Semper Mine (Sons of War #1)(25)

“Not really,” I reply. “I shouldn’t be out here with you guys, Petr. I’m totally out of place.”

“Yeah you’re no fan of camping.”

I sigh.

“Mikael would be happy you’re here.”

“I hope so.” Gazing up at him, I look into the face identical to Mikael’s. I was always the only one who could tell them a part. Petr smiles and I see sadness in his features.

“He would be laughing his ass off if he heard you were here,” he adds.

I roll my eyes, knowing as much. Mikael was the jokester. He used to tease me a lot about being too prissy.

“Baba says you dropped out of school last month.”

I shrug. “No worries.”

“Katya, if you did it because of the time you spent with me …”

“You’re my family.”

“I know, but I’m fine and you’ve got a life to get back to,” he reminds me. “I’m not going anywhere. You can go back and get your degree or take more classes or whatever it is you do.”

I love him too much to feel burned by his words. If Brianna said something similar, this conversation would go very differently.

“Did you ever figure it out?” he prods. “What you want to be when you grow up?”

“An annoying little sister,” I retort.

“Seriously.” He nudges me again. “You’ve spent the past four months worrying about me. I’m worried about you now.”

“You shouldn’t be. I’m just … me, Petr.”

“You could go into child psychology or something. Kids are the only people you get along with.”

I elbow him.

“You’re good at health stuff, too,” he suggests.

“Omigod. I don’t need you telling me what to do!”

“Seriously, Kitty-Khav. There’s got to be something out there you want to do aside from babysit me. You aren’t going to waste your life watching over me,” he says firmly.

“I’m not wasting anything,” I respond. “I just never knew what I wanted to do. Still don’t.” It’s not entirely true. I used to think I wanted to go into psychology, child or adult, until Mikael died. Now, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to help other people going through what I have. I can’t dwell or see others dwell in the depths of despair and sadness that I have, even if I’m trying to help them.

It’s too much, too personal, too dark for me. Nothing else really speaks to me in terms of a major to finish college. I’ve always thought my path is to help people somehow.

“Figure it out,” he suggests.

“Don’t be an ass!” I grumble.

“Gotta take care of my little sis!” He wraps his arms around me in a bear hug and lifts me off the ground.

“Stop, Petr!” I cry, wriggling in his arms. “You’re going to knock your leg off!”

“Didn’t I teach you how to get out of this hold?” Captain Mathis asks from behind us.

“I’m not going to hurt my brother!” I snap.

“We can snap his leg right back on,” Riley says.

Petr laughs.

“There is something wrong with all of you!” I yell.

He sets me down and releases me. I push him.

The sight of his grin keeps me from being too cranky with him. I’m secretly happy that Petr is so chipper this week. He’s in such good spirits, and I know it’s because of having his friends around and being at the camp.

“All yours,” he says, turning to Captain Mathis. Petr winks at me and joins his team.

Whatever.

Captain Mathis appears as enthused as I am about being stuck with each other for another day.

The teams leave in twenty-minute intervals to give everyone the chance to learn about the obstacles. I’ve walked through the course but never did the obstacles; I’m curious how much of a train wreck it’ll be tomorrow, when the kids are racing through it.

Our team is last, and the kids sit on a log, waiting and talking quietly. I have to admit – Captain Mathis is right about them staying calm. The other teams are basically bouncing off the trees while our kids are seated and quiet.

“This one is huge!” Jacob is leaning over the side of the log.

I don’t get too close. He’s got a thing for bugs that I noticed yesterday. I’d rather not know what he’s found. The guys gather around him while the three girls join me.

Though she’s six, Jenna has a lot of mannerisms of someone much younger, which I suspect stems from regressing some while trying to cope with the loss of both parents. Her father died at battle and her mother from cancer.

She climbs in my lap and sits while the other two girls, sixteen-year-old Lexi and twelve-year-old Morgan, sit cross-legged in front of me.

Lexi is texting while Morgan seems content watching everyone else. She strikes me as shy and hasn’t said more than two words since arriving.

“So gross.” Lexi is staring at her brother, Jacob, who has the world’s largest daddy long leg by one leg.

Morgan nods, and I shudder. I really am not the camping type.

“It’s gonna rain,” Lexi says, and shows me the weather forecast on her iPhone app. “You think they’ll let us go back to the dorms?”