The Price of Blood [ONC 2024] {SHORTLISTED}

Chapter Three

I stumble over tree roots poking above the ground and groan. We've barely reached the forest and I'm already regretting this trip. I spend most of my time between home and the workshop - I'm not exactly in the best shape. 

I glance ahead at Caelen. We haven't spoken much since leaving. I've wondered briefly how much of it has to do with Rory's words. Caelen is far enough ahead that the morning air sends chills through me. I shiver. 

Caelen stops to look back at me. "We still have a ways to go before the location Rory marked for us," he says. "Do you... uh, do you want to rest for a bit now?" 

I glance around. We haven't made it very far yet, but a break does sound nice. I sigh. "Yeah, sure." 

He slings his bag off his shoulder, rifling around. "What have you got for food?" He asks. 

"Not sure," I say, lowering myself onto a log. My legs are already thanking me for the break - however brief it'll be. "My cousin packed a minimizer last night. I never checked what was inside." 

Caelen looks surprised. "A minimizer, huh," he mutters. "That's a smart cousin you've got. I never would have thought to bring one of those." 

I shrug. "She has a kid now, so she's used to things like that - packing lunches, making sure they'll stay good until they're eaten." 

Caelen nods, watching me with his face unreadable. His eyes shift to my jacket and he frowns. 

I instinctively reach for Malik's name, and Caelen looks back at my face. "My brother's," I mumble, seeing the question in his eyes. "He used to go out in the forest a lot." 

"Used to?" 

I look away. "He–" 

A twig snaps nearby, and I freeze. Caelen turns. 

"It could have been an animal," he says, sounding unsure. 

I hesitate. "Rory said there were poachers around here," I whisper, pushing myself up. 

Caelen pales. His backpack is back over his shoulders, and he's grabbing my arm before I realize what's happening. "We should go," he breathes, pulling me along as he starts to run away. I try to keep up, stumbling as we hurry through the forest. 

I duck, trying to avoid the branches positioned at my head level. "They might not have heard us," I suggest, panting. 

Caelen slows as he checks around us. His face is set in a deep frown, his golden eyes looking dark. "They hear everything," he mutters, letting my arm go. "We should keep moving. I don't want them to catch up to us." 

I sigh, adjusting my bag to give my shoulders some relief. "Alright." I sigh, squinting at the glitchy screen of my watch. "It looks like we should be able to reach this first destination by dark if we hurry." 

Caelen nods, casting a glance over his shoulder. "Then let's get moving." 

I follow his lead as we trek through the forest. Every turn looks the same, and I'm grateful for the navigation system on the watches. The sky seems dark, but when I look up, I realize that the trees are taller here, their branches stretching far enough to blot out the light coming from above. 

I shiver, pulling Malik's jacket tighter around me. The weather is supposed to be warm, but with the trees blocking all the sunlight, the forest feels as cold as if it were night. 

I walk faster, closer to Caelen, and relax at the warmer temperature around him. He still looks worried, and I don't blame him. Rumors of the poachers are one thing, but encountering them... I clutch Malik's name as I shudder. That was already too close of a call for my comfort.