He brings me cooked fish they caught from a nearby river and berries from a bush Sky said are safe to consume.
“How is she doing?” He eyes her as he takes a seat next to me.
“Her breathing is regulated. I’m not sure why she hasn’t woken up yet.”
“She will. You think this will be Ariah’s end?” he jokes, but I’m not laughing. “She wouldn’t allow herself to go out like this.” The last part makes me smile. It’s true. “I’m sorry,” he admits. “I didn’t see the bottle.”
It’s hard to be mad at him. He went from saving my life, and everyone else’s, to accidentally threatening the one life here with the power to crush me if she doesn’t survive.
“It’s not your fault.” I do my best to comfort him.
He urges me to eat something. With a fire, I sanitize one of Ariah’s needles and use it to better spear my food. I play with the fish until I finally take a bite. The meat hits my tongue with disgust. I forcefully chew it until it slides down my throat. The soggy meat tastes like dirty water that’s been marinating for days.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Deean smuggling a smile. He knows damn well this is one of the most disgusting things ever made.
“I told Benny to find some herbs or something. Season it up, you know. Hell, he could have fried it in that berry sauce to make it taste better, but he claimed he knew what he was doing.” Hereaches into his pocket and pulls out some stale bread. “I don’t know how you do it. Days ago, we were eating like the princes we are and now this hard bread is the best thing I’ve had in days.”
“You get used to it.” I chuckle. “Most of the time we have months to prepare and pack much better food. We also would never let Benny prepare it.”
We laugh together and pick at the food. Eventually his eyes get caught in the sky, drifting away in its beauty. With little light out here the stars are exceptionally clear, thousands of them scattered above.
“She’s going to be okay.” He breaks his contemplation at my words.
“I already told you she would be. Ariah is a fighter.”
“So is our mother, whom I was referring to.” He swallows hard before looking back up. “I don’t believe Morrena,” I conclude.
“I don’t want to, but it makes sense why Father pushed you so hard.” He sets his food down and moves to the ground to rest his back against a fallen log, holding the back of his head in his hands. “We’ll find out the truth when we get back. I’m not worried.” Deean has always been a momma’s boy, and even though she claims not to have favorites, she loves him in a different kind of way. I suppose she loves each of us differently.
“I’ve been thinking, how would you like to go on another expedition with me? You’ve done well. Benny too. I’m even thinking about asking him to be a permanent member of my crew.”
With eyes still looking up towards the sky, he grins. “Are you asking me to be a permanent member of your crew as well?”
“Potentially. As long as it comes with no more embarrassing stories.”
He gives me a look, one mixed with gratitude and a dash of cockiness. “I suppose that’s fair. And I’d follow you anywhere, brother.”
Come morning, Ariah still isn’t awake. Sky says her body faced an immense amount of stress and anyone would need time to recover.
While I try not to worry, we work on building a tool that will help us carry her. According to Nico’s calculations, he fully expects us to be there within a few hours. It isn’t far but it’s still a long way to carry someone.
With a blanket, sticks, and rope we manage to put together something that will hold Ariah. Deean and Sky lift her as I stick with Nico and lead the group.
There aren’t any more hidden walls or bird surprises. The path stays clear and level, making carrying Ariah easier. There are also no more symbols left on Fraya’s map, with the exception of one more near the tree.
The air shifts and a crispness prickles my skin. The scent of orchids floods my nostrils as we turn a stone corner and find ourselves surrounded by a field of the beautiful flowers. In the distance I pick up on the sound of trickling water.
“We’re nearly there.” Nico angles the map in my direction. “Just beyond the waterfall.”
The sound of rushing water increases and just as we pass a cluster of bushes a waterfall comes into full view. Colorful rays glisten above the three-tier fall that spills over moss-covered stones.
“I can feel it,” Sky says. “The tree is nearby. Whatever enchantment Morrena used is strong.”
“Let’s rest here,” I instruct the group. It’s great we’re close but useless if Ariah isn’t awake. We won’t be able to see the tree or its blossoms without her.
The others take to the water as I sit with Ariah and use the time to document the experience so far, something I haven’t been keeping up with. I get to the birds when a shadow emerges over my journal.
“I’ll sit with her if you’d like to go take a dip,” Chana says, and bobs her head at the water before sitting next to me.
