The poison makes it hard to move my arms. Which is really disappointing since Nick is teaching people how to shoot his bow.

Technically, I know how to shoot from my many, many hours in the virtual simulations. But a simulation isn't the same as the real thing, as I learned the first time I used a dagger.

He's teaching Cat the basics while we walk. Then when we're camped out, he'll stand behind her and instruct her on how to do it for real. He keeps saying she shouldn't use his bow, since it's built for him, but she seems to be doing fine with it.

"Don't cock your draw wrist sideways like that, unless you like wrist pain."

"You're the rudest teacher I've ever had," Cat tells him.

"You've never had good teachers then. Align your shoulders."

"Nitpicky," She says, but does as she's instructed.

He smiles. "Anchor to your face."

She shoots an arrow at a tree and when she puts the bow down, Nick retrieves the arrow. It missed by twenty feet.

"Next time, don't breathe out when releasing the arrow."

"Am I just not supposed to breathe, Legolas?"

Nick frowns. "I prefer Hawkeye."

"You're not deaf," she protests.

"So? Hawkeye's not Latino, either. Doesn't mean he's not wicked cool."

"And you saying 'wicked cool' made you twenty times less cool."

He rolls his eyes and offers the arrow back. "Try again."

"Don't be so hard on her, Papi, she's learning," James calls.

Nick throws a stick at him. "That's still offensive, Jamison!"

Ava flicks him on the ear.

He rubs it and sticks his tongue out at Nick. "You didn't mind me calling you it when-."

A stick smacks him directly in the face.

"Ack!" He falls off the log he was sitting on.

"My aim is nearly perfect, James. I'd be careful what you say."

I snicker. I'm supposed to be patching worn out clothes, but it's hard the pull the thread through when my shoulders don't want to move.

Luckily, no one seems to notice me struggling.

Alex and Izzy have been very talkative with each other since the village. They've deemed themselves the dragon eggs' parents and have been in charge of carrying them.

Alex and I haven't talked yet about the whole 'I forgive you' thing.

I don't know if it was because he thought he was going to die, or what. Part of me is suspicious that he forgave me right after I told Ava, Izzy, and Cat about killing Hunter and his dad.

I'd told them not to tell him, but it's not like I know Cat and Izzy's secret keeping ability.

At least he looks me in the eye these days, which is a welcome change. He hasn't made a comment about me being 'cursed', either.

It's a start, I guess. I just hope it's for the right reasons.

Charlie waves a bowl in front of my face. "Are you there, Raven?"

I startle and pull away from the bowl. "Huh? Sorry. Spacing out."

He sets the bowl of beans on my lap.

"Beans again?" Cat asks as the bowls get passed around.

Charlie shrugs. "It's what Winston could spare. It's better than nothing."

"We could hunt," she offers, tugging on Nick's bow string.

"I'm pescatarian," Ava says.

"Fish?" Cat suggests.

"I'm carnitarian," James says.

She points an accusing finger at him. "You made that word up."

"No, it means I don't eat fish or seafood."

"Does that mean you don't eat other meat?"

"I eat meat. Just not fish."

"Great, Ava can live off cans of beans and fish and we can all have some delicious deer." Cat claps her hands. "This leading thing isn't so hard."

Charlie raises his eyebrows. "Don't your animals leave the forests in winter?"

"It's October, Charlie," Cat snorts.

"What do you mean 'your animals'?" James asks. He still hasn't sat back up from getting hit in the face.

Ava's balancing rocks on his stomach without a word.

Charlie shrugs. "Well, we have normal animals that hibernate like yours. But we also have winter animals. Like the rabbits with antlers. They're out during the winter."

"You have bunnies with antlers?" Izzy asks. "Those sound so cute!"

Alex smiles at her.

"What do you say Nick? Help me kill a deer?"

Nick takes the bow from Cat. "How about I kill the deer? You're still a beginner."

"You're not killing a deer," I snort.

Nick and Cat drop their shoulders and pout at me.

"Why not!?" Cat asks. "You're tired of beans too."

"I'm not," I protest.

She swings her arm at my bowl. "You haven't even touched yours!"

"That could be Charlie's bad cooking," James teases.

Charlie narrows his eyes. "I don't have to feed you."

"I mean Charlie's amazing cooking."

I set my bowl on the ground beside me. "I'm just not hungry."

Danny watches me from across the fire, eyes narrowed.

"We don't have any way to preserve an entire deer for this hike. If you insist on hunting, find something small."

"Like a squirrel?" Ava asks, batting her eyes in my direction.

I shudder. "Anything but that. I'm sure you can find some hare or badgers out there."

Cat gives me a dry look. "You want us to eat badgers?"

"Better than beans."

She huffs, "fine. C'mon Nick."

I stand and wipe my hands on my jeans. "I'll see if I can find enough firewood to last the night."

Danny stands, too quick. "I'll help."

I finger my dagger and glare at him. "We don't need that much wood. It's fine."

"Raven-."

I turn and march off.

It hurts to bend over. It also hurts to hold my arm up to place the sticks in.

But it's better than Daniel's unending staring.

I know he's worried, but there's nothing to do about it. If the poison's going to kill me anyway, I may as well keep it to myself. There's no point worrying everyone.

I wipe the sweat from my forehead with a huff. I don't usually get this hot. Especially during the fall. But I've had a fever for the past few days. The skin around the wound and my shoulders has been red and blistered. My veins constantly feel like they're on fire. The veins on my upper arms have turned a sick, green color. Like moss.

Luckily, the cooler it gets, the easier it is to excuse me not taking my jacket off.

"I know you're lying to everyone."

I jolt and nearly drop my bundle of sticks. I turn and sigh, "go back to the camp, Daniel. I told you I don't need help."

He scowls at me. "I'm not here for the wood."

"Well, too bad." I shove my bundle into his arms. "You can take these back now."

He drops them.

I scoff, "really?" I start to lean to grab them, but he steps forward, forcing me back. "Cut it out," I snarl.

He backs me into a tree.

The bark digs into the infected wound.

"Tell me what's wrong," he demands.

"You're being a dick, Daniel."

"You can't even move your arms. Don't think I haven't noticed. You haven't been sleeping, or eating, and you grimace when you move."

"I do not. Just because I wasn't hungry tonight doesn't mean I haven't been eating. And I have been sleeping."

"No, you haven't! I know something's wrong so I've been keeping an eye on you. You've been giving your food to Ava. And you never wake anyone up to take over for watch."

"You're delusional."

The tree is pressing too hard into my wound, but I can't step forward or I'll be directly in his face.

My vision swims. "You need to back off," I whisper. I sway a bit.

He reaches for me. "I knew it. Something's wrong. I'm getting Charlie." He whips around.

"No! Wait!" I lurch forward and grab Daniel's sweatshirt sleeve.

But I move too fast and the ground seems to open up underneath me. My knees buckle and I fall like a tree towards the ground.

The last thing I notice before everything goes dark is Danny catching me and screaming for help.