Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I can’t see anything.
There is no light, no sound, nothing to indicate that Dane or anyone else is waiting for me inside this cave. I do not know where it opens to, or if it even opens at all. I just know I have to trust it will go somewhere, and I will not end up dead in a cave on a mythical island.
I take another small step forward, reaching my hands out in front of me to feel for any obstacles. Instantly, the darkness disappears, and I am standing in an open grassy clearing, the pinks and oranges of the sky peeking over the trees above me.
I whip around, looking back at where the cave had just been a moment ago, but there’s no cave. The rock on this side isn’t covered in vines, it is just darkness, as if there is actually nothing there. I look back and forth between the opening and the clearing I am standing in and can’t believe it.
There is no tunnel. There is no cave. I just appeared.
It seems like… magic .
I was there, in the darkness, and then I wasn’t .
I turn back toward the clearing where Dane stands, smirking. I know I probably look dumbfounded, because I am. I don’t know how to explain what I just experienced, other than with magic.
If only Edmond could see me now.
“Come on,” Dane says and heads toward the other side of the clearing. “Let me show you around.”
The clearing is no bigger than the training courtyard back at the castle, and empty. What could he need to show me around? Is there something I’m missing? I glance around, expecting a camp, tent stakes, leftover burnt logs, even sleeping rolls. But there’s nothing. Maybe everything is magically hidden, just like the entrance was.
“Where is everything?”
We reach the edge of the clearing, lined with thick trees and vines so dense I can barely see a few feet deep. Dane reaches around the back of a large lumpy trunk and pulls out a ladder made of rope and wooden rungs.
“Can you climb?” He ignored my question, but his was answer enough. I look up and can’t believe my eyes. The tops of the trees surrounding the clearing are filled with structures and bridges, the entire camp built into the branches. Torches light spontaneously around the entire circle as the sky darkens above us. There even appears to be a lookout at the top of the tallest tree. A wooden sign with the word “Voyagers” carved into it hangs crookedly from a trunk. That must be what they call themselves.
“ This is camp?” I ask, not even trying to hide the shock in my voice as I crane my neck trying to take it all in.
Dane plucks the cloak from my hands and throws it over his shoulder. “I’ll take this for you. You’re probably not going to need it here, but I’m sure you want to keep it.”
“Thank you,” I say as I place my hands on a rung just above my head. I grip tightly and lift my foot to the bottom rung, pushing as hard as I can to work my way up the ladder. Strong hands wrap around my waist and lift me slightly, and I almost lose my footing. He lifts me as if I weigh nothing, and I feel the heat of his hands sinking into my skin through my shirt.
The ease with which he touches me is still shocking, and something I am trying to get used to. Despite Dane knowing my real name, he still doesn’t know who I am, and deep down, I want to keep it that way. I don’t want to be treated as a princess here, by him, or anyone else I meet. I just want to be me, Lennox, who is here to find the cure for someone she loves.
Despite having strength in my arms from shooting my bow and fighting with the heavy training swords back at home, this climb is harder than I expected. With every rung, the ladder twists and turns, and it takes all of my strength to pull myself upward.
I feel the ropes pull taught and grip the wood a little tighter as I glance down between my feet. I am high enough that Dane has started climbing, and his weight makes it a little easier to keep going. By the time I reach the wooden platform at the top and pull myself through the square hole, I am out of breath and my arms feel heavy and boneless.
“Who are you?”
Two large bare feet step into my vision and I look up to see a man towering over me, arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on
his face.
“She’s alright, she’s with me,” Dane calls from behind as he pulls himself onto the platform. “Lennox, this is Storm.”
“Nice to meet you.” I stand and reach my hand out toward him.
Storm takes a step forward out of the shadows, and I can see him more clearly. He’s young, probably close to Dane and my age. He extends his hand and clasps my forearm, a greeting I knew was common in a nearby kingdom.
It isn’t just Blackwood that has a fountain, then.
“Lennox.” His voice rumbles, reminding me of thunder, and I come to appreciate his name and wonder if it is real .
He releases me, taking a step back again.
“Anyone else back?” Dane asks.
“Not yet. Should be soon if they are coming at all.” He glances up at the sky that is now turning a light shade of purple.
“Alright. I’m going to show Lennox around and get her a platform. I’ll be back.”
Dane steps off the platform onto a thin beam of boards above a net of ropes and starts making his way across it. I follow, more wary and slow than Dane’s sure-footed gait and am grateful for the net below. Once across the beam and back onto more solid walkways, he gestures to the right, where a set of wooden steps wrap around the side of a tree and disappear behind it.
“This leads to the tavern, or so we call it. Food is prepared there, and if you follow the steps, there are some tables and chairs, enough for all of us.”
I lean to the side, trying to see past the steps, but it must be too far back into the trees. My stomach gurgles slightly at the thought of food. I don’t actually know how much time has passed since I last ate.
