“I wonder if I could learn magic,” he mused.
She tilted her head and looked at him. “I don’t see why not. If you would like, I could teach you some,” she offered.
“That would be nice. I need to brush my teeth,” he said, looking around for his bag.
“Try this,” she suggested with a smile and captured his hand. He frowned when she dropped several blossoms into the palm of his hand. She took one of them and slipped it between her lips. “Place one in your mouth. It has a minty flavor and will fizz for a moment. When it finishes, your teeth will be clean. I picked them from a bush I saw outside when we were cleaning out the hut.”
He lifted a flower to his mouth and slipped the fragile petals between his lips. His eyes widened in surprise when the petals dissolved into a refreshing effervescence. He ran his tongue over his front teeth in appreciation.
“I remember my grandfather talking about this, but I never understood how it could work,” he admitted.
“What do you use in your world?” she asked.
“An old-fashioned toothbrush with toothpaste,” he said.
“We use that here if the bushes are not available. They are fragile and don’t last for long. I need to freshen up before I retire,” she said with a wave of her hand toward the bathroom.
A flash of lightning and the rolling sound of thunder made her look over at Ashure. His eyes were closed, but she doubted that he was asleep. The Gryphon lay on his chest polishing the dagger with his tail.
She walked to the bathroom and opened the door. It creaked loudly, and she grimaced as she pushed it shut.
“This place definitely belonged to a huntsman,” she mumbled, an expression of distaste crinkling her features at the very crude toilet and pump fountain that poured into a bucket used as a sink.
Suck it up, Nali. You’ve been in worse places, she thought, fruitlessly trying to remember where that place might have been as she filled the bucket and washed her face.
Chapter 16
Valdier:
The Hive
Phoenix yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She snorted a laugh when Stardust wiggled underneath her, causing her body to move like she was floating on water. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face against the soft, golden body of her symbiot.
“I guess you’re feeling better,” she murmured.
She looked out of the cave and gently bit down on her bottom lip. Guilt swept through her at the thought of worrying her parents, her sister, and the others, but she knew if she had tried to explain, they would have prevented her from coming. She rubbed her cheek against Stardust.
“There is so much pain, Stardust. I have to help,” she whispered aloud.
The symbiot shifted, flowed out from underneath her, and stood up. Phoenix giggled when she found herself staring into the eyes of a floppy-eared dog that resembled the one her mother had loved as a child. She squealed and turned her head when Stardust licked her on the cheek with a long golden tongue. With a lengthy sigh, she caressed her symbiot’s muzzle.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Stardust stepped aside and sat down. Phoenix straightened and affectionately smiled at the golden dog as it shook its head and scratched behind its ear, the movement causing its large ears to flop back and forth. Then her stomach growled, and her smile faded. She was so hungry and wished that she had brought something to eat with her.
She reached out and scratched Stardust behind an ear. “You’re going to trip over them. You always do when you’re in this form. Come on, we better get going. We’re in a heap of trouble, and I don’t want Mom and Dad to ground us forever. Plus, the sooner we get home, the sooner I can get something to eat,” she said.
Phoenix stood and wiped the dirt from the seat of her dark blue pants. The fire was barely smoldering in the pit. A quick survey of the area reassured her it would be safe to let the fire burn out. She and Stardust had used everything that was flammable close by, so there was no chance of it spreading.
She swallowed as she stared into the dark tunnel. Scared—that was what she was feeling. Instead of taking a step forward, she backed away.
Pl—ease, help… me.
The broken, whispered words echoed through her mind. She couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, only that it was someone who needed her, someone who was begging her not to give up on them. She touched Stardust’s head with one hand and covered her pounding heart with the other.
“I… I’m not ready,” she said in desperation, her voice barely audible.
This was part of her destiny, Phoenix could feel it, but it wasn’t supposed to be this soon! There was a cold lump in her stomach, and she was very much afraid that if she started on this path, she would never see her family again.
She turned to leave but froze when she heard a heartbroken sob. She stood at the Hive entrance, her eyes closed, as she focused on following the mental thread. In her mind’s eye, she envisioned the winding path through the tunnels leading to the enormous cavern. A river of gold flowed through the center. She sensed she needed to follow the river.
Phoenix opened her eyes and stared out at the driving rain. Yes, she was afraid, but she couldn’t abandon someone who was in trouble. That wasn’t who she was.
“Take me to the river, Stardust,” she quietly instructed the symbiot.
The Isle of the Monsters:
Huntsman’s Hut
When Ashure stepped into the hut, Nali was placing her small bag on the ground next to Asahi’s black duffle bag, and Asahi was tossing the remains of their breakfast into the
