Page 23 of To Cage a Wild Bird (Divided Fates #1)

I heard Jed’s booted feet hit the ground. Momo rushed into my arms, clinging to me, his small frame trembling. I stood, paralyzed,

my hands hovering in the air briefly before I returned his embrace.

“Hey,” I said, disentangling myself and crouching to look him in the eyes. I used my thumbs to wipe the tears from beneath

them. “Hey, it’s okay now. You’re okay. But we have to get to the Blood Tree before another hunter finds us. We’ll keep you

safe. Can you be brave for me, just for a little longer?”

Momo gave a shaky nod, sniffling and wiping more moisture from his cheeks.

“Good.” I rose, snagging the hunter’s discarded rifle from the ground. I knew now that the weapon wouldn’t do me any good since it wouldn’t discharge at anyone wearing one of the red wristbands. Still, it might be valuable later—I’d find a place to stash it in the meantime.

“Raven...” Jed said. “W—”

“Not right now,” I interrupted, ignoring the emotion flitting through his eyes. We would talk about it after we survived.

Guiding Momo’s hand into mine, we took off into the trees, stopping every few paces to listen for the sound of approaching

feet.

At one point, a distant gunshot echoed through the forest, sending the three of us diving for cover behind a nearby bush,

but we quickly got back to our feet.

I stowed the stolen rifle in a hollow tree, my mind wandering to the gunshot. Had another inmate been killed?

But the warmth of Momo’s palm nestled in mine kept me grounded during our trek to the Blood Tree.

Eventually, the monstrosity came into view in the distance, in the middle of a large clearing. I’d wondered if I’d even recognize

the tree, but now it was obvious how it had gotten its name. From the roots to at least ten feet off the ground, the trunk

was stained in varying shades of red. Red that I knew came from the blood of inmates who had been mere feet, inches , from touching the tree and surviving.

Some of the stains were nearly rust colored after fading with time. Other stains looked fresher, though I didn’t care to linger

on that thought.

At the base of the tree, August kneeled with his back against the trunk. I saw a red light emitting from his wristband. He

was the first to make it to safety.

I pulled Jed and Momo behind the trunk of a large tree before we could get too close to the Blood Tree.

“I don’t hear anyone around. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any hunters lurking in the shadows waiting to get lucky,” I whispered.

“But we don’t have a choice. The force field will kill us eventually—I think making a run for it right now might be our best

bet.”

“Okay,” Jed said, laying a steadying hand on Momo’s back.

Momo swallowed and nodded.

Getting to the tree meant stepping out into the clearing with nothing to hide behind. I stood, looking both ways, and then—

Pounding footsteps. Coming from the woods directly across the clearing from us.

I froze, one hand clamped around Jed’s bicep, the other resting on Momo’s shoulder. I peered around the trunk of our tree

just as a man broke into the clearing. He was breathing heavily and limping even as he struggled to run.

The rain had slowed to a mist, relenting enough that I could see clearly.

Torin Bond.

Verona entered the clearing not far behind, stalking him. She seemed to be stretching out Torin’s fear for her enjoyment.

Torin stumbled, the tall weeds at the edge of the clearing ensnaring his foot, and fell to his knees.

He let out a jagged cry as he pushed against the ground. When he tried to stand, his leg twisted beneath him, so he clawed

at the mud, crawling away from Verona. Her long strides ate up the distance between them with every inch Torin gained.

“We have to help him,” Jed whispered, urgent. His eyes were wet.

I shook my head, even as nausea curled in my stomach. “We can’t.”

“But she’s going to kill him.” He looked horrified, like he didn’t know me at all.

I’d managed to save Momo, even as the hunter had pointed his gun, ready to fire. I’d risked my life—and Jed’s chances of freedom,

and I didn’t regret it. Momo was alive and breathing next to me. But I wouldn’t risk us for Torin.

It made me a bad person, but I already knew that about myself—I had long made peace with it.

“Please,” Torin begged, tears carving tracks through the grime coating his face. “Please don’t do this. I don’t want to die.”

“Then you shouldn’t have broken the law,” Verona said, licking her lips and hefting her rifle. “I’m doing my part to bring

justice to Dividium.”

I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t .

Torin stretched out his arm, reaching for the safety of the Blood Tree.

A shot rang through the woods, followed by silence.

