Silence rips through the cave.

  I turn to find two pairs of eyes on me and can’t help but to feel oddly nervous.

  “How does Orrael know exactly where to portal?” I ask to break the silence. My eyes trail to Orrtyn and I find that his eyes still seem to hold a bit of sadness.

  “He reaches for energies and auras when he doesn't know exactly where to go, but who he needs to go to. He has to be familiar with the presence though. In this case, he used Walker since he’s familiar with him.”

  I nod, wrapping my arms around myself. My stomach feels funny and there’s a weird tension in the air that I can’t describe as silence fills the cave.

  “We need to start prepping this place,” Walker says finally, turning away and walking further into the cave. His voice is hard and all business. “We need firewood, food, and defenses.”

  Orrtyn watches after Walker. “Sure, it shouldn’t be too hard to find food. Trasle may be dead now but the bombs happened so long ago and I know that certain places were extremely fertile. Once I survey the lands a little more, I’ll be able to scour for fruit.”

  “Not alone,” Walker’s voice echoes through the cave.

  “Of course,” Orrtyn says and I watch as he rolls his eyes. He turns to look at me and his gaze lands on my forehead. “I’m going to check on Gumdrop’s wound first and then we’ll head out.”

  “I said I’m fine.”

  Orrtyn ignores me, grabbing onto my wrist and pulling me behind him. I let him.

  We exit the cave and even though the sun is still out, it seems to be going down.

  “We’ll need to hurry and find food before nightfall,” I say. “We don’t have time to waste.”

  “We have more than enough time,” he remarks and his words are a lot drier than I expect from the happy twin.

  I glance over at him but I can’t read his expression as he leads me over to a big rock by the stream. He gestures for me to sit down and while I think about arguing for a moment, I choose not to. I plop down on the hard rock and keep my arms folded over my torso as I glare up at the blond man.

  In the low setting sun, his golden hair still seems to glow somehow as his blue eyes search my face. When he steps closer to me I don’t miss the clean and sweet scent to him. He reaches out a hand and it brushes across my forehead gently.

  I manage not to wince, but he still narrows his eyes.

  He reaches along the back of my head where the cloth is knotted together and after a few moments he’s able to untie it. The fabric pulls away from my skin, sticky.

  When I catch sight of it in Orrtyn’s hand, my eyes focus on the amount of blood covering it. Fuck, how did I not pass out from blood loss. In all honesty I didn’t even feel that light headed for the amount of blood on the cloth.

  Orrtyn’s fingers gently brush against my head again, this time leaving tingles in their wake. He lets out a low gasp and my eyes travel up to his face. His lips are pinched together and his blue eyes are wide.

  “What?” I ask.

  He shakes his head slightly, the low setting sun catching on his blonde hair. “How long ago were you cut?” he asks in a low voice.

  I squint, trying to think of how much time passed. “I don’t know, maybe a couple of hours ago, not really sure.” With the sun the only thing to tell time by, I’m not quite sure how long it’s been since the incident on the hill.

  “Only a couple of hours? How big was the gash?”

  “About the length of my pinky, I believe.” I hold up said pinky.

  His eyes move along my finger as his brows furrow. “And was it deep?”

  “Yes. What’s with all the questions?” I ask in confusion.

  He shakes his head, sending his blonde hair flying. “It’s healed.”

  “Huh?” I tilt my head to the side as I watch the man. His face is serious, his blue eyes never leaving mine.

  “It’s completely healed,” he says, drawing his hand away from my head. “Just like the wound in your stomach.”

  Fuck, I’d hoped, but I didn’t think the cut was actually going to heal that quickly.

  I reach my hand up and when I feel nothing but smooth skin, I know he’s telling the truth. There’s a little pain where I touch but other than that, nothing. “It’s still a little tender,” I confess, pulling my fingers away. “But I didn’t expect it to heal so quickly. You can see from the cloth how bad it was bleeding.”

