Geneva Sommers and the Secret Legend

by C J Benjamin

  I glanced nervously at the rickety old vine bridge that hung over the rushing waterfall. Its wooden rungs looked slick with moss and rot. A few pieces were missing, probably claimed by humid weather and old age. It left huge gaps in our path that did little to ease my mind about crossing. As I leaned over the edge to inspect it closer, I noticed the knotted vines holding the hazardous heap together were frayed in parts, with clumps of vegetation reaching from either bank, clinging to the knotted vines, threatening to reclaim them for the rainforest.

  “Is this really the only way across?” Sparrow asked.

  “Yeah, can’t we use powers or just have morfed from that last tree?” Jemma chimed in.

  “You know we can’t use our powers,” Remi said, “and I’m pretty sure if we could have morfed over we would have.”

  “It’s too far to morf,” Mali confirmed. “We’ll be fine to cross on foot. Betos have traveled this path for centuries.”

  “Yeah, that’s what worries me,” Remi gulped, looking at the bridge. “I don’t think the centuries have been kind.”

  “I’ll go first,” Talon offered. “If it’ll hold me, it’ll hold all of you.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it I guess,” he joked, giving me a big grin.

  Journey laughed, but the rest of us looked on tensely. This was no time to joke, but my worry was wasted on Talon. He lived for adventures like these and nothing scared him. He was a trained Beto scout and if anyone could lead us across this bridge, it would be him. He motioned to Mali, again exchanging signals I didn’t understand before tightening his pack and heading into the mist of the hanging bridge.

  10 . . . 11 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . . The seconds ticked by in agonizing silence after Talon disappeared from view. The sheer force of the powerful waterfall created a thick mist that rose from the river below us. It hung in the middle of the vine bridge like an eerie gray curtain, blocking our view of the other side. Occasionally the wind would push a small clearing in the mist, giving us a hazy glimpse of Talon as he slowly made his way across the bridge. But now, after he was through the halfway point, we’d lost sight of him.

  I continued to count the seconds in my head as I held my breath. Jovi slipped her hand in mine and I squeezed it.

  “He’s going to be all right,” I said trying to comfort her over the thundering sound of the waterfall.

  “I know,” she smiled. “I came over to tell you not to worry. My brother is the best and bravest Beto scout there is. You don’t have to worry about him.”

  My admiration for Jovi grew even more. While her brother was in the face of danger, she was calm and collected, worrying about comforting me.

  “All clear!” rang Talon’s voice finally.

  It sounded far away, muffled by the sound of the raging water, but he was safely to the other side and we all let out a little cheer!

  “Who’s next?” I asked.

  We each painstakingly waited our turn to cross the vine bridge. When it was finally my turn, only Mali and Nova remained on the bank with me. I took a deep breath and stared at the gently swaying bridge. My hands were shaking as I reached out to grab hold of the first brittle posts. I looked back at Nova one last time. He smiled at me and gave me his token wink. My heart suddenly surged with overwhelming fear that I might lose him. I turned on my heels and ran to Nova. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly as he stumbled back a few steps, caught by surprise.

  “Tippy—” he started.

  But I cut him off by holding my finger to his warm lips.

  “I love you,” I whispered breathlessly into his ear.

  He was so shocked and speechless that he didn’t respond. I let my hands slip from around his neck and I kissed his cheek as I slid to the ground and retreated back to the bridge with renewed determination.

  After finally being brave enough to tell Nova how I truly felt, crossing the bridge seemed easy. I felt especially, like I was walking on air after my confession. I purposely hadn’t given him a chance to respond, but at least I had left my heart on my sleeve, or rather on the bank with Nova. I didn’t want to risk crossing the bridge without the boy I loved knowing how I felt. It was liberating and I found myself conquering many fears as I quickly traversed the bridge. I wasn’t thinking or worrying. I was simply doing. I was aware of the present moment and somehow felt more alive. Each step brought me closer to the other side, metaphorically and physically. I ignored the groaning of the vines and rotten wood and charged forward with my heart open.

