Page 49 of Blue Arrow Island (Blue Arrow Island #1)

An experiment on Island Five shows great promise. The team there has worked tirelessly to create controllable microclimates. With this technology, we hope to affect mitigations in ecosystems being decimated by global warming.

- Excerpt from the journal of Dr. Randall McClain

I’m starting to wonder if that damn flower was ever on this island. It’s been another three days of endless searching, on top of ... I don’t even know how many days we’ve traipsed through this bug-infested jungle.

We walk and we walk and we walk, only stopping when it’s dark so we can bathe and eat and I can get some sleep.

That’s also when we have perfunctory sex.

There’s no emotional connection between us; we just rut like animals.

He pulls my hair and I bite his shoulder.

I straddle his lap and he bends me over boulders.

We just fuck, both of us chasing the high that keeps getting higher.

The aromium practically sings through our veins when we have sex. The orgasms are transcendental. And even though Marcus wraps his arms around me when I sleep, it’s not the same. Even his tender caresses feel like absent habits instead of true connection.

We don’t bother rinsing out our clothes anymore. We’re covered in sweat all the time, and I don’t know why we even bother washing ourselves. The urge to fuck each other into oblivion will be there whether we’re clean or filthy.

Maybe the filth is even better. We’re just creatures out here, no different from the other animals whose only cares are surviving and mating.

We’re stopped for a water break, searching the jungle on the far west side of the island, when I voice the worry that’s been bothering me since yesterday.

“What if that scientist got the flowers from somewhere else and they were in her bag for a while?”

Marcus nods. “I’ve wondered that, too.”

“What if giving up is underrated?” I crack.

He bends to refill his canteen in the softly meandering stream we’re stopped at, a smile pulling on his lips when he stands and turns to face me.

“Ready to move?”

I sigh heavily. “Yeah.”

“Time messes with your mind here. There’s no Netflix. No great restaurants. No concerts. We’ve got nothing but time, each other, and a set of problems we never could’ve imagined before the virus.”

It’s the most he’s said to me at one time since we crawled out from beneath the pine tree. I lock eyes with him, connecting, if just for a second.

“My mom named me after briars because they’re thorny and hardy and they protect themselves fiercely. Some of them are even beautiful when they flower, like wild roses. She said when she first held me, she hoped I’d be all of those things.”

“You are. And you’re more beautiful than any rose.”

My stomach flips, his words making me surprisingly emotional. I deflect his compliment with humor.

“So you think I’m thorny?”

“Minus the T . You drained me dry last night.”

I look away, my cheeks warming as I grin.

“Don’t get me wrong, I loved it,” he says. “And yeah, you’re thorny. But in a good way. You’re tough and resilient. You don’t take shit.”

“And yet.” I lower my brows in a mock aggravated look. “You keep testing me.”

His gaze is so warm and affectionate that I can’t make myself look away. I’m trapped, unaware of anyone or anything that may be lurking around us.

“You’re not intimidated by me,” he says. “I love that about you.”

Slow down, heart. He didn’t say he loves me.

I sigh dramatically. “Well, now that you said I’m resilient, I guess I have to search some more. And not bitch about it.”

“Bitch if you want to.”

I’m about to respond when a crackle sounds from our radios. “Circe to Ares, emergency. Get to camp. Don’t respond.”

It’s Adele, and she spoke so softly into the radio that I could barely hear her. Marcus’s brows are drawn together with worry.

“Fuck.” He puts his hands on top of his head. “It sounds like Rising Tide got in. The shield must be down. She doesn’t want us to respond because she doesn’t want them to hear my voice on the radio.”

I’m too dazed to speak for a few seconds. Tears well in my eyes as I imagine the savages at Rising Tide attacking Ellison, Olin, Amira, Vadim, and the kids. All the innocent people who work so hard to keep the camp going and take care of each other.

“I can get there faster than you can,” he says. “I hate to leave you alone, but?—”

“Go,” I practically yell the word at him. “I’ll be behind you and I’ll go as fast as I can.”

He gives me a warning look. “Don’t come into camp just to get yourself killed. Be smart.”

“You too. Don’t race in there alone. We need to figure things out first.”

He turns to go, looking over his shoulder at me. A dozen different emotions swim in his eyes.

“Be safe!” I call out.

He races off, my head swimming as I watch him go.

The Tiders will take everything. They’ll want the camp, which is far nicer than what they have. They could kill everyone. Dread pools in my stomach as I check my holsters and weapons, packing my canteen into my bag.

What will Virginia do to McClain?

