The Queen's Red Lake

XXIV

I arch my eyebrow, "Thanks." I chuckle amused. "We're all girls." I tease. "No need to be embarrassed."

Iris rolls her eyes and butt in, "Says the girl who turns her back when I get out of the water."

I nudge her playfully, "Shut-up. You suppose to be on my side—"

Sasha folds her arms and tries to be serious but I can see the twitch in her lips, "Hurry. It's time to move." She then disappears and I narrow my eyes at her back. I look at Iris who is watching me with amusement and interest. "She's such a wanna-be leader. She can't get to the sinister key without me."

Iris snorts, "I'll always have your back, Hal. But, I'm positive you have nothing to worry about. Sasha will never betray you—"

"Yeah, yeah." I reply. "You don't know her as I do—she's sneaky and always throwing me on my back."

"Really?" Iris snorts.

I roll my eyes at her and hurry back to the camp that is fully packed. We begin hiking again until nightfall. We set up camp and finally I get the fire started, I jump to my feet in joy and Sasha roll her eyes at my success and say, "I know a five-year-old who would have succeeded on the first night—"

"Whatever." I dance in joy. "You will not take this from me."

Sasha snorts and Iris laughs our way. Atlas comes out of the trees and he's carrying three dead rabbits on his back—we all take turns hunting, cooking, and packing up the camp. Atlas drops the rabbits aggressively in front of us. I look up annoyed but I still hold a smile, "If you didn't want to hunt, we could have swapped—" I say. "—I hate packing up camp."

Atlas rolls his eyes, "Why?" He snarls. "So, you and Sasha can disappear in the trees together?"

"Atlas." Sasha stands with fury in her eyes.

Lately, Sasha and I hunt together but it's only because it's a competition—a game to see who can catch dinner first. We are currently tied.

"We are all pulling our weight." I also stand suddenly irritated.

Atlas snorts, "We've been hiking for days—following behind you and we're still no close to the sinister key and you all want to joke around as if we are on a camping vacation." Atlas ends with a spat and I can see the veins in his mocha brown skin as he rants—he doesn't talk much so each word holds meaning.

Sasha steps forward but I squeeze the hilt of my dagger. "You're right—" I say and begin to strip the skin of the rabbit. "—I'm not sure how this connection work but I know it's pulling me in the right direction. We are getting closer each day, however, I won't feel guilty for having a little fun. This is a suicide mission, Atlas and I never asked you to come."

"I never wanted to." Atlas sneers.

"Then why are you here?" I shout.

Atlas clenches his jaw and he eyes Sasha before standing, "I'll be here to save the day once I've been proven right—" He turns and disappears in the trees muttering something about taking watch. I turn on Sasha and she's clenching and unclenching her jaw.

"What is talking about?" I force her attention my way. "Did you two make some type of deal or something? You're going to betray me again—"

Sasha's face becomes passive and I haven't seen this look in a while—actually since before the amusement park in San Francisco. "I won't betray you." Sasha ends the conversation and moves to the other side of the camp. I squeeze my fist before helping Iris with skinning the rabbit meat. I cook alone and the meat is dry and not as good as when Sasha or Iris does it but I don't care and I'm even more annoyed because usually Sasha will tease me about how bad my cooking is—how I should be naturally gifted because of Queen but it's only silence.