“It’s not weak to address sores on your feet.” He stands and glances over his shoulder to the cavern entrance. The trees gently sway from the current of wind sweeping through the jungle and whistling through the cracks in the cavern wall. “You need more poultice, but I’ve run out. I can go out and search for the ingredients, but it means leaving you here.”
I swallow and glance down at my feet. “Do what you have to do.”
“Take out your dagger and stab anyone or anything that comes in here. I won’t be gone long. Ten minutes, that’s it.” He waits for my nod and then rushes out. I gingerly lean against the wall, the dagger in my lap. The wounds at my back still hurt, but not as bad as before. I shift slightly, angling away from a bit of stone poking against my back. The air inside the cave smells stale and I wrinkle my nose, trying to focus on my surroundings instead of the abject fear that pulses under my skin. Along the wall are shimmering veins of turquoise, and I trace them with my index finger.
At last Manuel returns carrying a bundle of aloe, bananas, mangoes, oranges, and wild duck. He really did collect everything in ten minutes. If I wasn’t so hungry, I’d be annoyed by his efficiency. The only thing I would’ve brought back is another blister—if I came back at all. My mouth waters at the sight of the feast. He sets to work, gently spreading the cool liquid on my feet, and I let out a groan of pleasure. He hands me the fruit. I peel everything and drop it into his wooden bowl, mixing it all together to create a salad. We polish it off as Manuel cooks the pato over a fire. It’s delicious: smoky and charred on the outside, tender meat on the inside.
The stone is hard underneath my crossed legs, and slightly damp, but with my belly full, I couldn’t care less.
“Should we keep going?”
Manuel shoots a swift look in the direction of the entrance. While not exactly night, there still isn’t enough light. He shakes his head and settles against the craggy wall, his eyes open and alert, flickering from one end of the cave to the other. His eyes glow like twin fires in the dim light, illuminating the shadowy corners of the cave. Silence descends, heavy and obliterating. I’m worried, and I know he is too, despite how hard he’s trying not to let it show.
“You can tell me what you’re thinking,” I say. “I’m not going to fall apart.”
He clasps his hands in his lap, brooding. “I’m wondering if the Illari have been following us and I just haven’t been paying attention.”
“You?” I tease. “Not paying attention?”
His lips soften into a grudging smile. “I was arrogant when I first walked into the jungle. After a few days, I learned never to let down my guard. Which is why I can’t stop thinking about the Illari.”
“It will be easier to press forward when they aren’t breathing down our necks.”
“Whoever or whatever killed all those birds was evil.” He hesitates. “A dark kind of magic.”
“Do you mean like the human who transformed into the caimán?”
“That’s the Pacha magic of the Illari. I saw one of them transform into a large jaguar—which I killed when it was distracted by you.”
I gasp.“That was a person?”
He nods. “I told you the Illari are people steeped in magic from Pachamama. More than anywhere else in Inkasisa, this is her domain, like Luna reigns over the night. The Illari worship the earth goddess just like the Llacsans do. And here she’s gifted her children with ways to protect the land and the lost city.”
“What happens if we can’t find Paititi?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer for a long moment. “Ask me again after we’ve exhausted all avenues.”
“But I’m asking now.”
“And I’m telling you, it’s much too soon to ask that question.”
I swallow my frustration, but even so, a glare still escapes me. “Do you enjoy provoking me?”
“No,” he says frankly. “I hate worrying you. We ought to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll wake up early and set off.”
“I’m not tired. Can you tell me more about how you spent your days here in the jungle? Eight months is a long time.”
He shifts and stretches out his long legs, crosses them at the ankles. “At first I tried to find Paititi. If the rumors are true about the city being made of gold, I thought for certain they’d have the resources to have an effective army of warriors. But every time I thought I was close to finding it, I’d encounter one of the Illari. I’ve only just realized they were protecting a bridge near the hill with the dip in the middle. I made several attempts to cross the bridge, but none of them worked. That’s when I tried to discover a way out of the jungle.”
“Why do you think they’ve remained hidden all these years?”
He shrugs again. “It might be about the gold. A good enough reason not to let the world know what you’ve found hidden in the mountains.”
I scoop up the last orange segment in the bowl and pop it into my mouth. “The gold must be there. Otherwise, why remain hidden?”
Manuel reaches for the pack and yanks out the hammock. He spreads it out on the ground. “Here, you can rest first.” I scoot over and lie down, my head near his outstretched legs. He shifts away.
“They’re foolish if they think no one else will come looking for their city. It’s only a matter of time.”
