by C J Benjamin
He seemed to understand instantly what I wanted to do and he stepped forward, reaching out his hand.
Everyone was silent after what I’d showed them through Eja’s amazing power to share memories. I looked around the room and all of their faces were horrorstruck, both by the gruesome attack between Khan and the soldiers, and of the wrath of the men now hunting us.
I let go of Eja’s hand and everyone followed suit. He stared at me tragically and I could feel his pity and fear for me. His emotions were echoed by everyone else in the room and it was making my head spin. It was too hard to be near all that emotion. I needed air. I excused myself from the tent and sat down outside, next to Niv who was napping in a patch of sunlight. I stroked his warm fur and he gave a content groan, as he rolled onto his back so I could scratch his belly.
“Why does everything have to be so difficult, buddy?” I whined.
From the devastated looks on everyone’s faces, they knew who the men were in the forest last night and it wasn’t good. I could tell they weren’t just hunters. I’d known deep down as soon as I saw their masks and weaponry that they were part of the Ravinori. The looks on everyone’s faces confirmed it.
Jaka came outside and I immediately moved to stand, but he motioned for me to stay seated and he joined me.
“They were Ravinori weren’t they?” I asked.
“Yes, mercenaries,” Jaka replied. “The Ravinori’s most elite and lethal soldiers. They call themselves the phantoms and it’s lucky that you possess such intuitive powers that you were able to detect they were near. They pride themselves on their swift and soundless attacks.”
“They’re looking for me?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t stay here, Jaka. I’m putting everyone in danger as long as you’re harboring me.”
“It is an honor to our people to help serve our Eva. Your will shall save us all and that will not be without sacrifice.”
“I used my powers last night. They surely know I’m here and they won’t give up now. It’s not safe for me to stay here. I’m just going to drag innocent people into my mess.”
“We will make preparations for you to leave soon, but not before you are ready. This attack has taught us that it is clearly not safe for you in the forest. I’ll make arrangements for you to travel through the Bellamorf network. Their channels are not marked. We’ve always been afraid to map their locations in case they should fall into the wrong hands. With Eja’s help, I can show you the way in my mind, but it will take time to prepare.”
I shook my head and let it hang, fighting off tears. Jaka took my hand.
“We are not afraid, my Eva. Do not despair. We have stayed hidden in this forest for many years. We are not defeated yet. Now thanks to you, we know our enemy. There is hope in knowing your enemy.”
53
Shortly after my talk with Jaka, we left camp. We mounted some wild ponies that Talon and Mali had procured and rode them silently through the tangled forest, toward the nearest Bellamorf tree so we could catch up to the rest of the tribe that left earlier to make a new camp.
There weren’t enough horses for all of us, so I rode with Remi since his riding skills weren’t that great. He seemed to enjoy the look of disgust on Nova’s face when I offered to ride with him after he got bucked off in the first two seconds he was on his mount.
“You can wipe that smirk off your face now,” I commented when we were out of earshot.
“What?” Remi replied coyly.
I gave him a frustrated elbow.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I won’t antagonize him.”
“Promise?”
“Well, how long are you talking about? Just today or—”
“Remi!” I scolded. “What’s gotten into you? You know we almost died last night, right? I’m in no mood to joke.”
“Precisely! Last night proves life is short. We need to take joy in every moment while we can.”
I sighed deeply, but didn’t respond.
“All right, I promise! No more fun,” Remi conceded.
“Thank you. Besides, Nova doesn’t need to be encouraged to dislike you anymore than he already does. And you’re lucky he doesn’t know about our kiss, so stop gloating! You’re just causing trouble for me. We all need to work together if we’re going to get through this.”
“And why haven’t you just told Nova about our kiss if it didn’t mean anything?” Remi challenged. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Not really, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway.”
“It’s because you know you liked kissing me.”
I was glad Remi was riding behind me so he couldn’t see my cheeks burn red. For some reason, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss, but I had to. And, I had to make him stop thinking about it too.
“Remi, you have to stop. We’ve been through this. It’s not like that between us, okay? You’re my best friend and I’m not ready to lose that.”
“I know, I know. I mean the world to you, blah blah, blah. You can say that all you want, but it’s not going to change the way I feel about you. I felt it when we kissed. Maybe you don’t know it yet, but you love me and I’m going to be here waiting when you figure that out, Geneva.”
“Remi, that’s just it. I don’t want you to waste your time waiting for me to figure out what I want! I have enough to worry about right now without you and Nova putting pressure on me.”
“Well, I’m not putting any pressure on you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you chose between us or anything dramatic like that. But as far as waiting, that’s not your decision to make for me. It’s my heart, I’ll waste it how I want,” he said defiantly.
I sighed deeply and shook my head. These boys were incorrigible.
I was relieved to reach camp and see that everyone was all right. Jovi, Sparrow and Jemma were completely healed from their scratches thanks to Vida’s expert care and Sparrow’s healing powers. They were all a little shook up, understandably.
