“Do you want to find Gaia’s statuette?” I ask.
Vitelotte shakes her head. “There’s no point since Emmera has the map.”
After a few more minutes of peaceful drifting, the motor slows. Vitelotte lowers it to the ground, and we continue on foot through the woods. Golden light trickles through the forest’s thick canopy and illuminates our way over the uneven ground. Twigs and dry leaves crunch underfoot, and an earthy scent fills my nostrils.
We take turns carrying the glider in case we need to use it as a weapon or a means for escape, but our steps falter when the breeze carries smoke and the faint scent of cooking meat.
I grab Vitelotte’s arm. It’s probably one of the Amstraadi groups. They’re the only girls I can imagine being capable of hunting food and setting up camp. Guardians probably also have that skill, but they’re too busy hunting us.
Vitelotte places a finger on her lips, and we pause. The smoke comes from somewhere on the left, where we also hear the sounds of female laughter. She flicks her head toward a sprawling oak whose thick branches curl toward the ground. I give her a sharp nod, and we creep toward the tree.
When we reach its base, my foot catches on something soft. I trip and land on my hands and knees.
Vitelotte kneels at my side and whispers, “Are you alright?”
“Fine.” I turn and peer down at the base of the tree for signs of a dead animal. The dim light obscures my view of the soft object that made me fall, but my eyes adjust. I find the outline of something that camouflages with the fallen leaves and roll it over with my foot.
A shock of blonde hair catches the light. It’s long and straight, just like Emmera’s.
Shock punches me in the gut, and I clap both hands over my mouth to muffle a scream.
Vitelotte doubles over and lets out several gasping breaths. “Who is that?”
I shake my head. With the face paint, there’s no telling if this is the girl from our village. I can’t a see silver glider anywhere near the body, and I can’t tell if she died from the fall or if someone killed her.
Rapid footsteps approach from beyond the trees, and my stomach drops. I scramble away from the sprawling oak with Vittelotte at my side.
We run over fallen logs, through streams, and past a herd of animals whose eyes glow in the doom. Whoever is following is swift, determined, relentless. The forest slopes uphill, and our breaths become labored as we race away from our pursuers. They’re either the girls with the guns or whoever was responsible for what happened to the blonde girl.
Fatigue sets my lungs ablaze, and exhaustion weighs down my thighs, but I power through until there’s nowhere else to run. The slope ends with a thirty-foot drop. Somewhere between now and finding the girl’s body, we’ve lost the glider. I completely forgot who was supposed to be carrying it.
“Jump,” I whisper.
Vitelotte nods. “One, two, three.”
We both leap. A stomach-churning second later, I land in a crouch, and Vitelotte executes a perfect landing roll. My gaze catches the glowing eyes of a creature that might be a large fox. It darts to the left and disappears from sight. I grab Vitelotte’s arm and pull her in the direction of the vanishing animal.
Up ahead beyond a growth of saplings stands a thick tree that looks like several smaller trees woven together to form a hollow. We bolt toward it and duck inside.
The air is damp within the large plant, filled with the mingled scents of animal musk and rotting leaves. There isn’t much space to do more than crouch. I press my lips together and breathe hard through my nostrils. My limbs won’t stop trembling, and I think it’s because I’m dreading yet another fight.
Vitelotte’s makeup artist also darkened the whites of her eyes, and I can’t see her in the dark. Unless whoever is chasing us is wearing heat-seeking goggles, they should run past.
A pair of dark figures jump down. They pause for a moment and look from side to side. One of them points left, the other points right, and they separate.
Neither of us speaks for several minutes. Me, because I’m afraid the girls might return, but Vitelotte rubs her chin as though deep in thought.
“They’re from Amstraad,” she whispers.
“I think they were hunting us,” I whisper back.
“Hunting you,” she says.
I can’t disagree. Last night, when I thought the hijacking was real, I electrocuted one of them, set her on fire, and shot her friend. They’re probably out for revenge. We sit within the den in silence, and I wonder what we should do next. I don’t know if the girls were part of the camp and will return to their comrades, or a different group genuinely seeking Gaia’s treasure.
A weary breath slips from my lips. If Queen Damascena isn’t threatening the lives of my family, then the other contestants are trying to kill me. And now I’ve dragged Vitelotte into this mess.
“They want me.” I pull off the backpack, ease its zipper open, pull out the ax, and attach the gaslighter to my belt. “If you change your mind about going it alone, I’ll understand.”
She shakes her head and clasps my shoulder. “Harvesters stick together.”
I wrap my hand around hers and squeeze. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she whispers.
“What?”
“I said nothing when they were calling you a murderer for saving us. When they kicked you off the bus, I should have joined you.”
My mouth drops open. “I wasn’t expecting—”
“I just sat there, safe and terrified.” Her breaths become harsh and
