Page 28 of Her Shadow

The thought looped endlessly in her head. Sam had needed her, and she had done nothing. She’d let fear win. Fear of the others, of the community, of what they would think, of what they might do. It had been safer to side with Riley. But why had she felt that way?

It was unbearable. She felt sick.

She shoved her hand into her jacket pocket, her fingers brushing against an old note from her father she kept in there. It was just a handwritten reminder to pick up some milk from the store. But at the bottom, he’d drawn a dozen kisses. It was her source of security. But now, it felt like a taunt. She didn’t deserve kisses. She didn’t deserve thelove of any kind. Even the love of her dead father. He’d be ashamed of her.

Kara dropped onto the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands. She needed to do something. Anything. If she stayed in this room one second longer, she was going to scream.

Sam’s out there. She’s probably dead already. And it’s your fault.

She shot up from the bed, her knees wobbling under the sudden rush of movement. The latch jammed as she yanked on it, and she cursed under her breath, throwing her weight against the stubborn wood until it finally gave way with a creak.

Outside, Kara felt disconnected from what was going on around her. But at the same time, she needed to move her body.

The smells, sounds, and sights of people going about their daily tasks were blurred at the edges, as if she was watching from the other side of a thick, murky glass.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been walking when she reached the small cluster of huts near the outer perimeter. These buildings were more dilapidated than the ones near the center of Fort Haven. Over time, they had been abandoned as people built better, more robust structures and moved closer to the inner sanctum, where it was safer. But this place was quiet for now.

Moving forward, Kara pushed through the door of one of the huts, her heart hammering in her chest as anxiety built inside of her.

Inside, the air was stale, the floor strewn with discarded wrappers, broken tools, and empty cans. And there, in the far corner, hidden beneath a tangle of blankets and crates, she saw it—the stash. Medical supplies, boxes of food, jars, bottles, packets…

It was so obvious now, so painfully obvious. How had she missed it? Rage bubbled up inside her as she moved toward the pile, her hand trembling as she lifted the lid on one of the crates to reveal the stolen supplies. Her stomach turned at the sight. This was it—this was what had damned Sam. And the culprits? A group of goddamn kids. Or a setup.

The reckless little pricks. They had no idea of the consequences of what they’d done.

A sharp cough behind her broke the silence, and she whirled around, still clutching the crate. One of the teens stood there, a defiant smirk playing on his lips.

“I knew it! It’s Pete, isn’t it? You’re Kenny’s kid, right?” she spat, her voice shaking with disgust. “Iknewyou guys were up to something. I saw you a couple of nights ago running out here. I didn’t think much of it then. I thought you were horsing around. But now?” She gestured to the pile of stolen supplies. “Do you realize what this is? This is what got Sam exiled, you little jerk.”

The teen shrugged. “What? Everyone's just trying to survive. We don’t get enough to eat in this shithole. And we need stuff to trade! No one even wanted her here anyway.”

“Trade?” She stepped forward, the fury bubbling up to her throat. “Who are you fucking trading with? You let her take the blame for this because you want to play shop? She didnothingto deserve this.”

The teen rolled his eyes. Sam wanted to grab him but knew herself to be better than that. “It’s not as if it was our idea to get rid of her. The community decided that. And so did you, right?”

She felt a pure sense of outrage as she strolled across the room, her hands balled into fists. “No. You’re wrong. It wasn’t like that. You and your friends did this. We all trusted you. You’re old enough to know better!”

The teen’s cocky facade faltered. “We just needed some stuff, all right? We weren’t trying to get anyone in trouble. I’m sorry.”

“Well, you did. And Sam—she’s out there now. Alone. Do you have any idea what that means? Do you even care? She could be dead.”

The teen shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and started at a point on the wall. “We didn’t think you’d all kick her out.”

“You should’ve thought harder.” She glared at him. “You’ve condemned her, and for what? Because you were bored?”

His face hardened again, though his eyes darted to the ground. “It’s not our fault she got the blame. She didn’t fit in, anyway.”

“You’re a coward,” she hissed, shaking her head.

The teen’s gaze finally met hers. “Do you want me to say I’m sorry again? It’s not like that’s going to fix anything, is it?”

“No. It won’t. But it’s a start.”

She stormed out of the hut, her breath coming in quick, sharp bursts. Her eyes scanned the settlement until she saw him. Riley. He was standing together near the center of the compound, laughing and joking with another couple of guys as if nothing had happened.

She moved toward them with purpose. Her vision narrowed until all she could see was Riley.

“Youknew,” Kara screamed, rushing over to the man who was at least two feet taller than her until she was just inches away from him.

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