Waiting for Kieran to come back was scary. As scary as it can be, in that case, regarding the number of times we have had to leave before.
But it was still terrifying, every eye in the group fixated solely on the forest. Not sure whether to expect a crowd of invaders or our best friend.
Eventually the shadows seemed to scatter sideways, and Kieran pushed himself through the trees, a defeated look on his face. He took a moment to analyse us all almost as if he hadn't been the one to tell us to pack our bags.
"It was one man. He didn't try and shoot me, or anyone. Not that there was anyone to shoot for that matter."
I frowned. "The gunshots?"
Kieran took a deep breath before answering. "One bullet into his stomach, one up into the air. He didn't survive."
"Well, he was obviously sent here." Cara spoke up and took a step forward as she did.
"He wasn't in control though, C. That's the point. He looked petrified."
She furrowed her eyebrows at this, leaning back against the wall and saying nothing else.
"I want to see him." I whispered.
"What?" Kieran said. "Elodie, I'm really not sure if you should-"
"I just want to see if there's something we missed, none of this makes any sense."
Kieran ran a hand through his hair before replying, almost in thought. "Okay, okay fine."
***
January 13th was a strange day. The sun was out, and clouds had evacuated but it could not have been colder.
I wrapped a linen sweater around my shoulders, following in pursuit of Cara and Arya who decided to join too.
Eventually, Kieran, who stood right behind me, noticed and instead pulled me into his side. Obviously searching for some kind of heat himself.
It felt wrong. It shouldn't have, I knew that. It's not like Luke had hesitated. But I shrugged Kieran off my shoulders anyways.
Eventually the four of us stood in the centre of the town, standing in a line on the square, examining and dismaying in the body that lay before us, lifeless.
"I told you, Elle. There's nothing. He's nobody."
I felt sick. Like I was missing a piece in the puzzle that should've been obvious from the start.
"Let's go. I don't want to be here anymore." Arya whispered.
I was about to turn around, and I did for a split second until I felt something in my mind telling me to turn around.
Just as I did, something reflected in front of me and glinted in Arya's glasses.
"Wait!" I shouted.
I bent down and crouched next to the unidentified figure, carefully reaching over to flip over his hand.
Then all of a sudden, I felt my stomach drop, terror embedding itself in my body like some sort of mutilating disease.
He was wearing Kieran's ring.
Which meant that somebody was tracking him, and now us. Somebody had the tracker and had been following a trail to us perfectly laid out for them.
Kieran stared at me defiantly. "Do not touch it, Elodie. I don't trust it."
"How the hell is that there?" Cara shouted, backing up next to Arya who was looking as confused as ever.
***
"Why did you do it, Luke?"
I frowned and stared at the ground, part of me hoping it'd swallow me up and end it all.
"She loved you. Even I could see that."
"You're too young, Noah. You wouldn't get it."
"Bryony says she loves her girlfriend."
"And do you think she does?" I whispered.
"Yes. She seems to."
I nodded. "I can't say much, can I?" I attempted a smile.
He paused before looking at me. "You lost her; you know? For good."
"I know." I threw my head down into my hands, wanting to do nothing more than break down but finding that nothing seemed to come out.
***
"How the hell did he have that ring?" Cara shouted, frantic.
I scrambled around in my mind for any indication of where it might've come from.
"The last place I saw it was the bow fight at the warehouse. I dropped it."
Kieran said nothing, looking utterly terrified.
"Then who picked it up?" Cara whispered.
"I don't know. But we need to leave, like now. They have a direct route to us now and we can't take any kind of chance that he-" I gestured to the body. "-is alone."
Cara pulled Arya aside for a second, presumably to fill the gaps in what that ring meant as I continued to stare at it, Kieran coming over to crouch down next to me, examining it himself. The ruby red glimmered in the sun, so beautiful yet it filled me with so much uncertainty. Ironic, really.
Eventually, he gently placed a hand on my arm and wearily helped me to my feet, my entire body stricken with fear.
"Let's go, Elle." He whispered. "I think we gotta go check nobody unpacked."
To this, I smiled. For the first time in a while. I accepted his arm and felt his hand slip around my wrist, expecting some form of dread to build in my stomach.
But evidently, I felt nothing.
Only the fear that I didn't understand how the ring had followed us here, terrified of the thought that someone I cared about could be deceiving me.
The worst part? It wasn't just a thought, it was a huge possibility.