by Elodie Colt
A dry laugh hushed through her chattering teeth. “Are you f-fucking kidding me?”
I rolled my eyes at her exaggerated tone. “You’re freezing, Cassie. We both need a few hours of sleep, and I’m sure you’ll agree when I’m saying that we’re stuck in a particularly extreme situation. You should forget your pride for once.”
She remained silent for so long, I thought she wasn’t going to answer, but then she said quietly, “All right.”
Reluctantly, I traipsed over to where Cassie was huddled close to the fire, reclining behind her. Oh wow… I’d never imagined, not in a million years, that I’d ever find myself in a spoon position with Cassie Steward.
I tentatively scooted closer until her back pressed against me and wrapped a hand around her frame. Removing my hair clip, I let my mane cover Cassie’s naked shoulder before I snuggled my head into the crook of my elbow. Cassie tensed as we both found ourselves trapped in the most embarrassing situation ever, but after a minute, the warmth my body provided made her relax.
It was then that strange tingles started to crawl up my arm, warming me from the inside. The same happened with my thighs pressed against Cassie’s.
I recalled what Sarah had told me about the Connection one day. Roes were more sensitive when it came to physical contact. Strange that it also seemed to work with another woman. Well, technically it made sense, but damn, this was too weird.
Cassie must have felt it, too, because she heaved a contented sigh as the Connection warmed her. We didn’t comment on it, and we’d probably never say a word about this night. It didn’t matter because soon, we both fell asleep, finally finding peace.
~~~
I woke to a harsh light filtering through my eyelids, and it took my disoriented brain a minute to catch up to where I was. Prying open my eyes, I saw the sun shining brightly into the cave, heating me up enough to make me sweat.
A low purr shifted my attention, and I peeked down to see a sleeping Cassie snuggled into the crook of my neck, arms tightly around me. I pressed my lips together to hold back a laugh. If anyone told me a few weeks ago I’d end up huddled with Cassie like a lesbian couple, I would have suggested they visit a shrink.
As soon as I removed my hands from her, I felt the loss of the physical closeness in my system. This Connection thing was really strange. Sarah was right—it would take some time to get used to this. I wondered what sex would feel like now that I’d officially risen to be a fully-developed Natural. Sarah had revealed that it would be like the first time—a completely different experience.
My thoughts immediately drifted off to Dylan, and butterflies formed in my belly at contemplating the possibility that he could be the first one to show me. It raised the question as to how the Connection affected him when he stayed with me through the Awakening. I’d been half-naked and rocking on his lap like a mad woman for nearly an hour. No wonder he hadn’t been able to hold back when—
Cassie mumbled something unintelligible as she woke, bringing me out of my inappropriate musings. Here we were trying to survive the wilderness, and I was having kinky thoughts about getting laid by a sexy Fighter. I quickly scooted away, giving her space. Cuddling time was over.
We resumed our hike through the forest using the river for guidance. Cassie occasionally stopped to pick up berries or leaves that gave us nutrition. Eventually, we ran low on water again, and as it didn’t look like we’d come out of the damn forest soon, I was forced to make the suicidal descent down to the river a second time.
This time, we found a spot where it was easier to climb down, and I managed to retrieve water twice as fast as the day before. It didn’t escape my notice that I had no trouble tapping into my power today. The last few days seemed to have strengthened me. Or was it the Connection with Cassie filling me with energy? Probably both.
After a few more hours of hiking, the forest finally thinned out giving way to a similar vast space we’d found ourselves in when escaping the underground facility. I cried out in joy at glimpsing a thin, dark line rimming the horizon.
Houses. Buildings. Civilization.
My blissful moment dulled quickly when we started to cover the harsh undergrowth. This area wasn’t just a little hilly—it consisted of deep ditches on either side providing only narrow bridges for crossing. It was like walking on top of sand dunes in the desert with the difference that no sand covered the surface but feather-edged rocks, some nearly four feet in diameter. One wrong step could result in slipping with no possibility of getting a grip anywhere and triggering an avalanche that very likely meant our death. I was glad clumsiness wasn’t an issue anymore, but it bothered me that we were completely exposed again.
