Beyond A Queen's Whisper

Chapter Twenty

The night had settled heavily over the camp, the stars dim against a moonless sky. Ama lay by the dwindling fire, her mind still spinning from the argument with Cassie. She had barely spoken after Vidi's comforting words, letting his presence soothe her in silence. The embers crackled softly, casting faint orange light across the clearing, and for a moment, Ama allowed herself to drift, lulled by the rhythmic sound of the river and the whisper of the wind through the trees.

But even as sleep took her, Ama's dreams were restless—a tangle of shadowy figures and muffled voices, indistinct but pressing. Her mind churned with guilt, fear, and the biting sting of her own harsh words to Cassie. She twisted under her blanket, caught in the snare of her own thoughts, until a frantic voice shattered the fragile veil of her sleep.

"Ama!" Vidi's voice cut through the night, sharp and urgent. His hand shook her shoulder roughly. "Ama, wake up!"

Ama jolted upright, her heart pounding as she blinked blearily at Vidi. His face was tense, eyes wide with panic. The calm, composed Vidi was gone, replaced by a bird on the edge of losing control.

"What is it?" Ama asked, her voice thick with sleep. She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of her dreams. "What's wrong?"

"Cassie's gone," Vidi said, his words rushed and clipped. "I can't find her anywhere."

Ama's heart skipped a beat, the remnants of sleep vanishing in an instant. She shot to her feet, her eyes scanning the camp. Cassie's sleeping bag lay empty, her belongings strewn about haphazardly as if she had left in a hurry. The book, their constant guide, was discarded near the riverbank, its pages fluttering slightly in the breeze.

"She wouldn't leave without the book," Ama muttered, more to herself than Vidi. Panic began to claw at her chest. "Where could she have gone?"

Vidi shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I've been calling for her, searching around the camp, but there's no sign of her."

Ama's mind raced, a dozen scenarios playing out in her head. Cassie had left after their argument—had she run off in anger? Or had something worse happened? The forest at night was a maze of shadows and hidden dangers, and Cassie was out there alone.

Ama cursed under her breath, guilt flooding her senses. She shouldn't have let Cassie leave like that. She should have gone after her, apologized, made things right. But now, Cassie was gone, and the weight of Ama's words felt like lead in her stomach.

"We need to find her," Ama said, her voice firm despite the rising fear. "She couldn't have gone far. We'll start searching along the river—she wouldn't just leave us."

Vidi nodded, though the worry in his eyes was palpable. They grabbed what they could—a couple of flashlights, Ama's healing supplies—before plunging into the darkness of the forest. The trees loomed overhead, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the night sky. Ama's footsteps were quick and frantic, her flashlight beam cutting erratically through the underbrush. She called Cassie's name, the sound echoing back hollow and unanswered.

The minutes stretched into an hour, and still, there was no sign of Cassie. The forest felt endless, every turn leading them deeper into the unknown. Ama's breath hitched, her pulse thundering in her ears. She couldn't lose Cassie—not after everything they had been through. Not when they were so close to finding a way forward. Her heart lurched at the thought of being without Cassie for longer than a day. She pushed the flashlight's beam ahead, desperately searching for any sign that Cassie had passed through.

Vidi lagged slightly behind, his gaze scanning the trees with increasing worry. "What if she's hurt?" he asked, voicing the fear that Ama didn't want to admit. "What if –?"