Suddenly, it was Pisces’s voice in Caledonia’s mind begging her to give her the gift of trust, urging her to stay with their crew. She pictured the close-crop of her sister’s hair, the soft, uneven bend of her smile, the salt drying on her sunny brown skin, and she missed her so desperately that for a moment she couldn’t breathe. She pressed her eyes shut against the renewed threat of tears. Pisces would tell her to trust this boy.

When he spoke again, it was with an edge of concern. “Get your rest, friend. There will be time for questions later.”

“No, wait.” Caledonia struggled to prop herself with her elbows. “My name is Caledonia.”

She braced herself for the moment recognition brightened the boy’s eyes and betrayed him as a Bullet. But it didn’t come. Instead, he said, “It is good to meet you, Caledonia. You can call me Sledge.”

“Sledge.” Caledonia nearly laughed. “Did you give that name to yourself?”

Sledge’s smile was full-toothed when he answered, “No. But my friends did.”

“It’s subtle.”

“About as subtle as I am.”

Caledonia returned his smile, easing herself off her elbows and back to the cot. “One more question, Sledge.”

“Yes?”

“Am I your prisoner?”

Sledge crossed his arms and considered her with a crease between his thick eyebrows. “Are you planning to run?”

In fact, it was her most immediate plan, yet Caledonia didn’t feel like she could lie to him outright. She held his gaze and didn’t speak.

“I see.” That crease appeared between his brows again as he considered his next words. “You look at me and you see a Bullet. You have no reason to trust me. But I hope that when you’re well enough to get up and see the rest of this camp, you’ll understand that no one here wishes you harm. My people are recovering from everything Aric put them through, and I will do anything to defend them. We brought you into our sanctuary. We put ourselves at risk to help you. So the answer to your question is that I would strongly prefer it if you chose to stay of your own volition.”

“And if I don’t?”

When Sledge paused, it was as though the small tent leaned toward him. He studied Caledonia with a gaze so long and impervious that she found it difficult to draw a full breath.

“I will do anything to defend them,” he repeated, each word a low rumble of thunder.

The threat slid over Caledonia’s shoulders and skimmed down her arms to loop around her wrists like manacles. If she ran, if she was caught, she was certain Sledge wouldn’t give her a third chance.

“Prisoner, then,” she said.