Not that I anticipated any more followers from Dorian, but out here there was nothing—no shadows, no rivers, no plants. Only the torrid sun and rock-ribbed pathways that wouldn’t allow us to run at full speed should we need to switch to escape mode.
A cry from behind me made me stop mid-stride, and I whipped around to see Cassie kicking at some stones to get them out of the way.
“Damn these stupid shoes!”
I glanced down at Cassie’s worn-down sneakers. The soles were already peeling off. My shoes seemed to be a little more robust. I remembered Cassie wearing heels the night at Hell’s Trial when she was kidnapped. I was glad the people at the facility had given her flat shoes even if they weren’t made for hiking.
Soon, the next obstacle faced us. The city expanding in the distance was only a few miles away by now, but somehow the path we followed came to a dead end. A wide ditch stretched in front of us crossing our path.
“Great,” Cassie exclaimed with fake happiness. “Now we’re officially screwed.”
We glanced left and right only to see the ditch expanding on either side with no end in sight. I longingly looked at the pathway that continued on the other side of the ditch, but the furrow between was at least fifteen yards wide. Glancing down, I saw it was as deep as a three-story building. The way down was too steep to cross by foot, and with the rocks covering every inch, we’d probably stone ourselves to death.
“Well, that leaves us with two options,” Cassie muttered in a deflated tone.
I looked at her in surprise, coming up with no option on my part. “It does?”
“Option one, we take the long route and try to circle the area until we find a safer path to the other side.”
I shook my head, deeming this an impossibility. There was no passage in sight, and dusk was already tainting the sky purple. I’d rather not spend the night in a space that looked like the last corner on Mars. Besides, it could take days to find a spot to cross the ditch—time we didn’t have. Not with two bottles of water soon to become empty.
“Option two, you’ll jump over there, run the rest of the way, and call for help.”
I threw her a baffled look, warily surveying the other side of the furrow where she pointed. With my training the last few days, I felt confident enough to conquer the distance, but I’d never lost a thought about leaving Cassie behind. “I’m not going without you.”
Cassie bit her lip. “I don’t think we have another choice. It’s going to get dark soon, and I’d rather wait here for you than wandering this goddamned place in the dark and breaking an ankle.”
I gauged the distance again, then glanced back at Cassie as a ridiculous idea formed in my head.
“What?” she asked when she watched me eyeing her.
“We could jump together,” I finally suggested.
Cassie scoffed and threw me a look as if I’d grown two heads. When she realized I was serious, her features hardened, and she, too, assessed the distance between the spot where we stood and the one we wanted to reach. “This is insane.”
“Hey, you were the one to give me a rant about how I should finally trust my ability.” I had doubts myself, but if I could make two jeeps rotate in the air with just a flick of my hand, how hard could it be to jump a few yards with Cassie holding on?
Cassie
slightly shook her head, unconvinced. “You’d need to ensure a good landing. If we slip, that would be it.” She smacked her lips, enhancing the dramatic effect.
“Only one way to find out.”
Cassie looked at me for a moment, skeptical, but then finally nodded. “Okay.” She wiped her hands on her pants. “How’re we going to do that?”
“Uhm, I think it’s best if you climb on my back.”
She nodded, and I turned around so she could jump on me, but she stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. “Wait.”
“I promise I’ll be caref—”
“What I’m going to do now stays between us, okay?” she interrupted me, leaving me confused. “Not a word to a single soul. And I don’t want to talk about it ever. Neither in this lifetime nor the next.”
My brows lifted as I tried to figure out what the fuck she was talking about, but before I could ask her, I was rendered speechless.
Literally, because Cassie’s lips were suddenly on mine.
