Page 63 of To Cage a Wild Bird (Divided Fates #1)

The alarms blared through the dimly lit tunnels, a piercing siren that seemed to run its sharpened nails along the inside

of my skull.

Dr. Row had woken the guards, then.

Time was running out.

Larch jumped at the sound, loosening his grip on the dagger at my throat.

Momo lunged forward. In one fluid movement, he drove his dagger into Larch’s thigh.

Larch cried out, lowering his weapon long enough that I slipped from his arms and put some distance between us. His arm flailed,

knocking Momo out of the way and sending his blade skittering across the pit, and then Yara was there, tackling Larch to the

ground and holding vigil over him with her own dagger.

Larch chuckled, as the alarm continued to sound. “Ticktock.”

“We need to go,” Yara said to me and Vale through her teeth. “Or we’ll all die here.”

Fear coursed through me, and a raging headache was blooming behind my eyes, but I nodded. “Were you able to finish transferring

everything to the packs?”

Yara bit her lip, shaking her head. “Not before he got here, no.”

Voices called from outside the pit, dangerously close to our position. Guards.

“I’m here!” Larch yelled out, trying to capture their attention, a grim mirror to the way Gus had called out to Councilor

Elder in his last moments in the world of the living.

Without flinching, I stalked over to him, shoving Yara aside and pressing the edge of my dagger to his throat.

Larch laughed. Laughed. Right in my face.

“You’ve never killed before, girl,” he got out. “You bounty hunters all think you’re so strong, but you’ve never had the strength

of a true patriot. You’ve never paid to hunt the criminals that ruin our great city.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” I ground out, red filling my vision. I didn’t know what I was capable of—not when we were this close to escaping and he’d gotten in the way.

“I do,” Larch answered, lips curling into a smile. “It’s why I know you’re going to end up back in your cell and eventually

killed like an animal. Like your whore of a mother.”

My hand clamped tighter around the handle of my dagger, heart pounding so furiously that it blocked out all other sounds.

And then—choking.

I looked down to find Larch’s body thrashing uncontrollably. He gasped, the sound wet and labored, and his hands flew to his

neck. Crimson seeped between the fingers that he held over a gaping slash in his throat.

A slash that I’d made.

I dropped the dagger.

Larch took a final heaving breath, and his eyes shuttered. He was quiet.

Dead.

“I killed him,” I whispered.

Hands squeezed my shoulders, pulling me away from Larch’s body.

I turned to the rest of the group. “I killed him,” I repeated.

“It’s okay,” a soothing voice breathed in my ear. “He had to die. He knew too much.”

Vale.

I turned, placing shaking hands against his chest, leaning into him even as I smeared Larch’s blood on his clothing.

“I’ll go buy us some time.” Jed’s voice came from the corner, quiet but firm.

Vale looked over his shoulder at Jed. “I’ll go with you.”

“What are you talking about?” I protested, my voice rising as he snapped me from my numb state. I moved to block his path.

“You two can’t go out there. You could be killed.”

“We’ll be fine,” Vale said in a low, soothing voice. “No one else knows I’m involved in helping you escape.”

“He’s right,” Jed mused, nodding. “Vale can pretend that he caught me escaping, and we can lead the guards in the opposite

direction.” He rolled back his shoulders and moved toward the ladder that led out of the tunnels.

“Jed, wait!” I called out, grabbing him by the shoulders, leaving wet red prints on his jumpsuit. “Let me go instead.”

“No, Raven,” Jed said. “They need you here. If something happens to me, you’ll all be fine. You’re a fighter. You can protect

them. This is my contribution. This is bigger than us. If we get out of here, we could save everyone in that prison.”

This is bigger than us.

He was right.

The situation had evolved beyond breaking Jed out of Endlock, and my time within the prison had solidified my understanding

of how vital it was to stop the Council. That would never happen if we didn’t escape.

