I stood in stunned silence. What other things had they used to try to stop the Reeks? How many lives had been sacrificed before they moved on to children? And how many more of these monsters were there if the thousands of Marked kids weren’t enough?

  Merinda smiled and straightened her spine as she said, “We’ll be seeing you soon, Caspian.”

  SIENNA

  Gunner had been right, finding an artifact proved to be nearly impossible. Kids waited in the forest for us every day. They followed no matter how fast we ran, and they were prepared to steal anything we found. Poachers, as Gunner called them, and they were good at it. The first sign of something that could have been an artifact and they pounced.

  Then there were the Reeks to contend with. They would arrive like a swarm of bees out of nowhere, ripping through the forest to get a piece of you. Our only advantage was Theo’s guns, which made it easier to take them down and not risk them getting too close, but it was the smallest of advantages out here.

  If we managed to outpace the Reeks and the Poachers, we still had to beat the sun from setting and make it to camp before they locked us out. I’d only once seen one of those beasts, the Dred Wulfs, and the low growl it emitted from beneath our hiding spot in the trees still reverberated through my chest and set my pulse racing.

  “We need to move faster. These Poachers can keep up with us too easily, and I’d rather not have to face them again,” Theo mumbled, as we ran through a worn trail.

  On our third day in the forest, Theo had found a small artifact, probably nothing, but it was easily split in two. And equally easy to hide. So we’d survived the first five days, but the next five wasn’t going so well. We’d only managed one artifact and had just a few days left.

  The artifact we’d found was tucked safely in Theo’s pocket—a small metallic triangle with one corner carved off of it and a slot for a microchip at the base—but the chances of the Poachers finding it on us before we found another was extremely high if we couldn’t outpace them.

  The sun was high and beating down hard on us even in the shade. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck, and I wished I could remove my jacket just to catch my breath. Flies and other insects swirled around my face, and I swatted them away. This place was filled with death and decay and everything that came with it.

  “There’s too many of them. We can’t outrun the Poachers and the Reeks. We won’t survive at this rate, even if we find another artifact.” I slowed down my pace, shifting into a walk.

  Behind us we heard the soft snap of a branch and the rustling of leaves. I spun around with my arms up before catching the toothy grin of the Poacher following us. He didn’t even try hiding his intentions as he leaned against a tree, watching us from a short distance away.

  I sighed. “There has to be some other way to survive out here.”

  Theo nodded. We’d both already seen what happened to those who didn’t collect something in their five-day window, and it was a death I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy.

  It started with the screaming, ear-splitting wails rattling every bone in my body. Then the person would drop to the ground and cry in pain, thrashing against the invisible burning as the poison leaked into them and burned through veins and muscles and organs. Bones and skin melted away next, until there was nothing left, nothing recognizable as even human. Though the kids were necessary in the forest, to destroy the Reeks and find artifacts, we were useless if we couldn’t provide anything.

  “They make sure to do it when there are others around,” Gunner had told us the first time we witnessed a kid dissolved. “So we all see what will happen to us next if we don’t provide them with what they want.”

  It was a fear tactic—one that easily worked on kids already terrified. Gunner had been here long enough to see the addition of the five-day rule. He said there was a time when we had no time limit, and most kids chose to starve inside a camp rather than risk their lives. The Six had moved to this new protocol a few months ago, which told me they were either desperate or running out of time.

  We were alone out here. Gunner was the closest thing to an ally, and he hadn’t once helped us. Every morning when we opened the steel hatch, he sprinted off. And somehow, every evening he’d return unharmed and often with some sort of artifact in hand.

  “What do you suggest?” Theo paused, reaching into my pack for the canister of water. He took a swig before passing it to me.

  I greedily gulped down the water. “How does Gunner do it?” I kept my voice low, noting more shadows—Poachers—lurking all around us.

  Theo shrugged. “Maybe he’s one of the Poachers?”

  I shook my head. I didn’t know Gunner very well, but that was one thing I was sure of—he despised them.

  As our pace slowed, I took my time scanning the forest floor around us. The first artifact we’d found had been under a thorn bush, while the second was nearly dug into the soil with only one corner peeking out that happened to reflect off the sunlight. They could be anywhere and anything.

  A few feet away, I spotted something. I froze, careful not to draw any attention to it as the three Poachers circled around us. “Straight ahead,” I whispered to Theo, casually putting the water canister in his back. “Under the branch broken off.”

  Theo’s eyes flickered to the spot quickly and looked away, but he saw it. He gave me a subtle nod. “The minute we move, they’ll jump,” he said. I released a long breath, preparing myself. “Go.”

  I sprinted. Within less than a stride, the Poachers knew what was happening and lunged for the spot I ran towards. The closest one to us, the one with the toothy grin, tackled me from the side and I slammed into a tree. Theo grabbed his ankle and the two tumbled to the ground but more were coming.

  I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the sting in my side and aiming for the artifact. I almost made it before a second Poacher dove for the spot, kicking up dirt and leaves. I didn’t think, I just reacted, throwing myself on top of the kid and wrapping my arms around his neck. The guy was twice my size, and I couldn’t get both arms around properly. I struggled to pull him back when a gunshot sounded behind me.

