by C. K. Brooke
Rob lowered his voice. “That might be the island.”
Antonia’s eyes followed where he pointed. Sure enough, she could discern something in the ocean across the distance, a purple mass of sorts, just on the horizon. “You think that man will ferry us there?” she asked.
“He’s got to.” She could hear the excitement in his voice. “What else is he doing, standing up there alone with a boat?”
“But what’ll we do with the carriage?”
Robin chewed his lip. He’d clearly not thought of that.
“Is there someplace safe we can park it?”
“Around here?” He snorted. “We can’t just leave it. It’ll surely be stolen.”
Antonia thought. “Maybe we can ask the sailor to look after—?”
Rob shook his head. “I don’t trust strangers with it.”
She huffed. “You don’t trust anyone with anything.”
“And what incentive have I to?” he demanded. “Gods, Annie! Get off my case already, will you?”
She closed her mouth, stung. She was only trying to help. In fact, it seemed that was all she was ever trying to do. Yet, he was always pushing her away, or biting her head off.
Robin seemed to realize this, as well. He placed a hand on her thigh, apologetic. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap—”
But Antonia hurled his hand off of her. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she would not shed them. He had already made it quite plain how he felt about her…or rather, didn’t feel. If he didn’t want her, didn’t even like her, then what made him think he had the right to touch her? Wanted it both ways, did he?
He sighed. “The only solution I can think of is to park it in the rainforest. We’ll have to make note of where we’ve left it, and return to the dock by foot.”
Antonia paused. “The rainforest?”
“It’s not that big,” Robin assured her, although he didn’t sound certain. “We’ve been passing its borders for a while now.” He swallowed. “We don’t have to go in far.”
Antonia shook her head, even as he reversed the carriage and rounded it back. She didn’t like the idea of abandoning Dr. Watkins’s prototype in a tropical forest. She’d sooner compensate someone to look after it. But, perhaps Robin was right. Perhaps the locals there could not be trusted. It was true that they were impoverished; whomever they entrusted might be destitute enough to go behind their backs and try to sell it.
She ducked beneath the low-hanging branches as they entered the wet, chirruping woodlands. Antonia was barely grasping the idea of such a drastic change in scenery being located so near the beach when the engine gave a hack, and the carriage stopped.
“What now?” Robin opened his door. Impatient, he knelt down to inspect the wheels. “Oh, for the love of…”
Antonia extended her neck to see. “What?”
“It’s mud.” He glared up at her, as though it was her fault. “The carriage is stuck.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped. “This was your idea.”
Maverick cocked his ears, glancing between them.
Robin groaned, coming around to her side and pulling open her door. “Come on, then,” he growled, ushering her out. “We’ll unstuck her when we get back.”
Antonia gave a leery look at the carriage nestled in the mud as they departed it. “If it’s still here,” she muttered. “Ah!” She glanced down, realizing her new boots were caked in sludge.
“Well, be grateful you’re wearing boots, no?” Robin steered her onto the grass. “I knew those sandals wouldn’t do you any good.”
And neither do you, she wanted to retort.
He led her through the trees, and Antonia gazed after him, feeling a surge of despair. She didn’t know who she was, where she was going, or what she wanted any longer. Before she’d stumbled upon this man, everything had been set in place, her future carefully planned out. But he had tipped it all on its head. And worse still, her sentiments were unrequited.
Why had she chosen to continue the journey with him? She shouldn’t have. Perhaps she should have resumed to Elat when she had the chance. Yet, he’d asked her to come with him, hadn’t he? He’d said he didn’t want to go it alone. How could she have abandoned him in Pirsi City? All things considered, Antonia had grown attached to him. And she’d thought that, perhaps, the affection was mutual. Alas…
At any rate, she’d no choice now but to see it through. Truly, she cared not about the treasure, though she wanted Robin to find it. That way, at least one of them would see their dreams actualized. At least some sense, some purpose could be obtained from their whole bogus misadventure.
The middle-aged sailor was still on the dock when they returned, snoozing in a wooden chair. Robin climbed the steps, clearing his throat, and the man jolted awake, uttering something in Axacolan.
Mutely, Robin handed him a note. He pointed to the boat, then the island. Seeming to understand, the sailor hopped to his feet.
The ferry ride was pleasant, and Antonia adored the sensation of waves beneath her. The teal waters were alive, teeming with colorful fish, and she stared down at them, wishing she could swim with them, hold them in her hands.
Robin helped row, and Antonia took up an oar as well, hoping to contribute what she could. The island loomed nearer; she could see trees, along with some crags and hills. She was surprised when they arrived to find the place fairly populated. Not at all the deserted isle she’d been expecting.
From the shore, she viewed clusters of little homes lining the streets, appearing a good deal brighter and sturdier than what she’d seen on the mainland. She even spied a number of shops and horse-drawn carriages. The island was quite civilized.
They thanked the boatman, and he settled back in his vessel, artfully rowing it away. Antonia turned to Robin. “Is this where we seek the boulders?” She remembered translating the part of the map about the island, and the drawing depicting two great stones.
