“Useless,” Cass mutters. “Everything. We've lost everything. My father and mother … my sister …” She struggles to breathe and I see tears in Travis's and Harry's eyes. “Gone,” she goes on. “All gone. Dead. And we …” She shudders again, her whole body shaking. “We …

the path, oh God …” Her words slip into wails. Travis pulls her closer and runs his hand over her hair to comfort her.

The back of my throat stings and I feel my stomach heaving, but nothing comes up and no one notices. I want to rip Cass from his arms, but instead I step around where Beth has curled up on the ground and take a few steps down the path to get away. I try to take deep breaths but my body still thrums. I know their pain. I understand it, I have lived with that kind of regret. I know I should feel sympathy, I know we are in this as one. But I can't stop the heat, the rage from curling in my stomach.

“We should just stay here for the night,” Jed calls out. “I'm not sure Beth can go farther today.” I wait for him to tell them why, as he promised. To tell them she is infected. But instead he says, “She's been so desolate after the loss of their parents.” I throw my hands up and start to stomp away but Jed catches up with me before I get out of earshot of the group.

“It's no use,” he tells me and whether he means Travis or Harry or Beth or the path I don't know. I only know that I am full of anger at everything that's happened. It feels like lightning shooting through my body, this fury.

I cannot help but laugh, the sound of it raw in my throat. “You want to talk about what is of no use, Jed?” I ask, because I want to lash out and he's the closest. “What about keeping your little secret about Beth?” I say this loudly, meaning for everyone to hear it, and as I intended both Travis and Harry look up at me when I mention their sister's name.

Suddenly, I feel a profound need to hurt Travis as he stands with his arm around Cass, her fingers possessive around his wrist like a Binding rope. For making me want him so fiercely and for not coming to claim me before my last night with Harry. For not coming before everything grew so complicated and ugly.

“Tell them, Jed,” I say, my eyes still locked on Travis's questioning gaze. “You promised you would. Tell them how Beth is already dead. Tell them how you refuse to kill her. How you endanger us all.”

I don't move as I see Jed's hand coming toward my face, as I feel the burn of it across my cheek. I don't even flinch or raise my hand to squelch the sting.