Years of my life flashed before me—Jed as a child without a care in the world. Jed, after our parents died, with perpetual

purple circles adorning the spaces below his eyes. Jed growing several feet, nearly overnight, and announcing his job at the

water treatment facility. Jed staying up until dawn to work, striving for a better life, and still finding the time to stand

up for those around him.

“Okay,” I finally said, and I saw Jed’s jaw drop. “Take the rifle and be as quick as you can.”

Jed stepped toward me, wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug that stole my breath. “Thank you,” he breathed, letting

go of me before I was ready. Then he grabbed the rifle from where it leaned against one of the dirt walls and scrambled up

the ladder, his long legs taking the rungs two at a time.

“I’ll keep him safe,” Vale whispered, voice fervent, eyes intense enough that I nearly looked away. He brushed a soft kiss across my lips. “If we’re not back in thirty minutes, leave without us.”

I didn’t even hide my eye roll.

We switched off our flashlights, and the two of them lifted the mossy cover enough to scan the area before they slipped away

into the night.

I held my breath, listening to their retreating footsteps, but heard no sign of commotion.

After securing the lid, we flipped the flashlights back on, bathing the chamber in artificial light.

Larch’s body lay sprawled in one corner, his blood pooling on the hardpacked dirt.

I sat frozen with worry. Pretending my hands weren’t shaking—pretending I wasn’t a murderer.

Momo placed a hand on my arm, but I was afraid I would cry if I met his eyes.

“We need to finish packing,” Kit said, voice soft and kind. Her gaze was filled with pity, and I knew that tears would slip

from my eyes if I stared at her for too long.

I cleared my throat, struggling against the tightness that had embedded itself there.

I turned to see Yara sitting on her knees, watching me timidly as if I were a rabid animal that might lash out and bite her

if she was foolish enough to turn her back to me.

I knelt beside her and Momo and started transferring the clothing from my satchel into one of the larger packs with the medical

supplies, trying to distract myself by thinking of the journey ahead—it would be grueling, and we’d have to move quickly to

put distance between us and the pursuing guards who would follow without the hindrance of weight on their backs.

But without supplies of their own, the guards would be forced to turn back to Endlock before long. We might have a chance

if we could put enough miles between us.

The four of us worked quickly, until all that remained was to hoist our packs and walk to the end of the tunnel so we could climb to the surface on the other side of the fence.

But first, we sat on the cold floor, breath held, waiting for Jed and Vale to return.

With each passing minute, my mind conjured increasingly grim scenarios, imagining all the ways they could be dying alone on

the hunting grounds.

“We need to leave,” Yara said, her voice taut, after what must have been nearly thirty minutes.

I gave her an incredulous look. “Not without them,” I replied, firm, allowing no space for argument.

“They’re our friends,” Momo whispered fiercely.

“Of course they are,” Yara whispered. “But you heard Vale. Every second we stay here, the guards draw closer to finding us.

Do you want them to capture us? To kill us? Vale and Jed wouldn’t want that for us. We can wait for them on the other side.”

“They’re risking their lives for us, and you want to leave them behind?”

A flash of guilt crossed Yara’s face, but she had no time to answer. The entrance creaked open, and Jed’s face appeared, pale

but unharmed, though a frown marred his features.

I had to close my eyes against the potency of my relief, and the tears that welled up.

Kit and I flicked off our flashlights to prevent light escaping our hideaway.

“Vale needs help,” Jed said, descending into the tunnels in a heartbeat. I heard a groan and then the thump of something heavy

falling to the floor.

We switched our lights back on and—

“Vale!” I cried out, rushing across the space and kneeling next to where he was sprawled on the ground. His teeth were bared,

and he had a hand pressed to his shoulder, where blood was seeping from a wound beneath his fingers.

“What happened?” I asked, panic filling me as I took in the wound.

“We pointed a group of guards in the opposite direction, and we thought they’d all left, but.

.. Hyde was with them. He must have known we were lying,” Jed said.

