My hands started to tingle. My thighs ached and felt numb. Clinging to the tree trunk like this was far from comfortable. The only good thing was the view from up here.
From the tropical forest below, I saw tall bushes rustling. Something was moving toward me, fast and agile. I blinked. Was that Kael?
The scent grew stronger. Yes, it was definitely him. I watched Kael leap from one cedar tree to another before landing smoothly on the branch where I was perched.
"You've been stuck like that this whole time?" Confusion flickered across his face.
"I was afraid of falling."
I did not know what my expression looked like to him, but I was genuinely terrified. I had held on as hard as I could until Kael came back. And that was all he said. Completely insensitive.
"Come on. Get down. It's safe enough below."
Why did he not say that before going scouting?
Kael tapped his shoulder, signaling for me to hold on behind his back. Awkwardly, I followed his instructions. He gripped my legs firmly, and in one swift motion, he slid down and landed on the ground.
Fast, sudden, and it nearly made my heart stop.
I did not feel much safer down here. The tropical forest looked even darker from below, and fear crept through my entire body.
"Did you see the others? Our team?" I asked.
"I think some of them reached the safe point to the east. We're on the west side." He exhaled. "As for the rest, I don't know. I can't smell them. The spider scent blocks everything."
"I can smell you."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"My smell?" He bent forward until our faces were level. "Are you saying I stink?"
"No." I shook my head quickly. "Your scent. A musky smell and… the scent I always notice when you're near."
Kael let out a quiet huff, then pulled something from behind his back. He handed me my pair of batons, which I had completely forgotten about.
"Don't leave your weapon lying around," he said.
"It wasn't intentional."
He growled softly, and I immediately closed my mouth and sat down with my back against a tree. I should not have argued. It was a grave mistake.
I was not raised around weapons. When I dropped it, it honestly slipped my mind. I stared at the batons in my hands. This was what could keep me alive now.
I could switch to a spear or a sword if I survived the first phase. Batons were useless against giant spiders.
No more words were exchanged between us, and drowsiness crept in. Kael leaned against another tree, his gaze fixed sharply on the tropical forest across from us.
My eyelids grew heavy. Thirst, hunger, and exhaustion hit me all at once. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard Kael groan softly. A dull thud snapped me awake, and Kael had collapsed to the ground.
"Kael!" I screamed in panic.
His hand clutched the left side of his body. I grabbed his hand and checked his wound.
His skin was torn, blood seeping slowly from the deepest gash. The blood was dark red, and the edges of the wound were already blackening.
"Poison," I whispered.
I patted Kael's cheek. He was half-conscious and shivering.
"Were you bitten? Kael, answer me!" I panicked.
He muttered weakly. "Just a…"
"Focus, Kael. Were you bitten?"
"Yeah," he replied hoarsely.
I pulled Kael into a side-lying position on the ground. There was no water here to clean his wound. I did not know what kind of toxin those spiders carried. In my district, spider bites were rarely dangerous, but creatures that large were a different story. Only God knew what their venom contained.
Think, Maddie. Think.
Back home, bites from spiders, centipedes, or insects were treated with antiseptics. Tea tree oil or frankincense.
Tea tree was antiseptic. And frankincense contained…
I looked up at the towering cedar trees in front of me.
"Resin," I murmured.
I struck the cedar trunk with my baton until the bark cracked. Sap slowly oozed out, clear and yellowish. I collected it in my palms, and once I had enough, I turned back to Kael.
Carefully, I spread the resin over his wound. He groaned immediately, his eyes flashing yellow as he gripped my hand with terrifying strength. It felt like my bones might snap, but I could not stop.
"Just calm down. It hurts, but you'll heal. Please trust me," I said, enduring the pain of his grip.
Slowly, Kael began to relax. His hold loosened and eventually released. His eyes closed, his breathing evened out.
I stayed by his side, watching closely in case something went wrong.
And something did happen. Black fluid seeped out of the wound, clinging to the resin before drying. Gradually, the injury began to heal. I watched muscle and skin regenerate right before my eyes.
Fascinating, and terrifying.
Was this why Strains were so tightly monitored by the government? Because they were extraordinary, far beyond Naturals.
I yawned softly. The forest was quiet, almost peaceful, and sleep threatened me again. Kael's wound was completely healed now, leaving only a thin red line that truly looked like nothing more than a scratch.
I studied his face. "You really are incredible."
"Really?" Kael's deep voice answered, even though his eyes were still closed.
I instinctively shifted back, but he caught my arm faster than I could react. I lost my balance and fell forward, our faces inches apart.
Kael opened his eyes. Those gray eyes locked onto mine, and I could not look away.
"What have you done to me, little flame?" he asked.
There was no intimidation in his tone, but something else entirely. His voice pinned me in place, my heart pounding wildly.
"I treated you," I answered honestly, my voice trembling.
He closed his eyes again. "Mmm," he murmured.
"Your wound—"
"What did you say earlier about my scent?" Kael interrupted, steering the conversation in a completely different direction.
"That I can smell you."
"What does it smell like?"
Was he still affected by the poison? Why was he interrogating me like this?
"A musky scent, and…" I answered truthfully again.
His eyes opened, staring at me intensely. My body froze, as if I was being pulled into the mystery radiating from him.
"What scent do you smell on me now?" he asked.
I let out a small, nervous laugh. "Resin."
Kael smiled. His second smile, both appearing in moments balanced between life and death. His fingers brushed my cheek, soft and deliberate.
"I owe you one, Maddie," he whispered.
His arm suddenly wrapped around my waist. I knew this should not be happening. It was too soon.
I lowered my face at once. Kael's scent surrounded me, clouding my clear thoughts.
"Maddie."
The way he said my name felt like a spell. I dared to look up at him.
His face drew closer.
Closer…