“Where is everyone else?” I asked, noticing that the camp looked pretty sparse.
“Jaka put everyone on alert after he learned of the attack,” Sparrow told me. “A lot of them left last night. He said it’s safer for us to spread out and try to throw the hunters off our trail.”
“We’re only allowed to travel by Bellamorf now,” Jovi added.
“So, I’ve heard,” I said, my concern growing.
I hated the idea of endangering the Betos. I wanted to start our trek to the Troian Center as soon as possible and put a safe distance between us. I knew every moment I spent with them was putting them at risk. I was the reason the mercenaries were invading the forest. The Ravinori only wanted me. If I hadn’t come into the forest, the Betos wouldn’t be in danger.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Nova said interrupting my thoughts.
“Sure,” I shrugged, letting him pull me away from the others.
“Not too far,” Talon called when we reached the edge of the soft orange light cast by the nearby campfire.
“Tippy, don’t even think about it,” Nova whispered to me.
“Think about what?” I asked.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re not going to sneak off in the middle of the night. That does none of us any good.”
“Nova! That’s not what I was thinking and you’ve got to stay out of my head!”
“Don’t lie to me. I know you well enough to know that’s what you were thinking without having to read your mind. It’s written all over your face.”
“Then you should know I’m right! If I stay here, I’m just putting innocent people in danger. The Ravinori only want me.”
“That’s not true. They’re looking for the Pillars too and that means me. And, what good does it do any of us if the Ravinori get you? You’re the only one who can defeat them and we have to do it together! You’re the one who convinced us of that, remember?”
I sighed in defeat knowing he was right.
“Besides, you know if you sneak off that I’m just going to have to come rescue you.”
I rolled my eyes at him, but knew he was only speaking the truth. And I knew from experience if Nova came, then Remi was going to come and then everyone would get dragged into my mess as usual. Staying to figure out a plan would be better than running blindly into the abyss.
I shook my head and tried to fight off my eagerness to flee. I felt guilty even thinking it, but I knew Nova was probably reading my mind anyway so I said it.
“Nova, do you ever wish we could both just run away?” I whispered.
He looked at me in shock.
“Together, I mean. Sometimes I wonder if maybe we went far enough away from here . . . Maybe our problems wouldn’t follow us and we could be . . .” I paused, staring into his intense eyes as my own welled with emotion, thinking back to my dream. I wanted to say “together,” but the words froze in my throat. I swallowed hard and was only able to say, “ . . . normal?”
“Every day,” he smiled painfully. “I think about that every day.”
54
The next morning, after morfing to a new campsite at daybreak, Jaka gathered us in his tent. He had Eja show us a path he and the scouts mapped out for our return to the Troian Center. Eja shared their vision with us, using his unique powers that let us see into his mind. This way, we could view a map that would never have to be written down, ensuring our path would remain secret and there wouldn’t be the risk of it falling into the hands of the Ravinori.
Jaka’s plan consisted of traveling by morfing the majority of the way along the secret chain of Bellamorf trees that existed strategically throughout the rainforest.
“There are a few instances where you may have to travel short distances by foot, but for the most part, I think it’s your swiftest way back to the Troian Center.”
“What about using powers? Won’t morfing only alert the Ravinori to our whereabouts?” I asked.
Mali smiled. “Not if we all morf in different directions.”
“Split up?” Sparrow asked apprehensively.
“No way! That’s not a good idea!” Nova interjected.
“Let him finish,” Eja urged.
“Jaka has sent word to the other Betos in the forest. If we all morf in different directions at the same time, there will be too many of us traveling for the Ravinori to track at once. It’ll be like a lottery and they’d have to get really lucky to find our group,” Mali finished.
“Who’s in our group?” I asked.
“Mali and I will escort you and your friends while Jaka goes with my family and the rest of the tribe,” Talon said. “As long as that’s okay with you, my Eva,” he added for good measure.
I pondered their plan for a moment and felt tentatively optimistic.
“I think it could work,” I admitted surveying the map Eja was projecting with his mind. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow, at dawn.”
We had a lot to do before we were ready to leave and no time to waste. The Ravinori encounter had made us all leave in a hurry and we were scrambling to find our belongings. I quickly went to work delegating tasks to get us on track. We only had three tents to share between all of us at camp, so I sent the boys to work setting them up, designating one for the girls, one for them and one for Vida and the chief.
Eja was pouring over the Book of Secrets while Jovi was helping Jemma and Sparrow weave shoes for the trek. I spent my time helping Remi gather supplies and food for our expedition. Everyone was busying themselves with a useful task. It was good to see us all come together to accomplish a goal in a civil manner. There was no bickering or volleying for attention. Everyone just put their heads down and worked. It was a little victory, but I took pride in it.
As I watched everyone finishing the last of the packing, I thought now would be a good time to speak to Vida. I needed to apologize to her about putting Jovi in danger last night. I should have listened to Remi and just stayed at camp. If I had, we would have avoided the run in with the mercenaries and left for the Troian Center already, instead of scrambling to come up with this new plan.
