My parents had sold the rest of the collection to the Manaus Museum, sacrificing a piece of our family history to fund my education. A pang of regret echoed through me. I wished they hadn’t. I would have found another way.
There was something about the pendant that resonated deep within me, a pull toward the unknown, the unseen. I clutched it tightly, the smooth wood a comfort against my skin, a silent promise to uncover the secrets it held.
“Caio! Look at you, all grown up and cityfied!” The booming voice startled me from my reverie.
I turned to see Zé, his broad, sun-weathered face crinkled into a wide grin. Zé, a lifelong friend of my father and a fixture on the Riomira docks, was a man carved from the very essence of the Amazon. His thick, calloused hands, perpetually stained with river mud and fish, spoke of a life lived in harmony with the natural world. His eyes, the color of the river after a storm, twinkled with a mischievous glint.
“This is you, back where you belong,” he added, clapping me on the shoulder with a force that nearly sent me sprawling.
“Thanks, Zé. Good to be back,” I managed, grabbing my duffel bag. The familiar weight of it, packed with city clothes and textbooks, felt strangely out of place here.
The muddy path leading to our house was a sensory assault—the squelch of mud beneath my feet, the insistent buzz of insects, the vibrant green of the jungle pressing in on all sides. But it was welcome, a reminder of the life I had longed for during my months away.
As I rounded the bend, I saw her. My mother, standing on the porch, her hand shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. Her face, etched with the lines of years spent under the harsh tropical sun, broke into a radiant smile when she saw me.
“Caio!” she cried, rushing toward me, her arms outstretched. Her scent, a familiar mix of woodsmoke and vanilla, enveloped me as she pulled me into a tight embrace. “My boy! What a wonderful surprise.”
“Surprise, Mom,” I said, burying my face in her hair. Being held in her arms, feeling the warmth of her embrace, was like coming home to myself.
Inside, the small house felt even smaller than I remembered. The familiar scent of her cooking, a rich stew simmering on the stove, filled the air. She bustled around, fussing over me, piling my plate high with food.
“So,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “Any pretty girls in the city stealing your heart?”
I chuckled. “No, Mom. Just textbooks and patients.”
She playfully swatted my arm. “Caio, a handsome young doctor like you? You need to find a nice girl, settle down, and give me some grandchildren.”
Before I could respond, the front door opened, and my father walked in, his shoulders slumped with fatigue. His face, weathered and lined like the bark of an old tree, lit up when he saw me.
“Caio!” He pulled me into a bear hug. His embrace was strong, despite his weariness, a silent expression of the love that flowed between us.
“Dad,” I said, returning his embrace. Seeing him like this, worn down by the relentless demands of the river, a pang of guilt shot through me. I had promised myself I would return and ease their burden.
“We’ll go out on the river tonight,” he said, clapping me on the back. “Show you a few new fishing spots I’ve found.”
The promise of spending time with him, sharing the familiar rhythm of the river, filled me with quiet joy. But seeing the threadbare clothes he wore, the weariness etched into his face, and the minimal furnishings in our small home, a wave of sadness washed over me. They had sacrificed so much for me, and I hadn’t even been able to visit during the past year.
Discreetly, I unpacked the bag of groceries I had bought in Manaus, placing them on the counter. They wouldn’t take my money, the meager earnings from my night shifts as an orderly at the hospital. But they couldn’t refuse food. It was a small gesture, a token of my love and gratitude, a silent promise of better days to come.
A prickle of unease settled on my skin, echoing the coolness of the pendant against my chest. The air grew heavy, a strange pressure building in my lungs. I clutched the pendant, its familiar texture grounding me, yet the feeling of being watched, of something unseen drawing near, only intensified.
CHAPTER 4
Luzia
My heart pounded frantically against my ribs as I swam as quickly as I could through the familiar tunnels. The queen’s warning echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of the perilous task ahead, but it was Inaiá’s face, pale and still, that fueled my desperate flight.
I reached the chamber where my sister lay. It was tucked away from the main cavern, the walls lined with soft, bioluminescent moss that cast a gentle, ethereal glow. Inaiá rested on a bed of woven kelp. Her chest rose and fell with shallow, ragged breaths, each one a painful reminder of the sickness that gripped her.
Nahla sat beside her, her aged hand resting gently on Inaiá’s forehead. Her eyes, usually bright and full of life, were clouded with worry. She looked up as I approached, a flicker of hope igniting in their depths.
I kneeled beside my sister, my hand hovering over her cheek, her skin dry and feverish. “I’ll be back, Inaiá,” I whispered, myvoice thick with unshed tears. “I promise. I’ll bring you theFlor da Lua.”
Nahla placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Go, Luzia,” she said, her voice filled with quiet strength. “The river guides you. I know you will succeed.” A faint smile touched her lips, showing her unwavering faith in me.
I pressed my forehead against Inaiá’s, a silent farewell, then turned and swam toward the shimmering exit that led to the surface and the human world beyond. With a powerful thrust of my tail, I propelled myself forward, leaving the safety of my home.
The cool night air kissed my skin as I broke the river’s surface, the transition from the familiar embrace of water to the alien touch of air a momentary shock. The near full moon, a luminous presence in the inky sky, bathed the river in its silvery light, transforming the familiar waters into a shimmering expanse of liquid moonlight. Above, the stars glittered in a breathtaking spectacle I rarely witnessed.
