okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. It was crazy in town but worth it. Look at these supplies.”
I did. The totes weren’t filled with random stuff like the day before but chocked full of all forms of food. There had to be close to two hundred totes on the ground when everything was unloaded
“Take sixty totes over the wall for Tenacity,” Ryan said. “We’ll divide the rest when we get home.”
Sixty seemed like a lot, but given the number of people Matt was trying to feed, I knew it wouldn’t last long. After the fey delivered the supplies, they started leaving, some with as many as three totes stacked in their arms.
“Zach, hold this,” a fey said, handing my brother a tote. As soon as Zach had it, the fey picked him up.
“Give a guy some warning,” Zach grouched. “The tote’s sitting on my nuts.”
Several of the fey around me made pained sounds.
“Sorry,” the fey said as Zach shifted the weight and looked at me.
“You getting a ride?” he asked.
“I will carry your sister,” Thallirin said from behind me.
I glanced at him.
“I do not have any infected blood on me. It’s safe.”
Facing Zach, I lifted a shoulder.
“No, no ride for me again.”
“I can stay with you,” Zach said. We both knew that Mom wasn’t going to be happy with my choice.
“Nah, go with Ryan and watch how the supplies are divided. You can take our portion home so Mom can start dinner.”
He nodded, and they took off. I didn’t wait for the rest of the fey to leave but started out. Thallirin followed me in silence. Fey passed us with supplies, running at impressive speeds toward home. I watched the last of them with a scowl. They hadn’t been carrying a damn thing and had looked clean enough to me.
Like the day before, the journey was long and quiet. The wind wasn’t as bad as it had been at the top of the truck, though, and with a steady pace, I stayed warm enough. It was good cardio, too.
Before we reached the end of the third field, I spotted a shape running toward us. I lifted my bow off my shoulder and reached for an arrow.
Thallirin’s very warm hand closed over mine.
“It’s Drav,” he said before releasing me.
Settling the bow once more, I watched Drav approach. His frown was more pronounced than usual.
“I will carry you,” he said, barely coming to a stop before scooping me up.
My weight landed wrong on my bow, which he’d picked up with me, and I heard the wood crack. Before I could react, he grabbed the bow out from under me, tossed it aside, and started running.
I didn’t think; I reacted. My elbow smashed into his windpipe with enough force that his hold loosened. As he wheezed for breath, I struggled free and tumbled to the ground with an oof. Not wasting time, I scrambled back to my bow and fell to my knees in the snow.
The shaft looked undamaged at first glance, but I knew better. I’d heard the crack and had felt the wood give underneath me. Too afraid to pick it up, I leaned over it and scanned the length again. A hairline fracture bisected the upper limb just above the grip. My chest squeezed at the sight of it. There was no fixing that. I sniffled.
It was dumb to cry over a bow. Nothing lasted forever. I knew that. But, that damn bow was my last connection with Dad. We’d picked it out before the quakes, and using it made me feel like he was still watching over me.
I looked up at the two fey who watched me warily.
“What the fuck is wrong with you people? What did I do to deserve being treated like this?”
“I will replace the bow,” Drav said.
“It was from my dad. You can’t replace sentimental value.” I picked up the bow in both hands. “I’m guessing there was a sense of urgency in getting me back before dark. I’m ready now. I don’t think there’s anything else for you to break.”
Drav glanced at Thallirin then picked me up again and started running. I didn’t pay attention to the trees like I should have. I kept thinking of the broken bow. It’d been stupid to throw a fit. What if he’d been trying to save me from a horde of infected? Maybe it was for the best that the bow was broken. Being that emotionally attached to something was a dangerous distraction I couldn’t afford. Yet, I still ached