His attention remains solely on the elders, who are wearing tunics the color of night, golden stitching at the collars and cuffs. On their feet are leather sandals with straps that crisscross up their calves. Feathers dangle from the ears and long braids of the women.
“A tragic day,” one of them says. “What’s your plan, son of Saywa?”
“With your blessing, I suggest that a small group go into the jungle and investigate the flower. We have a seer”—Sonco gestures toward me—“a visitor who’s been communicating with Luna. The goddess has given her information about a mysterious individual planting this flower throughout the jungle. When we have more information, I’ll send out the army to vanquish this evil and rid it from our home.”
The elders confer among themselves. The rest of us wait, breaths filling our bellies.
“You have spoken, and we agree.”
Sonco inclines his head. “Gracias.”
I stand, but before I can leave, the Illari king motions to Chaska, Kusi, and me. “A word, por favor.”
We wait as the elders file outside. Manuel follows them without a look in my direction. But his shoulders are tight, his jaw set, hands stuffed into his pockets. He’s closed off, tucked away behind that indomitable fortress of his. It takes me only a second to realize what his posture means. Normally he’d insist on staying with me, keeping a close eye on me. But he’s handed me off, believing I’m in capable hands.
It wouldn’t surprise me if tonight’s his last night in Paititi.
The thought makes me want to crumple in a heap on the floor. But Sonco clears his throat, jerking me back to the present moment.
“I think we need to keep this party investigating the flower small. Kusi, pick two guards to join us—no, don’t give me that look, brother. I’m going. Chaska is too, and”—Sonco glances at me—“and I’m hoping you will.”
I raise my brows. “Me?”
He nods. “I’d like all the help I can get.”
Kusi frowns but keeps silent. I can feel his disapproval. It’s Chaska who gives me a reassuring nod and I want to say yes. But what if I make things worse, what if I lead them astray? As quickly as the thought formulates in my mind, I shove it aside.
I can do this.
“I’ll do it,” I say, my voice shaky. “But you’ll owe me a favor.” I smile to let Sonco know I’m teasing.
But his response is somber. “It would only be fair.”
“Oh, I was only—” I begin, but the Illari king waves me off.
“Go and prepare. We’ll depart at dawn.”
As I leave, Kusi, Chaska, and Sonco fold into a tight embrace. Every line of their bodies touches, and together they represent the youth of the Illari, the hopes of their people. Leader. Warrior. Seer.
Manuel finds me the minute I exit the building.
“You’re still here,” I say, surprised.
“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”
The effect is instant. My hands start shaking. I pull them behind me, keep my chin lifted and my eyes clear. “That was fast.”
He scrubs his face with a long drag of his hand. “It’s for the best. I did what I said I’d do—brought you to Paititi. You’re in good hands, this city is well protected, and you’ll be marrying the king.” He pauses. “It’s time for me to go. I’ve probably stayed too long as it is.” He drags in air. “I’ve kept my vow to you.”
So it is. There’s nothing more to say. I step forward and he tenses. I swiftly kiss his cheek. “Take care of yourself, Manuel.”
His lips twist, a sharp grimace. “I’ll escort you back.”
I nod, exhaustion forcing my eyelids to droop. We walk in strained silence, only the quiet song of the jungle disturbing the tense air between us. I want to ask him what he’ll do, where he’ll go. But those details will only hurt me. I don’t need to know what kind of life he intends to build without me.
“Can you do something for me?” Manuel asks suddenly.
I glance at him curiously. “What?”
He stops in the middle of the path. We’re close to home, and the path is empty. The odd monkey howls somewhere in the distance, an owl offering an accompanying hoot.
“Don’t go on this mission,” he says, the words coming out rushed. “It’s too dangerous. Chaska is going; she’s a seer. Let her read the stars.”
His protectiveness is showing. Old habits are hard to vanquish. “I can’t stay behind. Luna wants me to go. I can feel it.”
“Will you just think about it?”
