by Alex Temples
Sergio chuckled and patted Sam on the thigh after placing her on the donkey. I raised an eyebrow at the familiar gesture, smiling when I noticed my friend was blushing.
Sam caught my eye and we exchanged a look. I smiled and shook my head, some of my fear melting away.
Sergio turned to the man leading the donkeys and spoke a few words before turning towards me.
“Brin, this is Arjani. He’s the guide I was telling you about.”
Arjani was short, with weathered skin and shoulder length black hair. He turned to me with warm brown eyes and a generous smile. He wore white from head to toe, including a white hat perched on his head.
“I am happy to meet you.” He rumbled as I took his proffered hand.
“You as well.”
We walked at a clipped pace, hurrying after Sam’s donkey. Arjani’s regaled us with tales of life on the trail. By the time we reached the small clearing where the helicopter would land my sides were aching with laughter. We were in good hands with Arjani.
We made our way briskly up th slight hill. I jogged to catch up with Sam’s donkey, walking alongside her as we neared the crest of the hill.
Aiden was towards the back of the pack, talking with Diego. I heard the sound of rotors beating the air and my heart leapt in my throat. This was it. Sam was leaving me.
The helicopter landed, stirring up a cloud of dust and grass, touching down on the field like a great flying dragon. The doors slid open and two men jumped out. They motioned us forward.
Sergio scooped Sam off her donkey and carried her towards the helicopter. Neil and I trailed behind. A tall beast of a man in green fatigues rushed to meet us.
“Neil, my brother, it’s good to see you.” He was a great grizzly of a man, tall and muscular and covered with tattoos. He clapped Neil on the shoulder.
“Oscar,” Neil said fondly. “I’ve missed you as well.” He smiled and squeezed the large man’s forearm in greeting.
I could count on one hand the smiles I’d seen from the man since I’d met him.
“What do we have?” Oscar asked, turning to Sam.
Sergio straightened his spine and turned to Oscar to reply.
“She was bitten approximately 40 minutes ago. The antivenin was delivered 10 minutes after the bite. We think it was a coral snake. She saw red and white bands, but we weren’t able to find the snake. Her symptoms seem to be improving, but there’s no guarantee how long that will last.”
Oscar nodded, glancing at Neil for confirmation. “Okay, well, we only have room for one person besides the patient. Who will be going?”
“I will,”
I watched Sergio step forward. I really wanted to go. For a momment I thought of pushing Sergio aside and hopping into the helicopter. Then, a vision of Oren lying pale in his hospital bed flashed through my mind.
Grabbing Sergio’s shoulders, I looked him deep in the eyes and said. “Watch over her for me, Sergio. Don’t leave her side. Make sure she gets the best care available.”
Sergio nodded solemnly and I turned to Sam who was staring at me with a fond look.
“Brin, it’s going to be fine. I’ll be fine. I’m feeling much better already.” Sam reached out. I leaned into the awkward hug that partially included Sergio, as he was still cradling her in his arms.
“I love you. Please check in as often as you can.”
I turned to Neil. “Will they be able to call the sat phone?”
Neil hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Of course.”
With Oscar’s help, Sergio lifted Sam into the helicopter, depositing her gently into one of the worn, gray seats.
I bit my lip, watching as Neil slid the door shut.
I stood silently, waving at my departing friend as the helicopter took off. Powerful gusts of air stirred up grass and dirt, causing it to swirl around us. The helicopter lifted higher, growing smaller and smaller as it turned in the direction of Cartagena. I watched sadly as Sam disappeared into the distance, running my hands up and down my arms. A chill ran up my spine. I was alone.
***
Several hours later we arrived at the second camp. The walk had been brutal. With the humidity soaring, the heat index was over a hundred degrees. The journey had been either straight uphill or straight downhill. My thighs ached from the exertion. We’d arrived at camp parched, falling upon the well and lapping up the cold water from a small wooden barrel.
Aiden and I were now exploring the outskirts of camp, taking a walk in the shade of the rainforest. We walked down the trail a few yards before arriving at a small hut with a grass-thatched roof. It sat on the outskirts of a little village.
I was immediately charmed. It seemed so untouched, as if we had stepped back in time several hundred years to arrive at this pleasant little hut.
The hut was situated away from the other dwelling. On top of the thatched roof sat a five-pointed star made of sticks and another stick pointing upwards like an antenna. Aiden went to the door and called out in a language I didn’t understand.
Before long an old man came to the door. He shuffled towards us, bent and worn by age and experience. Black hair hung around a face that had seen a great deal of life, likely both sorrow and happiness, but most definitely change.
The man’s eyes were deep black pools that slid over me with an assessing gaze. He wore white clothing, woven of a rough linen. Over his shoulder hung a small leather pouch. He reached in and pulled out some leaves, tucking them into his cheek with a practiced gesture.
I watched with interest as he pulled out a small hollow gourd and used a stick to scoop some powder out of the center. He slid the powder-covered stick into his mouth before tucking it back into his bag and disappearing into his hut.
Aiden noted my curiosity. “Those are coca leaves.” He said gesturing toward the pouch of leaves the indigenous man carried.
