Chapter 14: The Girl From District 7 and the Question She Asks

She heard the footsteps before Cael did.

This was not a point of pride. The building's second floor was three inches underwater now, and sound traveled up through the structure differently than it had on day one — wetter, closer, the acoustic quality of the walls changed by saturation. She had been listening to it change for two days. She knew the difference between the building settling and weight on a submerged stair.

She touched Cael's arm once, which they had established as the signal for stop moving, and he stopped. His hand went to the knife at his hip. She shook her head. He looked at her. She held up one finger, then pressed her palm flat — small, she was trying to indicate. One person. Small.