Page 56 of Explorer's Revenge
“There.” Wilder’s voice is quiet, and I see him pointing to the left, where the hill tapers off into the jungle. “We will meet them there.”
I hesitate. The idea of leaving not only Aiy up there, but the others as well with that thing about, terrifies me.
We don’t have much choice, though, so I incline my head and carefully pick my way through the mud as he conveys the message. My boots slip, and I try not to jostle her as much as I can. With each bumpy step, she lets out a tiny groan that stabs daggers into my fragile heart.
She looks so small and weak right now.
How much can one person endure?
Every time there’s danger, she throws herself into it to protect us and comes out just a little worse for wear. If we don’t get her help soon, she’ll die on this island.
Nervously waiting at the bottom of the ridge, I turn my back to shelter her from the rain even though she’s already drenched. It’s pointless, but it’s all I can do.
I see blood dripping down her face, carving a path over her beautiful features.
“Is she okay?” Logan’s hurried question reaches me as he slides to my side. His hands flutter over her uselessly as he looks at Wilder for answers.
“She’s unconscious. She hit her head. We need to get somewhere dry and safe to check her wounds,” he murmurs as Rick appears.
“Is she alive?” he asks frantically.
Sighing, I hold her closer when a jacket is suddenly draped over her and tucked up under her chin, protecting her from the rain. My head jerks up, and I meet Aiy’s worried gaze. “We should move now, get some distance between us and it, then find somewhere to let her rest.”
“You’ll be cold,” I scold, but he shakes his head.
“I’ll be fine. She needs it more. Come on.” I’ve never heard him bark orders before, but we listen, even Wilder, silently following him through the almost pitch-black jungle. It’s not advisable to move at night, but we don’t have much choice.
We walk until the rain stops, something we are all grateful for, but Maeve shivers in my arms, and she’s way too pale. I worry about what that means, so when the sun rises, and Wilder deems it safe to make camp for a few hours on a small section of land protected on one side by big trees, I let the others work around us while I continue to hold her.
I lower my voice and lean closer to her, my words just for her. “Stay with us, okay? You’re going to be okay. We’ve got you. Just keep fighting. It’s what you do Maeve—fight.”
“She’ll be okay,” Rick says as he comes to my side, his eyes on her. “She’s Maeve fucking Carter, after all.”
I nod, but deep inside, I’m worried. Our bodies can only handle so much.
THIRTY-FIVE
LOGAN
We managed to set up windbreakers to protect us from the harsh gusts. The rain has stopped, but who knows for how long. We started a fire and got our bed rolls out, wrapping them around her after Wilder treated her head wound. He said the cut is deep, and she might even have a concussion. He looks concerned, especially when she doesn’t wake up when he prods the wound. He also inspects her leg and gives her a shot of something, but from the tightening around his eyes, it’s clear he’s very worried.
Wrapping my hands around the steel mug, I blow on the water, watching her through the steam.
“When was the first time you met Maeve?” I ask curiously. “Mine was at the Red Bull awards. You guys didn’t want to go to the after-party, but I went anyway, and she was there, surrounded by people. Her laugh was so loud, it caught my attention, and she looked happy. I had no idea who she was at the time. The next day, I noticed she’d signed with Ajax, and, well, the rest is history.”
“Mine was online. Does that count?” Rick asks. “I was scrolling on our night flight back from Peru and found her channel. I watched her for hours. The first video was herjumping from a hot-air balloon and doing backflips. She looked like she had no cares in the world.”
“Or was batshit insane,” Wilder scoffs.
“The first time I met her was at Venture with Wilder, when Ajax tried to convince us to let her join our team. She’d just met with him, and she stomped out. She was glaring at Wilder, and they argued. She didn’t even notice me”—Way smiles—“but she made an impression, considering the way she went toe-to-toe with Wilder.”
“Mine was at Venture too.” Aiyaret moves closer to Way as he looks at her. “The one I told you about. I heard about her from you guys and saw her online, but it was my first time meeting her. She wasn’t loud or angry. She was . . . kind.”
“It’s like she knows what each of us needs,” I say then look at Wild. “When did you meet her?”
For a moment, I don’t think he’ll answer, but then he speaks. “The one she will remember is at Venture when we argued.”
“What do you remember? Why would it be different from what Maeve recollects?” I frown, unsure what he means.
