Waiting for Nikita was like waiting for death, even though Khochu kept telling himself that she wouldn’t hurt him… hopefully. His parents fell asleep, but he stayed awake.

  Kobe pressed against his side, breathing steadily.

  As the night went on, the blizzard gradually quieted, and the wind whistled less.

  A little after midnight, something shifted in the snow outside, but it didn’t sound like the heavy footsteps of the guards and hunters. Instead, it was softer. Still, Khochu woke Kobe, grabbed his bow and arrow, and slipped on his coat. They sneaked past Sasha and Vika, and Khochu opened the tent’s front flap.

  With Kobe at his heels, he pulled up his hood and tucked his hair under it. The shuffling sounded again—it sounded like it came from behind the tent—and then someone behind Khochu tugged his hood off his head.

  He spun around and aimed his bow and arrow directly at Nikita’s chest.

  She didn’t even flinch and pushed the weapon away. “You’re not very brave, are you?”

  She didn’t need to rub that in Khochu’s face. He lowered the bow and arrow and whispered, “I thought you weren’t coming because… you know…” His voice trailed off. “We’re rivals.” Still, it felt nice to have the beautiful girl near him again. There was something about her that told Khochu she was also on her rite of passage… whatever it was. And at least there wasn’t a blizzard anymore—just light snow.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Nikita stepped in front of Khochu. “I want to show you my village.”

  Her—? Um, no thank you. Khochu didn’t want to seem suspicious in front of Nikita. If she found out he was the one who hurt her father, she’d definitely kill him.

  There was silence between the two, and then Nikita said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re safe. My people don’t need to know you’re from this tribe.”

  But wasn’t she the one who had worshipped Khochu earlier? No, he was overreacting. As long as he kept his head low and claimed he wasn’t the son of Vika and Sasha, maybe he would be okay. Besides, if there was any chance to unite the tribes for that “perfect” place, visiting Nikita’s village was a good first step.

  “Okay,” Khochu said, and Kobe peeked out from behind his leg. “Lead the way.”

  Nikita appeared to cheer silently, then she waved him to come and whispered, “Come on.”

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  Now, Khochu wondered how she managed to get past the guards and hunters. A part of him didn’t want to know, though.

  He and Nikita snuck through the camp, soon finding themselves back in the open steppe, with icebergs in the distance. Was it just Khochu, or did it feel warmer? Would that mean the animals would return, and then he wouldn’t have to follow his destiny: getting his entire tribe killed for trying to work with the enemy? Humans couldn’t be friends, especially with cannibals. Khochu and Nikita definitely weren’t friends—just two people who knew they couldn’t be.

  Despite his thoughts, Khochu and Kobe followed Nikita until the sky cleared and the aurora borealis lit up above them—another sign from the ancestors. Was it the same in Nikita’s tribe? Why was Khochu suddenly interested in her, and why did he feel his face growing hot around her? So many thoughts, and so little time, because, after an hour of wandering, Nikita’s village appeared over a hill. There were fewer tents, so Khochu assumed her tribe was a little smaller than his. Smaller didn’t always mean better, though; he learned that from hyenas.

  “We’re almost there,” Nikita said. “Just a little more.”

  That was when something pinched Khochu’s sciatic nerve, and his leg suddenly weakened. Why, though? Was it a warning? The aurora borealis seemed lighter than usual, too, or was that just him? Regardless of what was happening now or might happen soon with him and Nikita, he still found himself trotting after her.

  As if that nerve wasn’t enough, Khochu seemed to notice a smirk forming at Nikita’s lips.

  Even Kobe shifted slightly, his curly tail curling further.

  That was when it hit Khochu. Oh, gosh, what was wrong with him? He stumbled, falling toward Kobe, and started lifting his bow and arrow. Then something broke beneath him and his dog, sending them into a deep snow pit. Khochu’s bow flew from his hand, landing in Nikita’s, and he hugged Kobe as he hit the ground hard. So much for that arm healing.

  Cannibals surrounded the hole where Khochu and Kobe had fallen, with Nikita in the front, arms crossed. Even Chief Priven limped to his daughter and gripped her shoulder for support. “Well done, daughter,” he cooed, sharing Nikita’s smirk.

  And that confirmed it. Nikita’s rite of passage… It was Khochu.

  ***

  Spear held tightly in hand, Chief Yerik marched around Khochu’s village with his hood pulled over his head, searching for the guards and hunters. The night shift wasn’t at their post, which was strange, but Yerik tried not to think about it too much. Instead, his mind focused on Khochu and his rite of passage. He was ready, but something told Yerik that he didn’t feel prepared, even with that unique gift of his.

  Yerik knew Khochu had potential, but like any other young hunter, he had flaws he wanted to help him overcome—if only he could find Vika and Sasha’s tent again.

  Regardless, Yerik froze in his tracks when his eye caught something ahead of him, half-buried in the snow. It didn’t look like an animal.

  Yerik tightened his grip on his spear and cautiously approached the mound... then all color drained from his face. Bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed it and gagged instead. Yerik coughed and spun around, searching the dark, empty village. How could he have let this happen?

  “Cannibals!” Yerik shouted into the darkness. “Cannibals have invaded us!” He stepped in front of the motionless, bloodied body in the snow mound, still fighting the urge to vomit.