  I let go, spinning around to find Theo standing over the kid he’d tackled, the boy was motionless and blood poured from the bullet wound in his chest.

  “I didn’t mean to,” Theo muttered, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t stop… he wouldn’t listen.”

  Behind me the Poacher had already pocketed the artifact, but he stood frozen, glancing between Theo and the dead kid.

  “I didn’t mean to,” Theo repeated.

  “It’s okay,” I took a step towards him, feeling the Poacher behind me take a step away, but he kept his gaze on Theo—on the guns still pointed down. “You had no other choice.” I reached Theo, touching his arm and he flinched.

  He was still shaking his head when the air shifted, and a newly familiar smell filled my lungs. Death and rotten skin… the Reeks. Drawn to the smell of blood or the sound of the gunshot.

  We both stilled, and I put my finger to my lips. If we could smell them, they were already too close.

  An ear-splitting scream filled the air directly behind me, and the Poacher who had just stolen our artifact was ripped away by the black arms of the Reek.

  “Run!”

  We sprinted, abandoning the worn out path and pushing through the thorn bushes and low hanging branches scratching at the bare skin on my face, drawing blood.

  Theo was a few feet ahead of me.

  Quicker than lightning, a black streak jumped out of the forest, slamming into Theo’s side and taking him hard to the ground. The Reek and Theo tumbled together a few feet before they smashed into the trunk of a thick tree, and I heard Theo’s muffled cry before the guttered scream of the Reek took over.

  They were fast and strong. The Reek had Theo pinned down. I slammed my fists together, and the two twin knives slid out from the sleeve of my jacket. Before the Reek even noticed I was there, I had removed its head from the rest of its body. Black blood seeped from its neck. Theo tossed it aside, and I moved to help him up. My fingers had just grazed his when suddenly I was thrown across the small clearing like a rag doll. I thudded to a stop on the unyielding dirt floor, wincing as my breath disappeared from my lungs when I landed.

  I blinked away the stars, my vision temporarily blurry, and all I could see were three black figures where Theo was lying. My legs wobbled with every step toward them, stumbling forward. One of the figures turned to me and yelled something, but my ears were ringing, and I couldn’t comprehend the words.

  The figure moved closer, gripping my arm and shoving me back. My vision blinked back into focus, and the contorted face of Gunner came into view, yelling for me to run.

  My eyes flickered behind him where Theo stood, his weapons out as he blasted through the Reeks before him, but in the distance I saw more coming. Theo’s gaze found mine for only a second before more Reeks appeared, and he moved to take them out.

  As the ringing in my ears subsided, Gunner’s words became clearer. “Are you deaf? I said run! Get the hell out of here.”

  My feet moved forward a step rather than backward, but Gunner shoved me again. “I’ll bring him with me, don’t worry your pretty little head. Just get the hell out of here. There’s too many of us, too much for them to track,” Gunner ordered. And I understood I had to get my own smell as far away from the Reeks as possible, and maybe take a few with me. “Camp ten is north about half a mile. We’ll meet you there.”

  I nodded, took one more glance to where Theo still fought the Reeks converging on us, and then I ran. My heart screamed to turn back, to not risk separating from Theo, but my mind knew Gunner was right. Too many humans would attract more Reeks, and we’d already spilled blood, which would only drive the hoard closer.

  So I sprinted north as fast as my feet would take me. My mind was suddenly sharper and clearer than it was moments before. I heard and felt the other things nearby, but there was no way to know if they were friend or foe.

  Who was I kidding? Everything and everyone in this damned forest was the enemy.

  I kept my knives out, slashing through the trees, making a straight beeline north, not bothering to follow any semblance of a path.

  Two Reeks converged on me from behind, and I twisted around, slashing my arms out wide and separated both Reeks’ bodies from the waist down in two swipes. I didn’t bother finishing them off. I spun back around and sprinted again.

  We’d been to Camp Ten before, so I knew what to look for as I neared the steel door. Four trees clumped together, and the hatch leading to the camp sat just below the base of the second tree. I slid on my knees, pulling at the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

  The sun was still high, though it was setting fast; it was still early afternoon, so the door shouldn’t have been locked. But it was.

  No. I pounded on the door. “Let me in! Open the damn door.”

  Why was it locked?

  I could hear more screams nearby. The Reeks were close.

  “Please,” I cried.

  My fist pounded one more time before I heard the nearly inaudible click. I pulled on the door, and this time it sprung open. I shoved myself in, falling head first into Camp Ten. The hatch slammed shut behind me.

  “There are more coming.” I pushed myself to my feet and stood guard at the door. A few others positioned themselves closer to me, but I held my knives out before them and kept my back to the entrance. They would have to get through me first if they wanted to lock this door one more time.

  My pulse race, and I had to stop myself from opening the hatch to see if Theo and Gunner were nearby. As the reality of what we just faced hit me, I was suddenly doubting my decision to trust Gunner. I hardly knew him, and I’d left Theo’s life in his hands. My breathing was labored and not from the running, but from the realization that I might have made a huge mistake.

