Chapter 15
Kel shifted as the jeep bumped along the dirt track.
The sun was barely on the horizon, and Madeline sat beside her, with hands wrapped around a travel mug of coffee.
They rounded the final bend and the cove unfurled before them.
Mist rose off the water, and the palms were sharp silhouettes against the brightening sky.
As their jeep rolled in, the set was already a hive of activity.
Crew members hustled between equipment jeeps and the shooting setup.
Only one bit of calm stood out—Antonia. Kel guessed the woman was there to ensure the location was secure, and her presence made Kel breathe a little easier.
At least Ruthi wasn’t in this car, Kel thought, relief and nerves tangling together.
Apparently, the director had insisted on riding out even earlier with the crew, to “make sure nothing else exploded before sunrise.” Typical, but at least it gave Madeline a quiet ride.
Kel knew it was something the woman needed. Today was a big day.
As soon as they stepped out of the jeep, Ruthi materialized at the edge of the staging area in dark jeans, a black T-shirt, sunglasses, and a clipboard in hand like a weapon.
“Madeline,” she called, voice brisk but not biting.
“Makeup tent, five minutes, tops. I told them no heavy coverage. I want you as you are. Natural.” She flicked her gaze over Madeline, pausing long enough for Kel to catch the faintest glimmer of approval. “Let’s move.”
Nodding, Madeline glanced at Kel. “You’ll wait right here?”
Kel smiled, squeezing her hand. “I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got this.”
Madeline smiled back, gratitude and nerves warring in her eyes. “If I run, tackle me.”
“Deal,” Kel said with a wink. “Now go get gorgeous.”
She watched as Madeline hurried off, shoulders a little straighter now, before exhaling a shaky breath.
She was still riding the high of the day before.
The sun and laughter and Madeline’s mouth on hers, but now the old anxiety was back, coiled tight in her chest. Today was Madeline’s moment, and Kel wanted everything to be perfect for her.
No sabotage. No drama, she thought. Just Madeline shining.
Lost in thought, Kel didn’t notice Ruthi had drifted closer until the director spoke. “Do you always come to the set and help with the shoot? Assistants aren’t always so involved.”
Kel startled, then shrugged, trying for casual.
“I guess I got in the habit. Madeline likes to have someone in her corner, especially on big days.” She hesitated, then added, “I’m used to it.
I was… logistics on a couple of indie projects before this.
Expectations were high because there were only so many of us to do the work, and it stuck. ”
For a beat, Ruthi only tilted her head. “Not a bad gig,” she finally said. “You’re lucky. Most actors treat their assistants like furniture.” Then she gave her a hint of a smile. “But it seems Madeline is lucky to have you too.”
Kel ducked her head, surprised by the compliment. “Madeline’s… different. She actually listens. She cares.” She hesitated, then, before she talked herself out of it, added, “And, um—I’m actually a screenwriter. Or I’m trying to be. I write at night. Bad habit, maybe.”
Ruthi’s eyebrows rose behind her sunglasses.
For a second, Kel braced for the snark, but it didn’t come.
“Screenwriting’s a blood sport,” Ruthi said, sharp, but not unkind.
“Hardest door in Hollywood to kick open. Smarter people than you and me have given up trying.” She paused, as if weighing something.
“But if you’re already writing, you’re ahead of most. Keep at it. And don’t take notes from idiots.”
Caught off guard, Kel blinked. “Thank you. I—wow. I wasn’t expecting… that.”
Ruthi gave her the hint of a smile. “Don’t get used to it.
” With that, she turned and strode toward the monitors, barking an order at the lighting crew, all business again.
Kel watched her go, feeling a strange swirl of emotions.
A little relief, hope, and something like awe.
Maybe the island really is working some kind of magic, she thought. Even on Ruthi Shay.
A soft voice pulled her back. “Kel?” She turned to find Madeline standing outside the makeup tent, radiant in the morning light. Her skin glowed, eyes luminous, hair swept back in soft waves. She looked both nervous and electric.
Kel’s heart twisted with pride and longing. “You look incredible,” she said.
Madeline smiled. “Ready?”
Nodding, Kel felt warmth blooming in her chest. “More than ready,” she said. “Now, go show them who you are.”
The jungle air was thick, and the cove shimmered behind her as Madeline stepped onto her final mark.
Her body thrummed with adrenaline. The kind that felt like hope and victory.
She had delivered her lines with a clarity and honesty that felt new, raw, and exhilarating.
Each time she finished a take, she caught little glimmers of awe on the crew’s faces.
The sound woman had even high-fived her after the last setup.
“You made my job easy,” she whispered, and Madeline grinned, heart buoyant.
Behind the monitor, Ruthi’s voice cut through the hum of the crew.
“All right, people, you can celebrate later,” she said, sounding efficient but not harsh.
“We need our closing shot. Madeline, on the path. Walk away from the camera, slowly, and naturally. Let the moment breathe. I want to see hope, not a toothpaste ad.”
Madeline nodded, nerves giving way to a giddy kind of peace.
