Timber

Chapter Thirty-One: Sands of Discord

The lethargy that had once threatened to engulf Hazel was now obliterated, chased away by a fresh flood of adrenaline. The cave, their sanctuary against the night's terrors, morphed before her eyes into a daunting trap. The gargantuan form of a being continued to hover at the mouth of the cave. It did not proceed forward, but it did not retreat either.

She nudged Silus, whose eyes had been resting for the last hour. His gaze darted to hers and then to the cave entrance. They both tensed, rising to their feet as they heard the unmistakable sound of a screech. Wait, a screech?

As Hazel edged closer to the cave's mouth, her eyes narrowed against the muted light, and a slow, creeping realization unfolded within her. A familiar green light hovered in the air at the opening, where the shadow continued to float. Suddenly, the light flickered, shifting into a brilliant blue that cast an unearthly outline around the being before her. It was not just any animal, but one with vast, majestic wings spread wide, poised for flight—a falcon. The size of it continued to astound her as she let out a breath, relaxing her shoulders.

The falcon, its feathers catching the first light of dawn, seemed to shimmer with a life of its own. With a sudden, vigorous flap of its wings, it launched itself into the air, stirring up a whirlwind of sand that danced like golden dust in the emerging sunlight. Hazel shielded her eyes, watching through the veil of sand as the bird ascended, its form shrinking into a speck against the turquoise sky, eventually vanishing from sight.

In the wake of its departure, Hazel stood motionless, her attention shifting to the world beyond the cave. She listened, holding her breath. Gradually, she became aware of a profound silence. The menacing growls and unsettling shuffles were gone. Relief washed over her in waves.

With Silus by her side, she approached the entrance. Near the opening, a large bundle rested, wrapped in dark green burlap cloth tied with a deep mahogany ribbon. A light tan card was attached to the package.

"Festus?" Hazel questioned, her hand trembling as she reached down to pick up the package. It was lumpy and awkward in her shaky grasp.

Returning to the cave's depths, Mia and Aaron were all wide awake now, their attention fixed on the newly arrived gift.

Mia leaned forward, "Is it from Persephone?"

Silus examined the package, "Let's see."

Hazel loosened the ribbon, her eyes straining in the scarce light to make out the words written in a bold, hasty hand on the card: 'Fill your belly, not the air. The air will fill itself. - F.'

A soft chuckle escaped her despite the situation. It's definitely from Festus. Sharing a knowing glance with Silus. He's probably a little less than thrilled about our fireside chat last night.

Mia's shoulders slumped slightly, her initial spark of hope fading into a resigned sigh. She diverted her gaze, a subtle bite to her lip betraying her disappointment.

Catching Mia's downtrodden expression, Hazel offered an encouraging smile, "Hey, there's still a chance Persephone's gifts are on their way."

Mia provided a half-hearted shrug in response, "Maybe."

"Well, let's see what we've got. Maybe Festus decided to indulge us with some cheesecake." Hazel's eyes twinkled with mischief as she glanced at Silus.

The mere mention of cheesecake caused Mia's demeanor to brighten, a hopeful glimmer touching her eyes, her lips twitching upwards. "I'd love that."

Silus recoiled as if the idea itself was offensive, his face scrunching in distaste. "Gross." Their mother had made countless attempts at making the dessert but had only been met with his unequivocal rejection. The memory of him choosing the backyard over the scent of baking cheesecake brought warmth to Hazel's heart.