The Border Trilogy (Book #1) Enemies to lovers, Forbidden love

Part 23

Staring out over the river, I could feel my heart beat in my throat, pounding mercilessly as my stomach joined in flip flops. Standing so close, closer than I'd been to them in a long time, and yet so far, the feeling made me uneasy  as I stood at the border. They still think I'm dead, I realized, and now they'll finally know I'm here, I'm alive. But will they accept what I've come to tell them, or will they rather wish my death.

My breath shuddered a bit. Darien was right behind me to my left, the Elders to my right. The tribespeople surrounded us behind me, having followed in curiosity. 

Slowly I cupped my hands around my mouth, took a deep breath, and mimicked an owl sound. The same one she'd heard from me over the years, beginning as a game we'd play as a variation of hide and seek, and becoming a siren, an alarm, an SOS.

No response came.

It was only noon, they should be up and working by now, Where's Katrina, I wondered. I tried again, louder this time.  

No answer.

"Come on!" I hissed under her breath, again I made an owl sound and then let my arms drop to my sides, "There should be a response, I don't know why..." my voice trailed off.

"Eva, she's probably too far to hear." Darien said as I looked back at him.   

"No, no she always heard me." I turned to look back at the river, "Always." 

I tried again, still no answer. I ran my hands through my hair. 

Please, please hear me Katrina. I need you, I thought.

"Eva," Darien stepped forward in front of me. "We can try again later," he looked at the elders, "Right?"

"We can try again tomorrow," Genevieve replied.

The crowd began to descend back into the woods.

"I, I don't understand. Why didn't she signal back?" I whispered and looked down. 

"It's alright, I'm sure everythings okay." Darien said, "Come on, let's go." 

Just as Darien turned to leave, a sound came from the other side of the river. 

Hoo.

The sounds came from beyond the border. A screeching, impatient howl.

All the elders stopped, and turned around. My heart began again as I slowly turned back towards the river.

"Hoo, Hooo!" 

The sound of an owl.

Louder this time, followed by a sound of rustling leaves, as if someone was running towards us- fast.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!" 

"It's her!" I smiled towards the elders, "Katrina, it's her!" I ran towards the cliff of the border.

"Hoo, Hoo!" the sound came again.

Then there she was, standing at the edge of the border.

"Oh my God, Eva!" Katrina cried.

"Katrina!" 

"You're alive?" she looked at me with widened eyes.

Two more figures shot up beside her. My  mom, and behind her Avery.

"Eva? I thought you were.." Isabelle was too shocked to speak.

"I know mom, I'm okay." I reassured her.

Then a few more figures shot up beside them, including Madeline- too shocked to speak- a few watchers, protectors and the tribespeople. After them, few by few, more and more people came.