“A couple of weeks on foot,” Kalon answered. “And it’s a dangerous trip.” He was looking down at Seda with a peculiar glint in his eye. Cahir sensed that he was looking at more than just her injuries and pulled her tighter to himself.
“Oh great, so almost everyone knows of this Umbrea realm besides me and Benny?” Askold asked in a huff.
Roya stood up from Benny’s side and marched over to Cahir. “She cannot go to Umbrea without visiting the Wisps, Cahir. If they allowher to go further, then we will support this decision.” The Corvids stood together, with their arms crossed across their chests, unbudging.
He sighed. “We wait for Seda to wake and for her new friend over there to heal some. And the decision ishersto make on which location.”
He pointed his head to the beast, who just silently watched them. “I just hope his healing is quick because we’re not far enough away from the Camp to be in a safe place for the night.”
Everyone gazed out into the distance. The Camp had grown much quieter since they discovered Seda and the beast.
“So are there pretty ladies in Umbrea?” Askold asked them with a wink and a bright smile.
Part Three
THE JOURNEY TO THE WISPS
Chapter 28
Seda
Seda woke to the softness of arms holding her and cracked her eyes open to the blinding sunlight, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She let out a gasp as memories of the Camp flooded back, causing her eyes to widen as she saw Cahir holding onto her. He tightened his grip, and she coughed as a result, looking up at him in confusion. Her stiff ankle throbbed, and she could feel sand wedged between her toes.
“Cahir? Is it really you?” she rasped, gazing up into his gentle, emerald eyes.
“I’m here, Seda,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. She held back tears, overwhelmed with relief at being finally reunited with him. She had missed him deeply, and now she was in his arms, his embrace comforting her. Her sob tore loose as she cried into his shoulder.
She wondered if this was just a wicked dream.
“What happened? How are you here?” she choked out, glancing around for the first time at the other people watching her and noticing Benny in the group.
She had to inform him about their father.
“Benny!” She tore herself out of Cahir’s arms and tried to run to him, but collapsed into the sand and winced in pain from her throbbing ankle.
Everyone seemed to rush toward her at once, and she shrieked in response, shielding her head, accidentally throwing sand into her face.
“Stop! Everyone give her some space!” Cahir yelled.
Benny slowly approached and knelt beside her, gently touching her shoulder. She pulled away at the gesture, recalling Alexi’s touch, but then took a deep breath and looked up at her brother. “How are you here? Who are all of these people?”
Benny helped her to her feet and hugged her tightly; the sand’s heat seared her bare soles. “We came for you and Dad, Seda. We escaped the dome. What happened there? Did you see Dad at all?”
Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she wiped them away, the rough sand scratching against her skin. She shook her head and looked away from him. “I didn’t see him when I was there, and they had collected all of the men when the Jotnar arrived.” She let out a whimper, missing her father and worrying he’d suffered a painful death like so many others. “I don’t know where he is.”
Benny looked at her with glassy eyes and slumped shoulders. “I was worried about that.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Benny reached out and hugged her tightly, “I love you, sis.”
She hugged him back, as swirling images of her escape, being in the hands of the Jotnar, and how Elco had rescued her flashedthrough her mind. She released herself and frantically looked around for him.
She saw Elco lying down and limped across the hot sand to him, running her hands through his mane. “Oh, Elco. You saved me. You saved me, Elco.” She hugged him, and he nuzzled into her embrace, emitting a rumbling purr.
“No, Seda. You saved me. I had lost hope that I would ever escape that place.”
Cahir stepped forward, and Elco growled at him. Cahir stopped and asked from a safe distance, “You called that thing Elco?”
“Yes, this is Elco. He is my friend. He saved me. The Jotnar had me, and hesaved me.” She let out a gasp through her tears, her final words stuck in her throat, and wrapped him in another hug.
