Page 3 of A Rose Among Snakes (Gardens of Ruin and Revival)

Chapter Two

A strangled cry escaped my throat as I launched myself forward. I ran as fast as I could, my boots sliding over pebbles, and without a second thought, I threw myself onto my knees next to him. His chin rested on his chest, legs outstretched and arms limp at his side.

“Jem,” I said, taking his face in my hands. He didn’t stir so I patted his cheek. Still nothing. When I noticed an empty bottle of wine lying next to his leg, anger bubbled up inside me. How could he be so stupid? And today of all days.

“Jem,” I said louder, throwing some weight behind my slap. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him, repeating his name over and over. When he still didn’t stir, my fury boiled over.

I gripped his jaw and tipped his head back in order to examine his face. His cheeks were reddening from where I’d hit him, which was to be expected. But when I looked at his mouth, ice shot through my veins, terror quickly replacing my ire.

Light blue powder dusted the center of his lip.

I pulled his lip up to his nose to see his gums, and sure enough, the vile blue powder had stained them purple, minuscule grains still clinging to his teeth .

My heart thundered in my ears, but not loud enough to drown out the cacophony of howling from the other teenagers. The girl’s shrill laughter grated on my frayed nerves, and I whipped my head over to them.

“Shut up!”

The hysteria only increased.

At that moment, I remembered Taz was with me, so I craned my neck further and found her still standing in the road, appearing to be frozen in shock.

“Taz, go get my mother. Tell her we need help.”

Taz didn’t move.

“ Hurry! ”

My shout broke through and she spun on her heels and took off down the road. I faced my brother and shoved a finger into his mouth, sweeping the remaining gritty powder out and wiping it on my dress. My mind raced trying to think of what else I was supposed to do. The girl’s laughter paused and the sound of chirping birds and a babbling creek reached my ears.

Water… Maybe water would help him? My only instinct was to wake him up, and I prayed the shock of the cold water would do that. I got to my feet, then grabbed his hands, and pulled him forward. I was taller than the average woman, but Jehiam still had several inches on me. He was heavier than his willowy frame made him out to be, and it took a great heave to get him up and away from the tree. Once his body slumped forward, I slipped behind him and rested his back against the front of my legs, hooking my ar ms underneath his armpits. I gripped his shirt for extra leverage and started hauling him across the road.

My muscles protested with every step backward, our progress impeded by my impractical boots. With a growl of frustration, I paused in the middle of the road and dropped Jehiam on the ground, hoping the jarring movement would wake him. Chest heaving, I bent over and ripped at the laces. My fingers were stiff from gripping Jehiam’s shirt and I struggled to remove the boots, but eventually, they loosened enough for me to kick them off to the side. Feet flat on the ground once more, sweat dripped into my eyes as I stood back up, stinging and blurring my vision. As I wiped it away and took several deep breaths, I heard a different gurgling sound; something that was not from the creek.

Through my blurred sight, I saw vomit dribbling out of Jem’s mouth, but he did not turn on his side. A new wave of horror hit my chest and I flung myself to the ground, rolling him to his side and holding him as his body convulsed, trying to rid itself of the wine. I was vaguely aware I was crying and mumbling his name through my tears. I had never felt so helpless in my life. He still couldn’t get a breath in, and his head thrashed from side to side in an instinctual fight to survive. Despite the chaos in my head, my father’s last words to me drifted through my mind. Help your mother and look out for your brothers and sisters.

Pushing aside any feelings of disgust, I shoved my fingers into his mouth and swept out the vomit obstructing his throat. He took a shuddering inhale and coughed, the action projecting the remaining vomit onto the ground. He groaned and rolled onto his back, and I let out a cry of relief.

“Jem!” I sobbed.

His eyelids fluttered for a moment as he groaned again.

“I’ve got you, Jem. Don’t worry.” The pounding of my heart disguised the rumbling of approaching horse hooves until the rider was directly behind us. A man, hooded and cloaked, pulled the dappled gray horse to a stop and swiftly dismounted.

“Are you hurt?” His voice was deep, rich, and unfamiliar. He crouched by me as I shook my head.

