Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
W armth from the sun caresses my face as I slowly drift out of a deep sleep.
The sun?
I sit straight up, a light blanket pooling around my waist as I quickly scan my surroundings.
Dawnlin.
It wasn’t a dream. I am actually in Dawnlin, waking beneath the suns in the beautiful sky in a bed built into the trees. So much has changed in the past twenty-four hours, and the nervousness and despair I felt yesterday are replaced by pure excitement today. I am ready to explore this island with Dane and get the elixir.
I pull on my boots, run my fingers through my hair, and grab my dagger, securing it in the back of my waistband. I don’t see or hear anyone in the camp and wonder how many people are here besides Storm and Mara. It strikes me as odd that they are here and didn’t just go back home once they obtained the cure. I make a mental note to ask Dane about it later, but for now, I need to be ready when he wants to leave .
I make my way toward the tavern and just as I come around a corner, I run right into him. He isn’t in his Guardian robes today, his trousers and thin linen shirt similar to mine. He must keep different clothing for all the kingdoms he visits, so he is prepared for anything because he definitely would have stood out in Blackwood dressed like that.
“I was just coming to get you. I knew you were probably tired, so I let you sleep.”
“Is it really late?” I am not used to telling time based on the position of the sun because in Blackwood you never actually could. My entire internal clock is also very turned around with the change in time since being here.
“Not too late. Everyone is already gone. I grabbed us some food so we can head out there.”
“I’m ready.” I feel like bouncing on my toes, I am so antsy. “Is there a map or something I can have in case we get separated?
“No, we don’t keep maps. The island has a mind of its own. Things can change, and it is out of our control. Maps would constantly need to be redrawn, so we don’t keep one. Plus, if we did, it could easily fall into the wrong hands and lead Weston right to us. That would be a disaster for everyone.”
“Who is Weston?”
We walk along the planks just past the rope ladder we climbed last night. Dane beckons me forward and we step onto a different platform before he flips a lever, and the platform slowly descends to the ground.
“He’s the leader of the Castaways. He’s dangerous. They all are, but he is especially.”
We walk through the same dark entryway we came in through last night, and just as it did last night, I feel the same odd magical sensation thrum through my body as we step out the other side.
“Why is he dangerous? What has he done?”
Dane glances back at me. “This way,” he says, pushing aside leaves and branches. “See these trees here? There are ten of them that line this path. This is the best way to find where you are going until you start to know the way.” He points to a very tall, thin tree that has an intricate type of pattern in the bark. “This is the only place they grow on the entire island, so we think the island uses it as markers so we can find our way back to safety in camp.”
I nod, mentally taking a picture of the patterns of the bark. If I wasn’t allowed to have any sort of pictures or notes, I really need to pay attention.
“We all know it like the back of our hand now, but because the island can change, it is important to know details like that. You’ll see.”
The more he talks, the more questions I have. I want them all answered, but more importantly, I want him to tell me how to get the elixir. Knowing how to get back to camp is great, but I don’t plan on being here long and don’t mind staying with him the whole time.
“Wait. You never answered my question. Why is Weston dangerous?”
We push through the last bit of trees and come out onto the dirt path. I am already sweating, thankful for the light clothes from last night.
“I don’t want to scare you, but you need to be aware,” Dane answers, his tone serious. “The Castaways are a gang of bandits and kidnappers on the island led by Weston. They’re vicious and ruthless. We don’t know where they live or where they will show up, so we always have to be on alert. That’s why we have the armory. Anyone who leaves camp can make sure they can defend themselves if need be.”
This was not a development I was expecting. I expected to learn about the island, and about the magic that fills it, then to turn around and go get the cure. Now, I’m starting to feel like there is more to this world than I first thought.
“Have they killed anyone?”
Dane shakes his head. “As far as we know, no. They don’t kill. But they’ve kidnapped many of us over the years, and brainwashed them, turning them against us and convincing them to follow orders.”
“But why?” I plead. This island is a place of hope and magic that seems to know our exact needs. Why would it allow Weston and the Castaways to harm others?
“He wants the elixir for himself, and he will do whatever it takes to get it, including taking us and increasing his chances of finding it. No one has ever made it back to us once he’s taken them and sunken in his claws.”
The weight of my dagger on the small of my back reminds me I am armed and wouldn’t be taken without a fight.
“Is there a bow in the armory?”
“Why?” Dane smirks. “Are you a good shot?”
“Some might say that.”
“I didn’t realize that they trained castle staff to shoot.”
Shit. I’d gotten so caught up in simply being myself, I’d forgotten that this isn’t a skill most royal maids would have. I need to lie, but still stay as close to the truth as possible.
“I’ve had a bow since I was a child. It’s a skill I’ve kept up over the years. You never know when it will be useful.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. We’ll get you that bow tonight when we get back. Between that and your dagger, you’ll be prepared.”
He remembers I have the dagger. How could he forget? I basically threatened to kill him with it.
