Broken (Disappeared #2)

Chapter Twelve

Pine trees towered above them and mist pressed like a gray blanket upon the five adventurers. Tipelli and Izel took the lead and Xochitl followed behind. Ahuil and Theodosia came last, the sphere hidden in a satchel around her shoulder. She kept looking up at him for reassurance. He smiled back at her but the line between his brows made it plain that he was worried too.

The half-beings had almost caught them once. It could easily happen again.

They were taking a different route to get to the portal, a much more difficult one. There was hardly any forest left and it was easy to become distracted by the many bizarre sights peppered along the way. In the first hour they passed by a long clearing full of metal carriages without horses. They were all jammed together in a long line and some of them were making wailing noises, or growing big black tires, or were shedding their layers of rust like skin. Izel and Tipelli whispered as they crept by, their eyes wide as they took in the strange machines.

In the second hour they came upon a cluster of massive buildings that had pushed up through the trees. They had multiple floors with huge glass windows that were either covered in writing or busted out. They awed Theodosia just as much as they scared her. What kind of people would make such unreal structures?

And then there were the people, most of them now fully formed. They were everywhere — walking down newly formed roads, greeting each other in a strange language, carrying bags, checking the time, and sitting on benches.

If Theodosia was confused, Ahuil looked petrified. She realized that she was used to the ideas of crowds and cities, had been to London even. As they crept through patches of forest, his light eyes darted towards the people with intense interest. She couldn't imagine how bizarre it must seem to him.

"Theodosia," he whispered suddenly. "Is this what your world is like?"

"The cities, yes. But this place is more advanced. There are things I've never seen before."

He raised one of his eyebrows. "I would be impressed if these things weren't taking over my world. I mean, I prefer living in the forest. I don't need life to be this complicated. And I definitely don't need to be around this many people. But it's definitely fascinating."

In that moment, she wished Ahuil could see England. London's stately buildings, elegant parks and carriage-filled streets, not to mention Helenshire's picturesque fields and woods, would fascinate him.

She shook the thought from her head. That would never happen — she wasn't even sure if Ahuil could travel through the portal. Still, the idea stuck with her, though it felt vaguely treasonous. She had left Helenshire behind. She shouldn't be thinking about going back.

The mist suddenly thickened in front of them, distracting Theodosia from her thoughts. They pushed through the woolly fog to the other side and immediately began choking from the thick smoke in the air.

Every one of the baobabs was on fire. The monstrous trees were blackened from the smoke and their twisted branches were filled with spitting, twisting flames. Theodosia recoiled as if she was seeing people, not trees, on fire. She grabbed for Ahuil's hand but it was covering his mouth as he gagged. Xochitl and the twins hacked into their sleeves, trying to stifle the dry coughs that wouldn't stop coming.

Theodosia felt a little woozy from the smoke but otherwise she was fine. "Are you all right?" she asked Ahuil, putting a hand on his arm. "It's the mist that's making you sick, isn't it? We're so close to the border now."

He shook his head as tears came to his eyes. "I'm fine," he managed between coughs. "Let's keep going."

She almost laughed. And Ahuil said she was stubborn? He tried to step forward and stumbled. She caught him and he began coughing again. His face looked ashen. Not ashen, faint. Like he was fading away.