“Before we eat, we must give thanks. First that the new Hunters made it through their trials and continue to be strong protectors of the other boys. Understanding that every meal is a collaboration of souls, we thank the earth that gave us these berries; Michael, who picked them by hand; the roasted boar who surrendered his life so we may be nourished by its meat. We thank those who prepared this dinner for us with care.” Caleb raised a jug in the air, his eyes meeting mine. “And we must thank our two friends who have joined us, in particular your new teacher, who has shown great thought and nurturing in each new lesson.”
It took a moment, and then the sudden pressure of Arden’s fingers burying into my arm, to understand he was speaking about me. My throat tightened. He had noticed. Perhaps he had stopped there, in the doorway of Benny’s room, looking at the books piled on the table or the plastic toys that had been cleared from the floors so the students could sit. He had been watching.
“To Arden and Eve,” Leif added, as he grabbed another jug from the tree stump and raised it in the air. He kept his brooding eyes down, not looking at us. The other boys turned, all of them to give thanks—some with a nod, others with a smile—before passing the jug around and taking long, slow sips. Then the seriousness lifted and the boys dug into the spread of roasted boar, berries, and wild turkey.
Finally, when the new Hunters had consumed enough and their feverishness subsided, Leif spoke again. “Tonight is the full moon,” he said, pointing above him. It was just appearing, its faint outline clearer as the pink sky deepened to purple. “And we’ve discovered that the troops have changed their direction. They’ve abandoned the southern outpost. Which means tonight—”
“Raid!” Michael yelled, bits of boar flying from his fingers as he raised his hands. “We’ll raid their supplies!”
Silas broke into a sudden cheer. “Candy! Candy! Candy!”
“Yes.” Leif nodded, a slight smile on his lips. His thick bun had come undone, sending his damp black curls cascading over his shoulders. “The time is right for a raid. We’ll meet back here in an hour.”
The crowd of boys started toward the dugout, carrying the last of the feast. I felt an arm wrap around my bare shoulder. “May I?” Caleb asked.
My arm tingled where our skin met. We walked together, my steps matching his. Could he sense my thoughts about him? Did he know that he’d worked his way into my dreams, where I missed him, even in sleep?
“Yes,” was all I could manage. “Yes.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I SAW YOU SNUGGLING UP WITH CALEB.” ARDEN WAS already in our cave when I returned, bundled in a jacket, her legs folded on the mattress. She held the flashlight to her face, then turned it on me for a response.
I ignored her, instead pulling on a pilled sweater for warmth. The night air was stiff with a chill and I wasn’t sure how far the outpost was.
“Headmistress Burns would not approve,” she pressed.
I covered the beam with my hand. “Oh stop,” was all I could say.
“Don’t ‘Oh stop’ me.” Arden laughed. She gestured with the flashlight. The beam moved over her blunt bob and a sliver of milky white leg, settling on her pale face. “I’m sick for a week and you’re practically falling in—” Her hand covered her mouth. I thought she was going to cough, but she stayed quiet.
“What is it, Arden?”
She nodded behind me, to where Caleb stood in the doorway, clad in a thick brown jacket and knit cap, his hair tucked up inside it.
“You’re falling into this teaching routine . . .” Arden tried, but even I was not convinced. She stood, awkwardly pushing past Caleb into the hall. “I’ll meet you two by the fire,” she said, before disappearing into the tunnel.
I turned away from him, pulling on another thick sweater. “So are we riding with you?” I asked, trying to hammer the nerves out of my voice. “Arden is feeling better. She swears she’s well enough to go.”
Caleb grabbed my hand. Then he looked down, as if considering my slender fingers laced with his. “It’s not that. When Leif said the troops abandoned the outpost . . .” he began. “It’s because they’re moving north, toward the road.”
“It’s because of me, isn’t it,” I said, before Caleb could go on. It was half-question, half-statement, but Caleb’s silence confirmed what I already knew. “They changed their direction because of me.” I closed my eyes, but all I saw were the headlights of their Jeeps shining on the road, looking for the girl from the flyer.
Caleb leaned closer. The charcoal lines had been rinsed from his face, leaving only the faint smell of fire. “It might not be safe for you to go on the raid tonight. An encounter with the troops is always dangerous, and it may be too much of a risk.” His fingers moved through mine, wrapping my hand in his fist.
It was so easy to be afraid. Even in this underground dugout, where the troops could walk above us without knowing of our presence, my heart quickened. I wanted to curl up on the bare mattress, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, and give up, to plant myself down here indefinitely. But this was nothing new. They would always be after me. Every flashlight over the lake was them. Every puttering engine was them. They were every shadowy figure lurking behind the trees.