We approach a stone staircase carved into the side of the mountain and start climbing.
“What does he want with the elixir?”
Dane shrugs with a sigh. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how he got here, especially with his intentions. Besides,” he reaches down and pats the bag of golden dust hanging from his belt. “Even if he got it, he wouldn’t be able to leave with it. This is the only way anyone can get onto or off of the island. With permission from the Guardian.”
“Do you think he wants to actually use it?”
“Use it, sell it, recreate it. Whatever his reasoning, we know it isn’t good. If it was, he wouldn’t be resorting to violence to get it. That is why we need to stay on our guard at all times, and gods forbid if he does ever take you, don’t believe anything he says. Usually anyone who is new to the island stays with a partner until they know their way. Then they can venture out on their own.”
“I’m confused. Why wouldn’t we just go to where the elixir is, get it, and then I can leave? Isn’t that the whole point of being here?”
Dane stops at the top of the stairs, waiting for me to catch up. With the humidity and heat, these stairs put the ones in the castle to shame. I am already tiring out and breathing deeply, and we’ve barely just left.
“That’s the thing, Lennox. We don’t know where it is.”
My head starts to spin, and not just from the altitude of the climb. They don’t know where it is. Is this why everyone is gone all day? Are they searching for it?
“What do you mean you don’t know where it is? You’re the Guardian of Dawnlin. Shouldn’t you know?”
“I don’t think any of the Guardians knew where it is. You know how difficult it was to figure out how to get here. The magic of the island will not make it easy to find the elixir, especially since there are people like Weston who would try to exploit it.”
“You’re not the only Guardian? There are others?”
“There were others,” he trails off and gazes out over the island. “Only one person can be Guardian at a time, and that is me.”
“How did you become it? It doesn’t seem like something that anyone knows about becoming.”
His face grows somber. “That’s one reason I said you need to be careful and aware out here.” His throat bobs, and he meets my eyes. “I became the Guardian because Weston killed the last one. I watched it happen, and before he could take it over, take over control of the island, I grabbed his things.” He gestures to the bag again. “It just happened after that. I didn’t know it would, didn’t want it, but I couldn’t let this fall into the hands of that monster.”
I’m speechless. How could someone be so cruel and so evil, to take away any chance of hope of finding the cure? How could he kill an innocent person just to control everything?
Monster is the right word.
Dane takes a step down, closer to my level. “That’s why I want to make sure you are careful. I don’t know what I would do if he took you,” he murmurs.
“I will be. I promise.” I smile and he returns it, his grin lighting up his face and making his eyes dance.
“Come on, let me show you more.”
We walk around the island for what feels like hours. Dane points out so many different things, I can see why people who are new need to travel with someone else until they get their bearings. I’d spent years learning maps and details of places I’d never been before, so I am not too worried about learning my way around.
In what seems like the early afternoon, we finally pick a spot in the shade to rest and eat some of what Dane brought with us.
“Do you like it so far?” He asks before biting into a piece of fruit.
“The food? Yes, it’s great,” I answer.
“No,” he chuckles. “Not the food, the island.”
“Of course I do. It’s amazing. It’s nothing like I expected, not that I actually expected anything, since I didn’t know until yesterday that I was even going to try to find it. But I have a question.”
His eyes meet mine, waiting for me to ask.
“Is this it? We just try to find the elixir every day?”
My heart pounds as I wait for his answer. I’d been so caught up in his warning about Weston that I hadn’t really processed the reality of his words. No one knew the location of the elixir, which meant that this would not be a simple task. I would not return home today with a fond memory and a future with my mother ahead of me. I need to know the truth of what to expect for my time in Dawnlin.
“Unfortunately, yes.” His eyes drop to the food in his hands. “Since Weston killed the last Guardian, there was no one to pass along any of the instructions or secrets of the island, if there even were any to begin with. We’ve all just been trying to figure it out as we go. None of us have found it yet though, and everyone has chosen to stay even after all this time.”
“All this time? How long has it been?”
He looks up at me again, a tight smile on his lips. “For some it hasn’t been as long as others, but for many it has been years. It’s hard to really know how long unless I pay attention to time when I’m called off of the island.”
“How long have you been the Guardian?” I hold my breath, waiting for his answer.
“Probably for your entire life,” he breathes and then takes another bite of fruit.
My eyes trail over his features, his strong jaw, his smooth skin, and his young, muscular body. Something doesn’t make sense.
“If it has been over twenty years, then why do you, you know, still look like you do?” I gesture to his face, his body. He only looks a few years older than me, but if he’s been here my entire life, and who knows how much longer than that, he definitely shouldn’t look my age.
“That’s another thing about Dawnlin I haven’t told you yet. Time…stops here. No one ages or changes as long as they are on the island. Dawnlin doesn’t exist in the real world. It is a timeless world of its own. It’s part of the magic.”
“If so many people have been here for years searching for the cure, and still haven’t found it, are their loved ones even still alive?”
