"Drew! Get away from it!" Hadley almost yelled the words.

But the boy was already halfway to the dog and paid no heed to Hadley.

"Teroi! Tell him to get back." Hadley insisted, turning to Teroi, who was frozen looking at both the boy and the dog. Everyone was similarly statuesque, watching the events unfold.

Hadley unsheathed her machete with a satisfying swish. The dog looked up at her and warily took a step back. Hadley smiled at the effect. She was going to hack the creature to bits, even if it meant the children would have to see her do it. They had to learn! These were the enemies and had to be eradicated at all costs. They had killed Aunt Zee, killed every other person left behind in the Compound, and Hadley would avenge them all.

Drew turned back with furrowed brows, pinning Hadley with a gaze that screamed disappointment.

Hadley ignored the look and moved forward to protect the group.

"Hadley, wait." A hand reached for Hadley's forearm, holding her back.

Hadley looked up at Ruqwik, her blood boiling.

Was everyone insane?

"That's a vampire dog!"

"Look," Ruqwik simply said, jerking her head towards the dog.

The dog's tail was between its legs, its head bowed low, no longer looking up at any of them. It was whining, its ears flat on its head. Drew kept walking towards it, crouching lower as he got close.

"He's going to get hurt!" Hadley insisted, the grip on her machete tightening, her muscles tensing, ready to spring into action. She'd have to be fast when it happened, to keep the creature from assaulting anyone else.

"It's not attacking him, see? It's afraid. Submissive," Ruqwik said beside Hadley.

The others in the group stayed frozen. Hadley heard some silent sobbing. But young Drew kept slowly walking towards the dog, thumb in his mouth, unafraid. Once he got up to the beast, he looked it straight in the eye and carefully raised his right hand, placing it gently against the dog's left shoulder, then slowly stroking the fur. They watched in awe as the dog let the little boy pet him. The dog's tail moved from between its legs, making small waves back and forth. Suddenly, the dog dropped and rolled over to its back and Drew pet his belly. The beast's tongue dropped to the side, and Hadley could have sworn it was grinning.

Drew turned to face the group. The little boy's eyes were lit up. He'd taken the thumb out of his mouth and was smiling from ear to ear.

"Look," he said to Ruqwik, giggling as the dog licked his hand. "I made a friend."

Hadley had never seen anything like it. She squeezed her machete tighter.

"We should probably still kill it, right?" Hadley asked in a low voice.

"Do you know how they described dogs before theHuman Error, Hadley?" Ruqwik asked, her voice as low as Hadley's.

Hadley stayed silent, still fuming.

"They were regarded as best friends to humans." Ruqwik said.

Hadley resisted the scoff that waited at the back of her throat. She thought of everything she knew about dogs, all learnt in the last two days. From that lens, what the vampire said made no sense. Ruqwik continued.

"Humans and dogs have always had a connection." The vampire explained. "They're both pack creatures and they fit well together. That cute puppy was probably the runt of its pack. And I bet it's been having a difficult time and is only now getting a chance at some reprieve. Drew too. Look at how much better he is from just a few hours ago."

"What happens when it gets hungry?" Hadley short back, a little more snide than necessary.

"What happens when I do?" Ruqwik returned.

The words reached the marrow of Hadley's bones. She turned to the vampire. Rings of green and blue still coloured the outside of Ruqwik's irises, and Hadley wondered why. They had been in a blood café. Why hadn't the vampire fed? The vampire ran a hand through her hair, knocking Hadley's heart sideways, before dropping most of it forward to cover her right eye.

The one with the blue ring.

"If Drew was in any danger, I would tell you." Ruqwik said softly. She turned back to watch the boy. "He's not. And neither are we. Enjoy the little wins, Hadley."

One of the girls from the Compound walked up to them and pulled on the vampire's jacket.

"Can I go touch it too?" the girl asked Ruqwik, her sparkling brown eyes hopeful.

