“Xandra?”
Run, Mom, run! Rory, what are you… No?—
“Xandra? Hey, Xandra!”
A sharp jerk of my shoulder and I thrash awake. The hungry drool dripping from what was once my brother’s maw disappears in an instant as I blink away my latest nightmare, staring up at the moon overhead.
Maverick is crouched beside me. I’m hugging my backpack, face turned away from my fellow hunter, but his arm is still on the shoulder of Rory’s jacket.
The nightmare is still too fresh. I have a flash of my brother in his firefighter uniform, the last thing he was wearing before I grabbed the steak knife and lost my fucking mind, burying it in him in a frenzy that I’ve blocked out so completely that all I remember now is walking into the kitchen to see him Turned and dead on the floor while Mom…
I shake my head, trying to dislodge the memories. At the same time, I knock Maverick’s hand from my shoulder.
This jacket is the last thing I have of my brother’s. He loved this damn thing. It had been a gift from Nina, given to him ontheir first Christmas together. He still lived at home; just like how Hallie and Chase were saving up to buy a place together, Rory and Nina were doing the same. When it finally hit us that he was gone, I asked my twin what we should do with it. We decided to keep it, and as long as I wear it, it’s like he’s still with me.
Same with Mom. When the lurkers began to infest our neighborhood and Jack realized we had to leave, we knew we couldn’t take much of our old lives with us. Some pictures, some mementoes, as many clothes as we could carry… it was survival supplies that we prioritized, but my twin and I each took a piece of jewelry from Mom’s jewelry box. She liked to collect simple necklaces, anklets, bracelets, and rings. Twins to the end, no matter how different we were, we both grabbed a silver anklet.
I’m wearing mine under my sock right now. I resist the urge to reach deep inside of the sleeping bag, patting it to see if it’s still there. Instead, I pull myself up into a sitting position, searching for the fire.
It’s still roaring within the pit that Maverick built before we settled down for the night.
That’s a relief.
My heart rate slows. I didn’t realize I could hear it pounding in my ears until the sound of the fire crackling against the kindling replaces it.
Shit.
What time is it?
I don’t know. I don’t feel like I slept enough, though that might be the aftereffect from my latest nightmare. After last night I hadn’t wanted to fall so deeply asleep. Afraid that the fire might go out again, I planned on staying up as long as I could before getting enough rest that I’d be able to travel even further tomorrow.
Of course, that was before Maverick pushed me to my limits. As soon as the sun went down and Maverick swore he could be trusted to take first watch, I laid out my sleeping bag and passed out on the grass.
It’s still impossibly dark out, with only the fire and the faint moonlight allowing me to see. Rolling on my back, releasing my iron-tight hold on my pack, I meet Maverick’s curious gaze.
The fire silhouettes the man, throwing shadows over him. I sense his concern more than I can see it as he slowly draws his hand back.
The inside of my throat is coated in slime, like a snail has oozed its way down while I slept. I swallow a few times to make it go away, but when I talk, my voice is thick, the words slurred. “What is it? What do you want?” I sound like I’m half asleep.
I might still be.
“Here. While you slept, I made this for you.”
At first, I don’t see anything. He inches closer, blocking the light with his body, and because of the shadows that settle between us, Ireallydon’t see anything. I squint, waiting until my eyes get used to the dark. When they do, I see that what Maverick’s holding between his two hands is?—
“A piece of rope,” I say flatly. This is what he woke me up for? “It’s a piece of rope that’s been tied into a circle with a knot.”
“Yeah, but it’s that knot that makes a world of difference. Here, watch, kid.” Maverick drops to his knees and lets the rope fall over his head. Tucking one arm out of the circle, he lets the other side sit on his shoulder so that it crosses his body. “You loop it around your body, then when you get too hot for your jacket, you take it off and rest it over the rope. It’s obvious you don’t want to let it get too far. This way you’ll never have to worry about leaving it behind or keeping one hand full while we hike in the heat.”
Smart guy. Not only did he catch on that I have an irrational attachment to the worn leather jacket, but he figured out a way to help me with it.
I’m actually kind of impressed, and just a bit touched that he’s done this for me. It’s a peace offering if I’ve ever seen one, but it’s also more than that. This is Mav’s way of showing me that he’s accepted my company.
No more talk of “there’s still time to turn back now”. I’m here, and as long as I keep up, we’ll be taking this trip together.
Okay. I make up my mind to forgive him for screwing up last night.
For now, at least.