I think I stopped breathing as my brain tried to catch up to what was happening, but as soon as the tingles started to crawl under my skin, I realized what Cassie was doing. Oh my, this was so damn wrong, but I couldn’t push away when I felt the Connection energizing me as Cassie’s lips moved over mine. Thank God, she kept her tongue to herself, but the kiss recharged us fast, nonetheless.
A few seconds later, Cassie pulled away, a dazed expression on her face. “Okay, that should do for now.”
I was too stunned to say anything, and I didn’t know what shocked me most—the fact that Cassie had kissed me or that this kiss had felt a lot more intense than all the others I’d ever received. Granted, this was certainly not how I’d pictured my first kiss after the Awakening. I opened my mouth, but Cassie lifted a finger in the air to silence me.
“Not a word,” she warned in a deadly voice. “Now, turn around, and let’s get this shit over with.”
I obeyed silently and waited for Cassie to position herself on my back and snake her legs around my waist. I was glad she was a lightweight.
“Hold on tight. I need my arms to balance us.” She answered by tightening her legs. “Ready?” I felt her nodding behind me. I admired her courage.
Closing my eyes, I brought my power to the surface using my inner calculator for guidance. It took more time than usual because I needed to take into account the additional weight of another person. Technically, the process was the same.
As soon as all variables were set, I took a last breath and sprinted off, using a flat rock as a springboard.
I heard Cassie gasp as we flew over the furrow, and I braced myself for the landing, extending my arms to ensure stability. A laugh of relief escaped me when my feet lightly touched the ground, halting on a stone with an even surface.
“Holy shit!” Cassie exclaimed when she untangled her legs and slid down my back. “I can’t believe we—”
A horrified gasp echoed through the vast space, and I spun around only to see Cassie flailing her arms as a rock came loose under her mangled shoes.
My hand shot out to snatch hers, but our palms were too sweaty, and my heart pummeled into my stomach as her fingers slipped from mine. I bounced forward in an attempt to grab her, but my stumbling only loosened more stones triggering an avalanche.
There was nothing we could do as we plummeted down the furrow.
The sound of rolling stones and rocks crashing filled my ears as my body tumbled uncontrollably. Frantically, I tried to tap into my power, but my head cracked on something sharp, and the pain was too strong to concentrate on anything else. My limbs flailed through the air as my body was tossed over rocks, the edges cutting my skin and squishing my bones, intensifying the pain tenfold.
I lost my orientation as stones thundered under and above me, and I prayed that I wouldn’t get buried alive. I’d rather have a stone knocking me out for good than slowly suffocate under a pile of rocks.
My body came to a halt before the roaring of tumbling stones ended, leaving my ears ringing. A horrible dizziness left me panting for air, and it took my eyes a full minute to finally rest in one spot. I blinked as something trailed down the corner of my eye—blood, probably.
A gurgled sound to my left made me remember that Cassie was still with me. I slowly turned my head, clenching my teeth as a stone poked into the first vertebra of my spine and took in the scene.
Cassie lay a few feet higher on the hill. She was on her back, one arm set at an unnatural angle. Blood trickled down her elbow, a heavy rock crushing it. Her breathing was erratic, and I called out to her, my voice nearly void of any volume.
“Cassie?”
“H-Haylie?” she rasped as her head twisted in my direction.
I looked down my body that had been tossed on its side, only to see two rocks burying my legs. Blood painted the stones red and soaked my pants. I tried to wiggle my toes and was surprised when they moved. However, I felt a stinging pain in my side where a rib or two were broken.
“You… -kay?” Cassie croaked, and I laboriously shifted my head in her direction again.
“Barely.” Cassie eyed the rocks burying me, and I anticipated her question before she opened her mouth. I shook my head. “Can’t…”
A nauseating headache started to spread, making it impossible to use my ability like this. The rocks were heavier than both Cassie and me together, and I doubted I could gather the strength to lift them off me. I’d only risk letting them crush down and ruin my legs for good.
Not that it mattered anymore because chances were low I’d live through the night.
