didn’t move. Kiera’s eyes held mine as she mouthed merci. Fresh weight settled on my shoulders where my dreads used to be. So many eyes, all looking to me for guidance and hope and direction in a place where the default was simply run.
I refocused.
“A few more things. Nil is now a serious cat preserve. Two lions and one leopard are confirmed. No word on whether the tiger is still around. Remember, they usually don’t mess with us if we don’t mess with them, so give the big cats some distance. We also have a rhino and at least one very ugly hyena, so be aware. Stay alert, especially for those going on Search tomorrow. Two teams head out at dawn. Johan, with Jason as Spotter and Miya and Julio as support. Raj has Pari as Spotter and Carlos as support. That’s it.” I raised my cup. “Focus on the good, live in the moment. To now.”
To now , the City chorused.
The ghosts of friends hung in the evening breeze.
I tilted my head toward the night. Images flickered inside my brain, flashing like falling stars. I fought to grab one; it was a piece of the island puzzle.
“Hey.” Kiera’s voice next to me shattered my mental mojo.
The fragile outline disintegrated. Gone.
I sighed.
“How long have you been here, Rives?” On her lips, my name had a French lilt, a familiar cadence I hadn’t heard in months.
“Two hundred forty-three days.”
“So long,” she murmured in French. “So the Search system. Aren’t you cutting it close? What about just building a raft?”
I stiffened, then forced myself to relax. “Rafts don’t work. The ocean always sends them back. The gates are our ticket home, and the Search system gives us the best shot at finding one. Plus, it keeps us alive until we can catch a gate.”
My answer seemed to satisfy her.
“You’re a great Leader, Rives.” Kiera smiled at me, but her gaze didn’t draw me in. No spark, no heat. I wasn’t looking for an island fling; I never had been. I wasn’t even sure if I was reading her right. All I knew was that her eyes held some form of want and I had nothing to give.
“Thanks,” I said, wanting distance. Needing it. I stood. “I’d better go earn my keep.” I smiled casually, the sort of smile that meant nothing. “If you have more questions about Search, you can ask me, Dex, or Jason. Or Jillian. She knows a ton. Probably more than me.”
Jillian leaned over. “Still a no, Rives,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Eavesdropper.” I laughed.
Abruptly, my spine prickled, like I had eyes on my back. I grabbed a lit torch and turned.
“Where are you going?” Jillian asked.
“Just checking things out.”
Behind me, Kiera whispered, “He takes his job seriously, doesn’t he?”
I didn’t linger to hear Jillian’s response. Because someone blended with the tree line, watching. I felt his eyes; I felt him.
It was the inked kid watching us, or maybe he was just watching me.
I strode toward the trees, toward the darkest swath camouflaged in night. Unfortunately, my torch telegraphed exactly where I was heading, because when I got there, the dense spot was empty. No one waiting. No one watching. But he’d been here; I sensed it.
I turned back, toward the beach. From where I stood, I had a clear view of the firepit through the trees. Careful not to set the trees on fire, I pointed my torch in all directions, trying to see where he’d gone. Nothing. No broken branches, no tells.
No blazes.
But when I looked down, a pale object glinted in the moonlight. Kneeling, I picked it up. A piece of bleached wood, carved into a crescent moon.
Dropped by accident? I wondered. Or left on purpose?
Another question, no answer.
Carving in hand, I strolled toward the water, absorbing every sound, every sight. The booming salt spray, the clear night. The endless sea, leading nowhere I could go. The waves whispered, but too many voices in my head crowded out any shot at personal clarity. Johan urging, Be wary . The tatted-up boy warning,
I refocused.
“A few more things. Nil is now a serious cat preserve. Two lions and one leopard are confirmed. No word on whether the tiger is still around. Remember, they usually don’t mess with us if we don’t mess with them, so give the big cats some distance. We also have a rhino and at least one very ugly hyena, so be aware. Stay alert, especially for those going on Search tomorrow. Two teams head out at dawn. Johan, with Jason as Spotter and Miya and Julio as support. Raj has Pari as Spotter and Carlos as support. That’s it.” I raised my cup. “Focus on the good, live in the moment. To now.”
To now , the City chorused.
The ghosts of friends hung in the evening breeze.
I tilted my head toward the night. Images flickered inside my brain, flashing like falling stars. I fought to grab one; it was a piece of the island puzzle.
“Hey.” Kiera’s voice next to me shattered my mental mojo.
The fragile outline disintegrated. Gone.
I sighed.
“How long have you been here, Rives?” On her lips, my name had a French lilt, a familiar cadence I hadn’t heard in months.
“Two hundred forty-three days.”
“So long,” she murmured in French. “So the Search system. Aren’t you cutting it close? What about just building a raft?”
I stiffened, then forced myself to relax. “Rafts don’t work. The ocean always sends them back. The gates are our ticket home, and the Search system gives us the best shot at finding one. Plus, it keeps us alive until we can catch a gate.”
My answer seemed to satisfy her.
“You’re a great Leader, Rives.” Kiera smiled at me, but her gaze didn’t draw me in. No spark, no heat. I wasn’t looking for an island fling; I never had been. I wasn’t even sure if I was reading her right. All I knew was that her eyes held some form of want and I had nothing to give.
“Thanks,” I said, wanting distance. Needing it. I stood. “I’d better go earn my keep.” I smiled casually, the sort of smile that meant nothing. “If you have more questions about Search, you can ask me, Dex, or Jason. Or Jillian. She knows a ton. Probably more than me.”
Jillian leaned over. “Still a no, Rives,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Eavesdropper.” I laughed.
Abruptly, my spine prickled, like I had eyes on my back. I grabbed a lit torch and turned.
“Where are you going?” Jillian asked.
“Just checking things out.”
Behind me, Kiera whispered, “He takes his job seriously, doesn’t he?”
I didn’t linger to hear Jillian’s response. Because someone blended with the tree line, watching. I felt his eyes; I felt him.
It was the inked kid watching us, or maybe he was just watching me.
I strode toward the trees, toward the darkest swath camouflaged in night. Unfortunately, my torch telegraphed exactly where I was heading, because when I got there, the dense spot was empty. No one waiting. No one watching. But he’d been here; I sensed it.
I turned back, toward the beach. From where I stood, I had a clear view of the firepit through the trees. Careful not to set the trees on fire, I pointed my torch in all directions, trying to see where he’d gone. Nothing. No broken branches, no tells.
No blazes.
But when I looked down, a pale object glinted in the moonlight. Kneeling, I picked it up. A piece of bleached wood, carved into a crescent moon.
Dropped by accident? I wondered. Or left on purpose?
Another question, no answer.
Carving in hand, I strolled toward the water, absorbing every sound, every sight. The booming salt spray, the clear night. The endless sea, leading nowhere I could go. The waves whispered, but too many voices in my head crowded out any shot at personal clarity. Johan urging, Be wary . The tatted-up boy warning,
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