The long hours of the day weigh heavily on my shoulders. I lower my chin, and let out a low sigh. I don’t have it in me to argue, so I tell him what he wants to hear.
I lie.
The next morning, I’m ready by the time Chaska knocks on my door. I step out of my room and look for Manuel. He’d slept outside, but now he’s nowhere to be found. He might be in the pool, getting one last bath before venturing into the jungle. It’s such a great idea, I wish I’d thought of it, but I’d collapsed on my bed the moment I stepped inside my snug home.
And cried.
It’s still dark outside, birds chirping and twittering. Chaska is carrying a bundle of clothing for me: dark trousers, long-sleeved tunic, leather belt, and my boots, cleaned and polished to a sheen. In her free hand is a large cup of coffee. I nearly fall into it with relief, enjoying the strong bitter taste that somehow rids the last remnants of sleep. She gives me privacy while I change, and when I step back outside, carrying only my dented telescope, I’m also given a small pack, tightly woven and slightly heavy.
“Dried food, cup for water, hammock and blanket, and netting,” she says. “You said you know how to use a dagger?”
“I’m not that helpless,” I snap.
She raises her brows.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “I didn’t sleep well.”
Chaska peers at me. “I can see that. I’ll carry the dagger for you—don’t want you hurting yourself.”
I blink at her.
“You do need something, though—a light weapon within easy reach.” Chaska thinks on it then hands me a leather strap attached to a quiver full of blowgun darts.
“I have no idea how to use these.” I reach for one of the darts neatly stacked against one another, feathers on one side, the other sharpened to a point.
“Careful. They’re dipped in poison from the rainbow frogs.”
My hand drops away. “I’m going to poke myself with this, I just know it.”
“We should go,” she says, turning.
I follow her, hoisting my pack. We meet the rest of the group at the foot of the stairs, and start climbing as the sun slowly kisses the horizon. Kusi leads the way, Sonco at his heels. I’m incredibly surprised that he’s come, given how dangerous this mission is.
Chaska notices me staring at the brothers. “It was the worst argument I’ve ever heard between them. In the end, Sonco chose to act as an older brother—not as the leader of the Illari.”
I study the members of our party. Along with Chaska, there are two other young men, both lean and carrying spears and slingshots. Manuel is nowhere in sight and I try not to dwell on what his absence might mean.
But I know he’s long gone.
By the time we reach the top of the hill, the sky has brightened to a dewy lavender. It stormed sometime during the night, and raindrops cling to every curling vine and blade of grass, glimmering in the sunlight like gems. Chaska walks ahead of me, and when she stops abruptly, I swerve to avoid crashing into her. I peer around her shoulder to see why we’ve stopped.
My heart snags, as if caught on a nail.
Manuel kneels on the ground, rummaging through his pack. At the sight of us, he slowly stands, slinging his belongings over his shoulder. He looks perfectly unrumpled, dark tunic clean and free of wrinkles, broad hat wiped of any dust and dirt, hair damp. “Buenos días.”
He hasn’t seen me. I shift farther behind Chaska. Maybe he won’t notice until it’s too late. It�
�s a desperate, foolish thought, but it doesn’t stop me from hiding in her shadow.
“I wanted to wish you luck,” Manuel says. “Buena suerte.”
“Shame you couldn’t join us,” Kusi says. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
Manuel shakes his head. “It’s time for me to go.”
“Safe travels,” Sonco says. “Need anything?”
Again he shakes his head. I expect him to leave, but he lingers. “Will you return to the same place as last time?” Manuel asks.
“Yes, but this time we have our seers to help guide us forward.”
Manuel tilts his head, and a faint line appears between his brows. “Seers?”
“The condesa will be joining us,” Sonco says.
Manuel’s voice comes out flat. “Why?”
“Ask her yourself,” Kusi says.
