“I think Carol was secretly carrying firewood to the second cavern. She created a dam, and water quickly flooded the room. It caused a panic because we had to get Blue off the floor. They must have slipped out and made a run for it. That young child couldn’t have devised that plan all by herself. He coerced her.”
“Nobody noticed they were gone?”
He shook his head and turned toward the cave. “The kids poured out of their spot so we could move Blue up there, but it was no easy feat. Then we had to stop the flooding since it was putting out the fire.”
“Maybe Matteo will find them. How’s Blue?”
“She’s awake.”
A weight came off my shoulders. “Good. I have a present for her.”
He noticed the axe in my hand, but clearly other things were on his mind. The feeling of helplessness was almost tangible. “You say you killed one lion?”
“With my bare hands.”
“Sounds delightful.”
“I think there’s only one left. He took off, so I don’t know if he’ll be back.”
Once inside the cave, I tossed the bags down in a dry spot on top of some rocks. Adam and Eve spotted their stuff and went to rifle through it. After removing some of their extra clothing, they began organizing what little property they had.
I approached the corner where Viktor and Christian were talking. Viktor aimed his flashlight at the ceiling while Christian detailed our encounter with the lions.
“We cannot stay here,” Viktor said. “We have to keep moving.”
“It’s a risk,” Christian cautioned him. “If the last lion wants revenge, he’ll be merciless.”
“If we stay, the danger is greater,” Viktor said firmly. “What if he has access to a satellite phone and calls for backup? We must keep moving.”
Christian inclined his head. “What’ll you have me do?”
“Break more firewood. Blue must stay behind.”
Christian left the cave as if he had fire beneath his feet.
In the crevice behind Viktor, long hair spilled from the flat rock where Blue was sleeping. Viktor followed my gaze.
“She has plenty of water,” I said, hoping to ease his worry. “We can leave her some of our rations. I don’t need to eat, and neither does Christian. I’ve got a few packages of peanuts and cookies I took from the train. Claude said she’s awake?”
“Da. She is too weak to shift again and refuses.”
“Why?”
“The more we shift, the weaker we become. It helps us to heal, but shifting is akin to running a marathon. She will sleep for a day or two, but she cannot afford to sleep any longer than that. Shifting again will make her vulnerable to predators.”
We both knew what that meant—Blue would carry those scars forever.
I climbed onto a rock and rose up to the height of her chamber. It curved around her like a cozy pita pocket, and it would be a safe place for her to recover. Claude had dressed her in his clothes, Christian’s trench coat covered her feet, and Matteo’s furs blanketed the cold stone beneath her. She lay at an angle with her feet tucked in the back and her head near the edge.
“Are you awake?”
She mumbled sleepily and looked at me. Her sapphire eyes sparkled in the light of breaking dawn.
“We found your clothes and bag at the old campsite. I didn’t go through it, but you probably have supplies in there. I also brought you this.”
When I held the axe in front of her, she smiled weakly. I set it down next to her along with her belt, which had the sheath that covered the blade.
“Thank you,” she said, clearing her throat and looking more alert.
