Page 129 of Blue Arrow Island
Just when I think my anger for Virginia has peaked, she decides firing flaming arrows into a camp of innocent people is a good idea. I should have finished her off when I had the chance. She was restrained by vines and I had a knife. I could have cut her throat and ended her, but I didn’t. Something tells me that decision will come back to bite me hard later.
“Everyone ready?” Marcus asks.
He and Niran are approaching, and my stomach does a full somersault just from looking at him. All six feet, four inches of him are mine every night, and I still can’t get enough. We fallasleep wrapped around each other in his small bed, waking up sweaty the next morning in the tropical heat, but also content. Maybe even more than content, but I don’t want to tempt fate by even thinking words likehappy.
“Hey, B.” Marcus passes me a hair tie and my canteen, which he filled for me.
“Thanks.”
Niran smirks. “You two are gonna put me in a sugar coma. I’d think you just stare into each other’s eyes and recite poetry every night if my room wasn’t on the other side of the wall your bed bangs into.”
Marcus scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Put some lipstick on your hand and maybe it’ll feel more like a girlfriend, asshole.”
“It’s like a battering ram! I thought you might actually bang that bed all the way through the wall the other night.”
I clear my throat, my face warm. “Moving on. The flower we’re looking for may only bloom at certain times every year, so just because you’ve looked somewhere already, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t search it again.”
“Stay alert,” Marcus adds. “The Tiders are probably out looking for us. If you encounter them, radio as soon as it’s safe.”
Ellison insisted she be there when our aromium is turned on and off, so she joins Stella in walking us to the perimeter where it can be safely reactivated.
“How’s everyone doing with being locked down?” I ask Ellison.
“There’s worry, of course, but overall it’s okay.”
Only essential workers are allowed out of the Sub. Everyone else remains sheltered in there because it’s the safest place in camp to be if the shield goes down.
“If you have a chance, tell the laundry and kitchen workers how much we appreciate them. Clean clothes and good food make our work easier. I know they work hard.”
She trades a glance with me, smiling. “They’ll appreciate hearing that.”
“This could be the day, guys,” Amira says.
After looking over the files on the computer about the flower, I can’t say I’m positive of anything about it. But my best guess is that if it’s still here, it grows in well-drained soil rather than the swamp, and that it grows best in full sun. I only told Marcus about those theories because I don’t want to limit the search areas of the other teams.
We reach the perimeter, and I stand beside Marcus as we wait for our turn.
“Please reconsider staying,” I say in a low tone meant for only him.
He shakes his head, refusing to meet my eyes.
Last night, he had a hard time with his aromium deactivation. When he was walking it off, he vomited and almost passed out. I’m concerned about him turning it on and off again today. But he’s about as flexible as a brick wall, so he refuses to stay at camp while the rest of us go out. We argued about it hard in our room last night, and I was so frustrated I tried to turn my back to him and go to sleep without us having sex.
It only took him about five minutes to change my mind.
“McClain still alive?” he asks me.
He doesn’t like me visiting McClain every morning, but he isn’t fighting me on it anymore.
“He is.”
“Awesome,” he deadpans.
Ellison finishes activating all six of the other team members’ aromium, sending them on their way. Once they’re out of earshot, she pinches her brows together and gives Marcus a serious glare.
“If you get sick when I turn it on, you’re not going out there.”
“I’ll be fine.”
