Slide

10

“I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” Ember said.

She was helping the woman clean the dishes after the meal, despite the woman encouraging her to depart.

“Knowing that you and Slide will be safe is thanks enough,” the woman replied.

Once they were finished cleaning, Ember gathered her things and checked on her friends. They were all waiting outside the hut with broad smiles on their faces when Tjon caught Ember’s eye.

“You good to go?” he asked.

Ember loved how bright his smile looked. Gone was the expression of intense fear that had haunted them a mere day before. But they weren’t out of the woods yet, quite literally.

Ember nodded.

“Where’s Slide?” she asked.

Just as Tjon opened his mouth to answer, she heard Slide’s deep, assertive voice behind her. A chill ran up her spine in a way she had no control of.

Ember grabbed hold of the straps of the backpack she had been given, then turned to face him. He looked even more gorgeous in the gentle morning light. Her mouth ran dry, and she even felt a little dizzy.

“Good morning,” she said assertively.

Slide approached her, finishing off a conversation with his uncle. He gave her a side smirk, one that had initially looked smug, but she found herself craving the sight of it.

“Good morning,” he replied in his naturally husky tone.

Ember had to pry her gaze away from him, like ripping a piece of gum off the bottom of a shoe. She walked over to the woman and then took her hands in hers.

“Thank you so much,” Ember said with a sweet smile. “You have all been so wonderfully hospitable.”

“It is our way,” the woman said.

The woman had something in her hand, and she slipped it between Ember’s fingers. She looked down at it and noticed that it was a wooden carving shaped like a lion.

She met her eyes with the woman, who smiled broadly, unafraid of the life that had blessed her with so many laugh lines.

“This is a talisman,” she said. “It will give you good luck.”

Ember felt her body glow, then hugged the woman. She often forgot how kind people could be, especially strangers, when you required kindness the most.

Everyone was given a canteen, a backpack, extra food, and a rolled-up blanket. Ember felt herself surge with confidence as Slide moved to the front of the line, his dark green T-shirt like a rubber band around his biceps.

Jesus, woman, get it together.

“There’s a pathway that will keep us out of harm's way,” Slide said to the ground. “It is a little bit longer than the straightforward path, but I assure you it is safer.”

Everyone in the group murmured in agreement. His eyes met his uncle’s again, then gave him a longing wave. Ember felt a flicker of mourning in his gaze, which made the butterflies in her tummy come back to life.

Ember stayed at the back as they made their way along the trail. Slide was right about its increased treacherousness. Multiple hills and steep climbs intruded upon any progress they could have made.

She noticed that Layla and Dean were lagging, struggling with the sun beaming down on them during the severe uphill battle.

Dean was leaning on his knees and breathing heavily. Ember approached him and placed a hand on his back.

“Are you okay, Dean?”

He nodded but was still unable to catch his breath. Ember knew that price of a man’s pride could easily get him killed. She whistled ahead, catching Slide’s attention.

“Let’s take a break for a second,” she called to him.

Slide nodded, then sprinted over to where she was standing. He wasn’t looking at her, but the glimmer of his hazel eyes made her skin break out in gooseflesh.

“Are you two doing okay?” Slide asked.

Layla was not an unfit woman, but she was also carrying a human inside of her. The hills were harder for her to lift herself over. She, too, had pride but was more willing to ask for help than Dean.

Layla had her hand on Dean’s back as well. She shook her head while Dean continued to breathe heavily, then gave a quick grimace at Ember.

Ember and Slide looked at each other. The tiny smile that wormed onto his lips made her want to pounce on him.

“I have an idea,” Slide said.

He took off his backpack, then removed what looked like a giant blanket. As he unraveled it, Ember came to see that it was a giant sling, like one a parent would use to hold their baby in.

Ember and Layla exchanged a look. Intuitively, they both knew that getting Dean to accept the aid would take some convincing. But as they looked back at Slide, they saw two other members of the embassy helping him climb in.

“If two of you carry it,” Slide said. “It shouldn’t be too much of a load.”

Dean curled up inside of it like he was getting into bed at home. He was frail and looked beyond exhausted. Ember supposed he was finally at the point of defeat.

Once the two people had taken Dean between them, Slide went to his knees. For an amusing few seconds, Ember didn’t know what was going on. She felt the impulse to jump into his arms and be carried away like some animated film.

Layla shot him a scolded look, brightened by the curl of her lips.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a sprinkle of a laugh.

Slide fluttered his fingers in encouragement.

“Get on my back,” he said. “You could use a break too.”

Layla and Ember looked at each other, and Ember felt the slither of envy move up her spine like a woman possessed. She hated the feeling of jealousy, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she desperately wanted her skin to touch his.

Layla shrugged, then walked up to Slide. She hopped onto his back with a giggle, and Slide made sure she was settled in place. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

Ember felt something twinge deep inside.

“Okay, y’all,” he said. “Let’s get going!”

He had looked at Ember when he said it, then gave her a sneaky wink. Her heart was beating in her chest like a kettle drum as he got to his feet, then he began almost sprinting ahead with a pregnant woman on his back.