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She pauses and crosses her arms. “No, he doesn’t. I’m doing this because, despite how mad they are and how much of an asshole you’re being, telling you is the right thing to do. And you are right about the food, Micah. It’s all anyone can think about.”

Maybe for them, but for me, I think about other things. I stop talking now; I wait for her to say something. She is the one who brought me here, and I’m sick of whatever game she’s playing. “If you have something to say, Jade, just say it. Otherwise, I have things to do.”

She’s quiet, contemplating, the wheels turning in her head. A wave of emotion overtakes her. After a few moments, she says, “The six of us had to huddle together for days in those shelters. We barely had enough firewood to sustain two fires. The night we realized that was the night Nathan died. But it was too cold to move him, so we left him there, and we all moved into one shelter. We couldn’t leave the shelter for more than five minutes at a time, so we barely ate. I still don’t have proper feeling in my hands and feet. None of us could lie down, so we had to take turns sleeping to make sure we kept breathing. It was torture, Micah.”

I remember that cold snap; it lasted two weeks and was by far the worst part of the winter. London and I screwed like rabbits for most of it. But what’s her fucking point?

“You’re alive, Jade.” I tap on my chest. “Your heart is still beating—that’s got to count for something.” I scratch my facial hair awkwardly and soften my voice. “Most of you made it. The shelter I left you was warm enough; I made sure of it.” Before I left, I even dug holes in the snow around the shelter to deepen the insulation on top of the layers of upholstery I took from the plane. It was good enough for me, so it should have been good enough for them. I refuse to be blamed for Nathan’s death.

She tenses her shoulders. “Yeah, your shelter saved our lives. I’m not disputing that, Micah.”

I chew the inside of my cheek, my patience wearing thin. “So, what are you getting at? And how do I know that what you are going to tell me is worth giving you part of the medical supplies?”

A tear slides down her icy cheek, and she wipes it away. “They are going to attack us if we don’t give them what they want.”

My stomach is on fire. “How do you know that? Did you see them?”

Her lip quivers before she darts her gaze away from me. “They left us a message.”

“What kind of message?”

She steps toward the riverbank and kicks something a few inches from my feet. At first, I thought it was a rock, but now looking closer—

“We found this in the middle of our site last week. I’m assuming it came from Nigel. It seems like something he would do.” Her voice breaks when she says his name. She has the same fear of him that London does. It’s as if his motive was something deeper than just revenge—like it wasn’t a motive at all but an instinct.

I look down, and my stomach heaves.

A bone, a femur from the looks of it. Human, most likely, probably one of our fallen classmates. I recover from a quick swell of emotions, remembering when I put those souls to rest. I gather myself enough to look at Jade, who is observing me.

“They have the upper hand,” she says quietly, “because we don’t know where they are, and they know exactly where we are. I gave in and dropped off food at the lake, and it seems to have appeased them, or him. I’m not really sure who from that group is still alive, but I’d bet you money Nigel is, and he’s going to great lengths to hide himself.”

“So they are not living at the lake?” I ask, and for some reason, that surprises me.

Jade shakes her head. “It appears they have moved. That’s what I wanted to warn you about in case you decide to go there. Just be alert, Micah.”

“I’m always alert.” I jerk my head toward the camp. “Why couldn’t they tell me this?”

Her eyes blaze. “Because they don’t trust you, and can you really blame them? They’re not worried about the bone threat. They think they can rely on their strength to fight anyone who comes near our camp, including you.”

I flex my jaw. “Well, they’re right. Stop giving them food, Jade. And Nigel’s not that fucking smart.”

She shakes her head. “Yes, he is. Don’t underestimate him, Micah. He’s patient and manipulative. Look what he did to your brother and what he got you to do.”

My pulse flutters as a dangerous swirl develops in my belly.

“What are you talking about? He didn’t make me do shit.”

Her eyes find mine. “You left London alone. You were so desperate for information that you left her vulnerable to him. And he has a strong ally out there, considering what you did to Ezra.”

Well, fuck.

An icy breeze sends a chill through my veins. “They won’t find her,” I say, curling my lip.

I pause as another tear slides down her cheek, and she wipes it away just as fast. Guilty energy is pouring out of her. “What did you do, Jade?” My voice is calm but deadly as I suppress my primal rage.

She wraps her arms around herself, looking like the timid little girl I’m used to. Tears swarm her face now. This is going to end up with me realizing just how fucked it was for me to leave London.

She lets out a sigh. “They might not be scared of Nigel, but I am. It was a really long winter, Micah. I’m terrified, and I just want to live through this. None of us are the same anymore. You have to understand that.”