Page 43 of The Wild Zone

She startled and shook her head. “Look, I—I’m sorry, I can’t. I’ve got…other plans.”

Benny furrowed his brow. Before he could say anything else, I held up a hand.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’ll do this alone.”

I marched back to the sink and started sorting the clean silverware into trays.

Behind me, feet shuffled, hazmat suits crinkled, and bits of conversation caught my ear over the sound of clanking cutlery.

“…wants to make things right.”

Clatter.

“…here for a reason, Benny. I can’t get distracted.”

Clatter.

“…they’d kill me if I backed out!”

Finally, a hand touched my arm. I turned to face Benny, Zuri, and Harper standing shoulder to shoulder.

“We’ll give it one more day,” Benny said. “If nobody finds him by tomorrow night, we’ll come up with a plan of our own. We’re with you.”

I glanced at Zuri and Harper to see if they actually agreed with him. Zuri nodded, though she still looked grumpy. Harper smiled—but this time, it was more genuine.

“Tomorrow, then,” I said.

I only half believed it. My record on trusting people to do the right thing wasn’t great. But one way or another, I would go to the Wild Zone tomorrow.

Even if I had to go by myself.

10

I Am Not Loving This Ring

The Ares cabin smelled delicious when I walked in. Like woodsmoke mixed with caramelized sugar from melted marshmallows. Apparently, they’d had s’mores while watching Icarus Two: The Wax Is Back! Now they were all on a sugar/bad-music high. Everyone was talking and laughing or doing air splits and windmills off furniture while rock music blared. I actually found myself smiling at the ridiculousness of it all.

But then I saw my bunk.

Or rather the scroll peeking out from under the pillow on my bunk.

A concealed note couldn’t be good. Not in a place where people had no problem saying things to my face.

I glanced at my cabinmates to make sure they weren’t paying attention. Then I did my most casual stroll to my bunk and plucked the scroll out from under my pillow.

My skin prickled.

Stamped on the outside was a sigil I’d seen before.

My first thought was How?

But there was no denying that symbol. With a trembling hand, I tucked the note into my pocket and hurried out the cabin door.

Thankfully, nobody but the little girl who tended the fire was in the courtyard, so I unfurled the scroll and read it in the shadow of the cabin.

Go back. You’ve only scratched the surface.

Goose bumps broke out on my arms. I tightened my fist around the note, crumpling it into a ball. There was only one thing to do with a message like that.