He continues on to the rope bridge on the other side of the tavern, his footfalls shaking the planks underneath me and causing me to stumble. I grab the ropes on either side quickly and stabilize myself as I try to keep up with him. I feel like I am walking on ice in the winter at the castle. Hopefully, I will get used to this for the time I am here.
He points to the right again at a smaller set of steps and a long, shrouded tunnel. “Back this way are the bathrooms and showers. Yes, there is running water, and no, I don’t know how it works. It just does. Same with the food too. The island takes care of us, knows what we need, and it just happens. There aren’t enough of us to have separate bathrooms, but there are separate sleeping quarters. Most people are shy when they first get here, so it’s okay if you want to shower at odd times. Some of us don’t at all and just go out in the water. It is up to you.”
Bathe? With other people ?
I hadn’t ever had to share space with anyone before. Being the princess, I had everything of my own, and the idea of a bunch of strangers bathing at the same time
me while I bathed was not something I was expecting to have to do.
Dane looks me up and down, his eyes trailing slowly over my entire body.
“We’re going to need to get you some cooler clothes or this heat is going to get you.”
I’m suddenly aware of how much my clothes must be clinging to me, and how much he may or may not see. Beads of sweat run down my back and my hair clings to the back of my neck. What was Tila’s masterpiece hours ago is probably an absolute nightmare now.
The suns have now fully set, the only light coming from the fiery torches every few feet. Dane turns off the main walkway and starts climbing some steps up into a densely packed tree.
“Here are your bunks. Ours are on the other side over there.” He points across the center of the clearing to the opposite end of the ring of trees. “Right over there is the armory, but you shouldn’t have to worry about that yet. I’ll show you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I say, following his gestures and trying to see the areas he points out in the darkness.
“Doesn’t look like Mara is back yet. She might not be tonight, so you’ll have the place to yourself. She sleeps there.” He points to a platform close to the bottom. “You can pick any one you’d like. They all should have what you need.”
I nod and look around at the unclaimed platforms. They all have a thick sleeping pad, with a pillow and blanket stacked on top, ready for someone like me to show up. “Thank you, this is perfect.”
“Are you hungry? Do you want to grab some new clothes?”
“Yes, but some new clothes and a bath would be great, actually.” I need to wash off all this sticky sweat, although I have a feeling it will come right back. I hope I can get what I need and get back to Blackwood long before my body starts adjusting to this new climate .
“Let’s go then.”
Going back the way we came in, leaving the other half of the circle for another time. We still haven’t seen anyone else yet, despite Dane saying they didn’t stay out after dark. When we finally come to the so-called bathroom, I am shocked to see what is before me.
While I am used to bathing in a tub that Addy fills with warm water and oils, there is no tub here, only wooden walled stalls like the stables I rarely visited. A hollowed log grows out of the middle of the tree, branching into arms that drop one into each stall. Towels, soaps, creams, and oils are stacked on shelves carved directly into the thick trunk of the tree, and beneath it are piles of folded clothing, in different shades of earthy colors.
“You can take whatever you need. There are all different sizes and styles, whatever you feel comfortable in. There’s a basin just back there. You can wash anything you want to keep. And the outhouse is just past it. Again, don’t ask how it works, it just does,” he adds with a smile. He sees the confused look on my face at trying to figure out how all of this is possible up in a tree.
“Thank you,” I say timidly, walking over to look at the clothing options. “Um, do you think anyone else is going to be needing to bathe right now?”
He grins and leans against the tree, just inches away from me, and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ll guard the entrance for you. Make sure no one peeks.” He gives me a wink and I can’t hide the blush rising in my cheeks.
“Same goes for you,” I say quickly, trying to hide how his words make images pop into my head of Dane peeking at me as I peeled myself out of these clothes.
Tila’s books have really been a bad influence.
I turn on my heel, not giving him a chance to say anything more, and head over to the shelves. I quickly grab what I need as I hear Dane’s footsteps fade down the tunnel toward the bathroom entrance .
I pick the farthest stall, just in case someone came back and needed the outhouse or something. I hang my towel and new set of clothes on the wooden pegs on the outside of the stall and step inside. I am not tall, so the walls of the stall give me a good amount of privacy, but I cannot imagine bathing like this with someone in the stall next to me. I stand on my toes to glance over the top, making sure Dane isn’t peeking , as he said.
I slowly strip off my clothes and drop them into a pile just outside of the stall. I need to clean them and save them for when I return home. The light fabrics of the clothes here would not be warm enough to wear home. Once I am undressed, as if the island knows what I need, a steady stream of cool water flows out of the hollow branch above my stall, falling over my shoulders.
I groan as I lean my head back, running my hands through my hair and savoring the cool water on my overheated body.
I hear Dane clear his throat at the sound and I feel a flutter low in my stomach.
Maybe I can get used to shared bathing spaces.
