"I didn't mean to," I tell him, shaking my head. "I went on a hike, and when it started raining, I got disoriented."
"You shouldn't be out here. Cascada Esmeralda isn't somewhere to come by yourself on a calm day. You come in weather like this, and you might just become a friend of the princess."
Before he can say any more, footsteps come crashing through the trees, and three people in bright yellow jackets appear. They guide me a short distance to a set of ATVs parked on a very narrow, rocky path leading down. Loaded into one of them, I rest my head against the roll bar and close my eyes, finally letting myself breathe.
Bellamy and Eric are at the infirmary when the vehicles arrive. They rush toward me, and Eric helps me out.
"What happened?" Bellamy asks frantically. "You were just supposed to go up onto the cliff and come back."
I nod painfully. "That's what I tried to do. But the storm started, and I got lost. I fell."
"When you didn't show back up, we called the lobby," Eric explains. "Catherine is the manager on duty, and she said they have a rescue team for the island. They sent them out looking for you."
"You need to get in and have the medic look at you," Joshua says.
I let him bring me inside, and while I sit on a table, drying myself with a stack of towels, the warm-eyed driver starts to leave.
"Wait," I say. He turns around with a questioning sound. "You're part of the rescue team?"
He's not wearing one of the bright yellow jackets of the other men. Joshua shakes his head.
"Not really. But I know the island like no one else. When I heard you were missing, I insisted they let me lead the search."
"Why?"
"There's something in you. I can see it. You're here for a reason."
It's more of the whimsical way he talked when we were on the drive to the resort, but it's strangely comforting.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, you can."
He comes closer and sits on the chair next to the hard infirmary bed.
"That waterfall where you found me. What did you mean that I’d become a friend of the princess?"
"Yes. Cascada Esmeralda. Emerald Falls. The most beautiful falls on the island, but with the saddest story."
"Why?"
"Do you remember I told you about the people who once lived on this island?”
“You said they were frightened away by the ocean spirits. I thought that was just a tall tale you told for tourists.”
“To the contrary, Miss Griffin. Those spirits have their roots deep in history. Long ago, this island was the home of a peaceful people. They once had a princess, beloved by the tribe. The language they once spoke is lost to us now, but she was named for the waterfall because her hair was long and beautiful and shimmering. We would call her Cascada now. She was beautiful and kind. Her father lavished her with attention. But her cousin, the daughter of the king's younger brother, was envious. She believed it should have been her father, who was in power. She wanted the attention, beauty, and adoration of the people.”
“Sounds almost like a fairy tale.”
“But the role of the princess was very highly prized in this tribe. She was not just ceremonial. Her duty was to maintain the flame on the edge of the island, so passers-by from other islands would not crash into the rocks at night or in bad weather. This flame was always kept lit, rain or shine, no matter how bad a storm got. It was a princess’s sacred duty to the people to watch over this flame.
“Shortly before she came of age, strangers arrived on the island. They were not from the surrounding islands but had come from far away. They were unusual, but they didn't try to hurt anyone and seemed interested in being at peace with the people of the island. One was a handsome young man who took a liking to both girls. The competition between the princess and her cousin was fierce, but the young man fell for Cascada. They fell in love. Her cousin was furious. Their romance was swift as the winds but as beautiful as the open sky. But he had to leave for his homeland. So when he departed, he gave her a beautiful emerald, with the promise that he would marry her upon his return."
"He left?"
"Yes. And he would never see his princess again. She stood on the cliff every day waiting for him to return to her, the flame lit both on the shore and in her heart to guide him back to her. She loved that emerald. She wore it on her forehead. She became the Emerald Princess. But months passed. Years passed. One day, Cascada saw his boat approaching. He had returned and would marry her! A sudden storm rolled in, not unlike the storm tonight. And the flame showing the way to safety had gone out.”
“What happened?”
“She tried to get to it and relight the flame, but before she could, her sweetheart's boat smashed onto the rocks. She ran out onto the rocks just in time to see him drawn under the waves. Devastated, she went to her waterfall and threw herself in, wanting to join her love in the grottos. Many say her cousin was responsible for extinguishing that fire. Since then, the princess has sought to populate her new kingdom with any who may venture too close to her falls. That almost included you."
"What happened to the princess's cousin?" I ask, drawn into the story so much I barely notice the doctor checking the cuts and bruises on my arms, legs, and back.
"Everyone knew what she had done. Or at least wanted to punish someone for the loss of their beautiful princess. They brought her out