“No, I’m fine. He’s…” I trailed off. Ziffem may have been common enough, but it was still illegal. I had no idea how this strange man would react, and I couldn’t take any chances. “He’s had too much to drink, that’s all.”

The man drew back his hood and examined Jehiam with a hard-set jaw and furrowed brow. With a gloved hand, he reached forward and lifted Jem’s lip, revealing the purple gums. My mouth went dry as he scrutinized Jehiam’s condition. He cast me a sidelong glance but didn’t comment on it.

“Is he stable enough to move?”

“I… I think so,” I stammered.

The stranger removed his glove and placed a broad hand on Jehiam’s forehead, his frown deepening. “Has he woken up at all?”

I swallowed. “Not entirely. He was choking on his vomit and seemed to hear me once he recovered, but that’s it. I was trying to get him down to the creek.”

Jem groaned and rolled his head to the side .

The man nodded as he stood.

“Good thinking. I’ll grab his arms, and you grab his legs.”

With shaking limbs, I rose onto my feet and wrapped my stiff fingers around Jem’s ankles. We carried my brother the rest of the way across the road and down the embankment to the creek. Sweat dripped down my back and my arms trembled, but I wouldn’t let go, not until we reached the water. It was cooler down there, and while the damp smell of mud stuck to my nostrils, it was a welcome reprieve from the stench of vomit. I dropped his feet with a grunt and flexed my aching fingers.

The stranger flipped Jem over with ease, and before I could object, he gripped Jem’s hair and dunked his head under the water. I held my breath and wrung my hands, but when he pulled my brother up a second later there was still no reaction. Again, the man pushed his head under the water, and this time Jehiam jerked. His arms flung forward, pushing himself off the muddy ground, and the man pulled him up.

Spluttering, Jehiam coughed out a mouthful of water and scrambled away from the man. He fell backward into the shallow creek and gasped, a ragged, wet sound rattling up his throat. I lurched forward and clutched his arm, unable to bear watching him struggle further. He turned his wide, wild eyes to me.

“Mihrra,” he croaked.

Tears welled and I pulled him to my chest, wrapping my arms around him. Jem’s chest rose and fell rapidly against mine and I sat back on my heels to get a better look at him. His eyes were bloodshot, but the same familiar gold-brown of our father’s shone back at me.

“Here, come rest,” I said, guiding him forward and placing him against a tree trunk. He winced as his head hit the bark with a thud. I hadn’t noticed the stranger disappear, but he came back down the embankment, leaves and rocks scattering with every footfall. He carried a flask and knelt by the creek, filling it. Standing up, he brought it over and offered it to Jehiam, whose eyes were closed once more. I took it instead and lifted it to my brother’s lips, tipping it forward. They opened partially and he took a few sips before his mouth stretched into a grin, the water dribbling out the sides. Any hope I had that the Ziffem would be canceled out by the wine dissipated as rough laughter bubbled up his throat.

My stomach sank as he continued, my shoulders drooping with exhaustion.

“Do you know how much he ingested?” The stranger asked.

I found him watching me with a solemn expression. A shaft of sunlight filtered through a weak spot in the canopy of leaves, bathing his face in golden rays. My breath caught as I met his vibrant, green eyes, but I kept my voice even as I replied.

“I do not.”

He rubbed his jaw and turned his gaze to Jem, who had stopped laughing but still wore a blissful smile on his face.

“Do you have anyone to help you get home?”

“Mihrra!” My mother’s call echoed throughout the woods and I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Yes, that’s my mother. ”

“Good,” he said. He kept his eyes on Jehiam. “If you don’t mind then, I must be getting on my way.”

“Of course.”

He backed up a couple of steps and I made to get on my feet, but he held a hand up halting me. He gave me a curt nod and turned to walk back up the embankment.

“Thank you,” I called. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, the corners of his mouth pulling down ruefully. “It’s the least I could do.”

I remembered the flask in my hand and called out to his back. “Wait, you forgot your flask.”

“Keep it,” he said without turning around. He reached the top and disappeared out of view. Thundering hooves a moment later announced his departure.

“Mihrra?” my mother called again.

“We’re over here.” My voice carried through the dark woods, even above the haunting laughter of the teenagers lost in a Ziffem-induced fog.