Page 21 of Hysteria Rises
Henry bobs his head in agreement, then gestures toward the barn. “Grab Dragan and Gannon, would you? I think they’re milking the cows and goats. I’m gonna take another look around. Have them start gathering all the downed branches and take them to the woodpile. Once you’ve done that, if the two of you could scan the outer perimeter just to double check that all is well, that’d be helpful. And if you see Hayze or Arrow, let them know they’re needed as soon as they can manage.”
“Yeah, sure”—I grimace—“but I think they took Evren and Rafe with them to go hunting up on the plateau.”
Malakai nods before wetting his lips. “One of us could always go out to see if we can locate them.”
“No.” Henry’s tone is sharp, leaving zero room for argument. “I’ll find them on my own if it becomes necessary. Just do what I asked of you.”
Malakai’s eyes narrow, and his expression sours. He doesn’t even take well to Kiefer telling him what to do, so it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that he’d have this response to Henry issuing a command.
I shoot Mal a look that I intend for him to read asWatch your step, but if he can’t pick up on the underlying meaning, that’s not my problem. Henry’s abrupt reaction has me concerned, though, and I puzzle over it the entire way to the perimeter after we’ve relayed instructions to the other two. I get the overwhelming sense that Henry is aware of trouble brewing and is keeping it to himself.
But that’s not for us to worry about. We strike out, leaving the compound on nimble feet, dodging mud and whatever else the storm deposited in our path. I gesture to Malakai with a pointed finger that I’m going one way, but he stops me with a raised hand. “What the fuck do you think is going on? Is it the girl?”
“No idea. But … kinda hard for them to follow the procedures Finneas originally set forth for the commune where new women are concerned when he’s who knows where.”
Sharp, calculating eyes train on me. Most of the time, I don’t have a clue what’s going on in his head, and he’s made it clear he shuns this way of life, even ifhe doesn’t flaunt it in front of the Collective. He works his head to the side. “That’s gotta be it.”
I exhale hard, gripping the back of my neck with both hands as I look around. “Fucked if I know. Could be wrong.”But I’m not.
“They don’t want to admit that Finneas has fucked right off and left the commune for good.”
My gaze narrows on him. “Why would you say something like that?”
“It’s my take on it. Believe what you want. But what I do know is that everything going on has everyone fucking wigging out, and it’s not just the Collective, either.” His bare chest expands with a deep drag of air as he impatiently digs into his pocket. He pulls out an elastic before scooping his shoulder-length blond hair into a topknot.
“How so?” A deep line forms down the center of my forehead as I cast my gaze in his direction, meeting the turbulence in his dark eyes.
He has the balls to snort, his lip curling. “Hayze has been grinding his teeth in his sleep again. Arrow’s sneaking off in the middle of the night to do fuck knows what. And you”—he throws his head back, smirking— “you’ve been talking in your sleep.”
I stare at him, mulling over what he’s said. I refuse to admit that there’s no hint of a lie anywhere on his face, and I’d ask what he heard me say, but I don’t actually want to fucking know. A wave of nausea rolls through me, but I shrug it off, striding more quickly so I don’t have to meet his eyes. He doesn’t knowwhat he’s talking about. He simply doesn’t. Asshole wouldn’t be so cocky and sure of himself if he grew up here.
At the tree line, we look left and right, surveying a few downed trees on the edge of the forest. I jerk my thumb toward one, grunting, “Lots of good firewood.”
Malakai nods, and we delve deeper into the woods. It’s nearly midday, but it’s dark with only a smattering of light breaking through the canopy above. The storm rolling in isn’t helping matters. Silently, we walk single file, keeping a steady pace through the undergrowth and muck. All the while, we brush past branches that reach out to claim a hold on us with scratching fingers. Before we break through the dense forestry, Malakai stops me with a hand to my shoulder. “Hold on.”
I exhale hard. “What?”
His thumb drags slowly over his lower lip, almost as if he’s unaware he’s doing it, and I find myself watching his actions a bit too carefully. My exhale is ragged. I’m not supposed to feel anything when I look at him, I simply can’t help myself. And I’ve felt his eyes on me before. It wasn’t my imagination. But I can’t go there. To examine any of this further would be inviting trouble… trouble that I don’t fucking need. But?—
I force another breath from my lungs and study him again, before finally tearing my gaze away. Unaware of my inner turmoil, he gestures up ahead of us with a nod. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
As we venture closer, I cock my head to the side,listening. My jaw clenches because the raging river is making itself known, and that turbulent rush of water over rock is louder than I’ve ever heard it, setting warning bells to clanging in my mind.
A feeling of unease washes over me. “Yeah, I don’t either. The river must be really fucking high. Let’s have a look.”
Clearing the woods first, Malakai stops, a strangled sound tearing from his lips. “Fuck. Fuck no!” he roars, chin tipped to the sky as the rain unleashes on us again.
I rub a few fingers along my jaw, eyeing him bent at the waist, hands propped on his knees while he stares straight ahead. Numb, I let the torrent from above hammer down on me while my gaze remains fixed on the river and where the structure that enabled us to traverse it once was.
We’re in deep shit.
TWELVE
MALAKAI
The footbridge is simplygone.Exhaling hard, I shake my head, staring at the churning water and the wreckage of the only possible avenue of escape… the only way to free myself from this godforsaken place. I waited too long.
My breath heaves from my lungs, fiery and harsh. Disbelief turns my mind in on itself, and anguish courses through my veins. This changes everything.Everything.
