Page 106 of The Hunter's Empire

His gaze meets mine, lingering just long enough to make me wonder whether he's about to say something infuriating.

He simply shrugs. "I've had worse jobs."

The answer catches me off guard. I had been expecting another smug remark, another opportunity for him to remind me exactly how we'd spent the night. Instead, he stands and looks toward the mouth of the cave where pale morning light spills across the sand, his expression losing every trace of amusement.

"The jokes can wait." He says quietly. "Daylight won't."

I follow his gaze. Beyond the mouth of the cave, the jungle stretches endlessly in every direction, its dense canopy swallowing the morning light. The trees stand unnaturally still, concealing whatever, or whoever, might be hiding within.

The awkwardness of waking up in each other's arms dissolves almost instantly beneath the weight of reality. We survived the night, but that was all we did. We are still stranded, still without a way to contact anyone, and still sharing an island with the people who tried to kill us.

Whatever comfort the darkness forced between us ends with the sunrise.

Nico climbs to his feet, brushing the dirt from his hands before reaching for the clothes we'd left to dry overnight. They are still damp, though no longer dripping, and he pulls them on without complaint.

When he catches me watching him, the corner of his mouth lifts.

"You can keep insisting it was about survival." He says as he adjusts the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm still making a note that, given the choice, you unconsciously decided I was the safest place to sleep."

I let out an exasperated sigh as I tug my own shirt into place. "You are exhausting."

"So I've been told."

I shake my head and walk past him toward the mouth of the cave before he can see the smile threatening to betray me.

In daylight, the island looks very different. Dense jungle stretches beyond the beach, its thick canopy hiding whatever lies deeper within, while the shoreline is scattered with driftwood and debris washed ashore during the night. The endless ocean surrounding us is a harsh reminder of just how isolated we really are. If the men in that jet are still searching, there's nowhere to run. We're trapped on an island they know exists, with no way of knowing whether they're already closing in.

Nico stands silently beside me, studying the landscape with the same focused expression I've only ever seen during dangerous situations. Whatever amusement had been on his face moments ago is gone.

"We need water first." He says, his eyes scanning the tree line rather than looking at me. "Food can wait."

That is all he offers before starting towards the jungle.

I fall into step beside him, partly because I don't have a better idea and partly because wandering through an unfamiliar islandalone sounds remarkably stupid. Every step becomes more difficult as tangled roots, thick undergrowth, and uneven ground slow our progress.

It doesn't seem to slow Nico at all.

He moves carefully rather than quickly, pausing every so often to study the ground or glance through the trees before choosing a direction. More than once he steers us around unstable rocks or patches of vegetation I wouldn't have noticed twice, and each decision seems so instinctive that I eventually stop questioning them.

"You've done this before." I say.

He glances back briefly. "Done what?"

"This." I gesture vaguely at the jungle around us. "Survived on an island."

A faint smile crosses his face.

"I've spent enough time in places where getting lost wasn't an option."

It isn't really an answer. Then again, I don't expect one.

We walk for nearly an hour before the faint sound of running water reaches us. Nico hears it before I do. He stops so suddenly that I nearly walk into him, tilting his head as though listening for something only he can hear.

"This way."

Sure enough, a narrow freshwater stream appears between the trees a few minutes later, winding over smooth rocks before disappearing deeper into the forest.

I crouch beside it and scoop the cold water into my hands, drinking more greedily than I intend. Only after my thirst eases do I notice Nico standing a few feet away, watching the surrounding trees instead of the stream.