Dane shrugs. “We don’t know. Most people don’t want me to check. It’s too painful to think about. It’s easier to focus on accomplishing what they came here for and enjoying each other’s company in the meantime. They feel they got this far, and they need to see it through and not give up hope. It is likely that most of them are not there any longer, but how am I supposed to tell them to stop?”
I understand that. I only just got here, and I am itching to start looking, but this new information makes me uneasy. If so many of them have been searching, day in and day out for the elixir and still haven’t found it, what makes me think I wouldn’t spend years here as well?
Am I ready to spend years here? Am I ready to leave my kingdom behind?
I picture my mother laying in her bed, my father giving the nod to the healers to finally say goodbye. My eyes fill with tears, and I swipe them away roughly.
I am not going to leave anyone behind. I am determined to find the elixir and save my mother. I will not spend years here. I have come this far, and I am going to do it.
I don’t have another choice. There’s nowhere else I belong.
If I don’t come back, or if I spend the next twenty years roaming the island, my kingdom will have no ruler. My father will have no chance to have another heir. The future of Blackwood depends on my return, and I won’t return empty-handed.
I stand up, dusting off the back of my pants and pushing my hair out of my face. “Ready? I want to see more.”
“Sure,” Dane says, gathering our things and standing as well. He takes a step and then halts, as if he’s hit a wall. His eyes widen, seeing something I cannot, and then his head shakes, snapping him out of the trance.
“I have to go.” We’d traveled deep into the island, and while I had some bearings, I don’t entirely know which way to go next.
“What do you mean you have to go?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t notice the unease in my voice.
“I’m being called,” he says. “I don’t have a lot of time. I have to leave. Stay here. I’ll come back for you. Just try to stay hidden, okay?”
“Okay,” I nod, slightly nervous that he is just about to disappear on me after warning me about the Castaways.
He reaches down into the pouch at his side and grabs a pinch of the scented dust. “I’ll be back soon. Just please, Lennox, stay put, alright?”
Before I can answer, he reaches up, drops the dust over his hair, and then vanishes before my eyes .
I’m still mildly in disbelief at witnessing magic so up close. I sit back down in our rest spot, I realize how open and exposed I am, and my mind wanders to the Castaways. Dane said to stay here and remain hidden, but I can’t really do both in this spot.
Time drags on as I wait for him to return. I have nothing to keep myself occupied besides looking at the small slip of island around me, and trying to process all the information he told me.
I feel like I am wasting time. I came here to get the cure, and bring it home, not to sit around waiting. He warned me of the dangers, but the danger of losing my mother is also real.
I jump up, unable to contain my energy, and start pacing. He told me to wait, but I am armed. I am trained. I don’t know my way around, but I can figure it out. I glance around and listen, making sure I don’t see or hear anything moving before setting off the same way we came.
The immediate surroundings look fairly familiar as I retrace our steps, and the open parts of the path help me see where I am in relation to other big markers on the island. I follow along, keeping my bearings and moving quickly. I’m confident that I am going to make it back to camp, and remain on high alert, scanning my surroundings and listening for any abnormal noises. Dane would be proud, and maybe he won’t force me to tag along with someone else for days.
The path narrows ahead of me, and walls of jungle rise on either side. I slow as I approach it and can’t help but think that something feels…off. I strain to listen, trying to pick up on anything that would indicate why I suddenly feel the hair rising on the back of my neck, and that’s when I notice it.
Nothing.
I hear nothing.
Where before there were sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and birds chirping and cawing, now there are none. The silence is deafening. It’s as if this entire section of the jungle had gone still, warning me that something is not right .
I should have stayed where Dane left me.
I don’t stop moving, trying not to give away that I noticed anything, in case someone is watching me. I pan the walls of trees, keeping my head still and straight forward. The inability to see anything through the dense vegetation makes me nervous for an ambush.
I need to get to more open ground, but I can’t remember how long until the trees open up again. I have two choices, stand my ground and wait for an attack, or get the hell out of here.
I go with the latter.
I don’t hesitate. I run with all my might, boots slamming into the packed dirt path and trees whooshing by. I keep my head straight and don’t look back, focusing only on getting back to camp.
An arrow whizzes past my ear and strikes a tree in front of me.
Fuck, they are shooting at me.
At least I know the threat is a person and not some magical creature I wouldn’t know how to defend myself against. I know I should weave, because a moving target would be harder to strike, but the path is too narrow.
My lungs burn and my legs still carry me as fast as I can. There are no breaks in the trees, but there hasn’t been another arrow, so maybe I have to outrun whoever is following me.
I risk a glance back and don’t see anyone, but I refuse to slow down. I’m not out of trouble yet.
I look forward again just as a thick rope of vines snaps into place right in front of me. I can’t stop myself and slam into it, my momentum knocking me to the ground.
I can’t breathe. I lay there gasping for breath, black dots flashing over my vision, when I hear multiple bodies step out of the trees around me
“Well, well, well. What have we here?”