Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
T he clearing is bright and empty as Fin and I come through the portal back into camp. I expect and welcome the quiet. Everyone will probably still be gone for hours, and my ears haven’t stopped ringing slightly since the explosion. All I want is a nice cool shower, and to lie down for a while.
It takes me longer to make it up the ladder, my grip strength still recovering after hanging off the side of the mountain. After pulling myself onto the platform, I am immediately met with heavy footsteps getting closer and a deep voice calling out.
“What happened?”
Dane is in front of me in moments, his hands cupping my shoulders, his eyes assessing me, taking in all of my scrapes and bruises. “Are you hurt?”
“I’ll be okay. The mountain exploded.”
His face is etched with concern that doesn’t ease at all with my statement .
I place my hand over his and give it a small squeeze. “I’ll be fine. I just really want to wash all of this dust off.”
“I’ll get you some food, Lennox!” Fin yells before sprinting toward the tavern.
Dane moves to my side and wraps his arm around my waist for support as I hobble along the planks.
“Did you break anything? Anything serious?”
“I don’t think so. I’m going to be really sore. I have a pretty nasty cut on my hand that I need to clean out and put some salve on. Otherwise, I just really want to lie down.”
“Where were you? How did you make it out?”
I tell him everything, all about the paths and how the explosion left me hanging above the jagged rock. “Fin saved me. We broke his bow, though.”
“Another one should appear for him, if not now, within the next few days.”
“That’s alright, he has mine.”
Dane doesn’t respond, and when I sneak a glance at him, he looks thoughtful.
“Which side of the mountain were you on?”
“The back side. I’m not ready to go near the falls yet.”
He nods, lost in thought.
We walk up the stairs toward the showers and his arm slides away from my back.
“You aren’t going anywhere, right? Can I talk to you after?”
“I don’t have to go if you don’t want me to.” He smirks and closes the distance between us, his eyes glimmering with mischief.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t hide the heat in my cheeks. I give him a playful shove that is met with a low chuckle.
“Alright, alright, I know what you mean. I’ll meet you in the tavern?”
“Thank you.”
He brushes a light kiss over my lips and winks before turning to stride back down the stairs. I shower quickly but thoroughly, letting the cool water soothe the aches and pains and wash away the mixture of dust and sweat plastered to my skin. While I’d become more accustomed to being around so many people, it is nice to have a little space to myself to just think.
I’d been so close to death today… again , and it didn’t get any easier to deal with.
The highs of surviving are starting to wear off, and I can feel the sinking realization of how this place is not just the wonderful and magnificent, magical island it appears to be.
It is dangerous. It is unkind and possibly unforgiving.
It makes me wonder, has anyone died here? I want to ask Dane. I still haven’t decided how long I will go without finding the cure. Maybe knowing what I am risking will help me better decide the point of surrender.
I dress and pull my hair up into a high knot, letting the wet strands continue to cool me down, then make my way to the tavern. Dane is sitting at a table alongside Fin and Mara, who look over at me when I enter.
“Gods, that looks like a nasty gash.”
I reach up to touch my forehead where Mara is staring. It had been burning during the shower, so I knew I had something else that needed treating. I must have gotten cut by some of the falling debris.
“It’s not so bad,” I say as I slide onto the bench next to her.
Fin filled the table with plates of food, so I grab something and started nibbling.
“Good thing you have such a hard head,” Mara says with a laugh before turning back to Dane. “Anyway, I swear I saw someone. It was really quick, but it couldn’t have been one of us.”
“Where did you see them?” He looks serious, and I wonder if he is worried.
“Down by the cliffs. It was a quick flash, and then they were gone. I ran over to look. Obviously, I was armed, but there was nothing.”
“Male? Female? ”
She shakes her head. “Couldn’t tell. It was too quick. There were boot prints, but I lost them in the rocks.”
“Damn.” He leans back in his chair with a sigh.
“One of the Castaways?” I chime in, looking between Dane and Mara.
“I think so,” she answers. “This could be a lead. Maybe their camp is close by.”
“Maybe. I will have to go take a look.”
Mara swings her leg over the bench and stands up behind it. “I’m heading back right now while it is still light out. Maybe they are getting lazy.”
