Page 78 of Dawn of Hope
“I think Gauge told me he would show me around today.”
“I like Gauge. He’s a cool kid.”
“Me too. He’s been nice to me.”
“Everyone else treating you well? Especially after the other day?”
“Pretty well. I’m still trying to get to know everyone. Mara and I had a little bit of a rocky start, but I think it’s better now.”
He pushes back some branches and I duck under them. “What do you mean by rocky?”
“Well,” I start, unaware of how people normally have these conversations about jealousy and relationships. “You know she has feelings for you, right?”
“Mara? No she doesn’t.”
I giggle. I’d overheard some of the female staff at the castle talking about how clueless men could be to their advances, but I am now seeing it first hand. “She does, Dane. She was cold to me at first. She didn’t like that you, um, you touch me.”
“What, you mean like this?” He grasps my waist and pulls me flush to him. I giggle again and wriggle from his grasp.
“Yes, like that.” I say.
Dane shakes his head. “Mara is a good kid, but I don’t think of her that way.”
“I kind of feel sad for her. We talked yesterday, and I like her. I don’t want to hurt her by being close to you.”
He reaches out and threads his fingers through mine. “You let me worry about that. Mara will be fine.”
I believe him. I’d seen the way Dane speaks to everyone in camp, even when he was pissed at them. He treats everyone with respect, like he truly cares about every person here. I assume he cares about Mara too, even if it isn’t in the romantic way she longed for.
“Now let’s get you back. You have a busy day ahead of you.”
We set off down the path, the suns rising high behind us, so I can get ready for another day of searching.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
It was true what Mara said. Keeping track of time on Dawnlin is difficult. The days and nights feel different than back home, and there is no way of knowing if the same time is passing here as was in our world. After days of searching with each of the Voyagers, I started to be very familiar with the island. The more comfortable I became, the more I was itching to go out on my own.
At first, I wasn’t prepared for the physical challenge that was searching the island, but I feel my body changing. I was already strong from years of training, but this is different. Climbing, running, and scaling trees are all things I never could have done in Blackwood. The more time I spend on the island, the more confident I become in these new skills. I am not afraid of falling or getting lost anymore and trust myself to do what I need to keep searching for the cure.
No one new has joined us since Fin, which means Dane didn’t have to leave. After the morning on the cliff, things were different, but still calm. I could tell Mara knew something had happened between us, but Iavoided the topic with her completely. Dane agreed to keep any displays of affection between us, mostly for Mara’s sake, but it doesn’t stop him from a slight graze or pointed looks whenever he can.
The nightmares haven’t stopped. I shouldn’t be surprised after almost dying twice since I’ve been here, but I have barely slept. I know I need to, keeping up my strength requires it, but I can’t help but wake up gasping for air or to a scream. Every night as I lie awake after one of the terrors, I can’t help but worry about how much time is passing.
What is happening back at home? Does my father care that I am gone? Was Brynne punished? Or Edmond? None of this was either of their fault. It was my choice. When I come back with the cure, Father will understand that.
Tonight, I lay in bed after a particularly bad dream about the river monsters, contemplating how to go about searching when I am out on my own. I think about the years of study on war strategy and know that this could be considered the same thing. I need a plan of attack, and these plans always start with one crucial element.
A map.
The one thing that would help me accomplish my goal was the one thing Dane said I couldn’t have.
As soon as the decision solidifies in my head, I hear a faint rustle on the shelves behind my bed. I crawl over to them and can’t believe what I see. A small packet of parchment and a block of charcoal lays on the shelf, alongside a lit candle. I sit up and grab the packet, unfolding it to find it is blank. I look over my shoulders, around the camp and into the sky. It’s as if someone has been watching me, reading my innermost thoughts.
How does it know?
It doesn’t matter how it knew, the fact is, the island knew.
It knew what I needed when I decided I needed it, almost as if it granted me an advantage to help me discover the treasure it keeps hidden. Maybe the island does want me to find it? Maybe it is helping me. I shift on my bed, folding my legs under me so I can stretch the parchment outon the shelf. I pick up the charcoal in my hand and move the candle so the light illuminates the page.