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  A person replied but was speaking too softly for her to make out the reply. Feeling curious and a bit adventurous, she decided to find the source of the conversation. Ears prickling with alertness, she followed the sounds.

  “Don’t you think we should be heading back? We don’t want Kristi and Troop to worry about us.” It was Jaiden’s voice.

  Kristi walked past a clearing in the woods and spotted Jaiden talking to Chelsa; she ducked behind a rock formation obscuring the view of them. Neither Jaiden nor Chelsa knew Kristi was listening to their conversation, and that made her sting with shame knowing that she was spying on them.

  “I think we should be worried about Kristi and Troop tearing the camp apart,” Chelsa said. “I sometimes fear those two will bite off each other’s head by the time we reach Oppidum.”

  There was a moment of silence and Kristi peered around the rock concealing her. Jaiden and Chelsa were locked in a kiss and seemed indifferent to the world around them. Kristi dropped back behind her hiding place and sat down for a second.

  I should’ve known it was coming; Chelsa and Jaiden had been flirting with each other for a bit of time now, Kristi thought. But still, Jaiden’s my brother—my steady-as-a-rock brother. Kristi cleared her head. Get a grip on yourself.

  Jaiden and Chelsa must’ve left when she wasn’t paying attention because when Kristi finally gathered herself together, they were gone.

  “Are you alright?” Chelsa asked Kristi. “You seem kind of withdrawn today.”

  “I’m fine.” Except for the fact, you know, I just got a mental slap to the face this morning.

  “If you say so. We’ll be reaching Milton in about an hour. Aside from food, is there anything else you can think of that we might need?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to re-dye your hair?” Chelsa asked.

  “Nah. The government already knows I dyed my hair, so there’s no point in re-dying it again. Actually, it would be great if we could get some dye-remover. I kind of miss my normal hair color. How many points do you have left on your slate?”

  “A bit under a few hundred points.”

  Kristi frowned. “Do you think we have enough to make it to Oppidum?”

  “Don’t worry. Rich-kid has over five-hundred points on his slate,” Chelsa motioned towards Troop.

  “You checked my points account?” Troop asked, sounding indignant.

  “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

  “I don’t know if I should be worried or not,” Troop said in a low enough voice so that Chelsa couldn’t hear him from up front.

  “I’d worry if I were you. You never know if one day she decides to buy out a store for the heck of it,” Kristi said.

  Troop cracked a smile. “Was that a joke? I’ve never heard a joke from you yet.”

  “That was sarcasm.”

  They exchanged few words for the rest of the ride to Milton. Milton was a decent sized town with a bustling community. It was a Saturday and many residents were out and about in the center of town. Chelsa divided up the shopping list among the four of them.

  “How does having lunch at The Last Supper sound?” suggested Troop.

  “Have you been here before?” Chelsa said.

  “Yes. The owner of The Last Supper is a member of the Company. She’s not a spy or agent; she’s more of a follower.”

  “A follower?” Kristi scrunched up her nose a bit in distaste. “That makes the Revealers seem like some sort of cult…a cult I’m not sure I want to be part of.”

  “The Revealers is more than just a cult. It’s an organization trying to—”

  “—you sound just like your mom,” Kristi interrupted. “‘The Revealers are a group trying to bring justice to the world.’” She air quoted Tiffany’s words.

  Troop contemplated her words for a few seconds, and then said, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You two done talking?” Jaiden asked. “’Cause I was thinking The Last Supper would be a good place to have lunch.”

  Everyone agreed to this plan and set off on completing their shopping list. Kristi looked down at her list, which consisted of: hair dye removal, two pairs of socks, liquid toothpaste and a ball of twine. She should be able to purchase everything she needed at the convenience store, which was located just a few blocks down Main Street.

  She fingered the electro-slate her parents had left behind for her. Last night, she had tried and failed to break its lock. To Kristi’s delight, though, she was able to access their point account without the fingerprints of all four Naturals. Shelly and Kyle had left a hundred points on the account; it wasn’t a whole lot of points to spend, but it would be more than enough to make the necessary purchases.

