Chapter 23
The five of us stand in a small clearing of forest in a semicircle around our
Lieutenant who repeats the instructions we were given his morning. I look around
as he talks, only half-listening because 1 already know what our job is. I’ve got a
good memory, after all.
I look up at the sky above the trees, thinking that it took longer than I thought to
get everything ready and get us here. It’s already well past noon, which doesn’t
give us a ton of time before night falls.Our task is pretty simple, though. All we
have to do as a group is light a fire, boil water so that it’s potable, produce some
kind of sustenance for ourselves — fish or edible plants — and demonstrate that
we can do basic first aid if anyone gets hurt in the process. Once that’s done,
we’ll be given a compass and a map with our location marked and we’ll be
required to traverse the ten miles back to the barracks. Anyone who doesn’t
complete the group tasks, or fails to make it back tomorrow by dinner, receives a
failing mark.
1 shrug, thinking it will be pretty simple, as the Lieutenant hands Alan our small
packet of supplies, which contains the first-aid kit, flint, a machete, and a small
spool of wire with some fish hooks. We’re strictly forbidden from using anything in
our packs to aid us — they’re only supposed to carry extra clothing and blankets
in case we need to sleep out here before the jobs get done.
“I think.” Alan says, turning towards the group of us, “that our best plan is to get
this done and hike through the night. I, for one,” he says, looking at Luca and I
with particular venom, “have no true interest in spending more time as a group
than we have to.”
“No argument for me,” Luca says, nodding in agreement. I don’t say anything at
all as Alan begins to parcel out the supplies to his friends.
“How the f**k,” Perry murmurs, “are we supposed to boil water when they didn’t
even give us a pot?”
Alan looks askance at Graham, who just shrugs, making my eyebrows go up. Am
I seriously the only one who knows the answer to this?
I wait a second for Alan to volunteer the answer but he just stares at the flint in
apparent confusion while Graham grabs the machete and strides over to a tree,
starting to hack at the branches. Luca’s eyebrows go up as he smirks, and I can
tell that he’s a little entertained, watching the smaller smack at the branches.
“What — what the hell are you doing?” I ask, my voice ringing through the
clearing.
guy
All eyes turn to me, including Graham, who glares. “I’m getting firewood,” he
says, as if it’s obvious.
“Oh my god,” I huff, stalking over to him and grabbing the machete out of his
hands. “You can’t use live wood for a fire — it’s wet. Wood has to be dry.” Graham
shouts and grabs back for the machete but I quickly move out of his way. I sigh
and look around. “Do any of you know how to do any of
this?”
“I can fish,” Perry says, reaching out for the coiled wire and set of hooks. He
looks over at the deep
12:38 Sun, 10 Mar
Chapter 23
stream that runs by our clearing. “I mean, I usually use bait, but…I can dig up
worms and tie these lines to some poles.”
“Great,” I say, my voice dry. “Why don’t you take Graham and do that. Us other
three will get
started on the rest.”
“You’re not in charge here. Clark,” Alan says, his voice bitter.
“I think he is.” Luca says, crossing his arms and grimacing at Alan. “I mean, if you
want to pretend you know what you’re doing out of pride, I guess that’s fine — but
I’m completely lost here, and willing to take direction if it means not losing my
place in the standings. What about you?”
Alan takes a deep breath, so clearly battling his pride and not wanting to admit
that I might have skills he doesn’t even if I am a shrimp. But eventually he
exhales and tosses the flint at me. I barely catch it after it bounces off my chest.
“All right.” Luca says, turning to me with raised eyebrows. “What’s next?”
“Fire first,” I say, nodding. I give terse instructions, falling into a very pale imitation
of my father, who taught us all of this stuff when we were very young. I mean,
Jesse and Rafe have been going on big camping trips with dad and Uncle Roger
for years, doing much more complicated stuff than this. But dad? He always
made sure I could do the basics.
“Luca,” I say as I begin to gather dry brush, wood, and stones — both flat and
round. “I want you to go see if you can find some berries.” I snap my head up and
hold his gaze, “do not eat any of the ones you find a lot look good but will make
you sick. Just….bring them all back here, in case the fishermen don’t have any
success with their worms. Alan, I want you to go into the woods and find the
fattest birch tree you can find. White, with smooth bark — do you know the one I
mean?”
“What the f**k is this,” Alan growls, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you
trying to embarrass me, sending me on a mission to find a fat tree?”
I roll my eyes at him, exasperated. “I don’t know what your problem is with me,
Wright, but it
— the bark would be great if you could get over it until we’re through this. I’m not
f**king with you can be used to make a container for the water. So will you just go
find it?”
Alan stares at me for a long moment but then turns and heads into the woods,
his hands fists at his sides. Luca winks at me and gives me a little salute before
heading in the opposite direction. I take a glance over at Graham and Perry, who
are busy tying the fishing wire to long sticks. Pleased to see them busy, I get
started with the fire.
After arranging the flat rocks in a circle, I create a small pile of dry brush in the
center. Then, kneeling quite close to the pile of brush, I use the machete to scape
some magnesium on the back of the flint. Leaning close, I strike the flint with the
metal edge of the blade, sending sparks onto the pile.
The magnesium lights in a flash and when one of the sparks catches, I’m ready
for it. I lean forward, blowing gently on the flame to give it oxygen. I dangle some
dry brush above the baby flame so it has something to consume. It stutters for a
moment, but the flame greedily takes the
Chapter 23
bait, starting to flare. I grin. pleased, and sit back on my heels, starting to add
some small sticks.
“Wow,” a voice says, and I blink, looking up at the Lieutenant, who nods at me.
“That was….that was crazy fast.”
“Thanks,” I say, giving a pleased little nod. Fire it’s never really been hard for me.
I’ve always even been faster than Rafe and Jesse with this part. The lieutenant
nods again, making a notation on his clipboard, and I grin, realizing that I’m
getting credit for making the fire.
By the time Luca come back with two handfuls of berries, the fire is burning
cheerfully and I’ve started adding small logs that I’ve hacked up with the
machete. “Holy shit,” he says, his eyebrows going up. “Did you did you do that?”
“No.” I say, looking at him with blank sarcasm. “When you were gone the
Lieutenant tossed me a lighter.”
“That is…seriously impressive, Shrimp,” Luca says and I grin, stupidly pleased at
his compliment as I stand up and reach out my hands.
“Show me what you’ve got, pretty boy,” I say, teasing. Luca laughs as he drops
his haul into my hands. I sigh as I quickly sort through the selection. “No luck,” I
murmur, tossing the berries into the fire. “None of those are edible.”
“How do you know that?” he says, looking mournfully after his bounty.
“Why do you keep asking me these things? I already told you I went camping.”
“With like, the King?” Luca asks, wrinkling his nose a little in disbelief.
“Yes,” I say, grinning at him a little. “Except, we don’t call him the King. We just
call him…Uncle Dom.” Or, dad. Uncle Dom is just what Jesse and his siblings
calls him.
“That’s so weird,” Luca breathes, shaking his head at me, making me grin.
“I found the fat tree,” Alan says ruefully, coming into the clearing and renewing
his glare.
“Show me” I say, giving him a thumbs up. Scowling seriously, does this guy ever
cheer up? — Alan leads Luca and I into the woods. I grab the machete on our
way. It doesn’t take long to get to the tree Alan selected and I nod it will work.
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« » . rr . .

