Page 74 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

I think if there were a hole, I might crawl into it and save myself the trouble of falling. This is humiliating.

“Okay, that sounds like fun?”

I jerk my gaze up, staring at him. Has hell frozen over?

“You know, we could teach you to hunt, too?” Rolly suggests.

I shake my head emphatically.

“You don’t want to kill things?”

I shake my head harder.

“Nothing?”

I glare at him and shake it.

“Want to learn how to use a weapon?”

No!I shake my head.

“Climb?”

I hesitate, thinking that one over. I shrug.

“Ooh, closer. Um, what about tracking?

I lift my eyes, staring at him.

“You want to learn how to track someone?”

He says someone and not something. I shudder, but I slowly nod my head.

“Interesting choice, little dead girl.” He nods his head, his eyes distant. “We can start tomorrow. There’s a lot to practice on.”

“We’ll reach the river around noon. I want to build a raft and head away for a while,” Blaze says with a look at Sage.

Why? What does that look mean? What kind of raft? We don’t have to get on it, do we?

Something flies past me. I turn my head and then stand up, forgetting all about the marshmallow.

I reach out, but don’t touch the glowing bug.

It zips past me and into the fire. I let out a wounded sound. Pix stands up and kicks dirt onto it, putting it out before anyone can say anything. And then seconds later, the whole world turns into a wonderland that I’d have never imagined it could be.

Fireflies dance in the air, around trees, above and around us. There are so many. I wander out, following them as they seem to swirl around me. When I look up, Pix is standing in front of me.

He grabs my wrist and tows me into him, until we’re standing chest to chest. I curl my arms around him and lie my head on his chest.

“You’re not supposed to find me comforting.”

I snort and tighten my arms around him.

His hand slides over my hair and down my back. “You are a strange one. But okay, let’s try to be friends. Just for this trip, we can decide what to do when we get back to civilisation. I’m going to need to go home anyway. I miss my family.”

I make a sound of protest.

“They’ll come looking for me if I don’t go home.” He grunts and frees himself.