“He snuck up on us. His gun wasn’t firing because of our wristbands, but he managed to grab the rifle right out of my hands.

He got a clean shot through Vale’s shoulder, before we took care of him. ”

I swallowed, grabbing Vale’s wrist and pulling gently at it. “Let me see.”

He gritted his teeth as he slid his hand away from the wound. As soon as the pressure was gone, blood flowed freely from it.

“Fuck,” I hissed, ripping a shirt from a nearby pack and pressing it against the wound, applying pressure.

There’s too much blood. The words crept through my head uninvited.

“Someone get me a first aid kit,” I snapped. “I know it’s in one of these packs.”

“Raven,” Vale whispered, placing his bloodied hand on top of mine where it was pushing the shirt into his wound.

I forced a smile that I was sure looked like a grimace. “Don’t worry. I just need to get the bullet out and then get you sewn

up, and you’ll be good to go.”

“Raven...” he said again, but I ignored him, turning back to the others.

“I need that first aid kit now,” I told them. They were already digging through the bags, searching.

“ Raven ,” Vale hissed, and I finally looked him in the eyes.

“What?” I whispered.

“You need to leave without me.”

I narrowed my eyes, incredulous. “Don’t be stupid. We’re not leaving without you.”

“You have to,” he insisted, squeezing my hand as if to soften the blow of his words.

“I can stitch a wound, Vale. I’ve done it dozens of times.”

“I’ve lost too much blood, Little Bird. I won’t be able to make the trek. Not like this. I need a doctor.”

I moved my free hand, pressing my palm into his cheek. He’d grown pale, and his skin was cool and moist to the touch.

“He’s right, Raven.” Kit had sidled up beside me and was bent over, her eyes flitting over Vale. “He’ll die if he doesn’t

get to a doctor.”

“I— no ,” I whispered, my throat tightening as I pressed my forehead to Vale’s.

He held my gaze, and I soaked in those golden eyes. “It’s okay, Little Bird. You have each other. You’ll make it.”

“I can’t leave you,” I breathed, my voice cracking. My heart wrenched in my chest. Like I’d already left. Like we were already

apart.

He lowered his voice until I was the only one who could hear. “You have to. For Jed. For Gus and Momo , like you promised. For all of them. I’m going to be okay—Hyde is dead. Larch is dead. I’ll make up a story—say I tried to

stop you all, then point anyone who decides to go after you in the wrong direction.”

He was panting by the end of his speech, and I felt his quickening pulse where I touched his skin. I looked away, wanting

to argue, but my eyes fell on Momo, wide-eyed and terrified, and I shut them again, taking a settling breath. I had made a

promise.

I opened my eyes, and he must have thought I was going to argue again, because he spoke before I could.

“Damn it, listen to me, Raven. I can’t watch you die here. I lov—”

“Don’t,” I stopped him, breathing heavy, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. “Don’t say it. Not now. If you mean it,

you’ll wait. If you mean it, you’ll leave here when you’re better. You’ll come after me. And then you can say it.”

“Nothing could keep me from you.” He met my gaze, his eyes molten and burning in their intensity, and he brought a hand up

to cup my face. “I swear it. As soon as I’m better, I’ll follow you.”

“Raven, we have to go.” Jed laid a hand on my shoulder, his tone apologetic.

Vale traced my face with his hand, slipping his fingers into my hair and brushing his lips softly against mine.

I didn’t care that we weren’t alone—I lost myself in his touch, kissing him back with all the pain scorching through me. My hands were in his hair and then roving over his back. I brushed my tongue against his, breathing him in as tears dripped down my cheeks.

The moment was over far too soon, and we pulled apart, breathing heavily.

Jed and I helped Vale to his feet and then through a shaky climb up the ladder.

Just before he slipped outside, Vale reached back, fingers brushing my hand and eyes boring into mine. “I’ll find you,” he

breathed.

And then he was gone.