I craned my neck to look up at my fiancé. Although exhausted, he, too, looked somewhat happy.
“Not to interrupt your sappy reunion, but the smoke’s getting thin.” Kiera lifted her chin to the crater. “And there’s meat hanging everywhere. It’ll drive thetigriferal.”
I gave Remo’s hand one last squeeze, then released it and walked out from under his arm. “Hand her over,” I told Cruz.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded, then snuck my arm under Giya’s as she whispered, “Tigri?”
“Second trial. But don’t worry. You can rest while—”
“I hate this place. I mean, I’m so happy to see you, but I reallyhateprison.”
I shot her grim smile. “You and I both.” As we slalomed through the train debris, I asked, “Does anything hurt?”
“My head.”
Worry made me push her hair around, hunting for hidden gashes. “I don’t see any blood. Besides the one coming from the cut on your cheek.”
“It hurts because I’ve spent the last few days—hours?”—she looked up at the sky—“awake and alert and fucking terrified.”
“Giya Geemiwa, did you just curse?”
“Oh, shut up. After what I went through, I get to curse. I also get to rant if I feel like it.” Her voice was unnaturally high-pitched. “What is wrong with you? Why are you still smiling?”
“I’m just really happy to see you.”
She shot me a befuddled look.
“Does anyone else know where we are?” Remo asked, slowing his strides to keep up with our snail pace.
“Josh.”
“I meant, besides him?”
She shook her head.
“Hey, Farrow!” Kiera called out. “You’re needed to collect the meat.”
His gaze surfed past Giya and locked on mine.
“Go. I’m rested.Andarmed. We’ll be okay.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw.
“Let him accompany the girls,” Cruz said. “We have enough time to gather all the meat.”
“Why don’t we dump it all in one place?” Quinn suggested. “Thetigriwill converge there and be easier to pick off.”
Kiera chewed on her lip, clenching her fingers around her spear. I wondered if she slept with it. “Seven of them in the same place doesn’t sound like such great odds to me.”
“She looks familiar?” Giya whispered. “Why does she look familiar?”
“Because you’re looking at Cole’s twin.”
“And the man with the beard is their uncle, Quinn,” Remo added.
Giya’s pupils shrank, which made her irises look impossibly wide. “Kiera Locklear and Quinn Thompson?” she hissed. “Iba and Nima’s torturers?”
