‘Yeah, we need to find somewhere safer to rest.’ He wouldn’t be able to get her up into a tree, so back to the fence was for the best. ‘See if you can stand.’
Scarlen made it to her feet, then passed out, and Bear caught her before she hit the ground. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her back into the shelter of the evergreens, wondering if anything would happen to Wynter if Scarlen were to die in the Zone. Not that it was the reason he was looking out for her. He would still have cared for her, he told himself. She was supposed to be his enemy, but …
He gently placed her on the ground by the fence as fatigue crept in to have a gnaw at his spirit. With frustration fuelling him, he sat by her side, dagger in hand, temper soaring.
Tugging at the Ring around his neck, he let out a low growl.Fucking thing!If he had his power back, they’d all be sorry, starting with those two little Flickers.
He mentally went over everyone he wanted dead, starting with the king. If only Renwah was in the Zone. With or without a dagger or Ring, he’d rip him limb from limb.
Glancing at the general’s daughter passed out beside him under his care, he took a calming breath.Fuck this life.He had to stop overthinking, or any kind of thinking that didn’t involve the Zone. Right now, survival mattered, and the only person he felthe could trust had fainted. He huddled close to her body, curling an arm around her waist to help keep her warm.
‘It’s a huddle,’ he whispered, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. ‘Seeing how you’re injured, perhaps a bit of a cuddle.’ He stayed awake, watching the trees until the warm haze of daylight lightened the sky, as there was no way he was moving Scarlen every hour to abide by their fucking rules.
12
Scarlen could hear her little sister’s laughter, feel her small hand tucked within her own. They ran along the golden stretch of sand close to the palace, the rays of sunlight glistening on the sea, and gulls soaring overhead mixed with their sounds of happiness.
It was a good moment in another unpredictable day, as Father would be home soon, and Mother would usher them to their quarters.
The scent of salty air, warm grains tingling her bare feet, and a stinging sensation in her arm had Scarlen stir back to reality.
Bear was looking down at her as she blinked a few times. ‘You okay?’
It took a moment for Scarlen to gather her bearings, then notice her bandaged arm, dried blood in amber cloth, the sleeve of both her sweatshirts torn. She sat, her head light, and glanced at the woodland before her. ‘How long was I asleep?’
‘You were more passed out than napping, but a good few hours.’
She peered at the overcast sky. ‘It’s morning.’
‘Barely, but we should move now, if you can.’
Scarlen felt queasy as she stood, avoiding her wound, as looking made her feel worse. She’d never make it as a healer. Blood and bones weren’t her thing. ‘What did I miss?’
‘Nothing. But it’s light now, so shouldn’t be long before someone’s attacked.’
‘Worse than me, you mean.’ She huffed at the memory, and how foolish she had been to drop her guard.
They headed into the trees, staying close to the fencing, the sound of the bay gently whooshing nearby.
‘Today’s the day we’ll feel hungry,’ said Bear, moving low branches with his hand while scouting the area. ‘The orange berries are safe. Just make sure they’re a deep, dark orange. No yellowness about them.’
He could rattle on about food all day, she felt too sickly to eat. She focused on the sound of the water instead, remembering swimming in the sea and how free that made her feel, even the times her father had made her jump off his boat and swim to shore. She could see how he would get on so well with Warden Cardell. Both twisted fucks. Her huffing went unnoticed until Bear snapped his head her way.
‘Quiet,’ he whispered, his brow knitted.
‘I can’t help it. I’m pissed off.’
‘You and everyone else in here, but you still have to shut up.’ He placed a finger over his lips as if to demonstrate.
It was a fair point, but still she frowned, her hackles rising at each and every sound, hoping it was the twins so she could act out some sort of revenge. Bad arm or not, she was taking one of them down, as their smugness needed stripping back, and her pride needed to be restored.
It was her father she was really angry at. He was making her pay for her insolence, training her hard for his own reasons, seeing how she would handle herself around the enemy.
Well, how do you like me now, Father?She wanted to yell her thoughts at the sky, but even if he could hear, nothing would change. Six months of shit she was getting, and he was prepared to let her know about it.
Bear’s pace was slow, quite light-footed for his size, as he led the way through more trees, and she wondered if he needed sleep.
‘I wish they’d let us have yard time out here.’ Scarlen shrugged as he glanced over his shoulder at her. ‘Obviously without the murder attempts.’
