Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Lyra led the three of them deeper in. She measured the distance in her head, the nearest ice tree was a little over three hundred feet away.

Good enough.

She stopped beside a thick brown tree root, crouched, and pressed her hand to the ground. The soil was soft and damp Her fingers sank in easily-no rocks underneath.

“Lina.”

“Mm?”

“A tree with no eyes, no ears, no nose-how does it find a person?”

Lina blanked.

Lyra didn’t wait for an answer. “Last round the Wraiths used hearing. The round before that, sight. This round it’s trees, no

eyes, no ears.”

She straightened up and brushed the dirt off her palms. “There’s only one thing left a tree could use to find a living person.

Heat.”

Lina’s pupils contracted.

“A living person gives off body heat. In a forest, you’re basically a walking bonfire. Ice trees would spot you in a second.”

Lina blurted, “Thermal imaging!”

Lýra was still looking at the ground. “So we have to block the heat.”

“Block it how?” Lina asked.

“Bury it.”

“What?”

“Bury yourselves in the dirt.”

Lina’s mouth fell open and stayed that way.

Lyra stomped on the soil under her boot. “Dirt insulates. Body heat can’t bleed through, so the ice trees won’t pick anything up. She made a digging motion.

“Dig a pit, lie down inside, cover yourself with branches and dirt. Hide right in the ground.”

Lina looked at the ground, then back at Lyra. She didn’t argue.

Lydia listened to Lina’s translation, nodded once, and then said something else.

Lina translated. “She’s asking, if we’re sealed under the dirt, how are we supposed to breathe?”

Before Lyra could answer, Lina suddenly remembered something and dug into her pocket, pulling out a small handful.

Reed stalks.

Seven or eight of them, all different lengths.

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Chapter 37

“I made a bunch last round. I figured, just in case Lyra ever needed any, I could hand them right over

She held them out on her palm, looking a little sheepish. “Couldn’t bring myself to toss them, so I just kept them on me

Lyra glanced at her, picked one out of her palm, and gave it a quick puff. Hollow and clear.

“Lina.”

“Mm?”

“This hoarding habit of yours, I’m into it.”

Lina’s whole face lit up.

Lyra pulled four reeds out of the bundle and handed one to each of them. “Time’s short. Start digging

She drew Wraithslayer from her hip and let it grow to full size, the silver blade unfurling. “Step back.”

The three of them backed up two paces.

Lyra hoisted Wraithslayer and brought the scythe blade slamming down into the ground.

BOOM!

Dirt blew up in a spray. A foot-and-a-half-deep trench gaped open in the soil.

She adjusted her angle and struck three more times. Four pits now, each one roughly a person long and half as deep. Loose soil heaped along the rims, severed tree roots jutting out from the walls.

“One each. Finish them yourselves. Dig a little deeper, just enough room to lie down.”

Lyra shrank Wraithslayer back down and slid it onto her hip.

“Lay branches across the top, cover them with leaves, then a layer of dirt. Push the reed up through it. Keep the opening

hidden under the leaves.”

Sergei had already dropped into the farthest pit, clawing at the dirt with both hands.

Lydia got in too, quick and efficient, clearing the loose soil from the bottom in seconds.

Lina stood at the edge of her own pit and looked over at Lyra. “Lyra, if you want to scout somewhere else, go.” She crouched down and started scraping out dirt. “I’ll dig mine bigger. Room for two.”

Lydia poked her head out, fumbling through Draconian. “I… help cover… you.”

Sergei paused too and nodded at Lyra. “Your pit… I finish too.”

Lyra looked at the three of them. “No need.” She shook her head. “Not enough time. Take care of yourselves.”

Lina lifted her head. “But-”

“No buts.” Lyra cut her off. “Listen to me. Finish the pits, fit the reeds, and once you’re covered, don’t move. Not a sound.” She paused. “I’m not sure how far the ice trees’ roots reach. If you sense trouble down there, improvise.”

Lina bit her lip and held out the fire starter. “Take this. You’ll get more out of it than I will.”

Lyra raised a brow and took it.

Lina said nothing more, lowered her head, and started digging.

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Chapter 37

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The three of them got to work. grunting through it.

Sergei was fastest. His pit was already waist-deep, and he was wedging branches into both sides of the rim

ខ

Lydia was no slower, smoothing the bottom, snapping a few thick branches and laying them across the top before piling, on leaves.

Lina dug and smeared mud all over herself as she went, caking her face and arms in grime.

Lyra didn’t dig. She kept Wraithslayer in hand, turned, and headed back the way they’d come.

Lina looked up just in time to see Lyra’s back disappear behind the trees. She opened her mouth, then swallowed whatever she’d meant to say.

Lyra returned to the ice tree from before. She stood in front of it for two seconds, then let Wraithslayer grow to full size, the silver blade leveled at the trunk. “Let’s see how hard you are.” She swung.

CLANG!

The scythe blade struck gray bark and sparks sprayed out. Lyra’s hand went numb from the shock. She glanced down at Wraithslayer’s edge.

Not a chip.

She looked back at the trunk.

Not even a white mark.

She swung again-full strength this time.

CLANG!

Twice as loud as before. The impact rattled her arm to the shoulder.

The trunk didn’t budge.

“Damn.”

Lyra pulled Wraithslayer back and stared at the ice tree for two seconds.

Couldn’t cut it. At least, not yet.

She filed that away and turned to go.

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