Page 20 of To Cage a Wild Bird (Divided Fates #1)

As soon as I saw the grounds, my breath steadied, each inhale deeper than the last as I shoved my panicked thoughts to the

back of my mind.

A sprawling field lay before me, stretching until it met the edge of a thick curtain of trees and the ancient conifer forest

beyond. The other inmates had left their stalls and were racing for the facade of a sanctuary that the shadowy branches offered.

I broke free of my stall, sprinting out into the open field. Rain soaked into the fabric of my jumpsuit, chilling me to the

bone. I only made it a few steps before I felt hands on my back, shoving against me, and I fell face-first into the wet grass.

I lay there for a moment, heaving as I tried to get the air to return to my aching body.

“Your turn to die, bounty hunter,” the inmate who’d shoved me shouted, her braid slapping against her brown uniform as she

sprinted toward the forest.

I jumped hastily to my feet, spinning wildly as I searched for August. He’d survived Endlock for years, making him my best

bet for getting through this hunt. I scanned the field to my left, and my eyes landed on—

Jed.

My heart jumped into my throat, and I realized that a part of me had thought I might never see him again.

But it was him. He was alive.

Ahead of me, his damp blond hair streamed behind him as he ran toward the forest. The cuffs of his uniform were high on his

wrists, too short for his long limbs. My throat tightened, and I nearly cried out before panic surged within me again.

He must have been the selection from Block A. Chosen to replace the other inmate.

If he made it to the forest before I caught him, I might not be able to find him before the hunters did. I might lose him

again—this time forever.

“Jed!” I yelled, my voice cracking as I raced after him. His legs were so long, and each step he took extended the gap between

us. “ JED! ” The raw scream tore from me with a force that grated against my throat.

Jed turned, his eyes meeting mine and widening. He tripped over his feet, falling to the ground.

I sprinted to his side, my breathing rough. Hauling him back to his feet, I scanned him for any sign of injury, taking in

his wide blue eyes and freckled cheeks, but aside from the dark circles beneath his eyes and the bandage on his forearm that

covered what must have been his brand, he seemed unharmed.

“What have you done?” Jed whispered, looking at me wildly as if I might be a figment of his imagination.

I wanted to hug him, to assure him that I would take care of him and it would all be okay now that we were together—but we

had to go. I grabbed Jed’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze before I released it and stepped back.

“Follow me,” I commanded.

I spun, finally locating August’s retreating form and setting off after him.

Jed’s steady footsteps beat against the slick grass beside me.

After years spent chasing fugitives and sneaking around, I usually had speed and stealth on my side. But today my scrapes,

bruises, and sore muscles slowed my strides.

My breathing grew ragged, my lungs burning with exertion as each step welcomed a fresh wave of throbbing pain.

Though I knew the trees offered no real safety, I still felt a thread of relief pass through me when we crossed the forest’s

threshold. At the very least, the tree branches above helped ward off the rain.

August widened the distance between us, carrying us deeper into the trees as he easily hopped over fallen logs and roots. I picked up the pace, pushing past the ache in my ribs.

A glint of metal at the edge of the forest caught my eye.

The perimeter fence.

We’d unwittingly followed August almost to the border of the hunting grounds and were now running parallel to the fence.

A piercing alarm rang out, high and keening, signaling that our two minutes were up. The hunters were out on the field.

Only twenty-eight minutes remained until the force field pushed us deeper into the grounds.

But the fence called to me, and I didn’t know if I could truly trust Kit to help me escape with Jed. She had her own motivations,

and nothing was keeping her from leaving without us.

I stopped, and Jed skidded to a halt next to me.

Could there be a weakness in the fence? If the force field pushed inmates toward the center of the hunting grounds, that meant

no one spent much time looking around the physical perimeter fence. Why would the guards need to be meticulous about upkeep

if an invisible barrier would herd us closer and closer to the Blood Tree?

“Raven? What are you doing?” Jed asked, eyes darting around nervously.

I looked in the direction August had run, but he was out of sight now. The only movement came from some small, unseen animal,

rustling the branches at the base of a shrub laden with red berries.

I pointed to an ancient tree with thick branches and plentiful pine needles. “Climb up there.”