“I’m sorry,” I heard Cassie rasping, and I glanced at her, tears streaming down her face. I gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know that I didn’t blame her. In fact, I was surprised we’d even made it this far. “I r-ruined this.”
“Ruined?” I repeated, eyeing the rocks covering us. I laughed at the irony of her words, and it didn’t take long for Cassie to join in as we somehow found humor in this hopeless situation.
“Well, it s-seems we h-hit rock bottom,” Cassie stuttered, causing us to snicker again.
After our hysteria was over, we both fell into silence. My thoughts trailed off to Dylan, and how devastated he’d be when he found out that a third Natural died under his protection. I hoped with all my heart he wouldn’t blame himself, but I came to know him pretty well by now and feared he’d never recover from it. Chris’ words from the night he’d revealed Dylan’s past to me rang in my ears.
“If he doesn’t succeed in keeping you alive, then I don’t know if we’ll be able to save him one more time.”
God, I prayed Dylan would be okay…
From the corner of my eye, I saw the sun setting, taking in the bright hues of purple and flaming orange painting the endless sky above me. Stars started to appear as it became darker, and the sight took my breath away. The unpolluted air made hundreds more stars visible than you were able to make out in the city. It suddenly didn’t feel that bad to take my last breath here, and I closed my eyes, accepting my fate.
A strange sound hit my ears, but my dazed state made it difficult to come back to reality. I didn’t want to, either way. My headache slowly dulled, and peace settled over me.
The sound grew louder, and I pried my eyes open to see lights swerving over the area above. Of course, Dorian’s people were still after us. I hoped they wouldn’t find us down here. We were covered in stones and dust, so we were certainly camouflaged well.
The lights stopped swerving, and I heard car doors closing and shouting voices. Cassie stirred, and my heart fluttered in relief. I wouldn’t want to see her die before my time had come.
“… down here!” someone bellowed.
I cursed their timing. If they’d arrived half an hour later, it would have been too dark to spot us. I’d rather die like I was doing right now than getting tended to by Gabby, only to be a puppet for more of Dorian’s experiments.
“Haylie?” a familiar voice reached my ears, an
d I smiled at my delirious brain making it sound like Dylan’s. “Jesus, Haylie!”
Damn, this sounded just like him. I closed my eyes, wanting to pretend a little longer that Dylan’s voice was joining me on my final journey to beyond.
“Chris, watch out!” another man shouted, and I frowned as I recognized Scott’s voice, but it was Cassie’s cry of horror that made me open my eyes. A rock was coming loose from the top, and it started to roll down, slowly at first but quickly gaining speed.
And it sure as hell was going to hit Cassie’s face.
“No!” I cried out as I shot my hand forward, ignoring the agonizing pain in my side.
Clumsily, I tapped into my power and directed it at the advancing stone. It was small, but even a rock the size of a handball would crush her face with the speed it was coming at her.
It took my last thread of strength to make the rock skid to a stop a few inches in front of Cassie’s face. Her head was turned to the other side, but the way her shoulders heaved, I knew she was scared to death.
“H-Haylie? Are you k-keeping that rock from cr-crushing my face?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. The grunt escaping me from the effort it took to keep my arm outstretched was my answer. “Please… d-don’t let go,” she pleaded, and it took everything to hold the connection.
“Fuck, hold on!”
Chris. Jesus, they were here!
“Hurry,” I tried to shout but just managed a feeble croak.
“Let me,” Cole threw in, and suddenly, a figure blurred down the hill, snatching away the rock threatening to turn Cassie’s face to mush. I groaned in relief and let my hand go limp. “I need to remove these rocks, but I can’t do it on my own,” Cole yelled.
“Hold on. Scott, fetch us some ropes from the back of the car!”
A minute later, Dylan and Chris rappelled down the ditch. They were careful not to push away from the rocks too hard in case another avalanche happened, and Cole got into a protective stance in front of Cassie. As soon as they reached her, Chris came to Cole’s aid, lifting the stone crushing her arm.
