“Four nights, remember? Tonight is night one. That way, no one will suspect anything. Just be patient, I’ll be there, and I’ll bring you back with me. I promise you it is safe.”
“And Fin will be there?” he asks, his eyes lighting up with hope.
“I’m not going to bring him with me, but he will be there when we get back.”
“Alright Lennox,” he whispers. “I trust you.”
My body warms as I smile at him, and he returns it. Fin will be so happy to see him, and I’ll have saved another person I care about from Dane’s clutches.
“And remember, Roley. You can’t tell anyone. No one at all.” My smile drops and I show him how serious this is. His understanding is crucial to his safety, and for the safety of the Castaways.
“I won’t,” he says. “Promise.”
I wrap my arms around him, squeezing him into a big hug. I can’t leave him behind, not after everything I know, and how clearly this entire situation is affecting him. Weston is going to be furious with me once he finds out my plan, but I don’t care. If the dust runs out, I don’t want Roley living for eternity in camp, alone and upset by the influence of everyone older than him. The least I can do is bring him home with me for his own happiness and safety.
I just hope he keeps his word and stays silent. Sending a quick prayer to the gods and the island, I beg everything works out smoothly, and we all get what we need.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
My eyelids are heavy with exhaustion after searching camp late into the night. Once Dane returned to the training area and Roley and I were no longer alone, I told him I wanted to make up for the hours I normally would have searched for the cure. We went to the bunks empty handed once again, after calling it a night once the last sounds of Voyagers had died away hours before.
I’m panicking.
Searching today has been just as fruitless as yesterday, and I leave tonight.
This is the night I’ve been preparing for, the night to get Dane alone, and get back to the ship with whatever dust I can.
My fingertips start to tingle and my chest heaves with breaths as I tip my head back toward the sky. The suns are already well into their descent, the sky morphing into a flurry of colors, and hits me like a blow to the chest.
I’m out of time.
I found nothing that will help us all get home. Tears prick at my eyes as I think about the handful of Castaways we are going to have to choose. How are we ever going to decide? And how am I going to convince Weston not to choose me just because of mytitle and responsibility, and to give me the same consideration as everyone else?
How am I going to handle it if he does it anyway, and forces me to leave them all behind?
To leave him behind?
I can’t think about that now. The next part of the plan is too important. If I fail, we won’t have the opportunity to make any decisions, so my concentration and execution are crucial.
Blinking away the tears, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. It’s time, and I need to be mentally prepared for everything that comes next.
The trees are thick on this side of camp, but that is all they are. Trees. There are no hidden structures or paths, just what seems like fields of trees that might not even be real. The magic hiding camp could make me feel like I’m walking forever, but in reality I’m going in circles, finding nothing.
“Dane!” I yell, stepping past large trunks and over leaves covering the floor. We split up earlier to cover more ground, but now I’m kicking myself, wondering if it was indeed magic that kept us occupied all day.
“Lennox?” he calls from somewhere out of view.
“Where are you?”
“I’m coming!” He appears in the trees ahead a moment later, winding through the trunks and brush directly toward me. “Did you find something?” he asks hopefully.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I thought we could call it a night. The suns will be down soon and I…” My voice trails off and I drop my gaze to the ground. Heart pounding in my ears, and nervous energy coursing through me, I hope I look more embarrassed than I feel.
“What is it?”
“I just…sort of…wanted to be alone,” I say, anxiously meeting his gaze.
Dane’s face softens, and he steps up to me, his chest brushing against mine as he weaves his fingers through the hair on the back of my neck.