Or what I assumed was silence—perhaps water still dripped from leaves and wind still rustled branches, but I couldn’t hear

anything.

Torin fell to the ground, lying lifeless in a growing pool of crimson.

I bit down hard on my knuckles to muffle my sudden sobs, my stomach churning as I tried to breathe through the cloud of acrid

gunpowder. But the air got stuck in my throat, and my chest clenched. I couldn’t breathe. It was my fault. I was responsible. I was the one who had sent him to Endlock, and now he was dead.

My ears were ringing, and the sounds of the forest were muffled. With a triumphant whoop, Verona retrieved a radio from its

strap on her belt, and muted static filled the air.

“Got him,” she bragged into the tiny speaker. “Nice set of teeth on him, too—only one missing. You owe me a thousand credits.”

A slew of curses came from the tinny voice on the other end of the radio.

Verona stalked over to Torin’s body, wrapping a length of rope roughly around his ankles and dragging him away, back toward

Endlock.

Jed made a choking sound but didn’t speak.

I spent the next minute dry heaving.

It was one thing to send fugitives to the city jail, knowing they’d be transported to Endlock. It was another to watch someone

murdered in cold blood purely for the amusement of some wealthy wretch who’d grown bored of frolicking about in the Upper

Sector. She’d made a bet on a person’s life, laughed about it even.

I thought back to all the bounties I’d taken into custody. Wondered how terrified they’d been when they died.

My breaths came in panicked spurts, and my dizziness threatened to send me tumbling into a heap on the ground. I forced my

trembling fingers to grip the slick tree trunk.

“You need to calm down.” Jed uttered the words softly. “Slow your breathing.”

Jed was comforting me . I was the one versed in violence, the older sibling who should’ve been in control of the situation.

Momo took my hand and gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. “We have to go,” he said. “Before another hunter gets here.”

I clenched my fists hard enough that my nails bit into my palms, the sting restoring some clarity.

“We have to get to the Blood Tree,” I whispered, remembering myself.

They were counting on me.

I blew out a long breath and peered around the tree trunk—our final cover before we risked the crossing to the Blood Tree.

August still sat at the base of the tree, his mouth pulled into a tight line as he desperately surveyed the woods, as if searching

for something.

I knew the moment he saw me peeking from behind the cover of my tree. He stopped, just for a second, and then continued scanning

the line of the forest as if nothing had happened. And then, nearly imperceptibly, he nodded.

“Now,” I said, shoving Jed and Momo before me.

We sprinted across the clearing, only looking ahead.

August didn’t shy away from watching us now. His eyes were intent on Momo.

“Faster,” August said softly. Then his eyes widened at something over my shoulder, and he stood, his back still pressed to

the Blood Tree. “Faster!” he said. But this time, there was nothing soft about it.

I knew then. Knew that if I looked over my shoulder, I’d see a hunter.

But we were a few yards from the tree now. Seconds.

August reached out an arm as if he could pull us to safety.

I shifted to the left, positioning myself directly behind Jed and Momo, hoping that if the hunter aimed true, I’d take the

hit for them.

But then Jed and Momo touched the tree. The lights on their wristbands flickered and went red.

I stretched out my hand, glancing over my shoulder as I did so—and saw the hunter that had selected me, with his son steps

behind him. He’d cleared the trees and raised his gun, taking aim. His finger slipped over the trigger, and he pulled—

My fingers brushed against the bark of the tree, and I heard the hunter’s rifle click.

His brow furrowed as he stared at the gun, then pulled the trigger again.

Nothing.

He stared at me, his eyes traveling from my face to my arm to my hand pressed against the Blood Tree.

To the wristband glowing red on my arm.

I mustered all the bravado left in my aching, terrified body and smirked at him.

Behind him, the hunter’s son threw his rifle to the ground, stomping his foot. “It’s not fair!” he shouted. “You said it’d

be easy!”

I didn’t listen to the rest of his tantrum. I slid my back down the blood-encrusted tree until I reached a sitting position

on the ground.

Next to me, August pulled Momo to his side, placing a soft kiss on top of the boy’s head. I turned to Jed, and his eyes met

mine, tears streaming down both of our cheeks. He reached a shaking hand toward me, and I threw my arms around him, clutching

him tightly against me as he took in shuddering breaths.

But we were alive .

I shut my eyes.