  A few kids shot me weary looks and stepped back, raising their hands in defeat while mumbling something under their breath. I knew my face must have read desperation, but my stance didn’t waver and my weapons did not lower.

  “You’ll be the one to blame if your stupidity gets us all killed,” one of the guys said, but he wasn’t talking to me. A figure sat in the corner, near the front, pushed back against the wall and into the shadow.

  “We lock the doors at sunset, not during the day. Those are the rules,” the voice fired back, and I nearly fell over at the sound.

  That voice. I knew that voice.

  I stepped closer, keeping myself between the others and the door while I leaned towards the voice hidden in the shadow. My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and a gasp caught in my throat.

  I shook my head. It couldn’t be.

  Leaning in even closer, I saw that familiar smile, the one I had grown used to—the one I had once feared. No real warmth behind that smile, her eyes were still just as cold as they’d always been.

  “Camilla? Is that you?” I breathed.

  “What’s left of me anyways,” Camilla moved forward, pushing herself awkwardly to her knees, and I gasped as I realized why she struggled so much.

  Her entire right arm was gone.

  SIENNA

  Camilla pushed to her feet. I offered a hand before realizing I still had my knives out. Slamming them back in, I again offered my hand, keeping my body positioned in front of the hatch. She swatted it away.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  She looked pale in the dim light of the camp. Even her glare was subdued compared to the usual wrath she sent my way.

  “Got a little too close to one of those things.” She shrugged with a wince, and from the look on her face, I knew there was more.

  “Where’s Blane?” I asked, looking around to the large camp for her boyfriend from back in the DEZ. Being one of the distribution camps, it was a lot bigger than any of the others. Four separate bunkers were already at capacity. The walls here were steel rather than dirt, and as I looked out to the faces and didn’t see Theo, the walls slowly closed in on me. He’ll be here soon, I told myself, trying to breathe.

  “Gone. Left pretty quick when he found I couldn’t keep up. I was too much of a liability.” Camilla’s eyes dropped to her feet only for a second before the scowl returned.

  “How long since…” I nodded to her arm. It was wrapped tight at her shoulder with white gauze stained red. From the looks of the wrap job, she’d done it herself.

  “Two days ago.” Camilla took another step closer before sagging against the wall and sucking in a breath as her shoulder brushed against the steel ladder. She positioned herself so anyone going near the hatch would have to step over her to get there.

  “Have you… are you…” I wasn’t sure how to ask someone if they were at risk of being dissolved. But I didn’t have to. Camilla knew.

  “Three more days and this will all be over, right?”

  My eyes narrowed. “You’ll find a way,” I said.

  Camilla snorted. “Right. I can hardly stand, Sienna, let alone go out there. Its fine, the loss of blood will likely take me before they do. And you owe me nothing, that’s for sure. I don’t want your sympathy.”

  I wanted to suggest something. I wanted to find a way to help her, but I couldn’t think of a way to even save myself—all I could think about was Theo and if he was okay. Out there… Camilla wouldn’t last five minutes in her state. I shouldn’t even be worrying about her; I should be preparing to go back out and find Theo.

  My gaze flickered up to the hatch, and Camilla was quick to notice. “Where’d you leave your bodyguard?”

  I tore my gaze away, letting out a long breath while I silently begged the hatch to open and for Theo to drop down. It didn’t. “He’ll be here soon.” I tried to keep my voice strong, even though everything inside of me screamed, what if he doesn’t make it?

  Camilla watched my face, and I tried to keep it neutral, but I knew she could see through it. “For your sake, I hope so. You can’t survive out there alone, trust me,” she said.

  My tongue felt thick in my mouth, and I had a hard time swallowing back the fear. I wouldn’t survive this place without Theo—that was my truth. Again, my gaze shifted to the hatch. It would be dark outside soon, the sun was already set when I arrived, which meant I either risked leaving the safety of the camp to search for Theo, or hoped they got here before nightfall.

  I glanced down to Camilla’s shoulder. A pungent smell wafted from it, and I was sure that meant it wasn’t healing well. The gauze was covered in red blood, which also meant it wasn’t clotting properly.

  “Pretty bad, hey?” Camilla followed my gaze. I shrugged and tried to act like it wasn’t that bad. Like I didn’t know she would die from this wound soon enough.

  I slid down the metal and sat beside her, leaning against the ladder while I waited for Theo and Gunner to return. I knew they wouldn’t risk trying to open the hatch after dark, even if I planned to leave it unlocked despite anyone’s protest. I’d have to wait until morning to find out what happened, and I didn’t know if I could survive that long. My breathing was still hitched, and I picked at my nails out of nervous habit.

  “Not what you expected,” Camilla whispered.

  I shook my head.

  “Even the small amount I knew before coming here didn’t prepare me for this. I didn’t expect… this.” Camilla looked down to her lap, her hand playing with the threads of her shirt. Her voice was low, and the others in the camp had settled back down away from us.

  No one could have been prepared for this. We were all running through this forest fuelled on fear, shock, and a will to survive. I wondered how many of these kids would live until next week. Would Theo and I even survive that long?