  I was only twenty yards from the bank now and I was starting to be able to make out my friends waiting for me on the other side. At first they just looked like looming dark shadows, but as I moved closer I could see their faces. I smiled back at Remi, who was waiting as close to the bridge as he could get. I waved to him and picked up my pace, when I felt the bridge give a jerk and groan loudly. I stopped and instinctively put both hands on the vine railings, gripping tightly. Remi mirrored my concerned expression as Talon came to his side to see what was going on.

  Suddenly, Talon’s eyes narrowed and as he opened his mouth to say something, I felt the bridge give a violent jerk. I flew to the side and my feet slipped off the slick wooden planks. My grip was steady though and I pulled myself back up. As soon as I was back on my feet, the bridge erupted wildly. It was bucking left and right and I heard shouts coming from all around me.

  I held on tighter and zeroed in on Remi’s voice.

  “Run! Run!” he was screaming.

  When his words finally connected with my mind, my feet came to life and I sprinted the last few yards of the bridge until I collided with Remi and Talon.

  “What’s going on?” I cried.

  “Ravinori,” was all Talon said as he breezed past me back onto the bridge, disappearing into the mist.

  All hell was breaking loose. Talon disappeared onto the bridge and Jemma, Jovi and Sparrow were screaming. I looked at their frightened faces and told the boys to stay with them and get to the next Bellamorf tree as I turned to reenter the bridge, my heart prodding me to find Nova and rescue my friends. After all, it was my fault they were in this mess.

  “Geneva! Wait. Don’t go back!” Remi called, but I was already on the bridge. It was lurching and swaying as I descended to the center. Once in the mist I saw dark figures battling each other, but I couldn’t tell who was who! Everything just looked like swirling shadows. I searched frantically for Nova but couldn’t find him!

  I screamed when I was grabbed hard from behind.

  Hands were suddenly on me, pulling me up and I fought back screaming and thrashing wildly.

  “It’s me!” boomed Journey’s deep voice in my ear.

  “Journey, let me go!” I said climbing to my feet with his help on the bucking bridge. “You were supposed to get everyone out of here! I need to find Nova.”

  “We’re not going to abandon you. We’ll all help you find him,” he said motioning to a group of shadows behind him.

  “Are you mad?” I screamed as my heart sank, realizing he’d brought everyone back onto the bridge.

  “Jovi has an idea,” he said. “And I think it’s just crazy enough to work.”

  “Journey, this bridge can’t hold us all!”

  “That’s what we’re counting on,” he said.

  Journey didn’t fill me in on the plan, instead he shoved something into my hand. I snuck a peek at what he’d given me. “Don’t lose them!” he yelled without further explanation.

  I didn’t have time to argue, because suddenly a large dark figure was on top of us. I ducked and pocketed Journey’s items while he pummeled our attackers. When I opened my eyes again I had engaged my hunter powers and could see clearly through the fog. The assailant looked just like the ones I’d seen a few days ago in the forest. Dark mask, black hood and weaponry; he was a member of the Ravinori phantom mercenary.

  “Hunter powers,” I called to Journey.

  He no
dded and fought off the masked figure as he tried to get back up. A few more blows from Journey and the man went down. The masked heap in front of Journey was sliding off the bridge and it was pulling us all toward the side with his weight. The bridge groaned and splintered further. I heard the girls scream and saw Jovi slipping.

  “Journey, grab him!” I yelled.

  He tried but was too late. The masked man fell off the bridge and plummeted out of sight, flailing and screaming as he went. I didn’t have time to stop and think about what I’d just witnessed. My veins had gone cold when I saw Jovi slipping. I bounded over Journey and grabbed her—wrapping my hands around Jovi’s slender wrist, helping Sparrow and Jemma pull her back onto the bridge.

  The four of us huddled on the bridge for a brief second of relief before I heard Journey call for me.

  “Whatever you’re planning to do, do it now and get them out of here!” I yelled to Remi and Eja as I scrambled to my feet and bounded back to Journey.

