Remy and Noah flanked either side of me. Even though I couldn't see anyone, I felt thousands of eyes on us. The trees towered over our heads and anything far above that. Copeland Pass yawned before us. Deep in its body, Ray, Georgia, and Josh searched for any hidden spot that Ciris could be hiding in and to serve as a look out. Martin, who had stayed back at the inn, had given us a set of instructions and map before we left that was supposed to help us find the forest's prime residents. Remy studied the faded papers now, and his brow crinkled into angry concentration.
Noah reached for my hand and I pulled away. I didn't want his comfort. My nerves jangled around in the pit of my stomach and the only way they would be calm was if I had Ciris here in my grasp and Sorrel was gone. I rubbed at a faint pain in my head, and tried to put the worries out of my mind.
Remy grunted, scratched the back of his neck, and then looked up at us. "This way."
He led us into the brush and trees and away from the civilization we knew. Everything we touched--the leaves, the ground, the tall grass--all lit up with a yellow glow like it had been traced over with highlighter ink. A stardust path formed behind us as we walked. Pausing, I turned back to watch the lights fade after a few moments. Before long we were submerged in the dark again. Angst filled me, and my body shook faintly with the tremors of excitement and nerves. Chills raced up my spine, but not the good kind I got when Leo tickled the palm of my hand. No. This was like waking up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Cold sweats were definitely to be expected.
We made a trail deeper into the growth. My heart and mind grew heavier with each step. Noah's posture became stiffer and more alert. Remy fiddled with his lower lip in anxiety, and his eyes would dart down to the map still unfolded in his hands every few seconds. We traveled like this for what felt like hours until we found a light in the distance.
The camp was lit by the glowing undersides of the leaves on the surrounding trees, and the ground bloomed with of a map of footprints slowly disappearing. Figures danced around a large fire, flashes of their shadows waving in and out of the trees like they were passing in front of a strobe light. A series of smaller fires were scattered variously through in the campsite mocking the spirited dance. We were transfixed. Our eyes didn't waver from the beautiful bodies and the light glinting off of their angular faces.
A young boy met my eyes as he spun around in his circle. He stopped, and as one, the group stopped with him. Every pair of eyes fell on us, all the color of a rose. The group's hair all shared a quality like cream, silky and flowing. And their skin was the color of sweet caramel. A man stepped forward. The tribe followed him to us. They made no offering of peace or rivalry.
The man looked us up and down. "What is your business doing in our woods?" He looked to Remy, who obviously looked like the leader of our group, but instead of answering, Remy's eyes trailed to me.
"We're looking for Ciris," I said. "Do you know where he is?"
He turned to the group and addressed them in a foreign language. Once a minute of dialogue had passed, he focused back on me. "We don't know who you speak of. Now leave."
"Look here," I started, but stopped when I felt Remy's hand on my arm pulling me back. Irritation pricked under my skin, my head pounding ferociously. In a calmer tone, I spoke, "Please. We need to find my third parent Ciris. There's an evil nature spirit that's going to kill-"
"Child," he held his palm out to my face to stop me, "we do not care for your reasons why you need this man. You are not our own. We only mind to ourselves, this forest, and the power we protect in it. We will allow you and your friends to stay here this night, but you are to leave our forest at first light. And take your lost friends with you. Clockum," To his left, another man stepped forward, "fetch the wanderers. Follow me."
YOU ARE READING
Fire Scarred
FantasyCora always thought she was a normal girl. . . or at least as normal as a human girl could be when her parents owned a school for "mythical" creatures. But when she learns that she is an undead-dead nature spirit, things get complicated. Caught betw...
