She stood on the riverbank, her movements poised and sure-footed, her breathing even, not the ragged gasps of someone who’d just surfaced after holding their breath. Every logical explanation my mind scrambled for fell apart.
A local swimmer? No one could move through that water with such poise or endure the cold with such ease. A hallucination? The lingering scent of the Victoria amazonica that drifted toward me on the breeze was too real, too vivid. She was unlike anyone I had ever seen before.
My clinical mind faltered, replaced by something more primal. The breath I held wasn’t from a lack of oxygen, but from the sheer impossibility of her. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and the feeling that stirred within me had nothing to do with my asthma. It was a profound, unsettling confusion mixed with a flicker of something else, something I couldn’t quite name.
She didn’t speak or move. She simply stood there, her gaze holding mine as if searching for something deep within me. The world around me faded—the sounds of the river, the rustling leaves, and the chirping insects all disappeared into the background. It was as if we were the only two beings in existence, connected by an invisible thread of moonlight and a mystery that defied every textbook I had ever read.
Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished, disappearing into the shadows along the riverbank as silently and effortlessly as a wisp of smoke.
I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest, the image of her burned into my mind.
Who was she? And what was she doing here?The doctor in me demanded data, proof, a rational explanation. But the man who had just seen her, the man standing on the jetty with his heart pounding in his chest, suspected that no such explanation existed.
CHAPTER 6
Luzia
The earth was a cruel mistress. Each step I took sent jolts of pain through my newly formed legs, the ground a brutal assault on feet that had known only the yielding embrace of water.
I stumbled, my arms flailing for balance, catching on thorny vines that tore at my skin, leaving angry red welts. The air, thick and heavy, clung to me like a damp blanket, a suffocating contrast to the cool, silken caress of the river. The unfamiliar scent of decaying leaves and damp earth was a cloying assault on my senses.
Every rustle of leaves, chirp of an unseen insect, and screech of a distant monkey sent shivers of fear down my spine. The jungle held so many unknown threats, none of which I was prepared for. Shadows danced in the dappled sunlight as the sun rose, twisting familiar shapes into monstrous forms. I had wandered all night, not managing to go far because my legs seemed to wobble and collapse, sending me to the ground.
I pushed onward, driven by the image of Inaiá’s fading face, her labored breaths echoing in my ears. But the human world, with its harsh realities and unfamiliar terrain, proved a more formidable opponent than I had anticipated.
My legs, still weak and unsteady, trembled with every movement, threatening to buckle beneath my weight. The rough ground scraped against my sensitive skin, each scratch a fiery reminder of my vulnerability. Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring my vision, but I pushed them back, refusing to succumb to despair. I had to learn to walk this earth, to conquer this alien world, if I were to have any chance of saving my sister.
The jungle thinned, giving way to a small clearing. A hut perched precariously on stilts, smoke curling lazily from a thatched roof, offered a fleeting glimpse of human life. Children’s laughter carried on the breeze, mingled with the rhythmic thump of something being pounded. For a moment, a flicker of hope warmed me. Perhaps these humans, these creatures of the land, were not as monstrous as the queen had warned.
Then, I saw myself reflected in the dark, still water of a puddle at my feet. My nakedness, once a natural state in the embrace of the river, now felt like a brand, marking me as an outsider and intruder.
Shame, hot and prickly, washed over me. I was exposed, vulnerable, a creature stripped bare in a world that was not my own. Terror, sharp and cold, gripped my heart.
What if they saw me like this? What if they hunted me, captured me, as the queen had foretold?
I recoiled from my reflection, disappearing back into the shadows of the jungle, my heart pounding against my ribs. I had to find something to cover myself, something to shield me from the judging eyes of this alien world.
Deeper into the jungle, I stumbled upon a campsite. Brightly colored tents, like strange, luminous flowers, dotted the clearing. Humans, their skin pale, moved about, their voices loud and unfamiliar.
They wore clothes of vibrant hues, fabrics that shimmered and flowed in the breeze. The wordtouristdrifted to me, a label for these strange creatures who seemed as out of place in this world as I was.Tourist. The word echoed in my mind, a bitter irony.
The river, a shimmering ribbon of silver in the dappled sunlight, called to me. I crept closer, drawn by the familiar comfort of its presence. A woman, one of the tourists, stood near the bank, her back to me. She was shedding her brightly colored clothes, revealing skin as pale as moonlight.
As the woman slipped into the river, leaving her discarded garments on the bank, a decision, swift and sharp as a piranha’s bite, formed in my mind. With a furtive glance around, I darted forward, snatched the clothes, and disappeared back into the dense undergrowth.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic tattoo of guilt and fear. Theft. It was a transgression, a violation of an unspoken law. But the alternative, the vulnerability of my nakedness, was a greater risk.
The clothes, rough and unfamiliar against my skin, smelled of strange, flowery scents. The pants, too large and loose, chafed against my legs, and the top, tight across my chest, restricted my breathing. But they covered me.
And for the first time since my transformation, I felt a flicker of something akin to safety. I could move more freely now, no longer burdened by the fear of exposure. I was still an outsider, an intruder in this alien world, but I was no longer a creature stripped bare. I was clothed, protected, and for that small mercy, I was grateful.
A sliver of sunlight, filtering through the dense canopy, caught my eye. I glanced upward, my heart clenching at the sight. The sun, already high in the sky, was a harsh reminder of the dwindling time. Panic, cold and sharp, pierced through me. My mind flooded with the image of Inaiá, her thin body still, her breath a shallow whisper. I had to hurry.
Every moment I wasted here, in this human world, was a moment stolen from her, a moment closer to the darkness that threatened to consume her. The fear of failure, a crushing weight, settled upon me, threatening to suffocate the fragile ember of hope that still flickered within my heart. The sun had crawled across the sky, and I was no closer to finding the flower.
The unfamiliar terrain, treacherous with hidden roots and loose rocks, proved a constant challenge. I stumbled again, my feet betraying me, sending me sprawling to the ground. A sharp pain shot through my ankle and up my leg, and I cried out, my hand flying to the source of the agony. My fingers came away sticky with blood, the crimson stain against my pale skin a cruel reminder of my vulnerability. Panic surged through me, a wave of dizziness threatening to pull me under. I was hurt, alone, and lost in a world that seemed determined to break me.
A shadow fell over me. I flinched, every muscle screaming in protest as I tried to scramble away, but the pain in my leg held me captive. A man stood before me, silhouetted against the dappled light, his features obscured by the shadows. Terror, cold and sharp, pierced through me. Another human. Another potential threat.