I raised an eyebrow.
He smiled and nodded. “The very same for which Colombia is known. There are a lot of misconceptions about how they’re used though. The natives have been using coca leaves along with that lime powder made from crushed shells for hundreds of years. It provides a burst of energy.”
I was fascinated. “That’s really interesting.”
Aiden smiled. “It is only after white man adds all the chemicals that it becomes the substance you know as cocaine.” He shook his head. “It never ceases to amaze me how humans can take something natural and whole and turn it into pure poison.” He sighed, a wistful look on his face.
I waited silently, as he seemed to be thinking.
“The laws of nature are so perfect, Brin. They are laws of balance. Where you find something poisonous, you will always find something that counteracts the poison. When you find disharmony in a being, you will find that man has created that disharmony and that nature holds the answer to fixing it.”
His eyes shimmered blue and my stomach fluttered in response to something I saw there. He really was an attractive man. I liked the sound of his voice. It was low and smooth and sent tingles up my spine. If there was something else he wanted to say, I saw the moment he decided against it. With a shake of his head he turned and we continued our walk down the winding path.
Aiden pointed out plants he thought I would find interesting. I spent time snapping photos and fondling the leaves of exotic plants I’d only ever seen in books.
Aiden’s explanations fascinated me, his passion and depth of knowledge slowly erasing the doubts I’d had about him.
We entered a thickly wooded area. There was a stirring in the trees above us.
I spotted the Kogui boy we’d met earlier. He was climbing one branch after another, his thin legs moving with deft certainty as he navigated the twisted branches.
“Wow, how did he get up there?” I asked, marveling at the boy’s balance as he leapt from one branch to another.
Aiden chuckled.
“I imagine he spends a good deal of time climbing trees. The children are the ones who gather fruit and t
he like.”
“I imagine he’s had a far more productive childhood than I did.”
Aiden nodded in agreement.
“I’d have to say that’s probably true for me as well. I was a terribly wasteful youth. My mother said she never could understand how my brother and I are so different.”
“You have a brother?” I asked.
Aiden nodded. “Yes, a twin actually – though we aren’t identical.”
My eyes widened. “Wow, that’s great. I think all kids secretly wish they’d had a twin to trade spots with and play tricks on people.”
Aiden’s laugh was cut short, as we both heard the Kogui boy cry out.
We looked up to see a snake coiled around the branch he meant to grab. It brought its head back as if to strike.
In the space of a few seconds, the boy gasped and lost his balance, falling from the branch he’d been perched on and plunging towards the ground.
Aiden waved his hand.
I gasped as branches shot out of the trunk of the tree, appearing where none had been and catching the Kogui boy before he tumbled to the ground. In two strides Aiden was under the tree, holding his arms open for the boy to jump down.
I stood rooted to the spot, watching Aiden with equal parts fascination and horror.
Chapter Twenty
The boy stared down at Aiden. There was a silent exchange between the two before he jumped into his waiting arms.
I tried to reconcile what I’d just seen, staring at Aiden and the frightened child in his arms. The little boy suddenly realized he was no longer in danger and began writhing impatiently.
Aiden bent, gently depositing the boy on the ground.
“You be more careful, cadhala. The serpent may be quicker next time.” Aiden spoke a word that sounded like wind and rain. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He shimmered like dew struck by sunlight.
I stood silently, shocked to find myself more intrigued than terrified. What had Sam said to me about Aiden being a bit strange?
I wasn’t sure how he had done what he’d done with the branches, but I knew he’d done it. I believed my eyes. The branches had burst from the trunk, one after another, all on their own. They’d grown in the space of a few seconds.
I’d stopped believing in the tooth fairy the day my mother died in a car accident. I was five. I’d never believed in Santa or ghosts or the loch ness monster. I was skeptical of the tall tales men told, but inside I’d always felt there was something greater than me. I felt it in that moment. I felt it in the air. I’d just seen something I couldn’t explain, but it was right there in front of my eyes and I knew it was real.
I’d noticed something about Aiden the moment our eyes had first met, something special. The scientist in me couldn’t name this thing that he was, and it was that thought that caused my hesitation even as I stepped toward him.
Aiden stared at me, looking unsure of what to say.
I opened my mouth and the words tumbled out before I could stop them.
“If you’re able to freeze things in place, then why didn’t you just do that to keep me from leaving the bar the other day?”
He burst out laughing, relief flooding his face.
Feeling offended, I set my hands on my hips. “Why are you laughing?”
Aiden stared at me with a bemused expression. “You see me do what I just did and your first question is why I didn’t take you captive two days ago?”
I frowned. “Yes. That’s what I just asked.”
He raised an eyebrow and stepped closer until he was directly in front of me.
“I would have enjoyed taking you captive, Brin, but I needed you to come willingly.”
“Why? You and Neil seem to have it pretty well together, why do you need me to help you track down a plant you’re so clearly capable of finding on your own?”
I felt suddenly angry with him, thinking of Oren thousands of miles away.
He seemed to sense the shift in my mood. “Because we can’t. We can’t find the plant on our own, Brin.” He shook his head.