  He glances down at the rag in his hand again and nods. “Yes, but head wounds tend to bleed a lot no matter the size of them, it’s one of the worst cuts to get.” There’s a different air about him as he states the fact and I watch as a faraway look moves into his blue eyes before he refocuses his gaze on me. “Your healing… I’ve never seen anything like it, besides with the healers at the castle, but that’s always magic and not a lot of it.” He eyes me suspiciously but we both already know the answer to his silent question at this point.

  Yes, I have magic.

  I know that neither of us are aware of the extent of this actual magic though and that’s worrying.

  How much can I heal from before this shit no longer works? Is it because of my royal blood that I have this magic? If so, how do I keep that a secret? The Bae twins are smart and observative, surely one of them will start to put the pieces together.

  I push to my feet, my fingers flexing as I try to direct the attention away from my head. “Okay, well, at least we won’t have to worry about that. We do need to worry about food before night falls though.”

  “It’s already almost too dark.” Walker appears at the edge of the cave, watching the two of us with curious eyes. He takes a step closer and his gaze moves to my forehead before traveling to the bloody cloth in Orrtyn’s hands.

  “Looks like someone is magically healed again,” he says and I know exactly what he’s implying.

  While neither Orrtyn or I would say it out loud, the Lokanian has no problem saying it.

  I clench my jaw as I stare at him. Just as I open my mouth with a retort a caw cracks through the air and my hand instantly goes to Gwev as I think of the monstrous birds I’ve seen flying in the sky.

  “You better not raise that fucking thing to my bird. You already fucked with her wing the other week,” Walker clips out moments before I catch sight of black feathers as a bird settles on Walker’s shoulder.

  You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

  I blink as I look at Ragna. “How in the hell did it get here?”

  “She,” Walker corrects me with a narrowed gaze. A muscle twitches in his jaw. “And that’s none of your business.”

  I shake my head and let out a huff. “It’s so funny how you’re always talking about trust yet you won’t even tell me the simple truth of how you got your bird onto this wasteland of an island.

  “None of your business,” he says again as Ragna lets out another caw and I swear the bird is fucking glaring at me. “Ragna is no concern of yours and has no part in our agreement,” he says stiffly.

  I fold my arms over my chest, my gaze moving to Orrtyn who glances back and forth between the two of us.

  “We’re not friends,” Walker says clearly as he takes a step toward me. “We’re allies.”

  Huh, the same thought I had earlier.

  “Glad we’re on the same page.” My eyes stray to Ragna. “So, I’ll tell you once, keep that fucking bird away from me or next time I’ll completely clip its wings.”

  Walker’s eyes narrow as his jaw clenches. “One of these days you’re going to push me too far, Princess, and you won’t live to regret it.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Woah, woah, let’s calm things down,” Orrtyn says with wide eyes as he shoves between Walker and I. He places a hand on Walker’s chest just as Ragna lets out a squawk before diving at me.

  Before I can unholster Gwev, the little bitch scrapes my face with her beak before taking off, flying in the other direction.

  With a curse, I press my hand to my face, unsurprised when I pull it away to find my hand covered in blood. Just when the other cut healed.

  A snort sounds in the small space and I look over to find Walker looking at me with a satisfied smirk on his face. “You deserved it,” he says simply.

  I grit my teeth.

  Why does Walker insist on trying to get under my skin even with this stupid alliance in place?

  Unlike with the others, there’s nothing but hate and competitiveness between us. The jabs, both physically and verbally, never stop flowing between us. He can’t be civilized for five seconds, and never one to back down, I always take the bait he dangles in front of me.

  None of the other men act like this with me.

  Even Elyjah, who is cold, has had his nice moments. And Walker… well, the last few moments are proof as to which emotion is the strongest between us.

  “Fuck finding food, I’m going to fry that little bitch when I catch her.”

