Page 108 of Blue Arrow Island
Marcus and I pull apart, our moment of connection severed by someone’s arrival. His gaze stays locked onto me, the intensity of his earthy green eyes making my stomach drop to my feet. The corners of his lips quirk, hinting at a smile.
Nova clears her throat from behind me, trying again. “What’s up, boss?”
“Walk straight until you get to the locked door,” Marcus says softly to me. “Knock on it and find Stella. Tell her privately about the tower and the partial power.”
I nod, my pulse still racing. “Okay. Good luck.”
On my walk to the door, I do a deep-breathing exercise to calm my racing heart. I may not want to feel a constant urge to be closer to Marcus, but I do. I can admit it to myself. Being around him is unsettling, terrifying, and unwise. But it’s also addicting. Breathtaking. Freeing.
Hugging him affected me more than I thought possible. It lit me up.
He’s told me twice now that he likes me. I can’t give in fully to this attraction, because his intensity could consume me. But I also can’t shut down my feelings. Instead, I’m walking an intoxicating, thrilling line between the two.
I didn’t realize how much I needed something just for me until I started getting to know the real Marcus. And somehow, I know he needs it just as much as I do.
31
Leadership at the aromium-enhanced camp has informed me that they’ve named their group Rising Tide. It gave me goose bumps of excitement. There have been hardships, but these people now see themselves as one cohesive unit with a clear mission. Just as nature’s rising tides wash away all that came before, so will they, in favor of something better.
-Excerpt from the journal of Dr. Randall McClain
“I get nervous shooting apples on top of people’s heads, but I’ve done it.”
I gape at Amira. “Really?”
She shrugs. “When you get to a certain point, you know you can make the shot. I’ve won a lot of bets doing it.”
We’re sitting side by side on the concrete floor of a huge room with a domed ceiling inside the Sub. There are about thirty people sheltering in here, some of them restless kids playing tag.It’s been a couple hours, and I’m getting more nervous as time passes.
“Have you ever let anyone shoot an arrow at an apple on your head?” I ask.
“Sure. If I knew they could make the shot. It’s pretty messy when an apple explodes in your hair, though.”
I study my nails, cut short because they had to be for working in the garden. Before the virus, I had long, pretty nails. Even though I was a broke college student, I always found the money for manicures. My life now is completely disconnected from what it was then.
What if I had met Marcus back then? Things would have been very different if we’d met as a quarterback and an aspiring scientific researcher.
The apocalypse has taught me a lot about what’s important. Trusting someone and feeling genuinely secure in their presence is a rarity to be cherished. My gut tells me I’m right to feel that way with Marcus, but I’ve been burned before.
“We’ll see a lot more of each other with you on the security team,” Amira says.
“You like your team members?”
She shrugs. “They’re okay. I’m still pretty new.”
I spent my first half hour in here talking to Stella. After I told her what Marcus wanted her to know and that I’m joining the security team, she quickly explained the structure here.
Command teams one and two handle camp security and enforce camp rules. Security teams one through four only train and handle security. The camp perimeter is checked four times a day.
Amira and I are talking when the lights in the room suddenly go out, people murmuring in alarm. A couple seconds pass, and then there’s a loud whooshing sound and spotlights mounted on the walls switch on, providing a little light.
“We’re running on low power,” Stella announces. “Everything’s fine.”
I see more than a few side-eyes in response.
“You think that aromium shield needs electricity to work?” Amira asks me in a tone only I can hear, barely moving her lips.
“Yeah.”
