Page 45 of To Cage a Wild Bird (Divided Fates #1)

Vale checked to be sure the coast was clear before ushering me back into the corridor. Under the fluorescent lights, he remembered

the cut on my face.

Anger darkened his honeyed eyes. “You’re still bleeding.”

I met his gaze. “Not as much as Perri’s bleeding on the bathroom floor.”

He groaned, throwing his head back. “You beating the shit out of people shouldn’t turn me on as much as it does.”

I grinned. “Definitely not. You should work on that.”

“It’d be useless to try.” He brought his thumb up to caress my full bottom lip. “I think we can stop pretending I have any

control when it comes to you,” he said before releasing my face and walking past me, presumably to give the guards a piece

of his mind.

I stood rooted to the spot, dazed and tingling from his touch. It took a full minute for my legs to remember how to move,

and even then, a grin lingered on my face all the way back to my cell.

When I returned, Jed was moving into the Upper-level cell across the corridor from mine. The digital display above showed

that his rank had increased to an eight.

“Promoted,” he said when he turned and saw my grin, though he didn’t return my smile.

I followed him down the corridor to his Middle-level cell and watched as he gathered a few books into his arms—more gifts

from Yara.

“Jed...”

“We talked about this after our first hunt together,” he snapped. “You were supposed to stop treating me like a child.”

“And I have,” I insisted. “I’ve told you about all the leads I’ve had on an escape so far.”

“No.” Jed let out a harsh laugh and slammed the books down. “You’ve been trying to have it both ways. Maybe you told me about

the details you were working on, but you left out the fact that you’ve grown close to a guard. That Kit is working on our wristbands. You’re

still deciding what’s safe enough to tell me.”

“Giving you these kinds of details puts you at risk,” I whispered, touching his arm.

He stepped away from my touch. “I get to decide whether I want to be involved in that risk. Not you.”

“You know I’m only trying to protect you.”

“Your version of protection is what got me arrested in the first place,” he hissed. His voice was low and yet the words hit

me like a punch to the stomach.

My mouth opened and then shut. I had no defense.

“I didn’t mean that,” Jed whispered, eyes on his feet. “I really didn’t. You just have to let me be in charge of my own life,

Raven. Trying to do everything on your own is far riskier than letting people help you. I can contribute.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “You’re right. And I’m sorry.”

He stared at me for a long moment. “I can forgive you if you promise this time. Promise to stop treating me like a child and

let me make decisions for myself. Let me in .”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

Jed was right. My version of protection—of keeping him blind to difficult decisions and situations—hadn’t done us any favors

so far. And he’d weathered Endlock as well as, perhaps even better than I had. He hadn’t backed down when I’d expected him

to and had gotten me through moments of paralyzing fear.

It was time to start thinking of him as the asset he was.

Pride warmed my chest, and tears pricked at the back of my eyes. I blinked furiously to keep them at bay before nodding at

Jed. “I promise.”

That night, I dreamed I was being carried through the hunting grounds by Hyde and another guard I didn’t recognize. I was

tossed over his shoulder like a rag doll, my eyes open and taking in my surroundings, but I couldn’t move.

My fingers refused to clench into fists, and my mouth wouldn’t form the shapes of the words I wanted to scream.

“Crematorium’s not back up and running yet,” Hyde grumbled, directing his words at the other guard. “I’m sick of breaking

my back burying these bodies.”

The other guard grumbled in assent, dragging her shovel across the ground and trampling directly over fresh graves. “Let’s

get this over with. Try to find a spot without too many roots and rocks.”

My body bounced against Hyde’s back as my eyes scanned the countless graves. They followed the same strange pattern I’d seen

during my hunts—for the most part, the bodies were buried in uninterrupted rows, save for a break, about five feet wide, that

wound through the graves and farther into the forest.

If it was a path, then why didn’t the guards bother to walk along it?

“We need to find another clearing,” Hyde said.

The other guard stopped behind him, within eyesight, and pointed at the winding break in the graves. “What about here?”

“Can’t.” Hyde turned and stomped his foot hard in the middle of the opening. The ground rumbled and shook like it would cave

in beneath us. “See?”

The guard nodded, and they began walking farther into the forest.

An alarm blared through the cellblock, ripping me from my dream. My eyes flew open, my breath coming in heavy gasps as I sat

bolt upright on my cot, the sound of cell doors grinding open filling my ears. I sat there, heart pounding, feeling the remnants

of fear from my nightmare.

But then a fragment of my dream returned to me, a piece of the puzzle.

“Of course,” I whispered, wondering how it hadn’t occurred to me before.

I raced ahead of the other inmates on their way to their workshop shifts, hoping for a private moment with Vale to share my

revelation. The basement corridor seemed more shadowed than usual, the lights muted to a soft, almost nonexistent glow.