"You can," Ruqwik replied with a smile. "But don't run. Be slow and gentle. It'll like that."

Jamila walked up to the creature next, petting it with a smile. She began to organise it so that everyone had a chance to pet the dog. The creature seemed quite pleased with the arrangement, licking and grinning at those who came forward.

"When we get to the Wildlings," Hadley said to Ruq. "I want you to leave and to take that dog with you when you do."

Ruqwik watched the others for a while before she answered.

"That's fine by me," Ruqwik finally replied. "Hopefully that'll be sooner, rather than later."

"Good." Hadley replied. "And it'll be soon."

Hadley was about to walk over to the others to break up the little soiree so they could start walking again, when Ruq grabbed her forearm to stop her.

"I'm serious, Hadley. This little trip can't take too long." the vampire said, the tone in her voice pushing Hadley's heart into jackhammer territory. "Lujeo is dead. I need to be back here as soon as possible. Tick tock."

Ruqwik let her arm go and walked towards the forest's tree line a few meters away.

"Jay?" Hadley called out, choosing not to pet the dog. Her eyes were still glued to the vampire walking away. Why did Ruqwik even care about accompanying them if she needed to be here? Why did she insist on the escort? "We need to go."

"Is everything okay, Hadley?" Jamila asked, walking up to her.

Hadley turned to Jamila. "Everything's fine. I just want to get to the Wildlings soon."

With Jamila and Teroi's help, Hadley got the large group moving again, heading towards the tree line where Ruqwik waited in the shadows.

There was an air of hope and curiosity and adventure in the group. They all laughed and joked and told stories like they'd been friends forever. Crystal and Billy flirted heavily with the two young men who'd been helping them all morning, much to Hadley's amusement. Jamila helped the mothers with the children, except for Drew, who was at the back of the group walking alongside Ruqwik, his right hand grabbing a handful of the vampire dog's fur. Hadley relaxed into vibe permeating the group. The last day had easily been the worst of their lives. That everyone was eagerly trying to find a way to recover from and get past the horror was a comfort.

"You know, I meant what I said about your eyes last night." Teroi said, joining Hadley at the front of the group.

Hadley brows were furrowed as she turned to him.

"Your eyes? They really are captivating," Teroi explained with that lopsided grin.

Hadley swallowed a sigh. She'd hoped he would try to be a little more creative. Complimenting her contrasting blue eyes was a pickup line she'd heard way too many times.

"Thank you," Hadley said.

"Do you know the pigment that gives eyes their colour?" Teroi continued.

"Melanin," Hadley replied.

"Yeah, that's right," Teroi said with a smile in his voice. "What's interesting is that, while brown and green irises get their colour from melanin, blue eyes don't. Blue eyes get their colour in the same way the sky or the ocean does. They don't have that much melanin, so blue irises scatter almost all light, but reflect back wavelengths on the blue spectrum."

"Like the ocean?" Hadley asked. The wide, blue ocean, one of Aunt Zee's favourite topics.

"Yeah. Most of the time anyway," Teroi replied. "Sometimes the ocean can look green too. Or grey when there's a big storm."

"You've been to the ocean?" that caught Hadley's attention.

" Teroi replied. "It was fun."

"Tell me more about the ocean," she said.

"It goes as far as your eyes can see," he said. "I used to think it was the only thing I could watch for hours. Then I met you."

Hadley span around to look at Ruqwik all the way at the back of the group.

She'd felt it again. A spike of the vampire's power. Hadley quickly observed the others. No one else seemed concerned. She really was the only one who could feel the vampire's projections. Hadley still didn't know whether to be flattered or frightened. This projection wasn't as bad as the one from last night, though. She returned her gaze to the vampire. When their eyes met, Ruqwik jerked her head at Teroi and then pointed a finger in her mouth and faked a gag. Caught off guard, Hadley only just stopped herself from laughing and turned to face forward again.