  Kristi located the convenience store in no time. She dismounted from Flurry and looped her reins through the metal ring of a hitching post.

  “Kristi, can I have a word with you?” Jaiden came up to her before she entered Mill’s General Store.

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Did you see Chelsa and me together this morning?” he asked, not bothering to sugar coat anything.

  “Um, yes. I’m sorry if I trespassed your privacy. I heard your voices and decided to find you guys,” Kristi said, feeling embarrassed of having been caught behaving like a ten-year old.

  “I knew I saw someone in the shadows,” Jaiden said. “You don’t mind me being with Chelsa, do you?”

  “Of course not! You don’t need my permission to date someone. Chelsa’s a good friend and a nice girl. I mean, it would’ve been nice if you had given me a warning about all this though…” she trailed off.

  “Appreciate your understanding,” Jaiden said, sounding reassured. “I wasn’t sure how you were going to take it.”

  He left her and Kristi pushed open the door into the store. A movement caught her eyes. She stepped back outside onto the streets. Some boys were hanging out in a group nearby…but something didn’t seem quite right with the picture. Then she saw him.

  “Troop, were you eavesdropping on Jaiden and me?”

  Troop dropped out with trying to blend in from the other kids and confessed, “Yeah. Didn’t expect to be caught red-handed though.”

  “Who do you think you are, poking your nose in my business?” Kristi said, still feeling miffed she was the last person to realize that Chelsa and Jaiden were together.

  “I like to consider myself acting concerned.”

  “I don’t need you to feel concerned about me. Shouldn’t you be purchasing the items on your list?”

  “Already did so,” said Troop.

  “That was quick.”

  He shrugged. “I only needed to purchase some extra solar cell replacements.”

  Kristi pushed the door into Mill’s General store with Troop tailing her. She grabbed a basket by the doorway and started thrusting items into it: some hair dye removal powder, two bottles of liquid toothpaste, a spool of twine and some socks that were on sale. Then she paid and checked the time. An hour left until twelve-thirty.

  “There are some public trails in Milton if you’re up for some riding,” said Troop, holding open the door for her.

  She placed the purchased goods into the saddlebag and guided Flurry to the trails after referring to a map, seeing as she had nothing better to do. Troop tagged alongside on Mist.

  Kristi glanced at them. “I don’t remember inviting you to come along.”

  “I invited myself.”

  “I’m going to be blunt with you. I really want—no, need—some personal space, alright?” As she said those words, she realized they were true and weren’t just an excuse to get out of Troop’s presence. She needed some time to be introspective and sort out her feelings.

  “Serious?”

  She nodded.

  “Only because I like you,” Troop said, reining Mist around to leave the trailhead.

  “If only I could say the same about you,” Kristi muttered, “then life would be much easier.”

  She a
llowed Flurry to meander along the trail at a leisurely pace while she mulled over the recent events of her life. Now that Kristi was thinking about Troop’s earlier words, she couldn’t help and be astonished by the fact that, other than the helicopter, they had seen no other physical signs of the government searching for them.

  Sure, we tried to avoid going into towns if we could help it, but I know the government’s technology could easily track us down if they put them to good use, she thought.

  Kristi tried to make out what she thought of Troop. Yes, he was annoying and yes, he hadn’t made a great first impression. But Chelsa believed Troop was being honest when he told them he wasn’t actually going to hurt the girl at Ludus High; he either had to be the predator or the prey, and Troop was sick of being the prey.

  However, that doesn’t make his actions any more justified. Bullying is bullying, no matter what. You would think that someone who used to be bullied would understand how it feels to be constantly looking over your shoulder, instead of bullying someone else. Kristi maneuvered Flurry to the side of the trail, allowing a train of hikers to pass by.

