Lover's Curse (Red Queen Awards Winner)

Chapter Thirty Six - Running Like Water

A/N: I promised to post this five days ago, and then my medication stopped working. Like, immediately. Life is fun.

Maven

Ditch him.

The Rift has had plenty of time to marshall their forces. Even if he turned around, he would be too late to prevent them from storming the palace and providing my distraction. The best he can do is die in their defense.

The worst . . .

Kiss me, Cal.

I shudder.

"What's your plan?" Cal shuffles in place, eyes darting. "Please don't tell me you dragged me here without a plan."

I ink another mark on the map unfolded on my lap, scowling when he attempts to look over my shoulder. "There are no caves on Lakelander maps."

He pauses.

"There are streams, brooks, hills, and ponds, but caves always go unmarked." I stroke my chin. "I wonder why."

We've been paddling for the better part of the day, passing several towns and miles of coastline, but none of them hold the grandeur of the Lakeland palace. None of them are worthy of my notice.

Cal reaches for the map again, and I swat him. "That doesn't answer my question."

"It doesn't. Do you know how tunnels are built?"

He sighs. "Maven--"

"Humor me."

"Well." Cal scratches his head. "I imagine you'd use explosives--"

"In the palace?"

He rubs his forehead. "Don't ask me questions if you're going to mock the answers."

"I'd start by picking the exit. Something natural, that had done most of the work for me." I pick at my nails. "An exit I would erase from all maps, lest my escape become endangered by tourists and hikers."

"Hmm." The bastard holds my map aloft. "How would you find it, then?"

"Use your brain, if you have one." I scowl. "Do you know how caves are formed?"

"No."

Typical. "Water seeps into limestone deposits, forming cavities which grow until they meet the surface." I snatch the map back. "Find where water collects, and you will find caves."

His brow furrows. "How do you know this?"

"Research." Mother had been quite annoyed. "You look for--"

He nods. "Rainfall."

"No." I'm going to lose it. "It doesn't vary enough to be a useful metric. You look for areas where water naturally pools, where gravity does the job for you. Areas of low elevation. Preferably within a mile of a Lakeland city, nestled between two rivers for maximum mobility." I point ahead. "Somewhere like there."

Before us, a hill slopes down to meet us at a fork, greenery darkening to form a rocky hollow. The canoe is unsteady as Cal ties it to the bank, and I push past him to step into the mouth. "Are you sure you wanna follow me?" Bait the hook. "You won't be able to help your comrades."

He bites. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind."

"Maven." His voice grows dark. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing. What the Rift thought to do about your disappearance is their business." I grip a stalactite for balance. "Maybe you should have checked before agreeing to come with me."

"You set me up." He clutches his temple. "I can't believe you."

My nose wrinkles. "Really? What part of this is out of character for me?"

Scowl. "I'm leaving."

"Good riddance."

He balls his fists, and I tut. "Now, now. Don't waste your energy on me. You'll need it if you intend to catch up with them before it's too late."

"I tried to help you."

"And you failed." I turn away. "Goodbye, Cal."

His voice echoes behind me as I trudge down the tunnel, blue-green moss illuminating the darkness ahead. There's only one person who matters anymore. One person who I'll have a word with about keeping my secrets.

My blood burns. Whisper. As if that would change anything. As if I needed to be fixed, as if I were a broken appliance he could wire into submission.

The camp, the river, the fish--none of it matters. How could it? He was here through convenience, and that convenience has come to a swift end. There was nothing left for me to salvage.

No chance for me to throw away.