Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(32)

The two guys shared a look. Both furrowed their eyebrows forward.

Spencer echoed my words, “You ‘recognize’ the river—”

“—that you haven’t seen yet?” Cal finished for him.

I couldn’t squirm under their gazes. “Yeah.” I shrugged, glancing down at the cup on the ground. “How many rivers are there? And I recognize this area, too.” I gestured to the trees around us. “We’re closer than we realized. I think you guys need to head straight north.” I paused a beat, swallowing over a knot in my throat. “And, you know, maybe steer clear of the river . . . if at all possible?”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I used to be so good at being evasive. Who would’ve known I’d be wishing for the days when I had kept so much secret?

“Uh . . .” The guys glanced at each other again before Cal cleared his throat. “We’ve not run across another river as large as that one, and I know we crossed a river the same size before, so I think we should stick to the original plan. Cross the river, go around the mountain, and split up on the other side.”

“No,” I cried out before clamping a hand over my mouth. Seriously. I would’ve sucked at espionage. “I mean.” I scratched behind my ear. “I really don’t think it’s safe, you guys.”

“But you’re going over it, aren’t you?” Spencer narrowed his eyes.

“Um.” I averted mine.

Cal stood slowly, grabbing his bag. “I think we should stick to the original plan, like I just said.”

“No.” Spencer shook his head.

“Spencer,” Cal started.

Spencer held a hand out to him, stopping him. His gaze was still firmly pinned on me. “What were you going to do?” Spencer asked me. “Were you going to double-back and cross then? Were you going to lead us somewhere else?”

Cal’s frown deepened. His hand wrapped tighter around his bag. “You mean, like into a trap?”

Oh f*ck.

At the T word, I knew I was done for. Suspicion jumped to both of them. Spencer stood and as he did, Cal moved back a step. Spencer went right with him. They were both regarding me like I’d stolen their pot.

“Come on, guys.” I jumped to my feet, too.

“Yeah,” Spencer shot back. “Come on, yourself.”

“Tell the truth.”

I was caught. I’d backed myself into a corner, and both weren’t backing down.

“Use me.”

Of course, The Immortal would pop up here. Nope. Not going to do it. I shoved that thought away.

“You’re wasting time. Let me take over. I can get in their heads and make them do what you want.”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

Spencer and Cal saw the motion, and both of their eyebrows lifted.

Cal asked, “No what? What was that for?”

“Uh.”

“Use me, Davy. This is ridiculous. You’re being foolish. They’re both humans.”

“I’m human!” I shot back at her.

“No.” She said it so calmly, so—I gulped—final. “You’re not and you know it. You’re clinging to a past that’s not with you anymore. You need to let go of your humanity.”

I scoffed in outrage. Let go of my humanity? She was being ridiculous.

Cal and Spencer heard the sound I made and the suspicion was turning toward doubt, like I’d grown two heads and they didn’t know what to make of me. Spencer checked his pocket and pulled out a baggie. He was checking if the pot was still there. Reassured it was, he put it back, and his eyebrows bunched together even more.

“Davy. You’re indulging these two humans. You don’t have time to be kind. Let me take over. They’ll go to safety, and we can be back in the Mori camp.”

“Why do you even want to go back there?”

She was silent.

I almost laughed out loud. Of course, she was silent now. The witches had separated us enough where I couldn’t read her thoughts, but she knew my every wish, thought, and feeling. It wasn’t fair.

But then I felt a growl coming from inside of me. It was from the farthest part of me, deeper than my consciousness had ever been in touch with. It was her. I angered her.

“Witch,” I thought.

Her anger doubled. It grew in volume and strength.

That was why she wanted to go back. “You want vengeance?” I asked her.

“No.” She spoke back to me. “You want vengeance. I am you. You are me. We are as one. Don’t fool yourself into pretending you’re the ‘good’ one. You want to taste their blood every bit as I do. That’s why we’re going back, Davy. We’re not going for your traitorous friend. It’s time you were honest with yourself, just like how these two hikers came to be in the first place.”

“What?” I snarled at her, whipping my head to the side as if I could see her.

I sensed Cal and Spencer’s growing caution, but for once I was in sync with The Immortal. They were human. Lying to them could be easily done. I had a more important fight to deal with now.

“Tell me!” I yelled at her.

There was nothing. Just silence. She was there. I felt her, but she was pouting. No—that wasn’t right. She was waiting . . .