“Write a note.” Kai sounds so confident that I almost believe we can sort this out. “I’ll hike to the Divide and pass it on. Right now.”
My eyes drill into Kai. I am so grateful and so desperate not to go that I want to wrap my arms around him right now and kiss his face.
He still doesn’t look at me.
“If the girls don’t want to go, that is.” His last words are quieter.
“Exactly,” Bo says, then turns to the rest of the crowd, which is too loud and angry and arguing, and raises both hands in the air for attention. “Listen up!”
There is another meeting.
Dani, Katura, and I are in the center, like we are on trial. Neither Dani nor I want to leave. But Katura just shrugs.
“If you want to send a message, I can deliver.” She stands there with her arms crossed at her chest, a proud smirk on her face. “I can deliver it straight to the Chancellor’s hands. Yeah?”
She stares at Bo and knows that everyone stares at her right now. That’s Katura’s power. She thinks she is some freaking missionary or conquistador or both. She doesn’t know Archer or what he is capable of.
The voting starts. And it’s eleven to seven against us staying.
Both Kai and Ty are angry and shake their heads. But I understand those who awkwardly look away and avoid meeting our eyes. It’s not their war. They want peace. They want to keep this side of the island safe because this is the only place they have.
“Fine!” Kai rakes his fingers through his dark hair. “We write a message and Ty and I will hike up to the Divide and pass it to the patrol. Then we wait for the answer and go from there.”
“It’s a three-hour hike,” Maddy says.
“So fucking what?” Kai gives her a backward nod.
He is pissed off. His jaw is set. He looks just like he did in the first days when we tried to avoid each other. Except now we don’t. And right now, he is on my side, wanting to keep me here.
Right?
My heart thuds heavily in my chest.
“I’m coming with you,” Katura says, her expression forever-amused like she just struck a good bargain.
“Whatever,” Kai blurts out. “We are leaving in ten.”
In less than ten minutes, they are ready, walking out of their bungalows and toward each other.
Kai and Ty look different. Hiking boots. Jeans. T-shirts. Baseball hats low over their heads. Backpacks.
“Why the backpacks?” I ask Maddy, watching them from a distance as Bo walks them over to the main path, discussing something, and Katura follows behind.
I beg Kai to look back at me. As if it’s the last time I will see him.
“Things happen in the jungle,” Maddy explains indifferently. “It’s about six hours there and back. Plus, we are not exactly friends with the patrol. Unless there is someone we know. We can only hope for the best.”
She nudges me with her elbow. “Look what you made them do.” She smiles, but my heart only starts beating faster as the guys disappear into the jungle.
I run to my bungalow and look at the waterproof watch I have stashed with my old clothes.
It’s nine in the morning. This means that if everything goes well, they should be back by early afternoon.
I braid my hair into two pigtails to keep it off my shoulders, put the watch in my shorts’ pocket, and go find Maddy. We have to clean up the chicken coop. We have to peel and process coconuts. And I throw myself into work, constantly checking the watch, counting seconds and minutes in my mind.
I’ve never waited for anything like I wait for Kai to come back.
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