“You didn’t fail them,” I say, staring straight into the flames. “I did.”
“No one failed anything,” Rosalina says. “Will you help us prepare for the arena?”
“I could not help him before,” Justus says. “I could not stop this war. What can I offer now?”
Rosalina looks over at him, a fire in her eyes. “Daytonisa hero. He may not see it, but he has saved me again and again. He’s back now, despite everything, despite his curse, to reclaim Summer.”
“So, the curse is real?” Justus asks. “I have heard whispers.”
“Yes. You’ll see soon enough.” I flick my gaze to the approaching sunset.
“You have a way to break it,” Rosalina says. “Your mate is alive and awaits you.”
The thought makes me feel even heavier. I rest my head in my hands and look up at Justus. “I understand how you combated my moves in the fight. But you did the same with Rosalina and her thorns. It was like you knew exactly how she worked. You never fought Caspian in the war, so how could you know her magic?”
“You’re right. I never fought Caspian.” Justus stands and looks down at us. “But I know how to combat the thorns because I was trained by the one who first wielded them.”
Rosalina and I exchange a stunned glance.
“Take my cabin and rest. Tomorrow, I will teach Aurelia’s daughter some tricks,” Justus says. “For you, Daytonales, you are already a master at your dual swords. Now, it’s time to learn how to wield my old trident.”
With that, he walks into the woods.
“He really is an ancient warrior.” Rosalina gasps. “Heknewmy mother.”
His old trident.“He knew your mother,” I say, as it finally dawns on me. “Because he was never a goat herder, just as he was never actually Justus. He’s Aeneas, the first High Prince of Summer.”
CHAPTER 51
Rosalina
Hands full of clean tunics, I follow Dayton through the jungle until I hear the soft bubbling of water. He pushes back a leaf as tall as me, revealing a silvery stream cutting through the foliage.
“Wow,” I gasp. “It’s beautiful.”
Dayton stares at me for a moment, then walks downstream. “I’ll go behind this bend to give you some privacy.”
“Right,” I say, trying to ignore the disappointment that swirls inside of me as I watch him disappear around the corner.
Leaving the dry clothes on the bank, I strip down to my bra and panties, not willing to go completely naked in the jungle in case Justus wanders over. The stream is cold yet refreshing. Dirt and sand float off me as I wade deeper.Gross.
I take a plunge and work furiously at the mats in my hair, desperately wishing for some conditioner. Then I scrub my skin, before returning to the stream’s edge and grabbing my clothes to give them a wash in the deep water as well.
As I work, the sounds of the jungle come alive: a chorus of birds bidding farewell to the day, the chirping of crickets, the rustle of leaves, the murmur of the stream, all blending in a harmonious lullaby. I close my eyes, surrendering to the serenade of the jungle.
Something slimy prickles on my arm. Opening my eyes, I see a giant black bug attached to my forearm. A bloodcurdling scream erupts from me.
Water splashes and suddenly Dayton is in front of me, the trident gleaming in his hands. It’s like he moves faster in thewater than out of it. He grabs my shoulders and whips his head back and forth, searching for injury. “What is it, Rosie?”
“My arm,” I squeak.
He looks down, notices the bug, then bursts out laughing. The trident disappears into light and flows back into his necklace. He’s been wearing it on a separate string since he first faced Justus. “That’s a nightfire caterpillar, Blossom.”
“A what?”
He tilts his gaze to the sky. I notice he hasn’t completely stripped either, wearing only tight black shorts. “Should be about time,” he murmurs.
“Yeah, about time to take thisoffme!”
