No roads, no homes, no businesses, no cars, no people. I look left and right at the dark empty shoreline unfurling in both directions.
We’re surrounded by nothing but salt, and sand, and an ash-blackened sky.
“How will we find the people who live here?” Victoria asks. It’s the question I’ve been dreading in my bones.
Brooke gives me an uneasy look that says everything I’ve tried not to dwell on. It’s what gave me pause looking over the island at our highest point.
There’s no one here.
We trekked this entire island in two days, and if people lived here, we would have seen evidence of it.
The village Reggie promised us doesn’t exist. We’ve made it as far as we can go, and we’re alone.
CHAPTER28
“There’s no one on this island,” Theo says in disbelief. All the color has drained from his face.
In front of us, the black ocean stretches into eternity. Behind us, the volcano is still spewing ash. We’re trapped, we’re injured, we’re sick, and we’re no closer to being rescued.
“Look at the bright side, Your Majesty,” Henry says, and even I can tell that he has nothing positive to say.
Theo stares blankly at his brother.
“Never mind,” Henry mumbles.
“Say it,” Theo challenges.
“You’ll get to skive off your coronation.” Henry runs a hand through his curls. “Sorry, bad joke. I was just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Is the fact that we’re stuck on a deserted island too depressing for you?” Victoria says, but it doesn’t have her usual bite. She stumbles sideways.
“Whoa.” I grab her arm. She shakes me off before walking several paces away. She wobbles again, then sinks to her kneesin the sand while she throws up all the water she’s consumed today. “No one look at me! I’m disgusting.” She tucks her head between her knees and presses her shaking fists into the sand, the broken handcuff still hanging from her wrist. I close my eyes and force myself to think. We can still fix this.
There has to be a way to buy her more time.
“She needs to eat,” I say finally. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s true. Theo lost the backpack at some point during the cave-in/rescue/volcanic eruption, and none of us have eaten in hours.
“I’ll look for food,” Henry says. “You three split up and walk along the shore. Reggie was confident about our location. We can’t give up yet.”
“Not to be a downer, but Reggie didn’t know shit,” Brooke says.
“Henry’s right. We’ll split up.” I’m surprised to hear myself agree with him, but we don’t have any other choice. We either keep looking, or we give up, and Theo and I promised each other we wouldn’t do that.
“You two go north, I’ll go south,” Brooke says, and the false optimism in her voice makes me nauseous.
“I’ll stay with Tor and build a fire,” Henry tells the rest of us. Theo tosses him the lighter from his pocket. “Look for the flames to find your way back to us.”
Theo kneels in front of Victoria. “In case I don’t get a chance to say it—”
She pushes him away. “Abso-bloody-lutely not. Get up.”
Theo sputters, but Victoria doesn’t have time for him. She motions between Brooke and me. “Uh-uh, break it up.”
Brooke freezes, halfway toward hugging me.
“Step. Away,” Victoria orders. Brooke drops her arms. “We are not saying goodbye, and we are not crying.” She turns to Theo. “This isn’t a funeral; I turn eighteen in a few weeks, and I intend to be alive to celebrate. Do you understand?”
Silence. Awkward, uncomfortable silence.
