Matthew Silver and the Monster Hunters, Book One: The Darkest Waters

Chapter Twenty-Three

JadeCHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Scott and Sandy had ordered lights out, but Jade wasn’t even tired. Not one bit. After that day’s events, how could she even think of sleeping?

            First, Matthew had gone off on his own to track whatever it was he had seen. Then they had found him severely injured, and he hadn’t even seen what had hit him. They only had Parker’s word for what had happened, which was as valuable as dirt to her.

Parker, who had stormed their campsite and had threatened them all at gunpoint, was now playing a “nice guy”act.

Okay, so the gun hadn’t been loaded. Big deal! That hardly justified things. She didn’t think he was lying about having information about the monster, but he was definitely hiding something.

She wasn’t sure what had happened in the forest. She’d just been so thankful that Matthew was all right. Seeing him lying on the shore not moving at all…She had thought he was dead. She had hidden her relief pretty well, until that moment in the forest, and of course, her emotions would have her express her relief in that way.

When he had helped her up, she had stared into his eyes. She’d felt time slow down before in combat, but nothing could compare to that moment when she’d met his eyes.

Ah, that’s so stupid!

You’re losing control of yourself, the little voice inside of her said. You are losing control of your emotions.

Jade got out of her sleeping bag and crept over to the door. She carefully stepped over the other three sleeping bodies. Matthew was silent, his face relaxed and peaceful. He inhaled and exhaled very quietly, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

She realized that she was staring and quickly looked away.

She quietly opened the heavy, wooden door, wincing at its squeak against the hinges. She looked over her shoulder. Scott grunted and turned over in his sleep.

Phew! That was close!

There was a little porch swing on the deck of the cabin, and she sat down, swinging back and forth while thinking.

She regretted not kissing him, but at the same time, she didn’t regret it. She didn’t believe in that type of thing between partners. Then again, it had worked for Scott and Sandy and many others, but it just seemed weird to her, like the Administrators were playing matchmaker when they put partners together.

What did her emotions tell her? She didn’t trust herself to think about that. It was unprofessional. She knew that if she let herself, she could totally fall like a silly little schoolgirl, but that would be unethical. She was a genius, a fighter, and a killer to the core.

She could control her emotions.

She would control her emotions.

Or at least for just a little while longer, as she would be leaving for good soon. Another perfectly good reason why things would never work out.

She picked up a rock from the cracks in the wooden swing and threw it into the woods. So much for romance!

The stone flew into the darkness. A dull thunk arose from the dense forests, indicating it had hit a tree.

Two red lights blinked on.

Then another pair…Then another.

Soon, countless beads of glowing red light were focusing, not on her, but upon a stone on the forest floor.