The Gender Game 2 by Bella Forrest (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📕

collar and braced myself against the rail. It was unlikely that we’d sink, but I didn’t want the dog to lose his balance and get knocked overboard.

“Why are you taking the dog?” Alejandro shouted over the engine, his eyes scanning the panels.

I shrugged. “He might be able to help scent my target,” I called back.

We fell silent as Alejandro navigated the rapids. I’d never actually seen him in his element before, but he handled himself and the boat well, and after a few minutes of bouncing around, we were clear. I released Samuel’s collar, keeping an eye on him as I moved closer to Alejandro, scanning the river. I could see the transition point between The Green and the rest of the world, a black scar cutting through the land.

“I’m going to drop you up ahead,” Alejandro said, pulling the throttle back on the engine. “You’re far enough out of the way that you shouldn’t encounter any patrols, but be careful—tensions are going to be high after the death of Queen Rina.”

I nodded, and held out my hand, shaking his with a firm grip. “Thanks, Alejandro,” I said, and he nodded.

“You’re a good man, Viggo. You just need to get back into the world.”

I didn’t respond, because there was really nothing to say. I watched as we approached the bank of the river on the Matrian side. When we were a few feet away, I reached down and picked up Samuel, holding him tight to my chest.

I took a few steps back to get a running start, and then leapt the gap between boat and land. If I miscalculated, I could have fallen in. I landed squarely on my feet, my knees buckling to absorb the impact. I put Samuel down, hooking a leash to him, and turned.

Alejandro was waving at me. “I’ll be back in one week,” he yelled. “If you can make it upstream five kilometers, there’s a tree that fords the river. Use that to cross to the Patrus side, and I’ll meet you there. If not, signal me on this side with your flashlight.”

I waved a hand over my head, acknowledging his message.

“Oh! And be careful of the mist ghosts!”

For as long as I’d known him, Alejandro had insisted there was something else living in the mist, something not quite human, and not quite animal. Yet no one else had ever seen it.

Rotating my shoulders under my pack, I pulled the handheld out, and fixed Violet’s position.

“C’mon Samuel,” I muttered grimly. “Time to go find Violet.”

8

Violet

I woke up, instantly alert. Once more, the sounds of the forest had fallen silent, alerting my brain to some imminent danger. It was daytime, or as close to day as it could be in The Green. Muted rays of light trying to penetrate the dense canopy cast the forest in deep dark shadows, bisected by small slivers of light.

I shivered, peering out of my shelter. I looked around slowly, trying to draw as little attention to myself as possible. There was less mist today, so I could see further than normal, but nothing moved. It was like the entire forest was holding its breath.

Then came a long keening sound, soft and low. It was difficult to pinpoint the direction it came from. I slowly reached into my bag, and pulled out the gun. My heart was pounding, but I was in better control of my emotional state than yesterday. It seemed that the Benuxupane had finally worn off.

I gripped the gun tightly, just like Ms. Dale had once shown me, and continued to scan the undergrowth, my eyes trying to pierce the gloom, looking for any telltale sign of danger.

The groan came again, long and urgent, replacing the silence of the forest with its haunting song. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Adjusting my grip on the gun, I used my free hand to help myself up. The bite on my thigh throbbed, but I ignored it. I rested my hip against the trunk of the tree, and continued to scan the forest. Whatever it was, it was well hidden.

I took an experimental step forward, my muscles tense in anticipation. A tree branch snapped under my foot.

A flurry of movement exploded from the undergrowth to my left, and I dropped to one knee, my gun up. I heard the sound of cracking branches and leaves being pushed out of the way. It took me a moment to realize that whatever it was, it was moving away from me.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding, my muscles sagging in relief. I hadn’t been able to make out what it was, but I was surprised that it chose to flee instead of attack. Given how the forest had fallen silent at its presence, I had expected something predatory, like the red flies.

Maybe I had scared it. Humans weren’t common in The Green, and if it hadn’t encountered them before, it could have fled as an act of self-preservation. It was a puzzle, but for the meantime, I was safe.

I couldn’t be sure how much time had passed since I’d fallen asleep. I lowered myself back down into a sitting position, and began going through the bag.

Now that my adrenaline was fading, I became aware of how much pain I was actually in. My ribs ached with each breath I took, and I had an acute headache. All of my joints were throbbing, and, in spite of the humid heat, I was shivering, which meant I had a fever.

A fever was bad. I needed to re-evaluate my plans on rescuing my brother. Chances were that I would die trying to make it to him. I needed help.

I forced myself to drink six long gulps of water from the canteen, then opened one of the cans of food, using my fingers to eat the green gel inside. I recognized what it was: It was a protein gel, filled with vitamins and nutrients, but basically tasteless. Which was good—my stomach was