Chapter 872

Sherry huddled on the tree branch; her eyes squeezed shut. Vivid images of hippos charging up the tree, their jaws snapping, jolted her awake. Her imagination was a relentless tormentor, preventing her from finding rest. "Every second the hippos stay means we're stuck here for another second. What should we do? Are we going to starve to death up here?" Ryan opened one eye and stared at her. "Why don't you try jumping down now and see if they leave?" His words startled her enough to chase away her anger. The sight of the hippos' massive mouths and strange eyes made her heart race, rendering her speechless. "I wonder if Camelia, Nina, Freya, and Eloise might come to our rescue." Ryan opened his eyes, suddenly anxious. "I'd rather they stay away! It's too dangerous here! Protecting you is exhausting enough—I can't protect all of them too!" "So, are we just going to do nothing while we sit here?" Sherry had always been straightforward and had never been able to hide what was on her m