A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 30

At first, there was darkness; then, a thunderous beating sound, like a heart, pounding all around her. Jo couldn't move, she couldn't feel anything. She felt stupid when she realized she needed a body to be able to feel something. She wondered if Laurentius would manage to revive her body-- they didn't foresee such destruction, her skin and bones had been drilled mercilessly by the thin roots of the tree, what if there was nothing to save in the first place? She loathed being trapped inside that thing, the darkness, that unnerving sound, the nothingness. If Laurentius failed, she didn't think she'd be able to endure for more than a couple of weeks before losing her mind. And those yellow eyes-- what were they? Who did they belong to? was there something else in there with her?  Her thoughts were shaken by a sudden thump. She could feel a rocking movement, dizzying; she remembered being out on a boat once, years ago, a fishing trip with her childhood friends: it felt just like it. If she'd had guts, she would've emptied them all over the gemstone.

A light, dim and wavering, entered her little prison, relief flooded her mind: at least the gem was translucent, if she remained trapped in there she'd be able to peep; maybe that would save her from losing her mind to boredom. Bubbles, shadows, then an uncontrollable spinning motion: she had fallen into the water-- an eternity at the bottom of the ocean? that didn't sound like a pleasant future to look forward to. A hand grabbed the gem before it could sink any further: Laurentius' hand, she'd recognize his perfectly soft hands anywhere. She was safe now, she could see his fingers gripping the gem tight. He was moving, getting out of the water; she could see him through the gem's slits between his fingers. She couldn't feel the beating sound anymore, she wondered if it had been his heart, maybe she'd been inside a breast pocket.

She watched as Laurentius put the gem in the palm of his hand; his eyes looked worried, Jo wondered if he knew, or at least inferred, she could see him.

"Hold on, Jo," he whispered into the stone.

She could hear him, as clear as if she had ears-- maybe even better. She saw him unclutching a thin golden chain: it was attached to the gemstone, like a necklace. He wore it around his neck; Jo could see everything around her, they were at a shore, in the middle of the night. She could see the waves crashing on some nearby rocks, the sound echoed inside the gem; the tide was high and the two moons in the sky shone bright, casting an eerie light all over, peeping through the fog. She felt Laurentius moving, fast; she could hear his heart beating frantically as he entered the water again, sloshing around with his hands.

"Where are you, Jo, creators!" he sounded desperate.

She saw herself, a little further ahead; she could feel the gemstone submerging in the water again as he swam in her direction, she hoped the thing wouldn't unlatch. Her naked body looked pitiful: her lips were blue, the gashes on her skin appeared in all their ghastly glory now that the blood was washed out of her wounds. Laurentius cradled her body in his arms, taking her to the shore; he set it, carefully, over a sandbank. He pushed the body's hair aside, her eyes were wide open and milky; Jo wanted to cry, but she was physically incapable. How could she come back from that? Laurentius said he'd be able to do it without using black magic-- she seriously doubted it. She was beyond healing.

"You!" she could hear Alaric's angry voice coming from behind; Laurentius turned around, allowing Jo to see him. Alaric was wet, coughing; his eyes were on fire, his face was twisted in a scowl. "You knocked me out, you let her die. You did this!" Alaric approached Laurentius; the mage's heart was pounding, she knew he was bracing himself for a punch. Alaric looked at him; he looked down on him, then shut his eyes tight, making tight fists. He took a deep breath, then shoved the mage aside to clear his path to Jo's mangled body; Alaric kneeled by it, he was shaking. He produced a heartbreaking howl, guttural, like it came from the very depths of his soul. Then he cried, cradling her, sobbing, cursing the Creators, Ontur and Laurentius.