Chaska moves out of the way, as do the others, parting down the middle until Manuel has a clear view of me. The blood drains from his face, leaving him unnaturally pale. His hands curl into fists around the straps of his pack. He takes in my clothing, the quiver of darts around my chest, and he visibly winces. “She’s not going. It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s her decision,” Sonco says. “Luna has been communicating with her, and we need her on the journey to guide us.” He slaps Manuel on the back as he brushes past. “We must go; we’re losing light.”
The group moves as one, passing Manuel, but when I’m within reach, his hand snatches my wrist. “Catalina. What are you doing? You said you’d stay behind.” I try not to show how his touch affects me, but for a moment I’m reminded of when that same hand cupped my check. Was that only yesterday?
“I have a way to help them, so I will,” I say.
“Why must you both go?”
“Because Luna is communicating with me, but if something should happen, they’ll still have Chaska to rely on.”
“This isn’t worth your life,” he whisper-shouts. “When you marry Sonco, he’ll give you an army. Don’t put yourself in this kind of danger.”
“I’m not marrying Sonco,” I say calmly. “And I’m not doing this for an army. Paititi will be my home, and I’ll do whatever I can to protect her.”
His jaw drops. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve had a change of heart,” I whisper. “My whole life, I was told I’d be queen. I never questioned that path. Until I finally realized that I can choose to stop pretending to be someone I’m not.”
Manuel tightens his grip. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple, really,” I say. “The answer has been in front of me this whole time, and I didn’t see it because I’m stubborn. I’m a seer, not a queen.”
“Fine,” he says. “Fine. But stay here where it’s safe. Por favor.”
“I’m not your job anymore, Manuel.” My voice softens. “I release you from your position as my guard.”
His expression shifts, his jaw going slack, as if I struck him.
I march away, quickening my speed to catch up to the others. Their quiet voices echo in the tunnel. It feels like I was just here—the spot where I’d kissed Manuel looks exactly the same—but as I hurry along, my throat constricts. I meet up with the others at the dock, marveling at the roar of the waterfall, feeling every note of its song in my bones. The two guards peer into the boats and when they tip one onto its side, a family of black snakes falls into the water. We climb into the boats—Chaska, Kusi, and I in one, Sonco and the other men in the second—and just as we’re about to push off, Manuel comes running, footsteps thundering, and leaps into my canoe.
He lands next to me, and the boat rocks from side to side. I clutch the rail and glare at him. “You couldn’t have taken an empty one?”
“No!” he shouts furiously over the bellowing cry of the water. “I couldn’t.”
We push away from the dock and glide through the falls. The water slaps against my skin. We come out the other side, and the jungle’s sinister face welcomes us back.
“For a second I didn’t think you were coming,” Kusi says to Manuel.
He scowls at me. “I go where she goes.”
“Excellent,” Kusi says at last. “Can you keep an eye on the caimán following our boat?”
CAPÍTULO
Treinta y uno
We follow the river as it hugs and curves around the muddy banks of the steaming jungle. I stare into the dense green foliage, my heart heavy as I remember what it’s like to trek through the trees, a thousand predators lurking under every rock and leaf. The river is black enough that I can’t see through its inky surface, but I know there are creatures looking back at me.
Manuel hasn’t said a word since we left the waterfall.
We leave the canoes on the bank, cover them in wide palm fronds, and mark the location by crossing a few branches nearby. I pull my feet out of the mud that’s sucking me down to the tops of my boots. So much for polished leather. Kusi leads the way up to the tree line and we follow in single file, Manuel directly behind me. Under the canopy, the suddenly dim light makes my hair stand on end.
I’d forgotten about the jungle’s eerie green glow.
Manuel’s lessons rush back to me—don’t lean on anything, don’t touch anything. Snakes hide among fallen logs and branches, fire ants crawl on stems and tall grass, tarantulas nest in shadowy holes in the ground, and bats duck behind thick leaves. The jungle wages war against all of us, Manuel’s warnings my only shield.