Okay,” I sigh, lifting the giant knife,
al : 5

this is going to take a while. I need
you two to go back and feed the fire
while I work. Just… keep giving it
more wood, make it burn really high
and really hot. And when it gets really
hot and there start to be coals
beneath the live flames, start putting

: »
those round stones into the embers.
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“Why?” Alan asks, his voice snotty, and I turn to glare at him.
“Because little elves told me to, Alan,” I say, totally dry. “Does it matter? Just do
lists
Luca bursts out laughing and Alan glares at me, but Luca pats Alan on the back
and leads him away.
12:38 Sun, Tu Mar
Chapter 23
I shake my head, starting to cut and peel back a large swatch of the birch bark.
“It’s gonna be a long night,” I murmur to myself as I work.
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Yes! My wolf says, trotting back and
o . ) o
forth inside of me. Let’s stay all night
under the stars! We can share a
blanket by the fire cuddle up! We can
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“Oh my god,” I sigh, doing my best to ignore her.
il
But honestly? I’d be lying if I said that I don’t share some of her impulses.
we can sit with Luca
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Because the opportunity to hang out
with Luca alone, at night, under the
’

stars? Well. I’m not going to get very
many opportunities to do that with
Rafe glowering over my shoulder.
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So…..do I take advantage of this opportunity?
Or just let it pass?
And if I did decide to take advantage of it…
What would that look like, precisely? I bite my lip, my stomach fluttering as I
consider it.