Chapter 15 Emilio #3
Emilio had solved the riddle, but the tree roots surrounding Olivier hadn’t relented.
And not only had they remained, but they’d grown.
In a frenzied panic, Emilio shoved Benji into Masika’s arms and scrambled toward Olivier.
He brushed a strand of blond hair from the other boy’s face.
His eyes, his beautiful green eyes, were the only thing left of him.
The roots were devouring him. Swallowing him completely.
“I don’t understand,” Dina whispered. Despite her usual bravado, even she sounded taken aback, her voice wavering. “He solved the riddle. Shouldn’t they both have been freed?”
Analisa placed her hands upon her heart. Her bottom lip trembled. “I sense an end.”
“No—” Emilio choked out, pointing an accusatory finger toward the healer.
“Don’t. Don’t you fucking dare start spouting that nonsense—not about him.
” He turned his attention back to Olivier, hands cupping what he could of the other boy’s face.
“Please, Olivier. Not now. Not like this.” Panic surged in his chest. He leaned in closer, pressing his forehead against Olivier’s with delicate care.
“Please, my love. Come back to me. Come back to me.”
But still…nothing happened. And when Emilio pulled away, staring up at Olivier, he didn’t see fear reflected in the other boy’s eyes. He didn’t see terror or panic or pain.
All he saw was love. Heart-wrenching, tender adoration.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
It was Masika. She placed a trembling hand on Emilio’s shoulder. “Emilio…”
“No.” Emilio shook his head. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be their end.
“I don’t think…” Masika’s voice cracked. She reached her other hand toward Olivier’s shoulder—her palm pressed against the roots. “I think we might be too—”
But just as the words left her lips…the floor rumbled. The tree groaned. And then, as if listening to an unspoken command, the roots dropped from Olivier, collapsing onto the ground with a resounding thump.
Olivier fell to his knees, gasping in a strangled breath. Emilio reached out, grabbing the other boy in his arms, holding him steady. A broken cry escaped Emilio’s throat as he cupped Olivier’s face delicately in his hands.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, drawing him closer. “I have you.”
Olivier glanced up at him. Tears welled behind his eyes. “My love.”
Emilio cocked his head. “What?”
“You called me my love…” Olivier chuckled, and the sound was the most beautiful thing Emilio had ever heard. “That’s my line.”
“Olivier Dupont.” Emilio bit back his own smile. “Are you seriously flirting with me at a time like this?”
Olivier shrugged. “I find that it’s always a good time to flirt.”
Someone cleared their throat.
Emilio glanced to his left to find Masika standing there, smiling, Benji cradled in her arms, with the rest of the group right behind her, staring.
“Oh.” Olivier smiled innocently up at the group. “Hello there.”
“If you two are done with whatever this is,” Dina muttered, gesturing toward them with a wave of her hand, “I suggest we keep moving. It looks like we’ve come through the worst of it, though I’m not hoping to stick around to find out.”
“Yeah.” Emilio cleared his throat. His cheeks burned. “That’s—uh—that’s a good idea.”
“Hold on.” Catherine tightened her grip on the map clutched in her hands. “We can’t just leave. It says the first clue is here. The willow tree marks the spot where the True Headmaster wanted us to go.”
“Yeah, okay, but the willow tree almost just turned us into tree statues for the rest of eternity,” Dina snapped back. “I’m starting to think that maybe this True Headmaster didn’t want his soul to be found.”
“It’s not that…” Analisa whispered. She approached the willow, head tilted. “He wants to be found…but by the right soul.”
“What the hell is she on about?” Olivier muttered into Emilio’s ear. Emilio tried to pretend the gentle brush of Olivier’s breath didn’t send a tendril of want up and around his stomach.
He cleared his throat. “Not sure.”
Analisa pressed her hand against the willow’s trunk.
“It wasn’t an attack,” she said, turning to face the group. “It was a test. And we passed.”
As soon as the words left her lips, the trunk came to life.
Analisa took a cautious step away as the willow tree warped and moved, thick chunks of bark falling away, until a gaping hole had formed at the center of the trunk, a perfectly arched compartment.
But there was something inside the compartment.
Something floating inside the heart of the willow.
“Is that…” Dina’s voice trailed off.
Catherine stepped closer. She reached inside the tree, revealing what lay inside.
A key.
Made of what appeared to be rusted iron, the key burned with a deep emerald-green glow, as if imbued with magic. But something was attached to it, a small note tied with a green ribbon.
“The keys are the answer,” whispered Masika, echoing the words etched on the map.
“Well…” Dina chuckled, slapping Analisa on the shoulder. “Looks like we found our first key.”
Catherine untied the note with shaking hands. She opened it, gently unfolding the weathered old parchment. It didn’t take long for Emilio to realize what it was.
Another map.
Catherine’s eyes burned with newfound determination as she looked up at the group.
“And our next clue.”