"Three months or so. We've lost track of time." She batted her eyelashes at Cam, who seemed unaffected by the gesture. "It's so lucky that we brought extra batteries."
Yes, lucky was exactly how I felt about their ability to stop and document every mushroom and blade of grass on our path. I continued walking without pausing. They could catch up. If they’d survived months, then it was fine for them to run after us. Cam followed me, and then, unfortunately, I heard our newest arrivals behind him.
Jennifer huffed. After an hour, her huffs had taken on the grating quality of nails on a chalkboard. Zach had once demonstrated that ear-splitting act for me at the VAMPS camp, and I never wanted to repeat the experience.
"You guys sure walk fast. Isn't it dangerous to move so quickly? Monsters might see you," she said vaguely. I glanced over my shoulder at her.
"You've seen monsters?" I asked. If they’d dealt with our invisible monster, that would be good to know.
"A few," she replied. Funny how she clammed up now.
"Maybe we can check out some of your footage, and you can show us," Cam said. He was looking at his compass. We’d tried to use it earlier, but the hands of the compass had only rolled around in various directions with ridiculous speed. The thing was either busted, or, more likely, the surrounding area was making it nonfunctional.
We were headed to the gate, although I hadn’t told Jennifer and Johnny that. It made sense to find the gate. Even if Lyra and the others hadn’t made it there yet, Cam and I could make contact with the Immortal Plane. Other vampires would then help us find the rest of our team. It was always easier with help.
"These trees are so creepy. Have you ever seen anything like them?" Jennifer asked.
It's always easier with the right kind of help.
I heard the snap of Johnny's camera. He was able to take regular pictures and videos, I guessed. I wasn't very good with human technology.
"No," I lied. In the Immortal Plane, the trees were beautiful in their own way, unlike these weird, corrupted versions around us. I hated the leathery look of their surfaces.
I concentrated on our surroundings as we walked. If the barrier was nearby, I would sense a fluctuation where the gate was.
"So, Cam, where did you say you were from in Scotland, again?" Jennifer asked. Her voice had a way of needling into my thoughts even as I tried to block it out.
"I didn't… Are you particularly familiar with Scottish geography? I find most Americans aren't." Cam was growing cheekier every minute.
When I glanced at Jennifer, she wasn't looking at Cam at all. She was watching me. This might've been the first time I had ever been so unsettled by a human woman. Johnny, her boyfriend or partner or whatever, didn't seem to mind. He smiled at me easily. He made no twitchy movements anymore, which was an improvement.
"I know Edinburgh," Jennifer replied snappily.
"An hour outside of Edinburgh," Cam said. He didn't add to that information. I was enjoying the not-so-proper Cam now. He had an edge to him, and I could see Bryce coming through. If Bryce were here, Jennifer wouldn't last two seconds…
I did my best to act human, but it was odd to hold back from reacting to certain things. I sensed another small creature darting across our path up ahead and had to pretend to still with everyone when we heard the light rustle.
"Probably just another one of those," I said, nodding to Cam's pet. It let out a little growl.
"How would you know?" Jennifer asked, and then thankfully turned to Johnny. "Did you take a picture of the rat, honey?"
"His name is Finn, like the old Scottish legends," Cam said with an offended sniff, clearly modeled after Jennifer’s. If she caught it—or cared—she showed no sign.
"He's so cute," Jennifer said. "Did he just naturally come to you? It’s odd that you have such a weird creature. Maybe all Bureau people attract strange things." Her sharp gaze settled on both of us, flickering back and forth. This was exhausting. She clearly suspected Cam was odd due to his strange pet… I thought. Or maybe she couldn’t decide who was more suspicious between the two of us. My camouflage excuse was lame, to be fair. Something was off about her energy, or maybe it was just her attitude.
"I rescued him after he was injured," Cam said. "There's nothing special about it. Plenty of wounded animals will bond with their caretaker." I smirked, realizing I had said as much to him the other night during our heart-to-heart. He was bound to that rat.
We came upon a tall tree in the midst of the plainer ones. It was massive, with deep red bark and glittering specks on its surface. Unlike the other leathery trees, this one was more solid. It reminded me of the redwoods our redbills liked to nest in. I gazed up at it and figured the low-hanging branches were good enough even for someone posing as a human to climb.
Cam kept Jennifer busy by answering her incessant questions as I climbed the branches. I needed to look for a stone circle, or anything that might indicate a gate. For my act, I made a visible show of struggling despite the fact that it was easy. I specifically tensed my muscles and raised myself slowly, knowing that human reactions required much more show for this effort.
"Why is he climbing so high?" Jennifer asked. Her questions were like pointed needles on my skin. Leave me alone, woman.
"We need to figure out where we're going," Cam said. "It's a basic survival strategy. You either try to find water or find a tree tall enough to see over the others." He paused. I could easily hear their conversation, even halfway up
