Evocation

Chapter 18- What Dreams are Made of

It's been two days and we've successfully begun to build a temporary home for us on land. The storm is likely going to hit us any minute now, so we're all scrambling around to finish up. The sky has been dark for a few hours despite it being barely after lunchtime. Everyone has been hard at work non-stop to get trees cut and sliced, tied up together, and propped up against a cave wall for stability. We've collected some clay to help anchor the wooden posts to the ground and the wall, but it won't have enough time to dry fully before the storm hits.

The island we're on is deserted yet beautiful. It's rocky near the shoreline, which caused a little anxiety moving our belongings -and our injured crewmates- onto land, but it quickly turns to green grass, beautiful wildflowers, and large trees. There are chunks of rocky cliffs descending sporadically towards the shore. We decided to prop up our hut against one of the cliffs to keep us from blowing away.

The other cliff caves have wild animals living in them, which we've set traps for, and one of the cliffs has a stream running down with fresh melted mountain water. We've enjoyed gathering the water to boil and drink, or to shower and bathe in. Despite being a bunch of sea folk, we're making ourselves pretty comfortable on land.

I'm working with Becks and Jonesie to tie leather hides and thick blankets around our hut's structure. It's nothing fancy and it's a little squishy on the inside. The hut spans parallel to the cliff side, so it's longer than it is deep, and it looks like a long tunnel from the outside. There's enough room for all of our cots and some personal belongings, so it will do the job we need it to.

Dean has been awake and coherent for a while. He's back to his normal self, and that includes not remembering kissing me. I haven't asked, but he doesn't seem awkward and he hasn't mentioned anything to Lorcan about it. Dean has been antsy to help out or get back on the water, but Lorcan has been great at calming him down and keeping him stationary.

After asking around, I've learned that Dean hasn't slept in weeks. He's been up all day in the sun looking for the gem and awake all night making game plans. No wonder he was so exhausted. Now he's being forced to have a sleep schedule and he doesn't like it.

Lorcan and Morgan set up a private area at the far end of the hut as a sort of sick bay for themselves to watch over Dean and Christopher. The four of them are always in there, so I don't see them much, aside from when I check-in to see how they are fairing. Christopher was looking great on the first day. Aside from missing part of his arm, he was acting and recovering normally. He slept a lot after losing so much blood, but he was cracking jokes and talking with his friends. But today a fever broke out, and Morgan is hoping that it is his body's way of trying to get rid of any possible infection. I'm hoping that's all it is.

Loud thunder cracks and Becks jumps, shrieking and dropping her scrap of leather onto the ground.

"Baby," Jonesie teases his sister, laughing. He picks up the leather and ties it to a post.

I feel rain start to mist my skin. "Looks like we're going to bed early," I tell them, tying off the last of my fabric. "Retrieve the others."

I head through a flap in the fabric acting as a door and look around. Fenix is sitting on a cot, sewing something. I climb over people's bags and belongings to sit with him.

"Is this spot taken?" I ask.

"It's reserved for my favorite girl," he smiles up at me, hints of dimples pressing into his cheeks.

I sit beside him and wiggle back, getting comfortable on the bed. I lean on his strong shoulder, watching his strong, veiny hands work with some thread and a needle at a piece of fabric. I take a deep breath, inhaling everything around me. The smell of leather is present from all the coverings tied up over our hut. Fenix's vanilla, soapy, rummy scent wafts over me, mixing with the smell of oncoming rain. I feel calm for the first time in days. If our hut holds up well, it was all worth it.