“But the photo…”
“Is a fake.”
“What do you mean it’s a fake?” I shot back, my anger growing.
“The plant was photoshopped in.”
“Why would you do that?”
“We needed you to believe it was at Teyuna.” Aiden answered.
I stared back at him, eyes flashing. “You lied to me about the plant being at Teyuna?”
Aiden realized his mistake and rushed to explain. “No, the plant is at Teyuna, without a doubt. There just aren’t any photos of it. I don’t know where, but it is here.”
I stared back at him, incredulous. “How could you know that?”
He sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, then you better start talking.”
“The Tairona were very important to my people. Those who once lived in the lost city were not quite mortal. They protected a great secret. And to do that, they required some special abilities.”
He paused.
I tilted my head. “Special abilities like the thing you just did with the tree?”
Aiden gave a half shrug. “Not exactly, but the magic all stems from the same place. Have you ever heard the old Celtic tales of the magical people who live in the hills and forests?”
“Actually, I have. My grandma came from Wales. She always read me and Oren fairy tales about the wee folk when we were kids.” I smiled at the memory.
“Ah yes, fairy tales. I forgot there is some little green fairy who has made everyone think all fairies are three inches tall with wings.” Aiden grumbled.
I smiled in amusement. “Where are we going with this?”
“I am one of those from your mortal fairy tales, Brinmar, but we Edenites prefer to be called fae.”
I raised an eyebrow at his admission, waiting for him to continue.
“I’m going to tell you a tale, Brin and I need for you to keep an open mind, because it will be hard for you to understand, but I know you’re capable. Can you do that?”
I nodded and Aiden sighed with relief.
“In the beginning, there were two beings called Adhamh and Eabha. They lived in a lush, tropical garden in the mortal realm for many years. The goddess cared for them and they never wanted for anything. As the years passed, they grew bored and restless. They grew tired of following the goddess’s rules. She hadn’t visited them for many years and was becoming a distant memory. Adhamh and Eabha made merry in the gardens. They had many sons and daughters, who then had their own sons and daughters.”
I coughed and he paused. It sounded like this was going to be a long story.
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
I gestured for him to continue.
“The garden was filled with noise and laughter and the people enjoyed the bounty of the earth, eating her ripe fruit, weaving clothing from plant fibers, hunting the animals for their meat and hides and finding shelter in the shade of her great trees.”
He gestured to the towering trees above us. My eyes drifted skyward and I admired to branches stretching towards the heavens.
“Over time the people grew apart from the earth, and from each other. Adhamh and many others tired of the garden. They wanted to explore the rest of the earth. They were weary of the rules of the land, so they began breaking them. At first, they were small transgressions, but they gradually grew more serious. They burned wood they were not allowed to burn; killed animals they were not allowed to kill. They ate forbidden fruit. Eabha and those loyal to her grew weary of Adhamh’s people.”
Aiden had gravitated closer to me as he spoke.
I felt energy radiating from him and shifted uncomfortably.
His eyes slid over my face, lingering on my lips as he continued. A shiver of excitement radiated through me. Aiden’s eyes darkened, his voice like liquid velvet as he continued.
“Eabha’s people wanted things as they were before. She and Adhamh met one day. They decided the only wa
y to preserve the two groups and keep them from destroying each other was to part ways. Eabha’s people stayed in Eden and continued to follow the rules of the goddess and Adhamh’s people created the mortal realm.”
I frowned, struggling to process what he was telling me. This story was very familiar. I stood, brow furrowed, waiting for him to explain further.
Aiden chuckled at my expression and continued.
“A wall was erected, a barrier between the realms of earth and Eden. It was created with the blood of Adhamh and the blood of Eabha, the most powerful magic in Eden. Adhamh’s people could no longer see Eden, and after several generations, they forgot it existed. Eden became a mythical place, spoken of only in whispers. In Eden, Eabha’s people divided into tribes, creating the first royal houses of my people. The first, the house of water, is a land under the sea called Atlantis. The second, the house of Earth, is a land made up of tunnels under the ground, called Agharti. The third, the house of fire, is a mountainous land called el Dorado. The fourth, the house of wind is on a misty isle called Avalon. Each house grew and thrived, all of the people mastering their elemental strengths.”
My eyes widened, but I remained silent.
“On earth, Adhamh’s people created the roots of mortal civilization. For many years they clung to remnants of their magical past, conducting earth rituals. The tribes moved rapidly across the earth, creating the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and relics like Stonehenge, Easter Island, and other magical places you mortals puzzle over.”
I stood quietly, wanting to leave, but craving the knowledge he offered.
“They created grand and magical monuments, a testament to their true heritage. Over time, they began to value different things, developing technology to meet their evolving needs, and losing their connection to nature, the source of their magic. They divided into four different tribes, undefined by geographic location. Rather, they were divided based on their connection to nature, their potential for working magic.”
Aiden brushed a hair from my cheek. I swallowed, meeting his gaze with my own. I knew he’d see skepticism in my eyes and I wondered if it would anger him. He only smiled, tucking the unruly curl behind my ear.