  “Two more coming at us!” he called.

  We both crouched low, waiting for them to get close enough to identify. Once their dark masks came into view I lobbed an orb, temporarily blinding them. Journey pulled up a section of rotten wood and turned it to stone. He slammed it into the men with a bone crushing sound and they both went down. We looked at each other for a moment and then back at the men that ceased to move. I felt sick and dizzy but I knew I didn’t have time to waste. I jumped to my feet and started screaming for Nova, but I was met with more Ravinori warriors.

  Journey and I continued to take them out as we made our way further into the fog of the churning bridge.

  “Nova! Nova!” I called his name more frantically each time I was met with silence. “Nova, I’m on the bridge. You need to get to me! We have a plan,” I telepathed, hoping somehow I’d be able to get through to him.

  Finally he answered, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

  “Tippy, we’re not going to make it. We’re surrounded. Get out now! Journey, take care of her!”

  “NO!” I cried, desperately looking at Journey who was blocking my way. “I’m not leaving him, Journey! I can’t!”

  “I know,” he replied looking sad. He squeezed my shoulder sympathetically and then stood up, grabbing me under my armpits and hauling me over the railing of the bridge. “Morf,” was all he said.

  I didn’t have a moment to react before he let me go. I felt myself falling. I was consumed with shock and terror. I tried to control my frantic mind, but the wind rushing past my head made it hard to think. When I could finally form a thought it was an angry one, directed at Journey.

  Had Journey really just thrown me from the bridge? Was he so dull that he thought this was saving me? Morf? How was I supposed to Morf from mid air? That maniac! It’s not like he threw a Bellamorf tree off the bridge with me!

  Suddenly my mind was screaming at me over the jack hammering of my heart! My pocket! I reached in and felt my slender fingers close around what I had been praying was still there. I pulled out the thin, veiny leaves of the Bellamorf tree that Journey planted in my hand moments earlier and instantly took back all the horrible thoughts I’d just had about my brilliant friend.

  58

  I landed in a Bellamorf tree. It was the same one we had been in before crossing the vine bridge, and to my pleasant surprise, Jovi, Jemma and Sparrow were there!

  “Jovi!” I cried scrambling to her through the tree limbs. “You’re a genius!” I said, hugging her tight. “How did you know to carry the Bellamorf leaves with you?”

  “I always do,” she shrugged. “Journey came up with the idea of taking the bridge down with the Ravinori on it. I just figured morfing would be the best way to get us all off of it,” she said beaming.

  “Where are the others?” I asked nervously.

  At that moment, Remi and Eja morfed onto a branch next to me.

  “Remi! Eja!” I cried, hugging them both with relief.

  “Journey’s making a run to get leaves to the others and then he’s going to cut the bridge,” Remi said. “They should be here any minute,” he added when he saw the pale expression on my face.

  We sat silently, waiting for our friends and family to appear in the Bellamorf tree. But all was still for much too long. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “Something must be wrong,” I whispered to Remi, but as the words escaped my lips, the wind picked up and shapes started to materialize in the tree limbs.

  Relief washed over me as I got to my feet, but something wasn’t right. They didn’t land gracefully like they’d been doing all day. Instead, the boys spiraled through the limbs, smashing and crashing as they went, until the ground broke their fall.

  The commotion didn’t stop there. I heard them screaming, calling for help. I recognized Nova’s voice right away and bounded breathlessly to his side. My stomach lurched when I landed next to him on the leaf littered ground. He was covered in blood and gripping Journey tightly.

  “Oh my gods! Nova, there’s so much blood! What happened?”

  “It’s not mine, its Journey’s! I think they got an artery,” he said, releasing his grip on Journey’s arm slightly to reveal the wound.

  Warm blood spurted angrily onto my neck when I tried to get a look. I fought the bile that burned angrily in my throat.

  “Sparrow!” I screamed, but she was already by my side. “I’m going to need your help,” I whispered.

