Everfree book 1

Chapter 6: Dead

~Katrina's POV~

We sit in the cave, eating dried mangos and apples until the afternoon comes. I feel like something is taking over my body. I don't leave Nathan's side all day. I watch him wash our rusty clothes, make fires, and I even teach him the basics of how to shoot.

"Watch that squirrel over there closely and aim for where it's heading, not where it's at," I say, pointing over to a plump brown squirrel scampering through the leaves.

"Katrina, I thought you said that squirrels weren't good! You don't lie to me."

"Nathan, that was before we started..." I stop, then shake my head, trying to wear off the thought. Nathan knows what i'm talking about. He feels my pain, and I know that he will try to get the squirrel. For me.

"Alright. Here I go." Nathan pulls back my arrow and it flys over to where the squirrel is at. The arrow hits with amazing accuracy, landing directly on the neck.

"Nice shoot, Nathan!" I cheer, running over to the dead squirrel. "You just caught us lunch."

We roast the squirrel over the fire after we get all the skin off and break up the meat, ripping out the bones. When it's done, we start to eat. To me, it's the finest squirrel i've ever tasted. I'm not quite sure if it's just because of the squirrel, or because Nathan shot it. I assume both.

Me and Nathan huddle together near the fire as we eat. We eat in silence as the fire sizzles and crackles in front of us.

"Katrina," Nathan says, breaking the silence. I bite off one last piece off my squirrel leg and clean it with my tongue. I turn my head to look up at Nathan.

"Hm?"

"I have something to say..." I put a hand over his mouth. I know what it was going to be about.

"No, Nathan, I'm the one that needs to say something. I love your eyes. I love your hair. I love your laugh. I love your company. I love your personality. I love you. Since my parents died, I never smiled. I was never happy again like I was before you came along. You were the spark in my life... and I want you, Nathan. I really do." When I finish my sentence, I hug him. I hug him with the most love I had in forever. He places a hand around my body and one on my head, holding me close.

"Hey, I wanted to be the first one to say that!" He chuckles. That was the best evening I had in a long time.

When we finish the squirrel, I go behind a large rock and try to get some sleep. But I can't. I sob a bit, but I don't think Nathan hears me at all. I'm glad. I didn't want him to think that I was just some 13 year old that cried over everything.

A bit of time passes until I hear Nathan say, "What do you want?" My ears perk up. Then I hear another voice... a familiar one. Then I realize. It's Karina. She was back. I want to ban her from the cave as well, but I just stay and listen. They talk about Hunter, and Karina joins our side. Then I pop out.

"Also, I'm coming with you." Nathan tells Karina to meet us at 12, and it was settled.

Karina comes over at 12 with her horse, and a giant cart full of stuff. A bit of bear, mattresses, fabric. Everything. We start to set up right away after we reach a clearing, and Nathan stays watch for Hunter while me and Karina set up.

When it's all done, It looks beautiful. There are two big mattresses, and a small kitchen with the bear, squirrel, and last pieces of wolf inside the small fridge-box. Karina even made us some new clothes with the leftover fabric she had. I knew that this was probably reminding Karina of Hunter. I thought that they would be good together, they got along well. A lot had been going on in Karina's life, and I wanted to make sure I was making her feel good, as she always did for me.

"Ok guys. We're going to be heading to Cheshma Town to get some materials and eat today. Karina, is it ok with you if you stay with Hunter for now at the house? Don't tell him anything. Meet us back here at 7, ok?" Nathan asked Karina. She waited for a moment. I knew that she didn't feel safe with Hunter, but she said yes for me and Nathan. "Thanks, Karina. Good luck," Nathan says and we all head away.

Me and Nathan finish our run in Cheshma in 3 hours. While we walk back, Nathan holds 3 bags on one hand, letting the other stroke my head. I hold 2 bags and 3 dinners, for me, Karina, and Nathan. While we walk back, Nathan wants to try out a shortcut back to the site. We walk and walk just to end up at a waterfall. Nathan and I look up the rocks.

"Katrina, can you climb?" Nathan asks me.

"I guess..."

"Good. Hoist me up to that rock," Nathan demands.

"Give me the bags," I say, taking out my quiver and bow. He gives the bags he has to me and I put the food in the most empty.

"You go first, and i'll shoot the bags up. Then I'll go up." Nathan nods, and I help him up to the highest rock possible. He starts making his way up. He was actually quite good-he never missed a step.

By the time he got up, I had securely attached the bags to one arrow each.

"Ready?!" I call. Nathan leans over the edge and gives me a thumbs up. Slowly, I shoot one bag at a time Up to him. The arrows stick in the dirt and Nathan retrieves them with ease. I start climbing after packing away my stuff. As I climb, Nathan starts talking about his life and more about what he thought of me when we met. At one point, he made me laugh so hard that I almost fell off the rocks.

"Shut up before you make me fall," I said to him. He just laughs. When I reach the top, Nathan helps me up. We both stand up and retrieve the bags and start unwrapping the arrows until we hear a voice.

"Well well well. If it isn't Miss Katrina and her boyfriend Nathan MC Scrub," The voice says. I realize who it is.

"Shut up, Hunter," Nathan growles. I look at Hunter. He hadn't changed a bit. But behind Hunter, I see Karina. I see her mouthing, 'I'm so sorry... I tried to... ' and I mouth back, 'it'll be alright...'

"Nathan, this was long overdue!" Hunter shouts at Nathan. For a second, I dont understand what he's talking about. But then I realize once Karina hands Hunter a spear shamefully and Hunter aims it at Nathan, but right before he throws it, he looks at Karina.

"Would you like to do the honors, My lady?" I see all the blood drain out of Karina's face. I can tell that she doesn't want to. Time stops. Karina stays still, motionless, spear in her hand.

"Oh, forget it!" Hunter grabs the spear back out of Karina's hands, and when he throws the spear, and I think it's all over. But before the spear reaches Nathan, He takes one of my arrows and throws it at Hunter. They both collapse to the ground. Nathan is lying in a pool of blood, a spear struck through his heart, and Hunter is also gone, an arrow through his neck. It was all over.

~Karina's POV~

I want to cry. But I can't. I was told never to cry. It made no difference. But I wanted to. I tried but nothing came out. I looked at the remains of the two brothers. It made me so angry. I took the arrow out of Hunter's neck. I stabbed his heart over, and over again. Every stab felt like it was saying, your fault, all your fault.