I found her inside her tent preparing healing ointments for us to take with us.
“Vida? May I come in?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said without looking up.
I admired the cheerful walls of her tent fleetingly as I sat down next to her, briefly stalling. Vida was such an intimidating woman. She had been through so much in her life and I knew it had hardened her, but I admired her perseverance and her ability to endure. To me, she seemed like a born leader. I hoped that in the short time I’d spent with her, I might have picked up some of her traits. I know I aspired to.
“Was there something you needed, my Eva?” she asked.
“Oh, um, yes. I mean, I didn’t need anything, I just wanted to apologize for the other night and thank you for healing me and my friends.”
“You’re welcome, but it was mostly your friend Sparrow that did the healing. She’s quite talented.”
I swelled with pride, hearing Vida praise Sparrow. I too had noticed that Sparrow was coming into her own. Working with Vida had been good for her. I could see her confidence soaring since we’d been here.
“I’ll be sure to pass along the compliment and my thanks to her.” I smiled. “But I also wanted to apologize for dragging your family into all of this as well. I’m very sorry that I put Jovi in danger last night.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, my Eva. We’ve been in danger for years. If anything, you have brought us closer to the brink of peace then we’ve been in ages. We don’t expect that luxury to come without sacrifice.”
“But I don’t want you to have to sacrifice anymore,” I whispered.
She stopped what she was doing and finally looked at me. Her eyes bore into my soul. I could tell she was angry that I was referring to her secret past.
“I know you feel responsible for us as a people, and as our Eva, I admire that genuine quality, but it needn’t go further than that.”
“But Jovi—”
“Jovi is not any safer here in the forest with me. The tarcat and the Ravinori attack last night is proof of that. She has a destiny to fulfill as well and that is why I’m sending her with you to the Troian Center.”
All the breath rushed from my lungs.
“You’re what?”
But Vida had returned to tending her potion.
“You can’t do that. I came here to tell you that I wanted to keep her safe and that means keeping her here with you. I know she wants to go with us. The others think she’ll be useful helping us communicate through Quin, but I don’t want to risk it. We weren’t even out of the forest last night and I already put her in danger. I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to her because of me!”
Vida threw down her ladle and turned rapidly toward me. Her face was inches from mine when she spoke.
“This is what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. You can’t be attached like this. You can’t have these deep relationships! I love my daughter. That is my job, not yours. You need to lead her! You need to lead all of us and you can’t do that with a clear head if your heart is pulling you in so many directions. Don’t you get that yet?”
I could feel her breath on my face as she yelled at me. Her eyes were wild and her auburn hair was coming loose from its bun, giving her a savage look. I could see the fear and heartache that she normally kept buried deep down, locked away somewhere with her dark secrets. Now, it was plain in her eyes. She terrified me and I nodded as I scrambled a few paces away from her. She must have caught the fear in my expression and it shocked her into composing herself. Vida immediately retreated pawing at her hair and smoothing out her dress.
“I’m sorry, my Eva. Please forgive my outburst,” she apologized, lowering her eyes to the ground in shame.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, still backing away.
“It’s my daughter’s wish to a
ccompany you to the Troian Center because she believes she can help you. I believe she can be an asset to you and I will not prohibit her from going. Of course you are our Eva and if you wish her to stay here, than I shall do my best to honor your wishes.
I nodded as I retreated from the tent. Once outside, my legs felt shaky. Nova took one look at me and jogged to my side.
“You all right?” he asked.
I couldn’t respond. I was too busy scanning the camp for Jovi. I found her by our tent and ran over to her, intent on convincing her and the others that she needed to stay here, despite what her mother said. I knew Vida was right, that I needed to stop letting my heart rule me, but it was too late when it came to Jovi. I’d already formed a rare bond with the girl and no amount of logic or reason would stop me from doing everything in my power to save her if she was in danger. And that’s exactly what this trip was; dangerous.
I ignored Nova’s calls as I ran past Sparrow and Eja organizing packs and Remi inspecting the food that Vida had rationed us. I stopped breathlessly in front of Jemma and Journey. They were talking with Jovi and it looked like they were helping her pack a bag of her own.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I watched Jovi haphazardly jamming her belongings into a burlap sack.
“I’m coming with you!” she beamed. “Isn’t that great?”
“What?” I said shooting Journey an annoyed look. “No! No, this isn’t a good idea. We need to talk about this. After last night I’m not okay with this. It’s too dangerous,” I said, pleading with Journey and Jemma.
“You don’t want me to come?” Jovi asked sounding hurt.
“No, that’s not it. I just want you to be safe! I love spending time with you, Jovi. You know that, right?”
She nodded timidly.
“I don’t want what happened last night to happen again. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you,” I said.
“But I want to help,” she pleaded.
“She wants to help, Eva,” Jemma chimed in, being as unhelpful as ever. I glared at her.
