THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

something just now. Where I’d been out of my element in that school, there was something primitive here that called to my blood. Did my family live in a place similar to this? I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything like the vegetation or bats in this place, but I had a strong sense of having survived off the land at some point in my life.
    That I’d been expected to fight and protect. Or die.
    Gabby stared at me again with that deep look, as if trying to read everything I hadn’t said about getting away from the vine, but the sound of Tony thrashing away from us drew our attention.
    “Where you going?” she called to him then shot a questioning look at me as if I had a clue what that crazy Jersey Jerk was up to now.
    “Home,” Tony flung over his shoulder, steadily stomping deeper into the jungle, evidently trying to retrace the route the vine had dragged us.
    “There’s nothing back there,” I called out.
    Tony stopped as if pulled taut by an invisible wire. He turned partially to say, “Back in this direction is where the pod was. Might come again. Who knows? Gotta be better than dyin’ in this hole.”
    Now he sounded worse than terrified.
    He sounded defeated.
    I glanced at the quivering bush, the one that had nearly devoured the three of us. My gaze traveled up the towering trunk where I caught sight of the small faces I’d noticed before. One looking more and more like a sad child in the shadows of the dim forest light.
    Gabby’s gaze bounced between Tony and me, searching for an answer in a place that held none. “You think we should go with him?”
    “No.” I meant it. My gut told me the pod was dangerous. But then, standing around or going deeper into the jungle could be, too. I shook my head and admitted, “But splitting up isn’t an option either.”
    In the few seconds that I hesitated, leaves and branches started weaving across the path behind Tony. Once we left this place the chances of finding our way back here, or anywhere else, were dismal.
    We were stronger as a unit of three. We could survive this if we kept our heads. I believed that at a level deep enough that it drove me to compromise.
    I headed for what I could see of the path he left. “Let’s go, before we lose him.”
    “We don’t have that kind of luck,” Gabby grumbled close behind. “But I’m not jumping in again if he gets attacked because of stupidity.”
    “How long do you think that’ll be?” I asked, afraid we’d find out sooner rather than later.

CHAPTER 9
     
    Someone’s got to admit we’re lost. Might as well be me.
    I paused to lean against a broad tree trunk and dropped my head back, feeling the wood squish around my head. But when I shoved the heel of my hand at it, I hit a rock-hard surface. Had the bark anticipated the strike? I wiped sweat out of my eyes and rubbed at my ankle cuff that caused a drag on each step. I might be in better shape than either of those two, but I was exhausted and thirsty.  “This isn’t working. I don’t think we’re getting any closer to where we started out.”
    I’d hiked over mounds of gnarled roots, hacking bushes with unyielding branches using nothing more than my hands–minus the super power I’d fought the vine with–and was hungry enough to start gnawing on my own arm.
    Gabby slipped into a crouch. The chafed, reddened skin around her wrists hadn’t gotten any worse, but no better either. She chugged a harsh breath, her hair now wearing as many twigs as ribbons. “Maybe Rayen’s right.”  She exhaled heavily, looking at Tony. “Not sure we’re making any progress going this way.”
    “What is it about girls? You always side with her. Ever think I might be the one who’s right?” Tony crowed. Or it would have been a crow if he hadn’t been as winded as the rest of us. He stood with his legs braced in a wide V, hands on his hips, his chest heaving.
    Gabby cocked her head, tapping a finger to her cheek. “Hasn’t got anything to do with gender, but let me think about it. You right? No. You called her Xena. Change your mind about her being a warrior princess?”
    “A crazy one,” he mumbled.
    If we didn’t find water soon, being right or wrong wouldn’t matter. Besides, Tony had lost some of his edge after that scrape with death. And to be honest, I couldn’t in good faith say that returning to the pod area was a bad idea.
    But we needed to hydrate.
    Could we find anything in this place that would be safe to drink?
    I’d worry