EP:5
1068 Words
HOPE'S POV.
The storm swallowed the woods whole.
Rain hit my face so hard it felt like tiny stones falling on me. Cold water ran down my back and soaked my clothes as I pushed deeper into the trees. The wind roared through the branches, bending them so low they almost touched the ground. Leaves flew everywhere, sticking to my skin as I moved. The storm was indeed merciless tonight.
Maybe Gamma Lita was right and the witches do have something to do with it.
But I had to find the cave.
I had to find the red leaf. A life depended on it.
“There has to be a cave close by that grows that leaf,” I said to myself, squinting through the thick curtain of rain. “Think, Hope.”
Fawn paced inside my mind. I could feel her anxiety like a tight band around my chest.
"Odette always said red leaf grows where the air feels old," Fawn murmured. "Near stone… near places forgotten. So, I’m guessing the eastern part of the woods?"
“I know,” I whispered, turning slowly as I tried to see. “But which cave? There are too many around the eastern woods, Fawn."
That part was literally packed with caves of different shapes and sizes. I could search the whole night and still not get through a quarter of it.
"Not all of them feel old," she reminded me.
Before I could sort through the memory, something brushed against my mind—someone trying to mind-link me. I pushed my wet hair out of my face as I opened the connection.
“Hope? Hope, do you hear me?”
Vera’s voice rushed into my head.
“I hear you,” I answered. "What is the matter, Vera?"
"Did you get the red leaf?" she asked.
“I’m working on it. I haven’t found the herbs yet, but I’m close,” I responded.
“You might want to hurry that up,” she said. “His condition is getting worse. Marwen said he’ll be dead in minutes if he doesn’t get treatment.”
My brows tightened. “What happened now?”
There was a small pause, then Vera’s voice came again.
“The blood he was throwing up… it turned black.”
“Seriously?” I whispered. I wiped the rain from my eyes again. “Tell Marwen to keep him stable. I’ll be there soon with the herbs.”
“Will do. Be careful out there, Hope."
The link snapped shut.
I exhaled and kept walking. “Odette said something about cold air. About the earth having a pulse.”
But then again, Odette always had a way with words that no one else understood except her.
"Yes," Fawn said. "So now we have to find a cave with a heartbeat. Totally normal."
I closed my eyes for a second and let my senses stretch out. The storm was loud, the forest windy. How was I supposed to tell the smell apart?
My eyes scanned my surroundings.
“There,” I breathed.
A group of old stones sat at the base of a slope, almost swallowed by creeping vines. I moved toward it, pushing branches out of my way until an opening appeared—half-hidden by rain and shadows.
A cave.
I didn’t stop to think. I stepped inside.
Darkness greeted me immediately. The storm’s noise faded, replaced by the slow drip of water echoing through the cavern.
“Come on,” I whispered, scanning the walls.
My fingers brushed cold stone. My boots splashed through shallow puddles. The deeper I walked, the colder the air felt—almost like the cave itself was breathing in and out.
And then I saw it.
In a shadowed corner, glowing faintly in the darkness, was a small cluster of red leaf.
“Thank the Goddess,” I muttered in relief as I hurried toward it.
I crouched and pulled out my dagger, then sliced through the stems, gathering every leaf I could hold. The moment I had enough, I wrapped them tightly in my jacket and stood.
“There,” I said, already turning around.
The storm grew worse with every second.
"Run," Fawn urged, her voice sharp.
And I did.
I sprinted through the cave entrance and back into the storm, pushing myself faster. Water splashed up my legs. My lungs burned.
The woods blurred around me as I ran. Branches whipped past. Mud slid under my boots. My heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears, almost drowning out the storm.
By the time I reached the healers’ den, I was soaked to the bone, shivering slightly, and gasping for breath.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The warmth from the fire did little to warm me.
I looked around and found that Damon was gone.
Dawn and Amber, too. Good. The last thing I needed right now was more unecessary drama.
Only my warrior squad remained, standing close like they were ready for anything. The healers were gathered around the table, moving quickly.
And Kian lay completely still.
For a moment, I feared I was too late. He looked even worse than before. His skin was pale, almost grey. Sweat covered his neck and forehead. His chest rose and fell in tiny, weak movements, like each breath was a battle.
I rushed to Marwen and placed the bundle of herbs in her hand.
“Here,” I said, breathless.
Marwen’s eyes widened with relief. “Goddess bless you, Delta.”
She didn’t waste a second. She crushed the leaves in a bowl, mixed them with a hot liquid over the flame, then dipped strips of cloth into it. Her hands moved fast as she worked.
I stepped back, my chest heaving as I watched her apply the mixture to the wound on Kian’s side.
The bitter smell of earth and herbs filled the room.
Kian groaned weakly, his eyelids twitching.
“He’s still with us,” one of the healers whispered.
But just barely.
I sighed, shaking my head. I couldn’t believe I had just risked my life out there in the storm to save a complete stranger.
I swallowed hard, feeling Fawn press close inside me.
"You did well," she said softly. "Now we wait."
I stood there, water dripping from my clothes onto the floor, my hands trembling slightly from the cold as I watched.
- Writer