I wash quickly, scrubbing off the entire day from my skin. Once I am dry and dressed, with my dagger tucked in the back of my waistband, I make my way back down to the main passage, only to find Dane standing at the bottom of the steps, holding a plate of food.
“I know it’s been a long day, and the time doesn’t exactly match up to Blackwood, so I figured you might be hungry.”
“Thank you, that was really thoughtful.” I take the plate from his hands and look it over. An assortment of fruits, nuts, and cheese is perfect for this heat.
“Of course.” His lips turn up at the sides just as I let out a yawn.
I am exhausted. The excitement and newness of the day has finally calmed, and I can’t help the wave of fatigue that comes over me.
“Since you probably want to get to sleep, what do you say we save the explanations for the morning? I can tell you everything when I show you the island.” Dane reaches up and grabs a piece of dried fruit off the plate and pops it in his mouth.
“That’s probably best if you want me to remember anything you say.” I sigh deeply. “It’s been a rough day.”
“But I hope it got at least a little better, didn’t it?” He holds my gaze and I nod.
“Yes,” I say. “You’re right, it did.”
“Now let’s see if you can remember your way back.” He takes a step back so I can lead the way. It seems hard to get lost in a giant circle, but I manage to only make a wrong turn once. Eventually we get there, and Mara, whoever she is, still hasn’t returned.
“Mara must be at one of the safe houses. Looks like it will just be you tonight.”
Alone.
I know he and Storm are here, and anyone else who may have shown up while I was bathing, but they are all the way across the clearing. I’d never been alone before, without a handmaiden nearby or a guard standing just outside my door.
It feels…free.
I grin widely and feel as if a weight is lifted off my chest.
“Get settled. I’ll come get you in the morning, alright?”
“Sounds great.” I pause. I want to say more, but I also don’t want to say too much. I am still new to real friendship, and with Dane it already feels like too much, too fast. I’m tired and emotionally drained from today, and I don’t want that to influence my words. I stick with something simple.
“Thank you, Dane. I know I was pretty mad earlier about you lying to me, but you’ve been so kind and thoughtful. Just…thank you.”
His lips turn up at the ends and he takes a step closer, enough that I have to tilt my head back to see his face. He reaches forward slightly, taking my hand in his. His thumb caresses my skin, each stroke tingling and sending a shiver up my arm .
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here, Lennox. I’m glad I get to help you.”
A smile breaks across my face, and I can’t stop the thoughts creeping into the back of my mind. I want him to lean down and kiss me, but I can’t. I shouldn’t.
I have a task to focus on, and despite his actions tonight, and the trust I have placed in the island, Dane himself still has to earn it back. Kissing him would muddy those waters.
I step back, pushing the thoughts of his lips brushing mine out of my head.
“Goodnight, Dane.”
“Goodnight.”
At that, he turns and strides down the walkway and turns the way we hadn’t yet gone. I watch the shadow of his body walk away, only illuminated every so often by the torches he passes. Once he is on the other side of the camp, I look up at the open platforms, spying the one I want.
I manage to climb up the wooden ladder, still holding his plate of food in my hand with my clothes hung over my shoulder, all the way to the platform at the top. There is an opening in the canopy of leaves, right in the center of the clearing, and from this platform I can see right into it. As I get to the top of the ladder and set my plate down on the bed, a small orb with a flame inside of it appears, casting a soft glow over the platform.
Dane was right, it has everything I need. A pillow and light blanket are stacked at the end of the thick sleeping pad. There are shelves above the end of the bed, and rails made of thick branches along all the sides, so there is no risk of me falling from the trees to my death.
I tug off my boots and set them off on the side of the platform and make myself comfortable. I devour the food quickly, and it is just enough to calm my growling stomach before making up the bed. Something else I’ve never really done for myself .
I lay down, staring up at the sky above me.
I’d never seen stars before, or the moon. It is huge in the sky, much larger than the scale of the drawings and sketches I’d seen back home. It cast light and shadows over the clearing, and I can’t help but smile up at it, a single tear escaping.
I had made it.
I am in Dawnlin.
I am one step closer to finding the cure for my mother.
I am proving to everyone, my father especially, that I am ready, and that I can do difficult things that prepare me for my reign.
I think of Dane as my eyelids grew heavy. He is a distraction, but a necessary one. He is as much part of Dawnlin as the cure is, and I feel lucky that I met him when I did.
He seems like he truly wants to help me. I know that is his role as the Guardian, but it seems like more than that to me. It seems like he actually cares about me. My feelings for him have morphed into something over the last few weeks, but I don’t know if anything could ever come of them. With his role and mine, I am not sure how that would work.
I don’t need to worry about it right now. All I need to worry about is getting some sleep and being prepared to learn everything I need to know about the cure.
I close my eyes, happy for the first time in a long time. The clear skies and twinkling stars are the last thing I see before I drift to sleep.