He pauses at the door and throws over his shoulder, “I’ve told you before, you really should secure your files better.”
I gape after him even after the door swings closed. My files. He was in my fucking files. This whole time, after being sodismissive of everything I had ever worked on, he had been keeping tabs on my work.
Of course he did. He had always fallen back on me “helping” him with his, both when he was getting his degrees and as a professor. When in actuality, everything had been my ideas, my research, my hard work and long nights. I’m not a stupid fucking girl. I was always the woman with the brains in this relationship. And I need to be the brains now.
“Think, Dahlia. Think!” I coach myself out loud. I try to remember what I had typed into my notes when I had returned. But I hadn’t known where exactly the cave system was which means Ben doesn’t know either.
If I can make it back to Eryon before Ben, I can warn him. I only hope he will listen to me after I’m the one responsible for bringing this threat to his doorstep. My heart breaks for him as the price of this plant just keeps getting steeper.
The sound of voices has me pressing my face to the window, trying to see what is going on without running into Ben and risking another confrontation. As I see his large, well-outfitted group heading out, I hold my breath, waiting to see what direction they head in.
To my relief, they don’t head towards the river. As the last bright parka turns the corner, I burst out of the door and run to my room.
Once inside, I power up my computer. While it boots up, I grab some extra supplies and shove them into the top of my pack. I don’t have time to take everything out and organize it and I have no idea what’s still in there from my earlier trip. This will have to do.
I turn back to my laptop, planning to download my files and then wipe them from my online drive only to find I’m locked out of the University’s system. I slam the lid closed, cursing, “Damn you, Ben!”
Swinging my pack onto my shoulders, I head out again, notwilling to waste a single moment. I have to get to Eryon first. Ben may have unlimited resources andmanpower, but I have something on my side he’ll never understand.
The sudden threat has made me realize I love Eryon, and I’m going to protect him. No matter the cost. He’s paid enough. It’s time for someone to show him that he is worth saving, too.
Chapter
Fifteen
Iglance around to make sure no one is in sight before sneaking back toward the bridge I crossed just yesterday. The river is swollen from the fresh snowfall, its roar filling the air as I grip the rope railings.
“Dahlia!”
I spin around, my heart leaping into my throat at the sudden sound of someone calling my name. Relieffloods me when I see Sita.
“Sita! You scared me half to death!” I press a gloved hand to my chest, my heart pounding beneath my parka.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to,” she says, breathless as she hurries to meet me. “I heard you and Ben. I had no idea who he was when he checked in. If I’d known, I would’ve come straight to you! Then I saw you leaving the guesthouse and knew something must be wrong for you to head back out so soon.”
I sigh, guilt pressing down on me. “Sita, there’s so much I haven’t told you. But I don’t have time to explain everything now. I need to find that cave I was in before Ben does.”
She frowns, worry etched into her face. “Dahlia, it’s dangerous to cross into those woods. The?—”
I cut her off. “I know. The Migoi.” I hesitate, knowing how absurd it will sound. “Sita, the Migoi—he’s the one who saved me.”
Her eyes widen, but I press on before she can speak. “And now, I need to save him. I found the plant in his cave, but Ben is here for it, too. We can’t let him get there first.”
Sita flips her hood up and pulls the zipper to her chin, determination bright in her eyes. With a sharp nod, she says, “Let’s go. You can fill me in on the way. My family owes him a debt, too. I’ll help you protect him as he has always protected us.”
“I don’t know where I’m going. He might be angry that I’ve brought danger to him, just as I’m bringing you into it. You don’t have to come with me.” The hope she’ll back down and stay safe wars with the desire not to fight this battle alone.
She shakes her head firmly. “I think I know where to go. I’ve heard enough stories from travellers and passed down within my family about landmarks to reach his territory. And of course I have to go with you. What kind of friend would I be to let you face this alone? Besides, surely the Gods will smile upon us for honoring a dharma as sacred as protecting the protector.”
“Right now, I need all the help I can get. I’d be foolish to refuse you. Thank you, Sita.” My voice wavers as my eyes stingwith unshed tears, moved by her loyalty. I was wrong. I don’t have nothing. I have everything. Friendship, integrity, intelligence—and I’m in love with a Migoi.
I echo her phrasing, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the gravity of the situation. “Let’s go protect the protector.”
Taking a deep breath, I step onto the bridge, the ropes creaking under my hands as the icy wind whips around us and the river rages below. Sita follows close behind, as we retrace my earlier steps as far as I can remember.
We quickly exhaust the extent of my knowledge so Sita takes the lead. As we hike as fast as the trail and weather allow, she begins to recount the stories passed down through generations in her family and overheard snippets from the many travelers who have stayed at the guest house.
“My grandmother always said the Migoi are guardians of more than just the forests and mountains. They keep the balance between the human world and nature, between man's greed and earth’s abundance. Let’s follow the landmarks from the stories, and if they’re right, we should end up at the caves.”