A hushed conversation from within the workshop stopped me before I could get too close.

Slowing my steps, I inched closer to the wall, allowing the surrounding darkness to cloak me as I strained to hear more.

“When are you going to let me be honest?” Vale’s voice was barely above a whisper, but it held a harsh edge that caught me

off guard.

Honest? My brows knitted together.

“When the time is right,” August responded, a hint of annoyance in his tone. “When it’s safe. A little time won’t change anything.”

“Maybe not for you,” Vale said, the rest of his words trailing off.

The sound of footsteps on the basement stairs urged me forward, and I tucked the conversation away for later examination.

I knew I only had minutes away from prying ears to explain my plan to Vale. I gave up on eavesdropping, treading heavily the

rest of the way to the workshop to announce my arrival.

I shoved open the workshop door. August stood leaning against the wall, his injured leg lifted, while Vale stared intently

at a notebook behind his desk. I could practically smell their feigned innocence, but I didn’t have time to question them.

My eyes flitted to the camera in the corner. Off.

“Have you buried any bodies since the crematorium malfunctioned?” I directed the question at Vale, setting aside formalities

and any lingering thought of what we’d done together in the closet the night before.

“Hi.” Vale glanced up, gaze flitting over my face and a sly smile pulling his lips up on one side. “No, I haven’t.”

“Hi back,” I said, allowing him a small smile.

“I’m right here,” August said flatly, with a weak wave.

I shook my head, dispelling the distraction. “Right. When we were out on the hunting grounds, there seemed to be a grid-like

pattern that the graves were dug in. Except there’s a break in that pattern.”

Vale bit his cheek. “The path?”

I shook my head. “But I don’t think it’s a path. They don’t care if we tromp all over those graves.”

August tilted his head. “If it’s not a path, then what is it?”

“I remember seeing some marks on the ground. Like someone had tried to dig a grave in the break and then changed their mind.

What if they tried digging and the ground collapsed beneath their shovel? Or Larch told them to avoid a certain area.”

August whistled. “Council above.”

“They’re avoiding the tunnel,” Vale whispered, understanding lighting his eyes.

A short burst of laughter pushed its way past my lips, uncontainable. “We’re going to get out of here.”

Vale grinned at me, eyes glinting.

“We just need to find a good spot to access the tunnel system,” I declared, hope surging. “And make sure that there are no

collapses between wherever we enter and where the tunnel ends on the other side of the fence.”

Vale was silent for a minute, running his hand over his face and resting it beneath his chin. His brow wrinkled. “That could

work.”

August kicked off from the wall, limping over to us. “It makes sense,” he agreed. “Provided we can figure out a way to get

out on the grounds and dig down into the tunnel without arousing Larch’s suspicion.”

I thought for a moment. “Vale, you said Larch didn’t intend for the obstacles on the hunting grounds to kill us, right?”

Vale shook his head. “No. They were meant to trap the inmates. Make them easier targets.”

As if being weaponless didn’t render us defenseless enough.

“And how did he react when two inmates were killed by the obstacles?” I asked.

“At first, he was worried,” Vale said. “But a lot of the hunters enjoyed the spectacle. They all watched that one girl die—the one who got her leg caught in the trap in the field. Some visitors never make a kill or witness a death, so it was a big deal. The Council wants Larch to keep the obstacles in place until the new wristband features are ready.”

My stomach churned at the thought of that inmate having to die surrounded by hunters who were cheering for her death. She must have been terrified.

I cleared my throat. “How long before the wristbands are ready?”

Vale frowned. “Any day now. They plan to select inmates for trials soon to test the new features.”

August and I locked eyes across the room.

“You need to make sure we’re selected for the trials,” I told him.

Vale’s mouth fell open as he stood and stalked toward me, his eyes flitting between August and me.

“No,” Vale said, eyes now intent on mine. “No, I won’t do that to you.”

“It’s the only way,” August insisted. “What other excuse will we have to be out on the grounds outside of a hunt? It’s our

only chance to get into the tunnels.”

Vale gripped my wrist, pulling me toward him and shaking his head. “You don’t understand. These new features are inhumane.

Extremely painful. I’m not putting you through that.”

He spoke to both of us, but his eyes remained on me, and a fire surged within them, embers flitting through molten gold.

“A little pain isn’t a bad trade for freedom,” I argued.

“If we see what the features are like in a trial, we’ll be more prepared to face them in a hunt,” August added. “Otherwise,

the shock could kill us.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Vale whispered, his hand coming up to cup my face. His thumb stroked along my jaw.

“If you don’t, we’ll die.” I crossed my arms. “And if you don’t help us get selected...” I hesitated. “If you don’t help

us, I’ll piss Larch off enough that he’ll choose me himself.”