Careful not to wake Jade, Alina stretched her neck to peer out the window. The sun dropped low on the horizon, an orb of gold glistening on a wide, lazy river, snaking through the grass. A gentle breeze combed through the tall stalks, rustling over mounds and hills to a dense forest in the distance. The sky glowed in a way she’d never seen in Pria; the orange and pink hues spreading like veins across the sky.
Baylor parked the car on a bank overlooking the river and nudged Jade awake. “Go outside and use the restroom right now, both of you, before the sun goes down,” he commanded. “Return quickly to the car.”
They obeyed, but after relieving himself, Rex lingered and stretched his limbs. The sun soothed them, and Alina feared when it would set. The darkness would be cold and hostile.
Baylor kept muttering about their peculiarly benign trip. He yelled for Rex to get back in the car, and once inside, ordered them to recline and keep their heads below the windows. As they ate dinner in this position, the sky went dark.
“These travel bars aren’t bad,” Rex tried to sound cheerful. “So fruity and crispy. Do you like them, Jade?”
“Yes, I do.”
After a short pause, Rex asked, “Are these, um, all we’ll be eating on the road?”
“Pretty much, so I’m glad you like them,” said Baylor. Rex gave a small sigh.
Alina spoke up. “Can’t we keep traveling through the night? You can teach me how to drive the car. I think I’ll go crazy sitting around waiting for something to happen.”
Baylor set his jaw. “You’re right. Something will happen. The creatures are waiting for the night.”
Alina cleared her throat. “That’s not what I meant. And you’re not very encouraging.”
“You need to be aware of what’s out there.”
“So why can’t I drive?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“And it’s not dangerous sitting here, waiting for something to find us?”
“Traveling through the forest is worse. More creatures come out in the dark.”
Alina rubbed her hand over her face. “So, what should I do if I hear something coming when all of you are asleep?”
“Stay out of sight. The nocturnal creatures rely on their night vision to find victims. They use their sense of smell, too, but unless they see you, they won’t attack.”
“But they’ll see the car and smell us in it.”
“Yes, and this confuses them. We use this tactic every time we travel, and it works. If we stop and lie low while we sleep, creatures may come and sniff the car, some may even attempt attacking it, but once they see it’s not alive, they move on—unless they spy movement. Even a brief pop of the head will set them off, and they won’t stop until they’ve broken in and killed us all.”
Rex coughed on his crispy fruit bar.
“I don’t mean to scare all of you. Try not to worry. Like I said, this system works. We’ve had only one death at night in two years, when a man got out to urinate.”
“So, we can’t get out to use the bathroom?” Rex asked.
“Of course not!” Baylor exclaimed. “I told you to go earlier. No leaving the car at night, period. And no popping your head up to look out the window, no matter how curious you get.”
“No worries there,” Rex said, shuddering.
“But what if someone really has to go?” Alina asked.
Baylor held up an empty water bottle. “Rex, I have one for you.”
Alina rolled her eyes. “What about Jade?”
“Sorry, Jade, it’s tough being a woman sometimes. But trust me, it’s better to wet your pants than to leave this car at night.”
Jade laughed. “I’ll be fine.”
“I apologize to you too, Alina.”
“What for?”
“You can’t do anything. No lights, no reading. You must stay as still as possible. This will be one of the most boring nights of your life.”
“You know, I hope you’re right.”
“Keep your gun close,” he said. “We’ll be sleeping with ours.”
“Can the darts run out?”
“Yes, but there’s plenty. You can shoot for hours.”
“What about the human prisoners from Pria—you know, the ones Sampson experiments with. Can they find us?”
Baylor paused before answering. “Yes,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to mention them because I want everyone to sleep soundly tonight.”
“But we need to know how to defend ourselves!”
“It’s the same—the dart guns. But humans are more intelligent and less instinctual than the animals, so keep that in mind.” Baylor settled back into his seat. “Call for me if you hear anything. But remember, don’t move.”
Rex wasn’t sleepy; he made light conversation with all of them, but before long only Alina responded. She engaged with him, dreading the moment he fell asleep and left her to face the long night on her own.
He shared some memories of Camden and J’koby, and then unexpectedly brought up Zaiden.
“Did you know he tried to join the resistance not long before the Harvest Feast?”
Alina forgot to stay still and cocked her head in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah. He approached someone in the resistance, and they referred him to Satina, the woman who accepts new members. It’s unusual for someone so young to know about the resistance, but apparently, he had connections. But many of us were concerned Sampson had his eye on him because of the incident with Chet and Lorenzo. They were his friends, and we can’t afford to take such risks.”
“I remember them. Were they rebels too?”
“No, they were too young. They had the rebel spirit, but were angry, zealous, and pretty stupid. They may have planted some of those seeds in Zaiden. Sampson took Chet’s caretaker away, and he ran away with Lorenzo before Sampson
