“On it,” Theo says. He runs off before Henry can offer to do it.
“The nema— What?” Naomi’s voice is frenzied. She quickly pushes herself up and tries to look at her foot.
“The stingers. Those little buggers hurt like a bitch. We need to remove them.”
Theo returns, handing a rock to Winston. “Try this.”
“Brilliant. A rock,” Henry deadpans.
“It’s flat and sharp. It’ll work,” Theo snaps.
“I need a distraction,” Naomi hisses as Winston gently scrapes the rock across her skin.
“If you weren’t out there in the dark, this wouldn’t have happened,” Reggie says. Between this and the “don’t prioritize the dog” comment, I’m starting to hate him.
Brooke kneels next to Naomi. “During my freshman year at Northwestern, I was in this biology class—”
“What? No! Biology is boring. Next?” Naomi waves Brooke away with her free hand before draping it over her eyes. The pain must bebadbad if not even school is enough to distract her.
I rack my brain to think of something that will. “The weather—”
“No! Next?”
“Oh! Henry, come here!” I say, avoiding eye contact with Theo. I know he’s still annoyed with his brother, but Theo won’t give Naomi the royal tea she needs to take her mind off the pain. “Tell her about the book you were reading on the plane.”
“Sceptre, Throne, and Crown?”
“Yes!” Naomi cries. “Tell me every sordid historical detail. Don’t leave out a single illegitimate baby.”
Henry jerks his head back and I can’t help but laugh. For all of Naomi’s practicality, she’s always had stars in her eyes where the royals are concerned.
“Stingers are out,” Winston announces. “Next up, antibiotic ointment, I’ll wrap your foot in a bandage, and Bob’s your uncle!”
Once the guard finishes wrapping Naomi’s foot, she pushes herself into a sitting position and moves closer to the fire.
I sit next to her. “How are you feeling?”
“Relieved that you didn’t pee on me, and jealous that I’ve never had a scepter.”
I exhale in relief. “So, you’re okay?”
“I think so.” She nods. “It still hurts, but my brain doesn’t feel like it’s being shoved in an outlet.”
“We’ll take another look at it in the morning,” Winstonsays. “You might have some welts that will make it difficult to walk.”
“I’ll fill the water bottles. The rest of you stay here. I’m responsible for you, and from now on, you don’t move without my permission,” Reggie says. He looks each of us in the eye before stalking toward the dark tree line.
“Calm down, my guy,” Victoria mutters under her breath, without much bite. It’s the first thing she’s said in ages, and even though she doesn’t want me to, I can’t help but worry about her.
Henry arches his brows at Theo. “You shouldn’t let him speak to you like that.”
I scoff. “You’re one to talk.”
Theo’s lips twitch as his eyes sweep over my face. Firelight throws shadows across his bare chest and stormy eyes, but then he blinks, and his expression is so carefully blank that I can’t read anything in it.
Tension grows and stretches between the two brothers, and quiet settles over the group until the only sounds are the pounding surf and the popping of damp sticks in the fire.
The adrenaline that has been driving me drains away, leaving only a smoldering ember in my gut. I feel restless and antsy, so I tell the others that I’ll help Reggie get water and jog toward him. Theo catches up to my side in seconds.