A vine curls over my shoulder, several tiny bright-green leaves sprouting from its end. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to relax. Then I take off running, wishing again that I’d killed Virginia when I had the chance.

I’ve gotten crazy fast from the aromium. It takes me around thirty minutes of running at top speed to reach the switch point, where I’m shocked to find Marcus.

His hands are folded on top of his head and he’s pacing like a caged lion.

“The shield’s still up,” he says.

I stop short. “Are you sure?”

He nods. I keep walking, wanting to see for myself. I make it about ten feet before sharp pains in my head and my stomach send me to my knees. It’s white hot, like my insides are on fire. I grit my teeth to keep from screaming, managing to crawl back to Marcus.

“What now?” I ask him, breathing hard.

He takes out his radio and pushes the button. “This is Ares. Someone get to the switch point.”

“Wait.” I get to my knees, still unable to stand. “The Tiders aren’t in there?”

He shakes his head, moving his hands to his hips. “They can’t be with the shield up. There’s some other emergency.”

“What if we’re the only ones who can help and you just outed us?”

“I know, but I can’t stay here and wait.” He scrubs his hands down his face. “You should hide.”

The effects of the aromium shield are still there. I can’t stand, and I just want to throw up and lie down. Testing the shield was a dumb move on my part.

I crawl to a bunch of bushes, waiting for the sickness to pass. A few minutes later, I hear someone running, their boots pounding on the ground.

“There’s a revolt.” It’s Adele, her voice frenzied. “He opened all the cells and let all the prisoners out.”

“Who?”

“Ray. It was Ray.”

I cover my mouth with my hand. That means not only is McClain free, but so are all the people we got from the most recent boat of prisoners. Marcus makes them stay in cells while they’re questioned so they can try to root out who might cause problems.

I get to my feet, stumbling as I make my way over to them.

Adele’s eyes widen as she looks me over from head to toe. I know I resemble a rodent that just crawled out from beneath a pile of hot garbage.

“I tested the shield,” I say. “I’m fine. Did he kill anyone?”

“Stark, from Security Team Two. And ... I don’t know, maybe more. I was with Chance when things went bad. I hid. Ray freed the prisoners and convinced a bunch of them to join his rebellion. He told everyone they could either help build the boat or be executed.”

Marcus’s expression darkens. “He’s fucking dead. Where’s Nova?”

Adele furiously swipes tears from her eyes. “Tied up. He tied up all the command team members they were able to find. Even Chance, and he lost part of his left arm yesterday.”

Marcus balks. “What?”

“Jaguar. Wyatt thinks he killed it, but he’s not sure. He was just trying to get him back here before he bled to death.”

“Oh God.” I look away, feeling sick again.

“He’s alive. Ellison had to take part of his arm, but one of the prisoners dragged him out of bed and he’s tied up by the tower with the others.”

Marcus puts a hand on her shoulder. “You did great, Adele. Do you know who else from Command besides you is in hiding?”

“Um...” She tucks her hair behind her ear, her hand shaking. “Niran’s not there. I don’t know where he is. I didn’t see Wyatt with the others, or Stella.”

“Good. Did they get to the weapons?”

She shakes her head. “We told them only you can access them. That’s why they shot Stark, because they didn’t believe him.”

Marcus nods. “Okay. I need you to get the switching device so we can get our aromium off. And then you know where to go—don’t say it, just get there. We’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.”

“Be careful,” he says as he takes his handgun from its holster and passes it to her. “Wait until it’s safe for you to get it.”

She nods, her eyes steely with resolve. Then she takes off at a run, her blond ponytail swinging behind her.

Marcus meets my gaze, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve drilled for this. There’s a meeting point. So we should have six, including us.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We’ll go over it when we get there.” He takes my hand, his expression somber. “I need you to be my voice of reason. That’s usually Nova in these situations.”

“I will.”

A crease appears between his brows. “If something happens to me, help Nova. And if something happens to her, too...” He exhales heavily. “I know this is a lot to put on you, but I need you to take charge if that happens. Promise me.”

My lips part, shock coursing through me. “Marcus, I’m not?—”

“It needs to be you.” His tone is forceful when he cuts in. “You’re smart and strong. You’ll do the right things, even when it’s hard.”

I shake my head. “What about Niran?”

“I love him like a brother and trust him completely, but it needs to be you. There’s no time to waste. Promise me.”

I swallow, only taking a second to doubt myself before I say, “Okay. I promise.”

He releases my hand and draws the knife from the sheath at his waist. “Let’s go take our camp back.”