  “Gods, who decided this was a good idea,” Orrtyn mutters under his breath before pushing Walker back gently. He keeps his hand splayed out on the man’s chest. “Go collect firewood, Wali. Gumdrop and I will find food that isn’t Ragna.”

  No fucking promises there.

  I straighten my shoulders, taking a step away from the man. “I don’t need help, I can go and find food all on my own.” And I’ll get enough for only me… okay and maybe Orrtyn, because he hasn’t really done anything to me.

  But he’s not your fucking friend and you need to stop forgetting that.

  Just because he has a soft smile and kind eyes doesn’t mean there isn’t a monster lurking beneath the surface.

  “No, I’d like to go with you,” Orrtyn interjects stepping forward. His hands rest in front of him and I watch as he tangles his fingers together. Is he nervous? His eyes meet mine and I note the way he holds his head high, as if challenging me. “I’ve done my studies on this place and I know what fruits are poisonous and which aren’t.”

  I eye him for a moment not really liking the idea of taking him with me but realizing I have no choice.

  It’d be just my luck to have survived everything I have so far, including a fire, and I go out by poisonous fruit.

  Embarrassing.

  “Be back before night falls,” Walker says curtly, turning his back on us as he heads out toward the woods.

  I move in the opposite direction. “You’re not the fucking boss, we’ll be back whenever we get back and not when you designate.”

  Okay, maybe I’m being a bit unreasonable considering that he’s right and we need to be back before nightfall in case anyone tries to ambush us in the dark.

  Even with the acute night vision of having caelestin blood, it’s not a chance I want to take.

  I hear the soft footsteps of Orrtyn following closely behind me but I don’t turn to look at him.

  Twigs and branches start to snap under my boots the second we start to enter the jungle like scenery.

  The trees are tall and thick with bright green leaves. Vines and wild plants grow sporadically. The sweet berry-like scent from before is back and stronger than ever. The sun may be lowering but it’s still fiercely hot and my skin becomes sweaty.

  I move my gaze around, staying aware. Something with a lot of blue fur jets out in front of us, moving too quick for me to get a real look.

  I stop walking.

  “Are there any animals that are edible here?” I ask Orrtyn, turning to look at him. Fresh meat sounds a lot better than some fickle berries that will wear off after a couple of hours.

  Orrtyn lifts his gaze to meet mine. His blue eyes are burning with excitement that’s hard to miss. “Yes, all but the pachunyn, which has poisonous venom that lasts beyond its death and if consumed, it will kill you.”

  I pause as his face suddenly pinches into a look as his gaze moves away from me. It takes me a while to realize he’s concentrating, remembering facts about this island.

  A scholar at heart.

  “What does this pachunyn look like?” I ask as his gaze finally moves to me.

  A light, guarded smile touches his lips. He takes a step close to me, crunching dried leaves beneath his shoes. “It almost looks like a rat, but it’s about ten times the size of it, with a pale purple coat and long, brown fangs.”

  I frown slightly at the description. “Sounds like something I wouldn’t want to eat anyway.”

  “Probably not,” he agrees with a nod.

  Our chatter stops as we track further into the woods. I listen closely for any movement and am surprised to hear that Orrtyn has quieted his steps to meet mine.

  A rustling comes from the right and I pause, turning my head. I don’t catch any initial movement as I look around us but after a moment I see a slight ruffle from a thicket of bushes. Moving closer to the big bushes, I peek over them to find a brown animal that reaches to about my knee with its head bent. It lifts its head, it’s doe eyes wide. Something red stains it’s brown fur around the mouth and I pause for a second.

  “Is this thing good to eat?” I ask skeptically as the thing continues to stare at me. Its jaw is working slowly as it chews on something. “Looks like it may put up a hell of a fight.” I point at its lips as Orrtyn comes around me.

  Orrtyn lets out a soft snort as he takes the animal in. “Yes, it’s a tamaegus, and that’s not blood around it’s lips, it’s berry juice.” He points at the bush where, I can see small, red berries nestled into the greenery.