We march on, quiet and alert. In every direction things crawl, fly, hiss, and grunt. At no point do we stop for a rest. It’s too dangerous, even when traveling with the Illari. They might make their home here, but the jungle is still the ultimate predator. The only true king. Every now and again, Manuel plucks a fruit and wordlessly hands it to me. I ignore his offerings and take a fruit for myself, careful not to touch or step on anything lethal.
There’s no sense of time, another thing I forgot. Because the canopy is so dense, I don’t notice the late hour until it’s suddenly incredibly dark, the fog curling around the trees obscuring my sight. Kusi holds up a hand and we stop.
“We make camp here,” he says.
Someone tends to a fire while another ventures off to hunt. I hope he brings back a platter of fried yuca and eggs over an enormous serving of rice. Manuel and I set up our hammocks. He makes sure to pick a pair of trees that is close to mine. I’m painfully aware of his presence, even though I refuse to look in his direction. He’s made his feelings perfectly clear.
We gather around the fire, passing dried beef, hardened cheese, cups of bamboo water, and hunks of slow-roasted rabbit meat. Sonco and Chaska fill in the details about the mission and my involvement. When they’re done, we’re all quiet. The two guards eat their fill and stand to take up the first watch.
“How far are we from the corruption?” I ask Kusi.
He points in the opposite direction of the river. “We have another full day of walking ahead of us if we move briskly.”
“Are we safe here?” I hate how my voice trembles, but there’s no denying the fear clinging to my skin, making goose bumps flare up and down my arms.
“Only Luna knows,” Sonco says.
I shudder, wishing for reassurance, but not finding any in his troubled expression.
“Then we’re just observing?” Manuel asks. “We’re not actually venturing into the corrupted land?”
“That’s up to Catalina,” Sonco says. He briefly eyes the distance between us, his brows pulling together into a stern line. Manuel and I share a log, but he’s on one end and I’m on the other. “And whatever Luna tells her.”
I clench my wooden cup, the last drops of water clinging to the bottom. What if Luna doesn’t have another message for me? What if I’m not as helpful as I hope to be? I shakily stand and walk over to my pack. The telescope is on top, and it feels heavy in my hands.
Footsteps clamor through the brush. Branches snap. Leaves rustle. Everyone jumps to their feet, weap
ons raised. Manuel is at my side in an instant. “Pull out your weapon.”
I stuff my telescope into my belt. As for weapons, all I have are the darts dipped in poison. When I show him, his brow furrows. “That’s it?”
“Chaska has my dagger.”
Manuel is about to reclaim it when there’s another loud crash. “Over there!” Kusi exclaims, his spear raised. A figure bursts into our camp, huffing. I let a blow dart fly, and it lands nowhere near him. A second later I’m glad for it. He’s one of the guards.
“Where is Sayri? Has he come back?”
Chaska steps forward, her arms raised. “Calm down. He’s taking the first watch.”
“No,” the man replies, frantic. “We were together, but there was a noise—I turned around and my brother was gone.”
“He can’t have disappeared,” Kusi says. “He might’ve walked away to relieve himself.”
“I looked,” he says, panic threading his words. “I looked everywhere. Called his name. Made a racket. But he’s nowhere! Help me find him, please.”
Chaska looks toward her cousin. “What do you think?”
“I’ll go with him to search,” Kusi says. “The rest of you stay here. Protect the camp. Keep the fire blazing, your weapons close.” He and the guard disappear into the tree line, and for a horrible moment I have a feeling I won’t see either of them again.
“He didn’t say what kind of noise it was,” I mutter. Was it a scream? A growl?
What’s hunting us?
Manuel clenches the handle of his machete. I reach for my telescope again, but he catches my movement. A snarl escapes him. “Don’t even think about it.”
“But Luna might offer guidance.”
“The nearest clearing is a ten-minute walk away. We stay together, with the fire.”
I stuff the scope back into my bag.
We wait for what feels like hours, until at last, at last, the pair reappears. Kusi looks to Sonco first, a slight shake of his head. My stomach drops. Sayri hasn’t been found.
Written in Starlight Page 25
