The Altered.

Chapter XX.

Percy didn't say a word as Lia explained to him what was happening, including the occasional input from one of the other group members.

Even after she had finished speaking, he didn't say anything. Instead, he slowly sank to the ground, face surprisingly calm, and folded his legs beneath him.

Everybody stared at Percy, awaiting his reaction.

When it came, all he said was, "Oh."

And that was it.

Miles pursed his lips. "What do you think? Do you think we're lying?"

Percy glanced at him placidly. "Why, and how, could you make up such an elaborate lie?"

Miles was admittedly taken aback by this response. "Okay, good. So you think we're right?"

"I didn't say that." Percy clasped his hands in his lap. "I said I don't think you're lying."

Before Miles could provide an irritated reply, Lia saw that he was getting annoyed and replied to Percy instead. "But you do believe that our idea is what is possibly happening?"

Percy nodded. "Yes. And I would like to accompany you to your next location."

Lia seemed relieved. "Perfect. The more people, the better. Aaron, are you bringing that bat with you?"

Aaron looked at the bat and his grip tightened around it.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm keeping it."

Aaron's tall figure standing, bat in hand, sharp jaw bruised, was a sight that Miles could get used to. It looked right. As passive as Aaron had proven himself to be previously, the fact that he'd used the bat as a weapon and had since refused to put it down showed that perhaps he was a little fond of the euphoric feeling it brought upon him when using it.

Lia turned to Eira. "Are you fine to keep carrying that backpack?"

Eira gave Lia a double thumbs-up. "I'm fine!"

Lia nodded thankfully. "Right. Then we need to get a move on."'

Before she could say anything else, Luca interejected with a whine. "I'm so hungry."

"We all are," Miles snapped. "What do you want to do about it?"

Luca flinched at Miles' tone and didn't give a response.

"Miles, you don't have to get temperamental," Aaron said, resigned.

"Then he shouldn't be complaining!" Miles hissed. "We're all hungry. We're all tired. But we're also all in danger and we can't go looking for food when safety is more important."

"Calm down," Lia warned.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Lia." Gaze burning, he settled it on her now. "None of you are taking this seriously!"

"Miles, be quiet."

"Oh, you can't be fucking serious. You're only telling me to be quiet because -"

"Miles." This time, Lia's voice was almost a whisper, pleading with him. Everybody else had also fallen quiet.

Miles finally shut his mouth, still fuming, and finally heard why she was trying to silence him. Somewhere nearby, there was a person - or more than one - walking, and not quietly.

"They're on the path," whispered Lia, looking around frantically for a hiding spot. The creek was at the bottom of a slope, and on the crest of that slope was the path where somebody was walking. It wasn't a good sign.