The Gender Lie(6)

The group exchanged a series of looks. “That’s astute,” Solomon commented after a pause. “And a good point—although I’m sure Desmond’s considered it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she has,” I muttered.

After another span of quiet, Owen stretched out. “All right, enough chitchat. We can continue the conversation tomorrow, but for now, we rest. Amber, you’re up on guard duty, followed by Solomon, me, Quinn, and Violet, you’re last.”



The next morning dawned too soon in my mind. My muscles were sore from the previous day, but I used the two-hour morning shift to stretch them out. Everything was quiet and there was an eerie sense of calm in The Green, but nothing that stood out.

I woke Owen when it was time, and he helped me wake the others. We quickly ate, packed up camp, and started trudging along again. I had figured out yesterday that we were cutting a clear path toward Veil River, the toxic body of water that served as a natural boundary between Matrus and Patrus.

I wondered if Owen planned for us to cross there and head directly south afterward. It made sense, but the glaring exception was that there were no bridges, and the river was wide. It was also turbulent, so taking anything smaller than a barge was risky. If we capsized on the river, we might die within minutes of exposure.

I reminded myself again that I had to trust Owen—this was what it meant to work in a team. He knew what he was doing. After all, the Liberators operated from The Green, which meant they knew how to get in and out of it safely.

We walked for several hours before Owen stopped us abruptly. Immediately, a flurry of motion exploded from everyone as they began redistributing stuff from their packs and removing their weapons, placing them inside the bags. Curious, I stepped through the trees and gaped at the massive crack in the earth before us.

The two jagged pieces of earth were at least a hundred paces apart, and the crevice ran deep. The earth was red underneath—a violent, unnatural crimson that looked bloody and raw. The opposite facing wall jutted out at least twenty feet overhead.

Instinctively, I took a step back before I could look down to see how deeply it ran.

“We’re not going to climb that, are we?” I asked, my heart leaping into my throat.

Owen chuckled and shook his head. “No,” he said. “We’re going to climb a tree, and then swing across.”

A wave of dizziness hit me and I took another step back. “Oh God,” I breathed.

Owen looked past my shoulder and I whirled—directly into Solomon’s arms. He scooped me up and slung me over his shoulders almost casually, fitting me over his back like a human backpack. I gripped him tightly, my muscles tensed in preparation to leap off of him, when he started climbing.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breathing as a wave of panic slammed into me. I could hear the others grunting as they climbed, and a small whimper escaped my throat.

“It’s okay, Violet,” Solomon whispered, low enough so only I could hear. “It will be over in about forty-five seconds. Count for me.”

I considered ignoring his request, but it seemed reasonable, all things considered. I started counting, focusing on the numbers.

At twenty, I clenched him tighter as the wind began to whistle past my ears. Amber shouted in joy and exhilaration, and in that moment, I envied her ability to enjoy heights.

I felt the impact as we hit the ground just as I reached thirty-seven seconds and opened my eyes to make sure we had landed.

I leapt off Solomon’s back and moved a few more feet away, putting as much distance as I could between myself and the cliff face. We had made it to the other side effortlessly, but I was not exactly okay with how.

“I hate you,” I said to Owen, who laughed.

The others laughed too, but it didn’t feel like they were laughing at me. Quinn and Amber patted me on the shoulder, and Solomon shot me a grin. I crossed my arms and glared, but the truth was, it was nice having a team to work with. They made up for my shortcomings, namely the intense fear of heights I had developed recently, and I was truly enjoying being around them.

It had been so long since I had worked with a group of individuals like this that it actually felt like I had friends. It was a nice feeling after being on the run and in prison for so long—yet I knew I had to keep my eyes on the goal.

Viggo was my only reason for being out here with them.

The group quickly reorganized their packs, pulling out their handheld weapons. I kept a look out, as I was the only one with a weapon available, until they were ready. Once they were, Owen took point again and led us deeper into the trees.

About an hour later, I became aware of the sound of the river. Perking up, I went on my tiptoes to see if I could catch a glimpse of it. I was excited to see what Owen had in store.