for you to set up perimeter wards once we get to camp with Lorian. So long as the magic forest doesn’t know the difference between shifter and animal.”
“Hawk,” I said as we all began walking, “set up a trap around the perimeter wards. Raze, too.”
Raze gave a groan as Hawk nodded.
“Aura,” Rune added, “keep track of any abnormalities.”
“Easy enough,” she mumbled, staring around at the forest that held trees and vines that breathed and moved.
“You’re not going to say thank you?” she asked, striding up next to me as we hiked up the mountain as quietly as we could manage.
“For what?” I asked. “Agreeing with you about the safest place to stay tonight and not die?”
She grinned. “For coming up with it at least.”
“If you hadn’t, I would’ve.” I dodged a sentient vine with vampire strength.
She rolled her eyes.
By the timewe found a semi-lifeless clearing from the mountain’s shifting breath, the last light had bled away.
Camp came together in fragments—wards flickering like nervous heartbeats thanks to Lorian and Eleanor, traps swallowed by the soil on the outer part of those thanks to Raze and Hawk, firelight trembled against bark that exhaled smoke ofits own thanks to Aura, Rune, and myself. Zuko, Slater, and Koa stumbled in right after us with supplies.
Rune took first watch while everyone else surrendered to sleep as if the mountain itself had lulled them. Perhaps it did.
I couldn’t sleep, though.
My eyes popped open as a cracked leather scent tickled my nose.
Why was Hawk awake?
I got up and headed toward the fire.
Hawk had drifted too close to Rune, that hopeful energy bleeding off him like a scent.
My steps slowed, and my fangsached, not with hunger but with restraint.
I wanted to tear Hawk’s throat out for being around Rune this late at night, assignment be damned.
“...thinking I should stay on your watch,” he was saying, not being subtle at all, “keep you company.”
How had Slater and Zuko not woken up yet? They were sprawled around the campfire next to her, snoring.
