Fear wrapped my heart like an iron cuff. “When will we know?”
She shook her head as we continued trudging through the woods, her eyes scanning the variety of flora around us. “The window is closing, I’m afraid. Your friend Tio, he stirred in the night, so I wasn’t too worried. But the girl…she’s been utterly quiet since we saved her. Generally, if it’s beyond ten hours…”
“There’s still time,” I snapped, unwilling to accept any other outcome.
She hummed in agreement next to me, but didn’t comment further. A placating sound, though I sensed it was only for my benefit.
We spent another fifteen to twenty minutes rummaging through the forest before Kasia found the vine of an edible plant. She wielded her magic, speeding the growth of the blooms. A drop of sweat ran down the side of her face. They blossomed, revealing bright colored flowers that harbored bulbs beneath. When those bulbs grew and opened, fruit dangled from them.We plucked and plucked until we had enough to feed all our bellies.
Kasia wobbled when she stood.
“Are you alright?” I placed my hand against her back to steady her.
She blinked and blew out a prolonged breath. “Used a lot of magic in the past day, that’s all.”
“How long will it take to replenish?” My cheeks heated at the question. My magic had been the type that didn’t fit the normal descriptor. Tio described it as a well inside of him, one he could draw from. Mine, however, seemed to be constant in its existence. At least, I’d never communicated with a creature long enough to test its limits. Apparently, mine didn’t require much power at all.
“With a full stomach and a good rest, I should be right as rain.” She ran a hand over the tiny coiled curls that covered her shorn head.
We were all pushing our limits, and we’d need to for a while still. On our walk back, and I couldn’t resist the question rising in my throat. “Why didn’t you use your shielding to run away with your husband before yesterday? Why stay?” Perhaps it was too personal a question, to which she could kindly tell me to fuck off and I’d drop it.
She sighed, a weight that looked akin to grief resting upon her face. “It took months to find him. I pestered everyone in my town when he went missing. Some of the older women had the nerve to look at me with pity in their eyes, doling out their own sad stories of husbands who’d departed in the night. But I knew Tomas, and the love we shared. He would never betray me.
“Besides, he’d been growing weaker and sicker by the day. He could hardly walk a block without stopping to get sick. There was no way he could muster the strength to leave. After a couple weeks of persistence, I finally heard something I hadn’t prior.A traveling party had come through, staying at the local inn. They’d left before morning and the innkeeper commented on their strange, elusive behavior.
“That’s when I knew to follow their trail. So I tracked them north, and literally just walked right in. Shielded, of course. When I saw what conditions they had Tomas in, and when he explained what went on, I knew it would take a more invasive approach.
“Tomas had developed a cough from the lack of nutrition. Not the same kind of sick as before, mind you, but still no condition to travel or even sneak out of camp. He’s gotten better since I arrived, sneaking fresh fruit when I can, but we both knew he couldn’t make the journey past the sentinels without hacking his lungs out and getting us caught. He wouldn’t risk me facing those consequences. I tried to convince him, but he wouldn’t even consider it. I wondered if I’d ever have the opportunity to try.”
And now they were both free, wandering these same woods to a future that held a chance for hope and love and life. But my peace was still a couple tasks away.
“One night, when I shielded myself and went to see Tomas, I saw Dae with Delia. He wasn’t cruel or harsh. They spoke like they had something important to discuss. Only when a guard came snooping around did he wear that assaulting facade, so I knew I wasn’t the only one pretending.”
Despite all the corruption, our connections to one another drove our actions to stand against it. “It’s a delicate balance of a game, isn’t it? We all have loved ones we’ve vowed to protect, and we’ll do it by any means necessary.”
“We certainly will. Oh, it was Val that set your tent on fire, by the way.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“I knew you weren’t there, so I let it happen. Interfering would have stoked the fire of questioning, so to speak.”
“She probably would’ve just come at me harder next time if you’d stopped her.”
We neared the camp, and I picked up cadences of conversation. Taking less care of the berries cupped in my shirt, I ran with abandon, losing a few along the way. When I reached them, I saw Melody gazing up at Tio, smiling. My vision instantly blurred seeing the way his face lit up, how his fallen tears darkened her clothes.
“You’re awake,” I exclaimed, fear melting off my heart.
Melody slowly tilted to face me. “Ro, I’m so glad you’re okay. We were worried about you.”
“Thank the gods,” Kasia whispered when she emerged from the woods beside me.
“I told you there was time.” I flashed a cocky smirk.
“Yeah, and now we don’t have to carry either of them the rest of the way.” She grinned.
I nudged her shoulder with mine before divvying up the berries. Pretty soon we were all refueling our bodies, preparing for the grueling travel that lay ahead. The wave of relief was like a drug, leaving me buzzing with a barrage of good feelings. While Tio ensured Melody nourished herself, she spared the same level of care for him. Kasia rested her eyes beneath some shade, which allowed Dae and I a few moments together.
I playfully popped some berries into his mouth using my index finger, straddling his lap in our seated position. Getting lost in his deep dark eyes could have been something I dedicated hours a day to. I did my best to bury the evidence of my newly hatched sorrow. Eventually Brax came down and partook of some juicy fruit, a droplet hanging from his chin making it look like he had a tiny dragon beard.