  Her cheeks were flushed and streaming with tears, but her hands were steady as she laid them on Journey. She looked determined as she nodded to Nova, who restrained Journey as we prepared to heal him. We both clamped our hands on either side of the gushing wound on his arm and I closed my eyes to block out the blood and concentrate on healing Journey.

  I felt Sparrow’s warm, healing power take hold, rushing from my heart down my limbs, to my hands on either side of Journey’s pulsing forearm. Sparrow’s hands were overlapping mine and I could feel her powers pouring through me to Journey, but only for a moment. My powers continued to surge, rushing forth, overpowering Sparrow’s. My hand grew hot! Too hot!

  “No, stop!” I cried, my eyes flying open as I realized I was losing control.

  But it was too late. Flames burst from my hands, attacking Journey’s wound and flinging Sparrow and I backwards. My ears were ringing with the shrieks of my friends. When I found my feet, I sprinted to Sparrow whose hand was being savagely licked by bright orange flames. I tackled her and smothered them out. By the time I got to Journey, Nova managed to stifle his flames. Luckily Nova had enough practice with fire to remain level headed.

  “What the heck was that?” he asked.

  “I don’t know! My powers . . . I’m losing control of them! I was only trying to use the healing power the way you taught me,” I said looking from Nova to Sparrow. Her face was twisted in pain and fear. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to her, tears welling in my eyes. I fell to my knees next to Nova and Journey. “I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.

  “It’s okay. Look,” Journey said through gritted teeth. He held up his arm with painstaking effort.

  “Well the good news is, the flames cauterized the wound and stopped the bleeding,” Nova said. “The bad news; it’s not the neatest job of healing I’ve ever seen.”

  I looked at the bright white scar that bubbled to the surface of Journey’s skin, marring his otherwise spectacular forearm.

  “It’s all right,” Journey said with a trace of a smile. “I’ve actually been trying to get a gnarly scar there for ages,” he joked.

  “I think I can still fix it,” Sparrow squeaked, trying to stifle a sob.

  “I don’t want you to fix it, Sparrow. It’s a badge of honor,” he grinned. “Oh, come here,” he crooned when he saw the tears flowing from her eyes. He pulled her close, embracing her tightly with his good arm. “What about you?” he asked, peeling her folded fingers away from the palm of her burnt hand as gently as he could.

  She winced a little and Journ
ey immediately released her hand. My stomach flip-flopped with guilt.

  “It’s all right, just a little tender,” Sparrow said, trying to smile to spare my feelings.

  “We match,” Journey said with a big grin, as he looked down at the white blistering skin on her palm.

  “Journey, unlike you, I haven’t been striving for scars!” Sparrow said pulling her hand away from him.

  “Oh come on. You’ve healed every cut or scrape I’ve ever had so expertly that I don’t have any scars. Scars are cool! Guys like scars, and we earned these. Besides, it makes you look tough!”

  “I am tough,” Sparrow said with mild annoyance.

  I backed away from my bickering friends. They might be okay with their new scars but I wasn’t. I couldn’t believe I lost control of my powers like that. Sure, this time it actually worked out that I shot flames from my hands to sear Journey’s wound, but that hadn’t been my intention. Scars were a mild side effect, but it could have been worse. Much worse. I thought the whole point of sharing my powers with Jemma was supposed to prevent this. Apparently it wasn’t helping enough. I needed to find a way to get my powers under control or I was going to become a liability.

  Journey was still ribbing Sparrow, while I was wallowing in my own despair and guilt.

  “It’s not funny, Journey. This isn’t something to joke about. You could have been killed!”

  “Oh come on, Sparrow. We just defeated the big, bad Ravinori phantom mercenaries! We’re allowed to celebrate a little. Right, mates?” he said glancing behind me to where Mali and Talon had appeared.

  They’d morfed onto a thick lower branch of the Bellamorf tree. I was relieved to see them and started toward them when the look on Mali’s face stopped me dead in my tracks. A frigid chill stemming from my heart, ran through my body like a bolt of lightning, leaving gooseflesh all the way to my scalp.