With some effort, Caledonia swung her legs off the cot and lowered her feet to the floor, then very carefully stood on her own. Triple watched.

“You’re right,” Caledonia said sincerely. “I apologize. You’ve spent a good deal of time saving my life, and I have no business showing you disrespect.”

They stood eye-to-eye. Triple’s breathing was quick, her posture defensive after Caledonia’s remark, but she nodded.

Before either of them could speak again, the tent flap was pulled aside and replaced with a mountain. Sledge stood in the entryway with a plate of food in his hands.

One eyebrow lifted at the sight of the two girls standing so close in the middle of the room. “I can come back?”

Triple’s eyes never left Caledonia’s face. “I was just leaving.”

Caledonia almost protested as Triple moved to the door. She didn’t want the girl to leave her so soon. In spite of their brief argument, Triple gave Caledonia the sense of security she’d been craving. But she held her tongue and her pride and said nothing as the girl ducked beneath Sledge’s tree trunk of an arm and out of sight.

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

“I wasn’t expecting to find you on your feet so soon. That patch is something of a miracle,” Sledge said.

In truth, Caledonia wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be on her feet. She braced her hands on her hips. “Triple says you risked a lot to get it, and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but why? I’m just a stranger to you.”

“The old world left us all strangers.” Sledge’s voice was as solid as he was. “And anyone who goes after the Damned Athair the way you did deserves to be treated as more than a stranger.”

He stood just inside the tent flap, plate balanced in one hand. It was piled high and steaming and it smelled beautiful. There were rows of flaky pink fish, roasted greens, and seed cake. Caledonia’s stomach made a noise like a storm.

“I thought you’d be exhausted from the tech, but if you’re not, maybe you’d like some fresh air while you eat?”

The patch had certainly left her exhausted, and a thin layer of cold sweat now covered her body, but the invitation to leave this khaki-colored wasteland was too good to pass up. She nodded, and they went outside.

The guard perch next to her tent was empty for once. Sledge led her past it and a short row of tents to a felled tree trunk that served as a bench. When they were settled, he offered her the plate, and Caledonia wasted no time on politeness. She dug in, shoveling tangy fish and savory greens into her mouth at once. Something about the nanopatch had left her ravenous, and she didn’t stop until the entire plate was clean.