He reviewed the map again. “Seek the valley where the twin boulders kiss,” he read. Irritable, he peered around. “This place has valleys?”
Antonia felt lightheaded. Beside her, Maverick’s stomach groaned. “I think we ought to eat something first,” she suggested.
Robin scowled. “We’re this close. I cannot think of food now.”
“Rob.” She raised her hands to her hips. “The pearl’s been buried for hundreds of years. I think it can wait one hour more while we find some breakfast.”
“No.” He glowered at her. “We’re looking for it now.”
“But it won’t be easy to find…”
“Make up your mind, then!” He tossed up his arms. “I thought you believed in me!”
Her features contorted. “Yeah, and I’m the only one who does!”
He stared at her, his eyes darkening. Yet, despite the look on his face, she wasn’t going to stop there. “You know, you’d better start treating me like a friend, because I’m not your enemy. And don’t say you don’t know the difference,” she added, before he could speak over her.
He closed his mouth.
“There is such a thing as a true friend in this world, Mr. Watkins. A friend who’ll risk her life to save yours, who will follow you across Otlantica and support you in your endeavors, no matter how unlikely or grandiose. How many of those have you got?” Her voice quivered. “Just one, far as I can count.”
Furious, she stomped up the shore. White sand clung to the mud on her boots, and her loose plait fluttered and came undone in the breeze, but she didn’t care. She let the ribbon fly away, her hair billowing around her.
He wouldn’t come after her, she knew. And why would he? It wasn’t as though he loved her. He didn’t even consider her his friend.
Her blood rushed in time with the waves as she stopped to watch them. Here, it was only her,
she told herself, trying to summon back the old Antonia—the girl who dreamed and hoped, whose future was romantic and promising. Just her and the magical ocean. In those moments, she tried to believe that there was no Robin, no Red Pearl…those were only mistakes she’d never made.
She sensed something moving beside her. In awe, she looked down to greet a pair of enormous sea turtles hobbling ashore. Their shells glimmered like gems, emerald and amethyst under the shimmering sunlight. Never before had she seen creatures so gentle, majestic and exotic. “Wow,” she whispered, admiring them.
“Antonia.”
She startled. She’d not realized Robin stepping up beside her. The man glanced at the turtles, then at her. Wordlessly, he displayed her hair ribbon.
Antonia squinted, wondering how he’d caught it when she’d thought it lost to the wind. She made to reach for it, but he held onto it. Gingerly, he gathered back her hair with his hands. In spite of herself, Antonia shivered at the brush of his fingers against the nape of her neck as he retied the ribbon.
He knotted it. A flyaway strand of hair tickled her cheek, and he tucked it behind her ear. Her pulse drummed at the warmth of his hand, his proximity as he faced her, an apology in his eyes.
“Let me buy you breakfast,” he entreated, his voice no more than a murmur.
She glanced back down at the sea turtles, and nodded.
“ARE THOSE BOULDERS?”
Antonia pursed her lips. “They look more like crags. And there are more than two. They have to look like this.” She indicated the drawing on the map yet again.
They reexamined the mapmaker’s sketch of a pair of enormous rocks, meeting via a tiny arch between them. Robin shook his head. “It’s been two days, and I’ve still not seen anything like that. Do you reckon we’re on the wrong island?”
“What other islands are there?”
“There could be dozens.” He shrugged.
Antonia peered out to sea. “I see nothing else.”
Robin sighed, taking back the map. “Hang on.” He glanced around. “I recognize this stretch of shore. Annie, we’ve…we’ve been walking in circles.” He shoved the vellum back into his bag and ran a hand through his hair.
“Rob.” Antonia gripped his arm. “Don’t be discouraged. We’ve not exhausted the whole island yet…”
“Yes, we have.” He massaged his brow, dejected. “Besides. The map’s so old, who’s to say those boulders are even still around?”
“Hey,” she whispered, taking his hand. “You’re not in this alone, remember?”
His eyes panned into hers, and she was startled to find some gratitude there.
They sat down on the shore together, watching the sea roll forward and back. After a while, Robin’s voice penetrated the silence. “It’s a living organism, isn’t it? The ocean.”
Antonia inhaled the salty air. “I know what you mean. It feels alive.” She eyed the empty port. “You know, I’ve not seen the boatman return. Do you suppose we’re marooned out here?”
“Hmm.” The man lay back in the sand. “Marooned on a tropical island with a beautiful girl? Sounds rather like paradise to me.”
Antonia’s stomach knotted. A beautiful girl? Did he mean her?
He smiled at her, and she quickly turned away, gazing up to the rocky hills. Her cheeks were burning; she could feel it. Why did he have to joke like that? Did he not realize her heart was still raw from the time he’d snubbed her? He didn’t need to rub it in with his teasing.
Still staring into the hills, she possessed a sudden thought. “I’ve just realized we’ve not explored any of the island’s heights.” She pointed up.
“And why would we?” he grunted. “The map says ‘seek the valley.’”
Antonia remembered. “Well…still. Maybe there’s something more up there. Something we may have missed.”
He looked doubtful, but rose to his feet all the same. “I’ll humor you.”
