Karim exchanged a few words in Elvish with the black-clad guards, and they let us through.
“Follow me,” he instructed, and before I could react, he went up the ladder and disappeared through the ceiling.
It happened so fast it took me a moment to process what I’d seen.The ceiling had literally opened up for him, like a curtain of living plants parting to let him pass.Like magic.
They certainly hadn’t taught me about such plants in university.Hesitantly, I followed Karim.Once at the top of the ladder, I eyed the vines over my head suspiciously.They looked as solid as a wall to me, just like they had from the ground.
What now?How did one sayOpen Sesamein Elvish?
At that moment, the plants over my head parted to let a hand through.What awaited me if I put my hand in Karim’s?I didn’t have a choice but to find out.
I took a deep breath and accepted the offered help.I squeaked ungracefully as Karim pulled me up and through the ceiling in one go.A strong arm around my waist pulled me away from the opening and onto solid ground, and I gripped the fabric over his chest to ground myself.He’d moved so fast that the sudden switch to semi-darkness had left me disoriented.
“You are safe in this cave,” Karim whispered, his voice somewhat shaky.I couldn’t see his face but I felt his warm breath on my cheek; we were standing that close.
My breath hitched.His solid chest beneath my palms, the cedarwood and clove of his scent flooding my lungs, his powerful presence wrapping around me–in the dark, Karim consumed each one of my senses.
“You can let go now.”
Oh!I was still fisting his clothing as if my life depended on it.“Sorry.”I stepped back, mortified.Here I was, getting lightheaded by our closeness, when my prolonged touch must have grossed him out.
“It is all right.”His tone was soothing, not angry.
Could it be that he didn’t find my closeness that unpleasant?
Then Deidre appeared right next to me, and the loaded moment was broken.Tisvali joined us immediately after.Their speed and agility were frightening anytime but more so now, because they also moved soundlessly.If there wasn’t some natural light seeping into the dark cave, I wouldn’t have known they were with me.
Despite their silvery skin–or perhaps because of its unique qualities–they blended in with their surroundings, light and dark alike.The perfect predators.
“The plan?”Deidre whispered, maybe to avoid an echo.
I tried to focus on Karim’s reply while my eyes were glued to the cave’s opening and the daylight shining through.The outside world–my world–was on the other side of a tangle of leafy branches keeping the cave hidden from passersby.
“Sector 7, the tree with the mushroom growing out of its trunk at head level,” Karim explained.“The flower is five steps to the left.Deidre, you provide cover from above.Tisvali, you take the left flank.I take the right and assist the human in her task, if necessary.”
“Our mission is a flower?”Tisvali sounded disappointed.
“Sector 7,” Deidre muttered.“Is that the flower you found during last week’s guard duty?The white-petaled thingie that had you drooling for five minutes?”
“Thethingieis an edelweiss,” Karim underscored.“You should know how rare and precious this flower is.”
An edelweiss?It was not an endangered plant in this country, but it grew only at high altitude and on very specific soil.And though I wasn’t sure where we were exactly, since I’d been brought here at night and barely conscious, there weren’t mountainous areas anywhere near enough to the University Botanic Garden for theflower to grow here.A precious find, indeed.
“Nah.”Deidre waved her hand dismissively in the semi-darkness.“Sorry, but I ain’t one of the pompous asses who spend their free time memorizing the names of every single plant.I prefer to train how to defend my home with all life in it, regardless of its name.”
Tisvali snickered.“Did you just call our Prince a pompous ass?Jesus, you are begging for a haircut.”
I tore my gaze away from the daylight and possible freedom.Was Tisvali referring to Karim?Was he thePrinceof Elves?
“It is all right, Tisvali.”Karim must have caught me staring, because he asked, “You know of edelweisses, human?”
“Umm…” He was the Prince!Not that said fact changed anything in my situation.Head in the game, girl.“I’m well familiar with the species.I’m just surprised it grows here.We are not high in the mountains, are we?”
He shook his head but didn’t say where we actually were.
If I managed to escape, I would have a rough time finding my way around.
“The aliens’ bombs have caused climate changes that could explain such strange plant occurrences,” Karim added.
