Shadows of the Night | BOOK 2 DRAFT

24

24.

By the time we stop walking, the sun has risen, eating through the fog. Cassia and Eric gather dry wood and pitch them together. I perch on the edge of a log and watch as Elias faces his palms towards the sticks. There's something alluring about the way Elias can create flames. As his hands heat up, his skin takes on a golden hue, like sunshine trying to peek through his pores. The fire is crackling before I can blink.

"There," he says, stepping back and rubbing his hands together as if to stamp out the heat. "We shouldn't let it burn too long or we'll create a smoke marker."

"Just long enough to cook," Cassia says. "I'd rather avoid raw meat if we can."

Eric scoffs. His arms fold across his chest and a scowl settles on his face as he leans nonchalantly against a tree trunk, his arm inside his jacket. He looks fine, but I note the way his hand covers the bare skin on his arms. I walked away from that fire unscathed, but Eric wasn't so lucky.

"Something to say, Eric?" Cassia probes.

"At this rate, we'll starve."

As if on cue, Malik appears behind me. I jump in fright, spinning around to face him. A grin spreads across his face and he holds up four rabbits. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he says dryly, shooting a pointed look at Eric.

Eric just grumbles beneath his breath. "Thanks, Malik," I say, taking one of the rabbits from him and pulling out my dagger. I settle on the log by the fire and get to skinning, the action nearly methodical as I stare at the flames.

In the fire, I see the remains of the tunnels, burning along with my childhood. After we ran, there were no signs of hollowers, and Elias made sure to trace back and check. They may have been immortal, but they're well and truly stuck down there.

Eric settles beside me and hangs his rabbit over the fire. I look up at Elias surveying the area. Sunlight pierces through the canopy above, creating shadows on his face.

"Ugh," Cassia slumps down. "When we get back, I'm going to have a day-long bath and no one is going to interrupt me."

Eric scoffs. "We still have to get ready for when the hollowers attack."

"Do you have to ruin everything? Let me have this."

"I'm just saying there won't be time for—"

"Shhh." Cassia waves her hand. "Just let me imagine, Eric."

I conceal a smile, turning the rabbit over. "Sadly, Eric has a point," Malik says. "When we get back we have to be aware that the hollowers could strike at any moment. They're not afraid of us anymore, especially the immortal ones."

Cassia huffs. "You guys both suck."

"What're we going to do?" Eric asks, looking at Elias.

He sighs, still staring out at the trees. "The hollowers are coming to our village, we can be sure of that."

"We have the shadow, but there's only one, and Elias is the only one who can use it," I say. "What if you send some people into hiding? The ones who can't fight. The children and elderly, maybe."

If Elias had his way, he'd send us all into hiding and face them himself. But he knows nobody, not even in the village, would leave him to face this on his own.

"That's an option," Cassia murmurs. "Maybe you could take them to your village, Malik. It's so far away and the hollowers won't be targeting it."

"They'd be more than welcome," Malik says, "but if you think I'm leaving you all to fight the hollowers without me, you don't know me at all."