"I've never seen the ocean," Hadley said, trying to ignore the confetti guns that kept going off in her stomach. She couldn't keep the goofy grin off her face though, even if she tried. "But my Aunt Zee had. She was obsessed with it. Absolutely loved it. She used to say it was full of mystery and hidden power."

"I agree," Teroi said. "It's got a lot in common with you."

"Aunt Zee also said it was full of shit," Hadley said.

Hadley heard Ruqwik snort laugh at the back and fought to keep her own composure.

She turned to look at Teroi, whose face went blank, tongue clearly tied. Hadley smiled and shrugged. "From all the fish and the other things that live in it."

Teroi gave a little chuckle and awkwardly fidgeted with his blazer.

"Um...," Hadley said, pointing to the back of the group. "I'm sorry, Teroi, but there's something I wanted to ask Ruqwik. Would you excuse me?"

Before she left, Teroi looked at her and shook his head as if in disbelief. "How do you get her to look at you like she does? To talk to you like she does?"

Hadley wasn't expecting that. "Who? Ruq?"

"Yeah."

Hadley turned to look at the vampire again. Ruq was talking to Drew. The small boy was smiling from ear to ear as he listened to her.

"I honestly don't know." Hadley replied, still looking at Ruq, warmth blooming in her chest at the sight of the vampire smiling back at the small boy. Hadley faced Teroi. "Can we talk later?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

Ruqwik looked up at Hadley as she walked to the back of the group to join her.

"For Teroi? Really?" Hadley asked, walking beside the vampire. She'd noticed that the jealousy energy spikes were sharp and prickly, rather than the painfully abrasive projections when there was true danger. "Should I be warning him that he'll be losing his head soon?"

Ruqwik shrugged. "He's known you for less than a day and he's already trying to bed you."

"I've known you for only a day, and I've already been in your bed," Hadley replied with her own shrug, getting lost in the memory. "And it feels like I've known you forever."

Ruq didn't immediately respond, sending out another one of those prickly projections. It suddenly occurred to Hadley that the vampire's projections weren't a conscious action. That Hadley was privy to them decreed an intimacy between them that was almost overwhelming.

"Just be careful with him?" Ruqwik finally said.

"He's harmless," Hadley replied, awkwardly bumping the vampire's shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure I could beat him to a pulp if I wanted to."

"I don't doubt that in the least. But there's more to pain than just the physical." Ruqwik replied, a little too seriously.

"Are you going to be like this with everyone Iremotely flirt with?"

"Probably."

Hadley sighed. "This is going to be a long hike. I'm really great at flirting. The only reason I'm out here is to flirt. Been really looking forward to it too. I can't have you hashing my mellow."

Ruqwik chuckled.

At the sound, the confetti guns in Hadley's stomach evolved into confetti cannons, and she couldn't stop smiling.

The vampire exaggerated a sigh.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it. It'll be a slog and a huge drag, but I'll do it," she said, deadpan and matter of fact. "I'll be your exclusive flirt. Not sure I'll survive, but it's a worthy cause to die for."

"Are you this possessive with all your girlfriends?" Hadley asked, laughing.

The vampire turned to Hadley and raised a brow.

Hadley had used that word without thinking again.

Girlfriend.

"I could tell you," Ruqwik said, her voice doing things to Hadley that she made her want to seek a private space for them in the shadows. "Or you could find out firsthand."

Hadley couldn't think of a comeback.

Couldn't think.

Period.

With a shrug, the vampire added, "I like the second option better myself."

Those confetti cannons coalesced into an erupting volcano of confetti.

*

The sun set with Hadley's hope and optimism. After Ruqwik finally led them to where they'd first met, Hadley had no idea where they were. She might as well have closed her eyes, span around, and pointed at a random direction, for how knowledgeable she pretended to be about their location. She'd made a show of picking that random path and now they were properly lost. And she couldn't admit it to anyone. She was surprised no one called her out on it.

