Brood of Vipers by Maggie Claire (good books for high schoolers .txt) 📕

all. The blood staining his hands weighs heavy on his heart as he struggles to guide Jackal to a quieter path. It’s a wonder Jackal hasn’t alerted the whole campsite to our plans. Trying to do move stealthily with six other people would have been impossible.

After stepping into his tent, Wren immediately throws a hand over Lynx’s mouth. The motion startles her awake, her eyes bugging out wide as she suppresses a strangled scream. Her son rouses as well, a tiny cry piercing the silence. “What are you doing?” Lynx hisses as she bounces her son in her arms, hoping to calm him down quickly.

“Gather only what you can stand to carry on a long walk,” Wren whispers, holding his arms out to take the child. “The basic things you need for yourself and the child. And move with haste, Lynx. There is little time.”

Lynx nods, immediately springing into action. Within minutes she readies her meager amount of food, clothes, a canteen, a baby’s bottle, and a blanket with its ends tied together to be a child’s sling. “What now?” she asks, making sure the lacings of her desperately worn shoes are tight enough.

“Now, come with me and don’t make a fuss,” Wren commands, flipping back the curtain of the tent. Jackal stands directly in front of the entrance, shifting from side to side anxiously as he keeps a lookout.

“What is he doing here?” Lynx challenges, her voice sharp.

So much for not making a fuss, Wren groans, pointing toward the ocean. “Shh! Get out by the waves, then we’ll talk.”

Wren still carries the child as he, Lynx, and Jackal hurry toward the water. He keeps his eyes shifting and searching for any signs of trouble. The gods smile upon us, Wren believes when his feet hit wet sand without anyone from the camp noticing their movements. Once they stand beside the roaring water, he catches Lynx up on his plan.

“You can’t seriously expect me to travel with this monster!” Lynx shouts angrily, casting a loathing glance in Jackal’s direction.

“It’s for the best, Lynx. He’ll protect you and your son in the journey,” Wren persists, wishing he believed the words even as he says them.

“He’s a traitor! He murdered good people in the House of Piranhas,” Lynx argues, unrelenting in her fury. “How could you expect me to willingly leave with someone so horrible?”

“You do see that I’m standing here, right?” Jackal interjects, his tone mocking as he huffs indignantly. “I can hear every offensive thing you’re saying.”

“Shut up.” Wren rolls his eyes, turning his attention back to Lynx. “You don’t have to like him or trust him. You just need to keep him around until you get to the Ddraigs.” Catching Jackal’s smug smile, Wren adds, “Or you can kill him and chance the trip alone. Makes no difference to me. But if you choose to kill him, do it far away from here. I need Wolf to believe Jackal ran off because he was the betrayer.” To prove the sincerity of his words, Wren hands Lynx his knife, blood from the other prisoners’ murders still coating the blade.

“I…I need time to think about this.” Lynx hesitates, pacing by the water’s edge.

“You don’t have time,” Wren presses, following close behind her. “You need to leave now and put as much distance between us as you can before the sun rises. If Wolf sends me after you, I don’t want to accidentally find you because you were too close. Get out of here now while you can, Lynx.”

“But what about you, Wren? What if Wolf suspects—?”

“He won’t. If you all are gone, Wolf won’t have any reason to believe I’m involved.” Wren tightens his hold on Lynx’s child, whispering, “I’ll do exactly what I said I would, Lynx. I’ll play both sides, spy, run myself into ruin if need be, and I will keep you and your son safe. So please, go while the chance is before you. Leave now so Wolf can’t try to use you against me later.”

Lynx stares out over the dark ocean, mesmerized by its relentless violence. “I’ll go,” she replies, her voice emotionless as she holds her arms out to reclaim her child.

Wren struggles to let go of the boy. Dropping his head, Wren kisses the child’s head lightly before passing him back to his mother. The sudden absence of weight in his arms leaves Wren feeling empty as if he’s just given away a part of his heart. For a short while, I glimpsed what life would have been like if I’d had a family. It’s a memory I will treasure, Wren longs to say, clearing his throat as if he could wipe the words out of his mind. “Take care of yourselves,” he pleads hoarsely instead, lightly brushing Lynx’s arm.

The sudden contact sends a shiver rattling through her bones, but she nods in agreement. Turning to face Jackal, she points in the general direction of the horizon, where the forests can be seen in the sunlight. “Stay in front of me where I can see you,” Lynx commands, transferring her son into the sling so she can freely hold the knife in her hand. “Give me even the slightest reason not to trust you, and I’ll gut you where you stand.”

Jackal’s smirk fades as he watches Lynx’s eyes. Seeing no trace of humor or insincerity, his spine straightens as he gulps and nods in agreement. Then, without any further conversation or exchanged goodbyes, they disappear into the night.

Wren walks down into the water, letting the furious waves cleanse his body of the horrors this night has brought. The thought of returning to his empty tent twists painfully like a knife in his brain. They are really gone, he declares, feeling a little foolish for how deeply this truth burns in his chest. They have left me behind. Wren steps down further, not hesitating to keep moving until he can barely keep his head above the water. Goodbye, Lynx. Be well.

Water rushes over Wren’s head.