  But then again, what would happen if I judged everyone by his or her worst actions? Troop openly admitted I had caught him acting inappropriately and claimed he was normally a lot nicer—he just had to maintain his reputation. Also, what would become of Chelsa if I defined her character by her worst act? Hadn’t Chelsa informed me she killed Alex? Murder is a serious crime, and if I was to judge Chelsa by her worst deed, then Chelsa ought to have repulsed me…but she doesn’t.

  Shaking her head at the jumble of thoughts in her brain, Kristi massaged her temples to release some of the tension. Flurry sensed her frustration and offered a nicker of support.

  “Thanks, pal.” Kristi patted the droid-horse’s fur.

  Little slivers of metal where the devil-dog’s acid had burned through glinted through Flurry’s otherwise silky fur. Overall, it gave her hide a silvery, shimmery effect.

  “Let’s head back. I don’t want the others to think I’m in trouble if I don’t show up for lunch soon,” Kristi said, talking to herself.

  She was unenthusiastic to leave the trails. The trail provided her a sense of comfort and privacy. The gentle sunlight seeped through the canopy, dappling the ground. It was a nice break to be riding at a slow pace after days of traveling in all types of weather at a rushed speed. They still had two hundred miles to cover before reaching Oppidum.

  Flurry gently jerked on the reins, letting Kristi know they had reached the trailhead. Kristi patted her a thank you and directed Flurry to The Last Supper.

  chapter twenty-eight

  [ Troop ]

  “We ordered your lunch,” Troop said, spotting Kristi walk through the doors of The Last Supper. “Hope you like chicken potpie.”

  “That works.”

  Kristi had barely sat down when the waitress brought over four plates of piping hot chicken potpie and a pot of tea. Everyone was silent for a few minutes, occupied with the food.

  Troop finished his pie in record time; dehydrated food gets boring after a while. He moved onto his buttered rolls next.

  A stout woman came over to check on them. She had a dogged look, light brown hair pulled into a tight bun and a stance that suggested she took no nonsense. Her name was Syra and she was the owner of The Last Supper.

  “Everything to your satisfaction?” she inquired.

  “Yes, thank you,” Troop said.

  “Have I met you before?” Kristi asked. “You seem very familiar.”

  “I don’t believe I have had the pleasure of meeting you yet.”

  “Never mind,” said Kristi. “There was someone I met who looked like you; she owned a bookstore with a very nice fireplace.”

  Troop wondered why Kristi had emphasized the word.

  A knowing grin split onto the Syra’s face. “Ah, I have a sister who does though.”

  Then he remembered that Syra’s sister ran a safe house for members of the Company.

  “Tell her I said thanks,” said Kristi.

  The woman nodded then left to attend a cluster of customers that just entered The Last Supper.

  “The whole family is part of the Revealers,” Troop told Kristi in a low voice to avoid being overheard.

  “Why are you sharing this information with me?” she asked. “Bad things can happen if this information gets into the wrong hands.”

  “I trust you not to give the information out freely.”

  “That’s a lot of trust to put on someone who you have barely known for a couple of weeks.”

  “I trust my instincts.”

  For some reason, Troop had expected Chelsa to be the most talkative and vivacious member of the group. However, he was soon proved wrong. Jaiden seemed to be the only person who could coax the ghost of a smile out of her.

  Ghost, the leopard, seemed to share his owner’s sudden mood change and would often disappear for long stretches of time. Not that I mind if Ghost leaves for a while. Troop found the creature’s intelligence to be unnerving.

  “Aren’t you happy we’re getting closer to finding Finn?” Troop asked Chelsa. “Less than fifty miles left—and we haven’t seen any bandits or met any other trouble along the way.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she replied. She sounded a bit gloomy, if not downright depressed. “I’ve just been thinking a lot.”

  “How does thinking make you morose?”

  Chelsa shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  He knew she was lying, thanks to Darrel’s advice. If a girl says something doesn’t matter, then it probably does.

  “Well, here’s some good news that might cheer you up: we should reach Oppidum in two days at most,” said Kristi.

