Reggie looks over his shoulder with a scowl. “I told you not to move. That was a close call with your friend back there.”
“How many more close calls can we survive?”
“There won’t be another one if you kids would juststay putuntil we’re rescued,” Reggie says.
“For how long?” Theo asks.
“Until. We’re. Rescued.” Reggie enunciates each word insultingly slowly.
“And what if that doesn’t happen tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day? We can’t just sit and wait,” Theo argues.
Reggie shakes his head. “That’s exactly what we’ll do. We’re safest right here.”
Theo’s jaw tics, and I can feel the frustration radiating off him. Despite his earlier protests to the contrary, he wants to be making the decisions right now. I don’t blame him, even if the prospect sounds ridiculously, exhaustingly overwhelming. (Even worse than choosing a major and a future and a whole life path, which is saying something.)
“Do you have any idea where we are?” I ask Reggie.
“We’re on an island off the coast of Portugal.”
“Which one?” Theo asks. “Madeira? São Miguel? Flores?”
“Yes,” Reggie says tightly.
“That’s not an answer,” I point out.
“Flores.”
Theo blinks in surprise. “People live on Flores.”
“There’s a settlement on the east side.” Reggie drops this bomb like it’s nothing, and I can’t help but wonder why we’re not doing anything more to find help. Not that I want to be in charge again, because I don’t. But still, it wouldn’t hurt to dosomethingto give fate a nudge in the right direction.
Theo squints into the dark, appraising the mountain at the center of the island. “How long would it take us to get there?”
“We’re not leaving the west side,” Reggie snaps.
Theo draws himself to his full height. “Why not?”
“Because this is where the plane went down, and staying out of the trees gives us our best shot at being spotted from the air.”
“But that could take days,” I say, although I’m starting to worry it’ll take even longer than that.
“Victoria doesn’t have that kind of time. She needs food and insulin immediately.” Theo sounds more stressed than ever.
Reggie doesn’t flinch. “We have no supplies. We have no food. It is not wise to use our energy stores traipsing all over this bloody island where anything could happen to you.”
Theo grabs the pilot’s shoulder and stops him in his tracks. “I don’t care about me. Victoria needs our help.”
Reggie ducks his head. “I am in service to the Crown. Keeping you safe is my number one priority.”
Theo blinks at Reggie in shock. “Don’t you care that she could die?”
“I do. But respectfully, sir, you are the monarch. Your life is worth more than hers.”
My hands fly to my mouth. I’ve never heard anything so callous.
Theo stares the pilot down, silent fury radiating off him in waves. “Respectfully, Reggie, you can fuck off.” He stalks into the trees.
I snatch the water bottles out of Reggie’s hands. “Don’t come after us,” I warn, before following Theo into the dark.