She glanced up. “You want to hike there now?”
“What else are we here for?” He chuckled. “And why do you think I bought you those trousers and boots, if not to make you a proper adventurer, like me?” He extended a hand, helping her up.
For the rest of the morning, they hiked, Antonia’s calves aching and ankles smarting. The hills were uneven and steep. She’d no idea how she would have managed to climb them in her sandals or a gown. Thank goddess for trousers, she thought, as Robin assisted her in crossing over a particularly wide gap.
Don’t look down, she ordered herself, holding fast to his hand. Meanwhile, Maverick leapt ahead of them, the activity not seeming to tire him in the slightest.
“Boundless energy, has that one,” Antonia remarked as the dog pranced into a brush, his tail flailing to and fro.
“Aye, still thinks he’s a pup.”
“How old is Maverick?” she asked.
“I’m not exactly sure. I found him when he was small, before we left the city.” The sun bore down overhead as they ascended ever higher. “He was a stray,” Robin went on. “Kept following me everywhere. Eventually, my parents told me to just keep him. We’ve not been parted since.”
“That’s sweet.” Antonia grinned.
“Is it?” He eyed her. “I thought dogs were brutal and vile.”
She twisted her lips, watching her footing. “I suppose Maverick’s not so bad.”
She couldn’t be sure, but thought she saw Robin crack a smirk.
They pressed through the afternoon until finally, panting, they reached the hill’s peak. Robin rested his hand against a willowy bamboo, while Antonia joined him. They could see the entire island, village and all, below. “The view up here is incredible,” she remarked.
Robin watched her. “I’ll say.”
She peered around, trying to gauge their location. “That’s west,” she pointed. “I know because the sun rose—” she swiveled around, indicating east— “there. Oh,” she suddenly breathed.
Robin turned. “What?”
“A valley.” She pointed below, where the land dipped between two peaks. Tucked within the hills, they would never have spotted it from the ground, at sea level. “And there are rocks.” She squinted. In the distance, she could make out a succession of boulders, and a little arch connecting two in particular…
Robin withdrew the map. He held it to his eyes, then gaped across at the twin boulders. “I think…” His throat went hoarse, and he cleared it. “I think that’s them.”
Antonia’s heart palpitated.
“Come on,” the man cried, racing down the incline and kicking up sand in his wake.
Though hesitant, she followed him. “Are you sure we know how to get there?”
“We just head east, right?” Robin waited for her and the dog to join him, and Antonia was heartened by his exuberant grin. She’d not seen him smile like that since…well, ever. “Annie, you’re brilliant!”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved him off.
“I mean it. You’re…” He paused to face her, his chest heaving with excitement. “You’re a real friend.”
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”
“Maybe we’ve gone too far?”
An afternoon of downhill hiking, and the pair had finally approached the rocks they’d spied from the island’s peaks. And yet, the boulders in question were nowhere to be found.
“But they were right here!” Rob scratched his head, indicating the wide row of rocks lining the sandy valley. “We both saw the arch between the boulders. We weren’t dreaming.”
“Could it have been an illusion from the distance?” suggested Antonia, coming up behind him.
Rob refused to believe it. “Nah, couldn’t have been. It was identical to the mapmaker’s drawing, anyway.”
“Hmm.” The girl turned. “Well, hang on now,” she piped. “The rocks go on beyond that fence over t
here.”
“Fence?” Rob swiveled around. Some yards down the valley was, indeed, a tall barred fence. “Does someone live out here, or something?”
Antonia raised a hand over her eyes, apparently trying to figure how far it extended. “Looks like it.” She beckoned him. “Let’s go.”
Curious, they hurried along the terrain until reaching a succession of long metal rails. Sure enough, more boulders and rock formations sat within its confines. Rob stuck his boot between a pair of rails and hoisted himself higher.
Antonia looked up. “What are you doing?”
“Climbing the fence, of course.”
Her eyes widened. “But you might be trespassing!”
“How else am I going to have a better look?” The man squinted, gazing out across the landscape. A cloud shifted, permitting the sun to further illuminate the scene before him. But it was at least another minute before he finally spotted it.
“There.” With one hand, he gripped the rail, while pointing with the other. “I can see the kissing boulders.”
Antonia took a tentative step forward. “Are they inside the fence?”
Rob jumped down. “Yep.”
“So, now what?” The girl sounded disappointed.
“We wait for nightfall.” He lowered his voice. “And we break in.” He mopped the dampness from his forehead, gathering his resolve. He’d executed a secret intrusion in the dead of night before; he’d simply have to do it again.
Antonia didn’t argue, instead leaping onto the fence herself. “Let me see. Oof.” She slipped down, clearly unaccustomed to climbing. “A leg up, please, Rob?”
He came behind her uncertainly. “What would you like me to do?”
“Just…hold me up.”
Rob sighed, already knowing what this would entail. Gripping her by the waist, he lifted her, and she held fast to the metal bars. Already, his hands were sliding down, and he had to squeeze her hips—oh gods, they were so full, round and soft—to support her. Sure enough, her backside was in his face. Literally.
