The Smudger by Angeline Trevena

Author:Angeline Trevena [Trevena, Angeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Young Adult, Fantasy
Amazon: B078ZZPHC1
Goodreads: 37654417
Publisher: Bogus Caller Press
Published: 2018-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

25

KIOTO

We walked almost solidly until dusk, making only quick stops to eat.

“Why didn’t you buy proper supplies?” I snapped at Tian. “I am so sick of popcorn.”

“Next time you can write me a shopping list. I wasn’t exactly planning on some kind of extreme survivalist experience.”

“Out here you should be prepared for anything.”

“This isn’t exactly normal for me.”

“I’m so sorry that I can’t offer you a golden palace out in the middle of sodding nowhere, your highness.” I was tired, and fed up, and I could hear myself being completely unreasonable, but I couldn’t stop. And it was easy to take it out on Tian. “We need to find somewhere for the night. I need sleep, and Malia definitely does.”

Her shivers had got significantly worse, and even walking had become difficult against the constant flurry of ticks. I didn’t know how much longer she could survive them, but she seemed to be strong willed and determined. That would certainly help her.

Scanning the horizon, there was no sign of any barns. The land here was dry, flat, and rocky. There were no farms because nothing could grow out here. You couldn’t even graze animals.

“I think our only hope is to look for some kind of cave,” Tian said. His voice had lost its usual edge of humour.

“You’re probably right.”

We trailed around the area for some time, doubling back on ourselves, walking in circles, before we finally found a formation of rocks that offered up a shallow cave. We were too exhausted to look for anywhere better, and the sun had already disappeared below the flat horizon.

I ducked inside the cave and unclipped my bed roll from my bag. I laid it out and guided Malia to it. She sat, but my efforts to encourage her to lie down were met with desperate scrabbling and wide, panicked eyes.

“No, no!” Malia screamed, her voice echoing around the rocks. “You’ll kill her! She can’t breathe!”

“You have to quieten her,” Tian hissed, searching through his bag. “I’ll get the sleeping pills.”

“Ssshhh, ssshhh.” I tried to soothe her. I cuddled her close, stroked her hair, but everything I did seemed to intensify her shivers even more. She writhed in my arms, screaming and howling. I let go of her and she crawled onto my bed roll, her shouts subsiding into whimpers and groans.

I looked at Tian and we sat in silence, listening. I’d never heard such silence before. There were no plants moving in the wind, no scratching of nocturnal animals, no chirping of crickets, or calling of birds settling into their roosts for the night. There was nothing but our breathing. And then we both heard it. The sound of engines.

“We need to go,” I whispered.

“No,” replied Tian. “You need to go. You and Malia. I’ll lead them off, give you a head start.”

“What are you on about? We both need to go.”

“The rogues don’t want me.”

“They want what’s in your head.”

Tian winked. “Only if it is in my head.”

“What?”

“Take my half of the scratch. Take it to the delivery and get my share of the money.

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