Page 50 of Dawn of Hope

The tingling disappears almost instantly and is replaced by something new. Sticky, wet heat hits me like a wall. I keep my eyes clenched, afraid toopen them and see what trusting this man has done. Instead, I take stock of anything I notice. The air feels different, the smells so opposite from the dusty dampness of Blackwood. It is fragrant and fresh, and tickles my nose as I breathe it in.

Next, I notice the sounds, so vastly different from home. Birds chatter and insects buzz. I feel a slight breeze and then hear it rustle through leaves, so different from the sound the wind makes through the needles of the trees in Blackwood. A crashing boom sounds in the distance, and I can’t place what it is, never having heard anything like it before.

Bright oranges and yellows dance through my closed eyelids. It must not be night here. The light and warmth beg me to open my eyes.

Sunlight.

I’ve never truly seen it before, only the muted version that lightened the clouds and fog that covered our kingdom.

I want to see it.

I open my eyes slowly, blinking rapidly as they adjust to this unfamiliar sensation. What I finally see takes my breath away, and my jaw slackens as I take in this new world around me.

I am still holding Dane’s hand as I stand there and gape at the beauty.

“Lennox,” Dane says. “Welcome to Dawnlin.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Ihave never seen so much color in my entire life. Bright, vibrant shades of green and arrays of colorful flowers cover almost every surface. And thelight. I’ve never seen anything like this. Blackwood’s skies were never this bright and clear andblue. The dark shadows from the black trees and clouds are the opposite of the land in front of me.

It’s soalive.

Dane and I landed on some kind of overlook. The worn grass underfoot is soft, with a path leading down the hill. I take a moment to look over the land in front of me, and it is stunning.

Dawnlin is an island, surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water. I squint against the light, trying to take in as much of the terrain as I can as my eyes trail over white sand beaches, bowl shaped coves, and cliffs that fall off into the crashing waves. Trees and plants cover so much of the land, but there are so many kinds it almost looks as if different worlds were mashed together into one impossible land. I do not know where in our world anything like this could exist.

Dense forests with trees like home cover some areas, and tropical flowers and palms are sprinkled into others. There’s a mountain in the distance, with snow on its peaks. I wipe beads of sweat off my forehead as I try to make sense of this place. How is it this hot and there’ssnow?

But not just snow. Realization strikes as I gaze on the beauty in front of me. Coming off of the faces of the mountain are waterfalls.

Just like the fountain.

The fountain seems to be a replica of the largest piece of Dawnlin, the landscape that towers above it all, spewing water down into a river that slices the island in two. I’m left speechless.

I don’t know how long I stand there just gazing at the island before I get distracted from the stifling feeling of my shirt sticking to my body.

“It’s really hot here,” I say, reaching up to undo my cloak and pull it off my shoulders.

Dane’s eyes flick to my uncolored hair, then back to my face. If he noticed the difference, he doesn’t mention it.

“It is, but you’ll get used to it,” he says.

“So, what now?” I ask, balling up my cloak so I can carry it. I didn’t know what to expect in the mere moments I had to decide to travel to Dawnlin, and my choice of clothing would not be well suited for my time here. I don’t know how I’ll get them, but I need different clothes, or I will be ripping these up so they don’t trap in as much heat.

If only Tila could see me in scandalous ripped clothes.

I chuckle at the thought.

Dane looks over at the sound, then up at the sky, squinting against the sunlight. “The suns will go down soon, so we better get to camp. We’ll get you settled in, and then I will explain everything.”

I glance up at his words and see what he means. There are two suns hovering at different heights above the water. That must be why it is so hot and so bright, but with two suns, I truly do not know where in the world we are.

Or if we are even in my world.

“This way,” he says, turning away from the overlook and heading down a worn path into a densely overgrown area. I follow, taking a few quick steps to catch up with him. The last thing I need is to get separated in the lush foliage in a place I know nothing about.

We follow the path, weaving through the trees and leaves that hang in our way. The farther we walk, the more I notice that this isn’t the only path in the area. Packed dirt trails veer off the one we follow or join in to it from other directions.