Asylum(80)

We stayed in the hut all day, except to get water from the basin a few times—and I wouldn’t have done that, if not for the sweltering tropical heat. I dragged Max along with me each time, clinging to him like a terrified child, constantly reminding myself to breathe as the tigers’ eyes lingered on me, their noses twitching as they sniffed the air, their tails writhing excitedly. Max said they wouldn’t attack. I wasn’t so sure.

“I hope she comes soon. This place gives me the creeps.” I dropped the curtain and wrapped my arms tightly around my chest.

Max sighed heavily. She’ll come as soon as she can, but I don’t know when that will be.

“And you’re sure she knows we’re here?”

Oh, yes. Leo would have made sure of it.

A sharp pain, at the mention of my dear old friend.

She doesn’t want you near these things any longer than necessary. It could be days, or weeks—

“Weeks!” I felt my eyes bug out at the possibility. “No, it wouldn’t be weeks. Not if you aren’t allowed to hunt here!”

I can last a few weeks without food.

“You’ve already lasted a few weeks without hunting because you were too stubborn to go in the mountains!” I reminded him.

She could be on her way right now.

“Really?” Excitement nudged aside my worry for Max momentarily, as a bubble of hope grew. Sofie, on her way? What would I say to her? What would it be like around her, now that I knew the truth? But more importantly—“Will she come alone?”

Max didn’t give his answer any thought. Likely. I can’t see why she’d be traveling with any of them. Too risky. They’re likely still uncontrollable.

And just like that, Max burst my bubble. Of course Caden wouldn’t be coming with her. Only a month had passed. It felt like forever but in the grand scheme of things, a month was nothing. A blink of time.

I heard rustling behind me. Julian, shifting in his sleep. Since I had discovered his dirty little secret, I refused to speak to him. It wasn’t too hard, given he slept most of the day, only waking to call out for water. I had the spiteful urge to withhold it from him, to let him know how angry I was with him, but I knew that would prove fatal, in this tropical heat and in his condition. Plus Max would suspect a serious problem if I acted so cruelly. In the end, I made sure my nails dug into his neck a little as I lifted his head toward the water bowl.

Julian was terribly weak but Max thought he would survive, thanks to whatever the tribe had done to him. That was twice now that he should have died but was saved with magic. If Max found out about Julian’s secret identity, I doubted magic could save him a third time.

I dearly hope she brings something for me though, when she comes, Max grumbled, interrupting my thoughts on Julian. Something warm and bloody.

I turned to look at the werebeast who lay sprawled on the cool floor, his hungry eyes zoned in on the sleeping man. I knew what he was thinking. “Don’t you dare, Max,” I warned. Guilty eyes shifted over to me. “Go hunt! Before they wake up.”

I’m fine, he said half-heartedly.

“Look at you! You’re definitely not fine. We’re in a jungle. There’s got to be tons of warm, bloody things for you to eat!” I shuddered. “I’m sure the tigers can spare a few mice, or rats, or . . . whatever rodents there are out there.” I checked the darkening horizon. “Go now! You can be back before they wake up.”

Do you know how many rats I’d have to catch?

I cringed. “I’d rather not.”

Besides, they’ll know.

“How?”

They just will. I can’t. I need to stay alive to protect you.

“I don’t see how good a big heap of fur lying on the ground will be to me,” I muttered.

A chorus of feline roars filled the air then, earning a small yelp of alarm from me. Julian stirred again, but his eyes remained closed; a thin layer of sweat shone on his forehead. Cautiously lifting a corner of the door flap, I peeked out again to see the tigers now on their feet, stretching lazily. Then, one by one, the tribe emerged.

One hell of an alarm clock, right?

“Uh-huh.” Ducking back to avoid being seen, I watched through the crack as they quietly went about their business: the women carrying baskets of various fruits, the men dragging wood toward the fire pit, all of them glancing frequently in my direction. One woman cradled a young boy of maybe two in her arms. As they passed, his glowing, jaundiced eyes grazed mine.

“Are they human?” I whispered.

They were until eighty years ago. Then the Fates transformed them into those things. They still live and die like humans, eat like humans, breed like humans. In the beginning, the tribe was half this size. They’ve multiplied over the years.