Chapter 9 · Grind, Loot, Survive - Chapter 9: Gold in the Garbage

"Stop touching things, Kade. You're going to trigger a trap or get us both eaten," Selene snapped, her voice cutting through the humid air like a blade.

She didn't look at me. She was too busy scanning the perimeter of the scrap-heap valley, her hand never leaving the hilt of her blade. I was currently knee-deep in what looked like a graveyard for giant, rusted machinery and dead chitinous husks.

"I'm not touching things, I'm scavenging," I shot back, my fingers brushing against a piece of jagged metal. "Besides, you're the elite here. If I trip a wire, just catch me before I explode, right?"

Selene finally looked at me. Her eyes were cold, calculating, and currently filled with a level of annoyance that made me wonder if she'd actually enjoy watching me get flattened. She stepped closer, the scent of ozone and cold steel following her. She didn't stop until she was inches away, her presence looming over me.

"If you trigger a trap," she whispered, her voice dropping to a dangerous low, "I'm not catching you. I'm using you as a distraction while I make a run for the ridge.