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She shrugged. “If there’s a contamination source where they grow and they aren’t properly washed and cooked, perhaps? We don’t want to rule anything out.”
I didn’t need Ida’s announcement to know when we’d arrived. The dense tree trunks thinned, allowing much more sunlight through to the forest floor. In response, a profusion of bushes and other ground plants covered the area. In several spots I could even see freshly turned earth where some small plant had recently been pulled out by the roots.
“Let’s spread out,” Amara commanded. “Nik, you examine the plants and the earth. Delphine, please let me know if you sense anything wrong with any of the animals in the area.”
I stopped walking and reached out with my power, assessing the area around us. As expected, our immediate area was mostly devoid of creatures—our arrival having scared them away—but a few still lingered in burrows and nests, and further out the forest teemed with life.
There was only so much I could sense from a distance, but even so it was fascinating. My attention caught on a long snake hidden among the leaves of a tree a short distance from our location. I had never encountered anything like it—I had little experience with reptiles in general—and the unfamiliar feel of the cold-blooded creature fascinated me.
After a moment, I shook my head and forcefully pulled my focus away. I wasn’t here to learn about the local wildlife.
I spread my power out, skimming lightly over a myriad of creatures. While I couldn’t tell any details of their condition, I could feel the steady beating of the life inside them. I was confident that if any of them were in significant pain, I would sense it, as I had once done with Ember.
Nothing caught my attention, though. If any of the animals were ill, they were hiding it well.
I tried to push my power out, calling to the animals around me. If any of them could be coaxed close enough, I could make contact and get a more exact picture of their health.
The attempt brought back memories of trying to call to the trapped eagle. Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered how that incident had ended. And now there was more death around me.
I pushed harder, attempting to throw my power across the surrounding forest. It was a desperate, unfocused effort, but my ears caught a rustle in the surrounding ground coverage. I turned hopefully toward it, only to see familiar orange, white, and black fur as Ember appeared from between two bushes and rushed to my side.
I dropped to one knee and scooped her up. “Of course you came, old friend. You always do.”
A small chip alerted me a moment before Phoenix flew in low beneath the branches, executing a tight maneuver to land on my shoulder.
“And you, too, fine sir.” I ran a finger along his feathers. “You never let me down either.” I sighed. “But it’s your wild brethren I was hoping to meet. And I don’t think the presence of the two of you is going to help in that attempt.”
Phoenix cocked his head and regarded me with one beady eye. He didn’t look in the least repentant, and I couldn’t help smiling.
Amara strode toward me. “Have you noticed anything strange? Anything at all?”
“The animal populations look quiet as far as I can tell. I can try to get close enough to touch a few of them to confirm, but that might be hard to achieve with so much disruption to their normal environment.” I glanced doubtfully around the disturbed section of forest.
“No, let’s leave it there for now,” she said, only half paying attention. “It was always an unlikely option that it might come from animals. They aren’t carriers for traditional typhoid.”
I nodded, relieved I didn’t have to attempt to capture a selection of wild animals.
“Did you find anything?” I asked, hopeful despite her serious expression.
A startled cry made us both spin eastward, staring into the trees.
“Was that Costas?” I asked, and Amara nodded.
She took off without a word, heading in the direction of his voice, and I hurried behind. Had Costas been the one to find something?
ChapterFive
Phoenix took off from my shoulder, racing ahead of us, just beneath the canopy.
The forest had gone quiet again, but somehow that only made me more anxious. Was Costas in trouble and unable to call out?
We wound through the trees toward him, my straining ears picking up nothing except the sound of running water. Then came the glint of sunlight on water, followed by the sight of a small huddle of people standing on the bank of a small river.
Costas was there, looking unharmed, and Ida and Nik stood beside him. I slowed to a walk, huffing out a relieved breath as they turned to look at us.
“Sorry.” Costas sounded embarrassed. “A wild boar took me by surprise. I didn’t mean to bring everyone running.”
“So you didn’t find anything?” Amara sounded disappointed. “Did you check the river?”