She glanced at Kel, who stood a little off set.
Madeline gave her a wink, then took her place at the edge of the jungle, the dappled light painting her skin.
The script called for her to walk away from the camera, leaving footprints in the sand, vanishing into the green.
A symbol of transformation, of stepping into the unknown.
It felt almost too on-the-nose, but the moment felt real.
She let herself breathe and let the island’s hush settle inside her.
Ruthi’s voice came again, softer this time. “And… action.”
Moving forward, Madeline walked slowly and steadily, her bare feet sinking into the warm sand, until the jungle swallowed her in lush, fragrant shadow.
She let everything fall away. Her doubts, her old fears, the pressure to be perfect…
She walked, letting the camera drink her in.
This is it, she thought. This is me. I am enough.
She was nearly at the end of the path when a sharp, unnatural crack echoed through the stillness.
There was the sound of wood splintering, and leaves rustling in a sudden, frantic burst. Instinct screamed, MOVE.
Madeline dove to the side, barely clearing the spot where, with a thunderous crash, a massive tree limb slammed down.
It sent a spray of dirt and shattered branches in every direction.
For a split second, everything was silent. Then chaos erupted. Crew members shouted. Someone screamed her name. Madeline scrambled to her knees, heart hammering, and her ears ringing. The limb had missed her by inches. If I had been a step slower… she thought.
Ruthi’s voice, sounding a little panicked, rang out from behind the camera. “Cut! Someone get over there!”
But Madeline was already moving, crawling away from the fallen limb, her adrenaline surging.
She looked in time to see a figure. A man in crew clothes, face half-hidden by a ballcap, was slipping away behind the trees.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Antonia break from the edge of the set, moving like a panther, silent and lethal.
She disappeared into the undergrowth after him.
Madeline’s hands shook as she stood, brushing leaves from her arms. Kel was there in an instant, arms around her, voice trembling. “Are you okay? Madeline, oh my God—”
“I’m fine,” Madeline gasped, realizing she meant it. “I’m okay. Just… shaken.”
The crew stilled, breath held in collective suspense.
Madeline clung to Kel, both watching as Antonia emerged, dragging the man by the arm.
He fought, but Antonia’s grip was iron. She shoved him to his knees in front of the gathering crowd, her voice flat with authority. “Who sent you?” she demanded.
The man spat on the ground. “I don’t know her name. I only did what I was paid for.”
Antonia’s jaw tightened. “Paid by who?”
He looked up, eyes wild, with sweat streaking his face. “Someone who knows everything about this place,” he growled. “She said it was time to ruin Leighton’s little paradise. Said I’d get double if I made it look like an accident.”
A collective gasp rippled through the crew. Ruthi stepped back, her face pale, lips pressed in a hard line. Madeline saw her hands trembling as if the betrayal cut deeper than fear. She looks like she’s ready to bolt, Madeline thought. This is really upsetting her.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally, Antonia hauled the man to his feet. “You’re done here,” she said coldly. “And you’re going to tell us everything.”
As Antonia swept the man away, Madeline turned to Kel, her own shock fading into a cold, creeping anger.
She looked at Ruthi, who stood rooted to the spot, eyes dark and haunted.
Something fundamental had shifted. Not only for Madeline, but for all of them.
In the hush that followed, Madeline understood.
The island’s magic was real, but so was its danger.
As she and the others headed back to the main lodge, Ruthi kept the tightest grip on her emotions, barely staying in control as both her mind and her stomach churned.
Swallowing her nausea, the director clamped down the tears that threatened to break out, thoughts of how Madeline had almost died roiling through her head.
It was my fault. Madeline might have been killed, she thought.
Oh, God, I want Eve. I need my Mistress.
As the Jeep navigated the road, the lush, colorful scenery around them gave no hint of the ugliness they had left behind, and the shock of the incident grabbed her in iron talons.
I haven’t had much respect for Madeline, dismissing her as some no-talent, bubblegum actress—which hasn’t been fair to her—but she’s a good person, she thought.
Who in their right mind would want to harm someone like her?
Her ugly suspicions hammered at her as her emotional grip slipped further.
Get to Eve, Ruthi, she instructed herself, desperately striving to keep her agitated thoughts on the beautiful Domme.
She can help you make sense of what happened.
If this is your doing, the Mistress will know how to tell Ms. Leighton so you can face the music. She shuddered at the thought.
Nearing the main lodge, she asked the driver if he would mind letting her out.
Eve’s dungeon was a much shorter jaunt from this point.
As he pulled over, Ruthi twisted around to face Madeline and Kel in the back seat.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Madeline,” she said quietly, hoping her expression didn’t reflect her inner thoughts.
“I—I have somewhere else I need to be, but Kel will take good care of you.” Ruthi nodded at a surprised Kel.
“But, if there’s anything I can do—” Her voice trailed off as she gave a small smile to the two women before jumping out of the Jeep and heading down the path that led to Eve’s cottage, almost running as she felt the safety and security of her Mistress’s arms beckon to her.