“Are we near the crash?” I ask.
Thorin shakes his head and points in the direction I believe is east. “The fuselage is about a day’s hike that way. The tail was found near the pass between Maia and Little Bear.” Thorin looks over his shoulder to meet my gaze. “It was at the bottom of the river.”
I guess that explains why Tyler and I never found it and why we nearly died countless times searching in vain.
We hike for another hour before Khalil leads us into what appears to be a cave on the outside but is actually a tunnel. Inside, there’s a shallow stream of water cutting through the middle and leaving only narrow, slightly elevated paths on either side. It only takes us a couple of minutes to reach the other end of the tunnel. A blue bird flies by when we step out, but it’s thesound of rushing water filling my ears that causes a prickle of excitement to spear through me.
The sound gets louder the farther away from the tunnel we travel. Wherever they’re taking me, I hope we get there soon because my feet are killing me.
“Are you ready for this?” Zeke whispers in my ear when we seemingly reach the end of the path we’re traveling. I barely resist the urge to jump out of my skin at his sudden and unexpected proximity. His body is a furnace, making the sun a laughingstock.
Thorin doesn’t wait for a response and pulls back the dense foliage overhanging the path. I gasp when the calm turquoise pool at the bottom of a waterfall at least a hundred feet wide and fifty feet high comes into view. Water cascades over the many ledges in the bedrock of the steep cliff, adding to the striking visual the scene makes.
“Holy fuck, that’s beautiful,” I say as I gape at the hidden oasis my guys brought me to. “Wait… Why didn’t Tyler and I come across this when we were looking for the tail?”
“Because we’re on the opposite side of the mountain.”
“Really? How the hell did we get here so fast then?”
“Because we know where we’re going, including the shortcut that shaves half a day,” Zeke answers smugly.
I stare at his profile since I’m pretty sure that was a dig at my former bodyguard, but I choose to ignore it because I didn’t want to risk the headache pondering all the reasons why Zeke would be jealous of Tyler. It’s not like he wants me. Or at the very least, he doesn’twantto want me.
Feeling my temples throb, I let go of the train of thought.
Eager to dip inside the gorgeous pool, I look around for a way down, but I don’t see a clear path. “How do we get down there?”
“This way.” Thorin takes my elbow and leads me off the path and into the trees until we come across another rocky path onthe side of the cliff. When we reach the bottom, I drop my pack and bow and quickly unclip the straps of my overalls before shimmying out of the denim.
I only stop long enough to apply sunscreen to my chest, legs, and arms.
“I’m not one to photograph every moment of my life, but right now, I’m really wishing I had a camera,” I say as I look around.
“No need. We’ll bring you back here as often as you need to keep the memory alive, songbird.”
I not sure aboutoftensince the trek to get here was brutal, but I appreciate the offer.
I tiptoe to the edge of the water where I stop to eye it warily. “There aren’t snakes in there, are there? This really seems like the kind of place where snakes go to snack on tourists.”
“Probably,” Thorin answers. “Although, I doubt any of them are venomous.”
“Um…”
Seeing my hesitation, Thorin scoops me up and starts walking into the water. “Come on, songbird. I won’t let you get eaten.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.”
“I’m pretty sure God tuned us out a long time ago, songbird.”
I snort but then flinch when the water gets deeper and laps against my skin. I decide a moment later that I’m being ridiculous. The guys wouldn’t have brought me here if there was even the smallest chance of me getting hurt, so when Thorin lets me go, I don’t panic.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I coo as I turn to face him in the waist-deep water and slide my hands up and down his remarkable chest. “The only thing that can make this day better is an inflatable and a couple of cocktails.”
He smiles. “Can’t help you there.” Thorin swims away and then disappears under the water. He reappears a minute later near the falls.
I startle a little when Khalil and Zeke race past me, and I follow in their wake, stopping only after a few feet to tread water and watch to see who wins. I realize only after Zeke passes Thorin first and Khalil slaps the water that they were using Thorin as the finish line.
Zeke and Thorin race next, and I stay where I am, knowing that they are racing to reach me first.