  Chelsa didn’t react with joy to that bit of news; instead, she appeared even more somber.

  chapter twenty-nine

  [ Kristi ]

  “Want to go for a walk before we bed down for the night?” Chelsa asked.

  Kristi wasn’t expecting this offer; Chelsa usually spent her free time with Jaiden.

  “Sure, if that’s what you want to do,” Kristi said.

  “Yes it is.”

  “Alright then.” Kristi called to the two boys, “Jaiden, Troop, we’re going for a quick walk. Be back soon.”

  “Okay, don’t get eaten by a bear,” Jaiden called back.

  Kristi let Chelsa choose the path of their walk. They walked the first ten minutes in silence; Kristi absorbed the soothing sounds of nature all around her. The further south they journeyed, the warmer the temperature got. Back in the North Region, the ground would be covered by snow during this time of the year.

  The girls reached a flat slab of rock poking out from the ground and Chelsa scaled it rapidly. Kristi scrambled after her, sitting cross-legged besides Chelsa at the top.

  “Troop really likes you,” Chelsa said, breaking the quietness.

  “Oh?”

  “I don’t think you should keep on pushing him away. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he has been following you around like a lost puppy.”

  “Is this what you wanted to talk about?” Kristi asked dubiously.

  “Partly. Why do you keep on rejecting Troop?”

  Kristi sighed. “First of all, he’s a jerk. Second of all…” She couldn’t think of another reason why she kept on distancing herself from Troop aside from him being a bully at school.

  Chelsa acknowledged her lack of reasons and continued on speaking, “I understand that you didn’t get the best impression of him, but I truly believe that he has changed his character. Well, in the first place, I don’t think he had a nasty nature to begin with. I think you’ve been a good influence on Troop. He’s a different person from when you first met him. I guess all I am saying is that you should give him a chance to at least befriend you.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” Chelsa said. After a brief moment of hesitation, she asked, “Have I ever told you how Alex died?”


  Once again, Kristi was unprepared for Chelsa’s erratic behavior tonight.

  “Well, you told me you killed Alex,” she mumbled.

  Chelsa looked off into the distance, “It all started when Alex started dating me. The other students couldn’t believe anyone could see any beauty in me—who would want to befriend a girl with no genetic tweaks when there are several other literally perfect girls to date? I was already used to getting hassled, but once Alex and I started going out, the bullying got a lot worse. I wouldn’t have minded except Alex was getting his fair share of harassment as well.”

  Chelsa bit her lower lip, then continued on, “One day, some of the kids at the school decided to throw my backpack into a nearby river behind the school. It was during spring, and the snowmelt had caused the river to swell and increase its current. Nevertheless, I tried to retrieve my backpack because it contained my electro-slate and most important, a baby leopard. Alex had just given me Ghost a few days before and I had kept Ghost in my backpack. I used a fallen branch to snag my backpack and somebody decided to push me into the river.”

  Chelsa took a shaky breath and then met Kristi’s eyes for a second. She rapidly blinked, as if holding tears back. Kristi laced her fingers through Chelsa’s hand and listened with rapt attention. She felt Chelsa tighten her grip.

  “I was immediately pulled under the icy water. I’m not a bad swimmer, but the current was too fast and too strong. Several of the students began to worry that the prank had gone too far, but nobody tried to help me. Just then, Alex came by and saw the commotion. He jumped into the river to rescue me since he was an excellent swimmer.

  “Together, we were able to stay afloat as the rapids carried us downstream. But Alex was holding onto my backpack since he knew Ghost was held within it, and that sapped a lot of his strength. By the time the rescue team arrived, my entire body was numb from the frigid water. The doctors told me I was extremely fortunate to have survived for such a long time in freezing water with only hypothermia.”

  Chelsa lowered her eyelids, letting the events of the past wash over her. “But Alex wasn’t so lucky. He was dead by the time he arrived at the hospital. Somehow, Ghost managed to survive the whole ordeal; he’s one fortunate leopard.”