"We can stop and rest, Lee," Jamila finally said as more people began stumbling on roots and shrubs in the quickly darkening forest.

Hadley didn't respond, desperately trying to peer through the thick undergrowth she was leading them through to find this river from Aunt Zee's maps that was supposed to be right there.

Her mother's voice played through her mind.

'You get the simplest tasks and yet you let me down time and time again. I can't trust you with anything. How are you not able to do this? At this rate, you can't think you'll ever deserve anyone's trust to lead them or do anything right.'

Jamila reached out for Hadley's shoulder, stopping her. "It's okay, Hadley. We'll start again tomorrow."

The others agreed with Jamila. They were right, obviously, but Hadley didn't even pretend to like it. As everyone else gathered and started setting camp for the night, Hadley turned and walked away from the group, disappearing into the trees before anyone else could follow. When she was far enough to be out of sight, but not so far that she couldn't hear them, Hadley found a tree and leaned back against it, slid to the forest floor, and hugged her knees.

The last forty-eight hours came crashing down on her, made worse by the fact that she was letting everyone down by getting them lost in the rainforest. Not just the group, but Ruqwik too, who had to get back to save her Enclave. Hadley's daughter would be here soon too and, at this rate, Conception Day would come before she found the Wildlings – an unbearable tragedy!

Hadley reached into her harvest bag. The red apple was as shiny as the day Aunt Zee handed it to her. She took a bite. The crisp apple's juice dribbling down the side of her mouth joined rivulets of tears and snot.

Each bite bore more tears.

Having eaten most of the apple, Hadley carefully pried open its core to reveal five seeds. She reached for a piece of gauze in her medical kit, emptied out a small vial of painkillers into another pill box, slowly wrapped the five apple seeds in the gauze and stuffed the whole thing into the empty vial. She then poured a little water to wet the gauze and slid the vial into the harvest bag before she stood up, hitched the bag on her shoulders, cleaned her face, and headed back to the camp.

"Are you okay?" Jamila asked her when Hadley walked up to the main campfire to warm her freezing hands.

Hadley turned to her and gave her a sad smile. "Are any of us?"

Jamila returned the sad smile and the two sat next to the fire, listening to Teroi telling scary stories, which the other Progeny boys each tried to one up. None of the boys' stories reached close to the gore they'd all witnessed two days ago, but maybe that was the point. Everyone still humoured them by acting frightened and screaming at the terribly set up jump scares, then laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. The girls shared the food they'd packed in the harvest bags. Hadley pulled out her carving knife, found a nice unburnt log next to the fire, broke it in half and started whittling it into whatever shape would reveal itself. It was a mindless hobby. Something she did when she didn't want to get lost in her thoughts or when she was bored, to keep her hands busy.

It was a good night.

After the camp stories and dinner, Jamila made sure everyone was sorted and settled in for the night. She tucked in Drew and the vampire dog. Hadley had watched as Jamila asked the little boy if he wanted a goodnight hug, which he wholeheartedly agreed to, but he made her give the dog a hug as well before agreeing to go to sleep. Hadley chuckled as she joined Jamila.

"I made up a space for us to sleep." Hadley said.

"Thank you, Hadley." Jamila said, stretching and yawning before following Hadley to the spot where she'd put down tarp from the Compound and tablecloths from the blood café. With a little chuckle, Hadley said, "Only the best for you."

"You spoil me with all this luxury!" Jamila laughed as they settled under the tablecloths on the hard forest floor, barely cushioned by leaves, most of which Hadley had piled under Jamila's side.

Still laughing, Hadley snuggled in close and kissed her goodnight. They spooned and Hadley hoped that she would get some sleep despite the anxiety eating through her about them being lost. There was one thing she didn't have to worry about. Hadley should have been afraid of the threat presented by sleeping on nothing but a tarp in a dark rainforest, but she wasn't.

Ruqwik was watching over them.

They were safe.