On Broken Wings

Chapter 15

Cassius

My leg only burned slightly, thanks to the salve Lucifer applied before we departed from the centaur camp. Faun walked alongside his brethren as did Lucifer. His golden hair shined a near-white color where the sun hit the strands from between the luscious treetops.

This part of the forest was older than ancient. I could feel it in my bones, see it in the cracks of bark and roots. It would take five grown men to wrap their arms around the trunks of the trees, which seemed to whisper stories older than time and lean over us when we passed beneath them. I looked down at my map—it was useless now. I had not drawn this part of the woods for I did not know it went back this far.

My spine tingled; it felt as though someone was watching me between the foliage and overgrown underbrush. Goosebumps were scattered across my skin. I forced myself to look away from the unknown depths of the forest and focus instead on Faun's torso, where his horse bottom melded smoothly to human flesh in a gradient of gray hair and skin.

"Wait," I said suddenly, leaning over Faun's shoulder to get a closer look at the ground. The group stopped and turned to stare at me.

Lucifer was next to me in an instant, helping me down from Faun's back. "What is it?" he asked.

"Get me closer to the ground. I think I've found something." It was hard to bend down with my injured leg as it couldn't support my body weight. Using his arms as support, Lucifer guided me to where the dark, rich soil lay. An unnatural lump protruded from the ground. It was a strange shape that I had nearly dismissed as a rock. But this area was void of rocks, leaving me to believe there was something more to this patch of dirt that was different than the rest.

I swept aside the soil carefully, and Lucifer joined me without so much as a questioning glance. Our hands dug into the land, digging deeper and deeper and—

My finger scratched against a rough surface. I began to dig with more vigor, expanding our rather than down. I sucked in a breath when we cleared a small section. Beneath the dirt was stone, deliberately carved with swirls and tiny dots connected with lines.

Constellations. There were constellations engraved in the archaic stone. It appeared to be a path, and I could only imagine how long and winding it must be. A thrill dripped down my spine.

A path through the Garden of Eden.

No words had to be said. Everyone, centaurs and two legs alike, began digging through the soil frantically, starting from the hole me and Lucifer cleared and expanding out. My fingers traced the patterns in the stone, unable to move, unable to breathe, unbale to think. Hope flared in my heart, strong and burning like a flame that was impossible to put out. We've gotten this far. I have dreamed about this moment for weeks, touched it within the confines of sleep, murmured constant prayers and vows. Yet, deep down, I never imagined finding it. It had always been search, search, search. But never find.

"Are you okay?" Lucifer said softly. He entwined our hands, brown and encrusted with soil. His eyes looked at me with concern.

"No," I admitted. "My head feels dizzy and weak." We both knew it was not from the arrow wound.

He helped me stand up and sit on a log away from where the rest were digging. "Did you bring your medicine with you?"

I started to shake my head, but that caused more dizziness. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to throw up. "No. I did not think we would be away from home for this long."

"How is your body?"

"Aching." The adrenaline from the search wore off, leaving me exhausted and my body hurting. A headache slowly built its way up my neck. I leaned against Lucifer's shoulder and offered him a weak smile. "It's okay. I just need rest."