The Scarlet Assassin

Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning as we continued our trek, Rafe came up from behind me. He looked irritated.

"What stick's up your ass?" I asked, cutting away a branch. My arm throbbed, sore from the continuous movement of swiping away a path, and my throat was dry to the point where swallowing was difficult. We had yet to find water.

"When did you have sex with the lieutenant?" He bit out.

I glanced sideways at him. "The day I got the mission."

He scoffed. "Why didn't you tell me?" I realized he looked more hurt than angry, but I said anyway,

"Um, because it's none of your business."

Scowling, Rafe looked to Sorin, about ten feet away, seemingly oblivious of our conversation. "So... are you two together?" He asked.

Snorting a laugh, I said, "You're absolutely delusional." He raised a brow at me and my smile faded. "No, we're not together. What the hell's wrong with you?"

Sighing, he grabbed my arm gently so I turned and stopped. "Don't forget the only reason why he's here," he said softly yet stern enough that I'd understand. My face went stone-like. "Don't forget what he has to do."

"I haven't forgotten," I told him stiffly.

Rafe didn't let up. "Good. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"What, are we taking breaks now? We just stopped," Sorin complained. Realizing everyone had stopped, looking at us quizzically, I pursed my lips. I gave Rafe a look and took his wrist, forcing it from my arm.

"I won't," I said, my words directed toward Rafe before I walked away, glancing at Sorin with cut eyes as I passed him. I felt his questioning eyes follow me, but I didn't acknowledge them.

Not thirty minutes later, we strolled into Gamataīln. It was a small village with dirt roads and two-story, white-paneled houses that lined the main street. Smoke rose from chimneys and children bobbed and weaved through the markets and in between houses. There was a stone chapel in the town square where a man and woman were standing on either side of the entrance, shaking hands with the patriots that flooded in, sharing smiles. Outside, there was a stone statue of one of the gods they worshiped. I couldn't make out the inscription on the pedestal it sat on.

People didn't ask questions as we walked by, few even glanced at us. They seemed too immersed in their day to acknowledge us.

Then something shoved me. I jerked to the side as a group of children no older than eight ran between us. They were laughing and jeering, playing a game amongst each other. Sophie laughed after them. "Aw, they're so cute," she cooed.

Sorin made a sound of disgust as he hastily moved out of their way. "They're walking headaches," he mumbled, scowling.

"They're only children," Carter said, chuckling a bit. "What's so awful about them?"

"Well let's see, they're loud, annoying, petty, whiny, needy... must I go on?"

"But you're all those things," Sophie said, batting her eyelashes innocently. Sorin turned to shoot her a glare.

"Very funny. You should become a comedian."

"I should... maybe then I'll actually talk about myself more than you as impossible as that is." He rolled his eyes but looked forward again.

At the town's center, there was a stone well filled with clean, cool water. We all drank greedily from it and filled our canteens to the brim. Then we traveled to the trading posts and bought extra berries and even some deer meat. I asked a local about any nearby rivers. He told me all of their water came from five wells that stood in the town, and he knew no streams in the direction we were headed. I thanked him and joined the others back at the well where they were resting on the edge.