Page 39 (1/2)

“Siren…stop”

She looks over her shoulder, wide-eyed, like I’ve just caught her doing sohty

I wipeinto ht”

“I can” She holds her chipping stone up, and my own shoulder aches with sympathetic pain

“Go lie down And in a few hours,” I lie, “we can swap shifts”

She turns away from me, and then back toward me, lips pursed and her eyebrows dran “Promise?” She looks sulky

“That we’ll switch shifts?” I nod “We both need to get soet it”

She exhales and nods once Her hair’s falling into her eyes, and her face sags with exhaustion

“I’ll wake you in five hours Or six if that works better”

“Absolutely not Three and a half at nize I put one toe out of line, and those slightly scrunched eyebrows go full-on pissed off and her pertfrown

“Yes ma’am” I salute her “Three and a half it is”

“And then it’s your turn I’ that,” she says as she stalks past me

“Do it”

I sift through the rubble quietly as she goes to sleep When I’m sure she’s out, I walk around what reer stones with my back to her I take a few deep breaths until the anxious huh me eases just a little Then I rub my head and eyes and knead the inside of my wrist—a pressure point that’s supposed to help you keep fro

Fuck