“Alright. I’ll be down there in a little bit.” He nods at me. “I’m going to make sure everything is good with Lennox first.”
She nods at him. “Want to come Fin?”
“Yeah!” He bolts up out of his seat. “Let’s find some Castaways!”
“Be careful!” I call after him as he sprints out of the tavern. Mara gives us a wave and strides after him, disappearing around the corner.
“So,” Dane starts as I turned back toward him. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I almost died today.” His face drops at my words, but I continue. “It just got me thinking. Everyone that is here, have they been here the whole time? Has anyone gone back without it?”
He shakes his head. “No, no one has gone back. Everyone has stayed here on the island, at least since I’ve been Guardian.”
No one has been compelled enough to give up, to return to their loved ones without a cure. Is it because too much time has passed? Is it because they have been here so long, they’d forgotten about their home? Is it because this place and this way of living just gradually became their new home?
“Has anyone…not made it?”
He looks solemn, his jaw ticking slightly before he speaks. “I don’t know about everyone. Some have become Castaways, and I don’t know what happened to them. But no, some have not made it.” He stands and rounds the table, reaching for my hand. “Come with me. I’ll show you.”
We make our way down to the clearing and wind through the path that leads towards the cage I was kept in on my first day here. It seems like so long ago now. So much has changed.
We turn off down a less trodden path and weave through the trees. A small clearing opens up ahead, and as I look past Dane at the space before me, I let out a small gasp.
It is beautiful.
Wildflowers of all different colors, shapes, and sizes bloom from the trees and weave into a colorful canopy. Below it lie a handful of graves, each marked uniquely, some with flat stones, some with piles or structures made of tree branches lashed together.
“The island makes sure this place stays beautiful for them, and for anyone else who may follow them,” Dane says quietly.
“I’m glad,” I mutter weakly. I feel overcome with emotion. This could have been me. I could have been brought here after what happened today. Dane could have been burying me here instead of showing it to me.
Dane shifts behind me. “That’s why I asked where you were. Most of them have died on or near the mountain.”
“You warned me. You said this place was dangerous.”
“I did. For more than one reason.”
I turn toward him. “Do you think you’ll find anything at the cliffs?”
“I’m not sure. It’s not like we haven’t looked there before. We look everywhere. But if Mara saw someone, it’s a start. I’d say come with me, but you need some rest and to fix up that hand.”
“Yes, I do.” I tug on the bandage Fin had tied on, still wet from the shower. Dane starts back down the path and I follow, but pause for a moment and look back over my shoulder toward the graves. I say a silent prayer to the gods for the souls of those who gave everything to help someone they loved. After a moment of silence, I turn and make my way back toward camp .
Dane helps me apply the magical salve to my face and hand and changes the bandage on my wound before heading out to meet with Mara and Fin. I hope the salve works quickly on my hand. I need it functional enough so I don’t have to skip a day of searching.
I head to my bunk, tediously climbing the ladder all the way to the top, my muscles and joints screaming as I pull myself higher. All I want to do is put the shade up and lay my head on the pillow, but first I have to update the map. I pull it out of my shirt and open it, flattening the creases and spreading it across the shelf. I trace out the mountain path and draw in the gap with a large ‘X’. Maybe, if this map ever falls into the hands of someone who needs it, knowing that path is dangerous might save their life.
I try to relax, but something Dane said keeps popping into my head. Most of the deaths occurred on or around the mountain. If that is true, why is it more dangerous than other places? Could it be simply because of the treacherous terrain? Or is there more to it? Was the island more dangerous the closer you got to the cure? Is there a reason it is trying to keep us away, and how can we beat it?
Am I right in thinking that the mountain is the key to finding the cure?
I look over everything I have sketched so far. All the other traps and diversions I ran into in other areas of the island haven’t been that bad. I’ve been able to get out of them on my own, or if I was with other people, it was usually a misdirection. But today was more than that.
The area surrounding the mountain needs to be my new focus, no matter how dangerous it is. That’s the point, isn’t it? To do what needs to be done to find the cure?
I take in the details of the sketch and my chest tightens as the realization kicks in. There is no avoiding it. If my theory is true, and the island is hiding the cure in or around the mountain, I have no choice.
I need to explore the sides surrounded by water.
I need to get over my fear, and fast.