We had to walk a couple of miles away before the scent dissipated. We went another two miles before we set up camp. Ryker didn’t think there was a man or woman alive that would be willing to go this deep into the Ruined Forest, even for me. I hoped he was right.

We set up camp again, except this time I noticed that my pelt seemed to end up surrounded by Ryker’s, Burn’s, and Sneak’s. If that wasn’t enough, I smelled like burned flesh. One of them had exploded bits onto me. I headed toward the sound of running water.

“Where are you going?” Ryker asked.

I waved my hands at my bloody physique, figuring it was the easiest explanation.

“I’ll come with you.”

“I can wash myself, but thanks.” I headed toward the water.

“I’d hate for you to drown.” He followed anyway.

There was a definite smile in his voice that he didn’t try to disguise.

I knelt by the stream, splashing my face and then my arms and legs.

“That was impressive back there.”

I hesitated for a second before I continued cleaning up. “Thanks. What was that thing you did?” I was sure he’d know what thing I was talking about. When people dropped dead around you and you hadn’t even lifted a hand, you had to expect at least a couple of questions.

“That was something I only do when I have to.”

As far as an answer, it was pretty lacking.

He squatted a few feet down and rinsed off as well. He only had forest dirt to rinse, though, as when we were fighting, nothing was able to touch him.

He straightened but didn’t leave as I continued washing up.

I didn’t bother looking at him when I asked, “Are you afraid of me running, or of more attackers?”

“More attackers.” The answer was quick and decisive. “I don’t think people will follow us in this far, but the deeper we get, the more other threats grow.”

Everyone knew dangerous creatures lurked in the Ruined Forest. I stood, shaking off the wetness from my hands, thinking it might be a good idea to get back to the group.

“So, this thing you do, it’s pretty controlled, right?” Information like that would be good to have when I was sleeping in camp with him tonight.

“It is now.”

There was a story there, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.

No wonder he was so feared. How did it work? Did he mess with their minds? I’d killed other Wyrd Blood by accident because our particular types of magic didn’t play well together. Not just me dropping a bunch of dulls. “You just…”

“You don’t want to know the specifics.”

I took a step back to camp, wondering who I’d really gotten messed up with. I stopped. “How do you know I won’t leave in the night while we’re in the middle of nowhere?”

“Besides the fact that I’m your only hope with the Debt Collector? You wouldn’t leave your people behind.” He stood on the bank with a smile on his lips, as if he had me down pat.

As I walked past him, I might’ve accidentally bumped him with my shoulder, not that it budged him. I hated being predictable.

We were all unpacking our gear again, all going through the same motions at the same time, and that was when I realized something had shifted in our dynamics. Ruck was handing more wood to Burn as he cooked some meat on the fire. Sinsy was cleaning off an arrow. She’d caught everyone dinner? We weren’t two groups traveling together. We were one. What was happening?

One fight and we’d somehow become each other’s people? That was all it took? It had been a bad fight, but were we really that easy? One bloodbath and we’d sleep with you? We were that girl.

Or had this happened even before we’d set out and I hadn’t noticed? Had we theoretically slept with them on the first night? How long had we lasted before the lure of roofs and good food had won us over?

Burn called everyone over for dinner and was handing out chunks of meat as we settled around the fire, one big group. But I didn’t want us to be. We were two distinct crews, even if we didn’t appear that way when we fought, or ate, or slept…

Burn handed me a chunk of meat that appeared to be the leg of some sort of bird.

I looked around, hoping someone had salt. What were the odds someone would’ve packed salt, though?

Ryker held out a small pouch to me. No way! My night was saved. I didn’t even care if we looked as if we were one crew, if the fake half of our crew traveled with salt.

“Burn, did you hear me?” Sneak asked, having been talking to Burn about switching pelts.

I glanced up and saw Burn watching me dump salt onto my meat. Damn, the pouch had been nearly empty. I turned to ask Ryker if he had any more, and he already was holding out another pouch.

I finished salting to see Burn’s eyes narrowed even more. He acted as if salt was a strange occurrence.

“What? I like salt.”

“She likes salt,” Ryker said, not looking up from his meat.

“Yeah, all good.” Burn nodded. I caught him looking back at Ryker for a second before giving Sneak his attention again.

I’d finished my last bite when Ryker stood and said, “You ready?”

“For what?”

“Practice.”

I moaned, and I didn’t care who heard me.