THE FIRE SAGA

BLAZE 123 - RECEPTION

We travel half a day, motoring along the Amazon River. The bright yellow sun that gave me my first ever sunburn is traded in for a bright yellow poncho to deflect the miserable rain. It's mostly keeping me dry. To be honest, even the accumulating pool in the boat sole would make for a suitable bed. This girl is not picky. I can't seem to get caught up on my rest. Probably a depression thing. I miss Dad, Mom, and even Derry. Most of all, I miss Brody. He wins the gold simply because he's gone to me forever. My grief is all-consuming.

I made this trip in reverse after meeting the Amazon Coterie for the first time only a short time ago. That notvacation was wrought with disappointment...and discovery, I guess, if you want to push for more bright sides. I couldn't reconnect Mel and Ryan. Voilà reversion. Derry made quick use of the discovery by requesting his own. That was the beginning of the end for us. Here, in Amazonia, I also learned about emotional projection. I tend to lean heavy on the side of less when it comes to that ability. More feels is not where my joy lives.

As we draw closer, I keep the poncho over my face, not wanting to see the vast forest view, empty in its expanse with no one waiting for us. Will the off-key tune of support my friends are singing change if the Amazon Coterie hasn't come out of hiding to greet us? Where will we go if they don't? Conversely, what if they are waiting? What will I look like to them? Have I changed? My stomach swirls mercilessly for a few minutes before my tinder heart falls into the pit that my nerves have burrowed.

Fireplace tempts my nostrils as the boat hits the dock, and I breathe a massive sigh of relief. Despite the wildfire we're bringing behind us, they're happy to see us.

Physically, they're the same. Emotionally, we aren't the only group to evolve into something more. They've undergone a full-blown metamorphosis. The most shocking transformation is Evadne, who was borderline feral. She's the first to greet me when I step off the dock, enveloping me in an uncharacteristic display of affection. It's awkward, and I don't know how to handle it. Yeah, awkwardly. That's how I handle it.

"Evadne," Aella addresses her calmly. "Put down."

Even Akantha, the most timid of their unit, hugs me. Their enthusiasm rapidly spreads. Everyone's hugging everyone while I'm standing back, watching the show from behind my fireproof glass a protective distance away. Overwhelmed is the word of the day.

That's when I see her. She's absolutely heading the improvement department. Dreyna no longer stands with her shoulders slumped or her messy hair covering half her face. Last we met, she had a pitifully clogged filter. Looks like she's toting a brand new one now. Even skewed by the darkness of my guilt-stained heart, it's impossible not to appreciate her radiance. She's positively glorious. "You've changed," I murmur.

She lifts a brow.

"Not in a bad way," I clarify. "You're just different. You shine."

"As do you, Little Fire," she notes.

She kisses me softly on the cheek before pulling me toward the trees.

"Do not tie," Aella advises Ryan as he's trying to secure the boat to the dock. "Let drift. We destroy dock. Use wood make fire."

I pull Dreyna to a stop. "Why are you destroying the dock? Don't we need the boat?"

Frowning, Akantha joins us at the tree line. "Hide entry point. That buy big time."

"We should be running," I suggest.

"Why we run?" Aella seems shocked. "You not small spark. You bright burn now. Soon you blaze."

"I wasn't sure you'd want to see us, and though you clearly do, now I'm forced to accept what we're bringing with us."

"There is time for cry," Akantha offers, "but time is not now. Now we welcome."