When she spotted their tags again the night before, she had Ahmed stifle the barrel with a particularly gummy insect that secreted a mucus that disabled firing, knowing Kage cleaned her gun at night, not in the morning. Kage might sleep with her gun, but an insect could get past her. Nyx wasn’t going to risk a confrontation with an armed teammate.

“Kage,” Ahmed said softly. Nyx started. He had snuck up on them from camp. God, how many times did she need to tell him not to interfere? “Let us know who’s following you. We can help. You don’t need to shoot all of us.”

Nyx begged to differ about just how much she was willing to help, but Ahmed was the one with the slick tongue. She settled for putting Kage’s weapon aside and remaining taut and ready to draw her own loaded gun if necessary. She wasn’t so sure how she felt about Kage pulling the trigger yet. A lot depended on how good her story was. It always did.

Kage breathed deeply through her nose. She seemed to settle herself back into her skin. The more relaxed stance made Nyx want to stop worrying about her gun. She decided that was the whole point of it, so didn’t give her the satisfaction.

“They are fukushu-sha,” Kage said. “Hunters. Blood avengers.”

“How far are they willing to go to get you? How—”

“Kage,” Ahmed said. Soft voice, again. Measured. “Do you know how we can defeat them? Can we pay them off, distract them?”

Kage shook her head. “I am a criminal.”

“Aren’t we all?” Nyx said. “That doesn’t tell me—”

“How can we stop them, Kage?” Ahmed said.

“You can deliver me to them. That is all. But I won’t go. You must kill me first.”

“What’s waiting for you back there if you go with them?” Ahmed said. “Do they mean to kill you?”

“No. It’s… It’s our business.” She shook her head. “Why would you help me? You don’t know me.”

“I need your eyes. And your aim,” Nyx said. “Things aren’t going to get much better out here. I eliminate your hunters, you owe me a favor.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

Even to Nyx, it didn’t sound like much, not with thirst bearing down on her like a fucking freight train. That, paired with Eskander’s mad babbling, Eshe and Isabet’s bickering, Khatijah’s dour stares, and Ahmed’s disapproving frown, meant she was in dire need of a little more than simple goodwill. She had no idea where the fuck she had been or where the fuck she was going. Bring back Raine from the end of the world? Sweet fuck, why? But this was what she had, and she needed to get the best from it. God help her.

“All right,” Kage said.

“How do they hunt? In pairs?”