Page 110 of Balance

“Miles…”

“Sorry, mon rêve.” Miles covered his face with his arm. “Just give me a minute.”

I had no idea what he thought a minute would do. He was in no shape to go anywhere. I was mentally preparing to set up camp at the base of the ravine—because there was no way we’d be able to climb back up to the cave now.

But what to do about water? I didn’t think there was any nearby.

“Fine…” He breathed out suddenly, and his shoulders relaxed. As I watched, it was as if a transformation had occurred. His sick pallor receded as his posture lightened.

Even his voice was more composed. Without further hesitation he gingerly rolled to his side, pushing himself to his knees.

How could hemove? If it were me, I would be passed out dramatically in the dirt.

“Miles.” I tentatively tucked my ankles under my butt, ready to assist, but it didn’t seem like he wanted any help. He really seemed to be focused. “Is everything…”

My question trailed off as my attention moved from him to the ground at my knees. All traces of his blood had disappeared, and the ground where he laid was now a lighter shade than the surrounding area.

“Did you do something?” I asked, watching him stand. I jumped to my own feet, pulling his arm over my shoulders. “Don’t stand up yet!”

“Nothing really.” His voice was gaining strength. “But we can’t stay here. Let’s at least find some water,” he echoed my earlier musings.

His weight pressed down into me. Even though Miles was the shortest of the boys, he still towered over me by a head and half. Not to mention, hewasthe most muscular of the group.

I wondered how much he even weighed.

It felt like a million pounds.

But I bore it, because now the tables had turned and it was time for me to help him.

“We need to find someplace to wait it out,” Miles was saying. “Go back to the water. Maybe we can make a shelter that is closer there. Otherwise, we can try to come back. The others will find us eventually. I left a trail after we reached shore yesterday. Let’s just see. If worse comes to worst, you can sleep in the cave and I’ll stay down here.”

I narrowed my eyes up at him. Was he insane? Did he honestly believe that I would allow him to sleep out here alone?

What if hewasright? In the nearly impossible event that Sasquatch existed, this would be the perfect time to attack.

“I’m not leaving you,” I told him, stepping back toward the woods.

He had no choice but to follow, limping along beside me. Otherwise, he’d lose his crutch. “Bianca.” He sighed. “Don’t—”

“I’m staying.” I glared at him. “Now, which way did we come yesterday?”

Miles shook his head, glancing along the tree line as we approached. “It’s right…” His words trailed off, brow furrowing. “It’s gone.”

“Pardon?” My irritation faded and I glanced from him, to the base of the trees. I hadn’t seen them last night, it’d been too dark. But Miles was right—even if those obnoxious orange mushroomshadbeen there once, they were gone now.

“Did you do it?” I asked, my pulse spiking.

I had no idea how to get back to the river, I couldn’t sense anything at all from here. Climbing back to the cave would be useless too; I’d checked out the landscape earlier, and I hadn’t seen any trace of water.

“Of course I did!” Miles’s words were rushed, panicked. “I always leave a trail. How else am I supposed to find my way back when I go somewhere?”

Well…

This didn’t seem to be the best time to mention that one of us could have had the foresight to pay attention to the stars—to see which direction we’d been traveling. We’d both failed miserably in that regard.

He pushed from me, half-limping and falling toward the nearest tree, and pressed his hands against the base of the trunk.

“Come on…” he muttered, heavy with expectation.