The sun is bright in our eyes and hot on our backs as we march out of the Ohio Territory and into the Kentucky Territory. This road is going to be long and hot, but it's worth it if I can get my sister back. I look down to see steam rising from a sizzling fishing worm, watching it writhe and wiggle. Poor creature. I reach for my water bottle and splash some water on the worm and take a sip for myself as it inches its way back into the grass.
Ash, on my right side, plays with my fingers as we walk. It's very comforting. Keagan, to my left, is pissed off because I asked Ash to come along. He hasn't uttered a word since Ash met up with us. I feel a bit outnumbered, given the gender ratio of the group. Even more so because I'm in the middle.
"Do you believe in love?" Ash still plays with my fingers.
"I do, but I only believe in two kinds of love." I shiver at his touch.
"What kinds?" He laces his fingers through mine.
"The kind my parents had and the kind I have for Anastasia." Tears slide down my cheeks before I realize I'm crying.
"Don't cry, Mercy. We'll get her back. I promise we will." He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my fingertips. Keagan groans and looks away.
What if Monroe has a whole army of spies following us and tracking our every move? I can feel eyes on my back and I hear the shot and have a split second to jerk my friends to the ground before the bullet flies past us. It hits a pedestrian and she drops to the ground, instantly dead.
We crawl to the nearest yard and hide behind an evergreen. I peek through the branches to scan the area for our attacker: a man with turquoise hair and a woman with hunter orange hair. They're dressed in black, which makes them stand out even more. They're also carrying crossbows. Poor choice of outfits and weaponry for people whose lives depend on blending in.
I take a knife from my bag and throw it with utmost precision, hitting the girl in the back of the neck, no doubt severing her spinal chord. She's dead. The man kicks her out of the way and I throw another knife, sticking it through his chest. He falls to the pavement.
Three more spies infiltrate the street. They'd blend in better than the last two if I hadn't seen them coming. Shots fire in our direction and two of the spies drop to the ground. I look to see who has helped us and notice that Ash has his pistol out. I grab my rifle and aim it at the last one. He slumps to the ground as soon as the bullet hits his chest.
"Come on! We need to get out of here!" I tug on my partners, urging them to come with me. They follow, eager to leave the scene before more spies come. Knowing Monroe, there will be more.
The new Territory is beautiful. There are more trees and fields. It's obvious that this place is an Ag-Ex Territory. Ag-Ex is a nickname for Agricultural Export Territories. My Territory is an In-Ex, or Industrial Export.
It's still hot and it's a lot more humid than our home. I look at my shoulders and chest and find a slight sunburn. So much for sunscreen. I should have reapplied.
Ash keeps looking for excuses to touch me. I get a cut, he has to bandage it. I start to sweat, he wipes it away. My shorts are falling down, of course he pulls them back up. I can do that for myself, thank you! I'm beginning to get used to the constant touching. It's comforting.
"Look at that sunset, Mercy!" Ash taps my shoulder and I wince from the sunburn. "Sorry."
I look at the horizon and smile. The clouds are painted with salmon and mango streaks. It's a beautiful color combination, but a terrible food concoction. My inner monologue makes me giggle.
"We might want to find shelter. It's gonna be a long night." Ash wraps his arms around me gently, so as not to hurt my burns again.
I point at the woods. "I think we should find somewhere in there to stay. We don't want to risk getting caught."
Keagan, who hasn't said a word the whole trip, finally steps up. "The lady is right. A cave or an old building is the best route."
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Finally, we come upon a cave that is well-hidden into the trees and mountains. Grape vines cling to the entrance in a fairytale sort of way and honeysuckles climb them, intricately winding together. It's gorgeous.
"I'm standing guard first. I won't be able to sleep anyway." I put my stuff on the dry cave floor and grab my knives.
I sit at the entrance of the cave, hidden by the vines, and I stare at the wet forest. Rain has started to pour from the heavens and it feels good to cool off. Ever so often, I reach my sunburnt arms out of the vines to let the water hit them. It feels fantastic.
A sound breaks the silence and I jump, readying a knife to throw, but it's only Ash. I put my weapon down, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Oh, it's you." I pull my knees to my chest.
"Yeah, it's me. I'd like to talk to you, if that's alright." He smiles that adorable crooked grin and I melt.
"Sit down." I pat the cold, hard ground beside me.
He sits down, stretching out with his back to the wall of the cave. "Let's get this straight: I love you, you don't like me, and Keagan hates me. Am I right?"
"The first and last theories are correct. Not the one about me. I like you a lot, actually. I'm just not sure if I love you just yet." I lay my head on my knees.
"You like me?" His lips tug into a grin and I swear, if he were a cat, his ears would be perked up.
"Yes, if you must pry, I do. So what happens when two people like each other and they both know about it?" I feel my cheeks burning hotter.
"They kiss and hold hands and stuff." He sits up straighter and pulls his legs into a crisscrossed position.
I take his hand in mine after wiping the sweat off on my shirt. His fingers lace with mine, just like the vines, and i feel butterflies in my stomach. "Is this good?"
He runs his thumb over my hand and kisses it. "Yeah. Kiss me."
I get closer and closer to him and, as I do, the butterflies go crazy. His breath tickles my lips and his hands caress my face. My lips press against his gently and he wraps his arms around me, his tongue sliding across my lower lip. I part my mouth and allow his tongue inside. He kisses me harder, more passionately. And then, it's over faster than it began. He stares into my eyes, his emerald pools glittering in the moonlight.
"That was...." My throat catches with emotion and lust.
"Wow." He pecks my lips once and holds me tighter.
"What does love feel like?" I snuggle close to him.
"You get butterflies. You want then to stay with you all the time. You'd jump into harm's way just to save them." He runs his fingers through my hair and smiles against my lips.
Check, check, and check.
"So, I'm in love. Sue me." I kiss his lips softly.
"So, does this mean you're my girl?" He nuzzles my neck.
"Do you want me to be?" I lace our fingers together again.
"Mercy, I've wanted you since the second grade. Do you know how bad I want you to be my girlfriend?" He looks deeply into my eyes.
"Then, yes. I'm your girlfriend." I grin.
"It's finally official! Mercy Nightlock is finally mine!" He does a cute little victory dance and I can't help but laugh.
"Get some sleep, babe." He lays down with me and runs his fingers through my hair.
"Will you keep watch?" I yawn and cuddle close to Ash.
"I planned on it." He holds me tighter and chuckles.
I'm safe tonight, in his arms, as I drift off to sleep. I'm safe physically, that is. In my dreams, no one is safe. I run in place, trying to reach my sister. She's right in front of me, but the faster I run, the farther away she is. Finally, my legs give out and I fall too the ground, hot tears burning my cheeks.
I wake up and the vision of my sister disappears. I only see darkness. I sit up and see that Ash has traded watch positions with Keagan. I wrap my arms around my knees and continue to sob. A warm hand, a sharp contrast to the cold air, brings me back to reality.
I look over at Keagan. His pale skin glows in the moonlight. He wipes the tears from my face. "Bad dreams?"
"Mhm." I nod, tears still streaking my cheeks.
"It's okay. Dreams are just dreams. They can't hurt you. I promise." He wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest.
"It seemed so real, Keagan." I shiver, adjusting to the newfound heat.
"It wasn't real, Mercy. Trust me." He hugs me tighter.
I look out the mouth of the cave. It's dawn. "It's time to move out everyone."
I awkwardly peel myself away from Keagan. And gather my things together.
ns 15.158.61.47da2