  “Great.” I reach down to my boot, grabbing the dagger in it without hesitation. I slowly approach the bewildered animal whose eyes never leaves me.

  Just as I get close to it, the bastard bolts. I’m left staring at its furry tail as it trots away.

  “Fuck,” I mutter before giving chase, surprised at how quickly the fat little thing can run.

  My feet pound against the ground as I give up any attempts at being subtle.

  I finally manage to catch up, pouncing on the animal’s back. Its legs go out from under it at my weight and it lets out a mewl. Before it can give anymore struggle or put up a fight, I slide the dagger along its throat, quickly and effectively.

  Blood squirts onto my hands, hot and sticky as the animal goes limp. It’s head plops down onto the ground.

  I quickly hop off and wipe my hands on my pants.

  I glare down at my bloodstained hands.

  Fuck, I’d hate to see how dirty my clothes have gotten in not even the span of a whole twenty-four hours.

  At this rate, I’ll be lucky to leave this fucked up island with even shreds of clothing left.

  The tamaegus’ body suddenly jerks around for a second before it stills completely. I look over at Orrtyn who’s approaching, his brows wrinkled slightly. “There’s dinner,” I tell him, gesturing to the now dead animal with arrogance. “Looks like we’re good to return to the cave now.”

  He nods before his blue eyes move to the bushes, studying them. “We should come back and get some of the berries later, just in case we don’t find any more wildlife.”

  I nod in agreement. Despite the fact that I’d rather not have to be stuck eating berries, it’ll be a good backup plan. I move to gather the tamaegus.

  I pause, my body stiffening, when sound suddenly meets my ears, jerking my attention away from the animal.

  I glance at Orrtyn to find his brows wrinkle in confusion as he looks in the direction of the sound.

  About twenty yards away, there’s the sound of twigs and branches snapping, heavy breathing, and curses.

  I find myself moving in front of Orrtyn and I tell myself that it’s to get a better look, though a part of me knows that it’s because the man isn’t nearly as capable as I am when it comes to defense.

  You’re protecting him.

  Am not.

  I push away the thoughts as a flash of movement between the thick trees catches my eye. Not even a moment later, an orange blob of hair comes into view, a man running as fast as he can. Two more bodies break the line of the trees, dressed in dark clothes, giving chase to the smaller, but quicker man. They shout curses at him and I watch as one of the men stops and his hand whips through the air. It takes me a moment to see the throwing star that he’s released. It embeds itself into a tree with a thunk, sticking and missing its target by centimeters.

  More curses follow as the men continue to run, not glancing in our direction. I realize that the angle we’re standing behind puts us just behind a couple of trees, meaning they’d have to pause and look from a different angle to spot us.

  We’re basically invisible.

  And it’s not our problem.

  Unlike the men who attacked me, it’s clear that these two are competitors and they’re doing what we’re here to do at The Culling.

  Surviving and killing.

  The two men must have some sort of alliance, something that’s not surprising. I’m sure more than a couple competitors have teamed up to survive the culling together. Some will turn on each other, after some time has passed, knowing that the odds are better when you chop down the competition in this round. Others will keep their alliance until we get to The Gauntlet, where it’s every man for himself.

  The men bark harsh orders loudly and I watch as one of them unleashes another throwing star. I squint as the flash of orange hair appears between the trees again before there’s a soft, familiar grunt.

  Fuck.

  The men cheer, knowing they’ve hit their target and I watch as they run in the direction of where the orange haired man is.

  “Fuck.” This time I say it out loud as my heart pounds harder in my chest.

  You’re in this on your own. The alliance you have with the royals is already tricky, but necessary. There’s no need to add onto that.

  But my feet are already moving even as I say the words to myself because how could I look in the other direction when my only friend in this realm is about to be killed. It doesn’t matter if he’s my competition or not.

  I have to save him.

  I know Conrad would be shaking his head in disappointment but I don’t care as my feet carry me closer to my targets.