“Are you going to follow me?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not yet. I need to look at the fence and see if there are any weaknesses.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jed said, stepping toward me.

I threw an arm out, blocking his path. “You can’t. I’ll be quieter on my own. You’re not used to sneaking around and staying

out of sight.”

He opened his mouth, presumably to argue, but I placed my hands on his shoulders.

We were wasting time, and I nearly snapped at him before I saw the look in his eyes.

He was terrified and barely keeping it together, though no one but me would’ve noticed his tell—because it was the same as mine. He breathed

in for a count of four and then out for a count of four. It was something our mother had taught us to do when we were children,

to calm us down when we were scared or anxious or overwhelmed.

Both of us had needed to use the breathing technique more times than I cared to remember.

“I know you don’t understand what I’m doing here,” I whispered, softening as I stared intently into Jed’s eyes. “But if you

listen to me now, I promise we’ll be okay, and we can talk after the hunt.”

Jed shut his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, his breathing had evened out, and his eyes were calmer. He nodded.

I let out a breath, relief coursing through me. It didn’t matter that the last time we’d spoken, we’d argued. That we were

being hunted . Jed trusted that if he listened to me, I’d keep him alive, just like I always had.

He hauled himself up into the cover of lush pine needles, and I cut through the woods until the trees turned to saplings that

eventually dwindled to weeds and grass. I approached the towering chain-link fence that enclosed the hunting grounds. Rust

stained its surface, and it was bent in certain areas as if an animal or an inmate had smashed against it, but for the most

part, it was unscathed.

I briefly wondered if the fence was electrified before I spotted a squirrel climbing across the metal without pause.

High as the fence was, one could theoretically climb to the top. But its crown was a halo of barbed wire, capable of cutting

through clothing and flesh alike. If Jed and I managed to get to the other side without falling to our deaths, we’d leave

a trail of blood that’d be easy for the guards to follow, even if we didn’t have tracking devices clamped around our wrists.

My pace slowed, pain giving way to fatigue. Breathing became a struggle. I allowed myself shallow inhales through my nose,

knowing the deep panting breaths I craved would be a dead giveaway of my position to any nearby hunter.

Outside the shelter of the trees, I had no protection from the rain. My teeth chattered, and my soaked jumpsuit clung to my skin, leaching the warmth from my body.

Indecision kept me rooted to the spot as my gaze swayed between the forest’s canopy and the fence.

The fence sat ten feet from the cover of the trees, open and exposed. If someone saw me, I’d have nowhere to hide.

And I didn’t know how much longer I had before the force field would push in on me.

But I’d made a vow to myself that I’d get Jed out of Endlock or die trying, and I didn’t know when I would have another opportunity

to examine the fence. The longer it took me to figure out an escape route, with or without Kit’s help, the higher the likelihood

that one of the hunters would kill me before I could save Jed.

I took off running parallel with the fence, losing track of time as the rusted links blurred together and my legs grew heavier.

After a few minutes, doubt began to creep in. I was being foolish. Of course I couldn’t expect there to be some break in the

fence, conveniently waiting for me to stumble upon it. Not with Endlock’s reputation. Not when no one had ever escaped.

I slowed to a walk and was on the verge of giving in when something caught my eye—an area where the forest had grown particularly

wild, merging with the fence in some areas. A bush grew against the metal and some sort of climbing vines snaked up and through

the chain links.

I stopped, staring at the fence.

Every rustling branch and chattering squirrel had me flinching, nearly jumping out of my skin, and I kept all my senses on

my surroundings.

Time was running out.

But an idea began to take root, and I grabbed the fence, wrapping my fingers around the metal.

I could dig under the fence, a gap big enough for Jed, Kit, and me to slip under. Given the force field and how far this section of fence was from Endlock, it might take a few hunts to dig a hole that was big enough, but the foliage should keep my progress hidden until it was done.

My lips turned up, ever so slightly.

I’m going to get Jed out of here.

But the not-so-distant sound of a snapping branch shattered my fantasy.

I needed to run.

More snapping twigs, this time accompanied by steady footsteps and laughter. Dread turned my stomach into a swirling mess.

I let go of the fence and it sprang back, the sound of metal against metal filling the air like a hawk releasing a shrill

cry to alert others to easy prey.