Page 26

Kai

I can’t bear to go back into that place. I don’t want to see Dru caught up in the Elixir’s hold. I just want to be away from this place. Distance and time to clear my head was what I needed.

A familiar voice draws my attention, and I spot Evelyn and Florence standing just outside of the Elder's hut.

Evie is so beautiful, silhouetted by the moonlight.

She pulls Florence into a tight embrace and whispers something in her ear.

The two women share one final moment before Florence squeezes her hand and walks back inside to join the celebration.

“Kai?” She calls out, noticing me just a few paces away, and I go to her, drawn to her warmth and energy like a moth to flame. In such a short time, she has become so important to me, the person I seek for comfort, and I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and never let go.

“There you are,” she says. Her eyes are wild, and she quickly looks behind her into the haze of lust before pushing me back the way I came toward the beach. “Quick, we don't have much time.”

“F–for what?” I stutter, wiping away the remnants of my tears. She stops, and I can just barely make out the look of concern that washes over her face as she looks at me.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“It’s Dru. He’s gone,” I choke out. She grabs me and pulls me into a crushing hug.

We hold each other for a long moment, and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude comes over me.

Evie is the brightest thing in this dark place.

She's the only person who seems to understand me and knows exactly what I need at all moments. I need to leave this place with Dru, whether his mind is with him or not, but I can’t leave her. I won’t.

“I’m so sorry, Kai.” She finally says, releasing our embrace and looking me in the eye. “Don’t worry, we will get him back. I have a plan.”

I raise a brow, “What kind of plan?”

“We have to destroy the Elixir—all of it.”

My eyes grow wide with interest, “You know where it is? All of it?”

She smiles, nodding, but then her grin wanes, “There is something else we have to do, too.”

I don’t like the look on her face, and I know I won’t like her next words. “We have to make sure they can never make the Elixir again.”

I frown, “And how exactly do you suggest we do that?”

“Burn the field of Elder flowers. Make sure it can never grow again.”

That is the last thing I expected Eve to say. She loves those flowers. I love those flowers. They are absolutely extraordinary. My botanist mind is warring with my logical one. She is right. The Elder flower needs to be destroyed to break the cycle and bring the men back to reality.

“A long time ago,” Evie begins. “I used to help some of the men try to get off the island. We built rafts and sailed out into the storms, but then one day it all just stopped. None of them had any yearning to leave anymore.” She looks away from me, and I take her hand in mine.

“It’s not your fault, Eve. You couldn’t have known what they were doing to the men.”

“But I should have. I should have realized it. I was so wrapped up in my own head and my desire to be rid of this place that I didn’t even see what was happening in front of my eyes.”

I pull her into my side, bending to place a kiss atop her beautiful golden head. “Well, now you do, and we can change it. Help these men find their way back to themselves, and maybe with all of us working together, we can find a way through the storms and off this Island.”

She looks up to me, and there is a determination on her features that sends a wave of pride through me.

“First, we destroy every drop of that Elixir and burn the flower fields.” She pushes away from my chest but grabs my hand, leading me back toward the Elder's hut and the party that is still raging beyond.

“Then we will find out what the Elders have been hiding from us all these years—the way off Kafigda.”

“Wait,” I say, pulling back and halting her steps. “What’s the plan? I can’t go into this blind.”

She bites her lip, “Well, the plan was to just go inside and destroy the Elixir.”

“And how exactly are we just going to sneak by an entire hut full of sirens undetected, and how are we going to destroy it?”

She shrugs. “I hadn’t really thought that far. I figured we would just figure it out as we go.”

I drop her hand, running my fingers through my hair with a huff. “I think we should destroy the flowers first. Then come back for the Elixir.”

“Why?”

“Because if we get caught, at least they won’t be able to make more. They will be down to their final supply.”

Her lips quirk into a smile, and there is a glint of mischief in her eyes, “You know you’re really smart, right?”

I snort. “I’ve been told that a time or two. Dru used to say…” I trail off, memories of home and Dru so close at hand, yet so far away.

“It will work, Kai.” She says, “Dru will come back after we’ve destroyed it all. They all will.”

I close my eyes and clench my fists, “Alright, let's go. Grab one of those torches.” I point to one of the large fire torches that line the Elder's hut, at the same time grabbing another from a neighboring hut.

The climb through the forest and up to the cliffs is harder this time around, with only the torches to light our way, but as we crest the top, I gasp at what was laid out before us.

The Elder flowers glow beneath the silvery moonlight in an array of purples, greens, pinks, and blues. It is stunning. The air feels thick around me, making it hard to breathe, as if the island wants me to turn around and leave this place.

“Are you sure about this?” I hear myself ask Evie.

Her entire body looks poised, ready to flee, but she resists and nods, “We have to. Let's start at the far end and make our way back here so we don’t get trapped by the flames.”

I swallow the sudden lump that forms in my throat.

These are probably the most extraordinary plants I will ever see in my life.

Nothing will ever compare. I bend to the closest flower, it glows with a deep purple hue, and pluck it from the stem, placing it cautiously in my pocket. “Just one. To take home with me.”

Evie only gives me an understanding smile. “We have to be quick. As soon as they see the fire, they will know what we’ve done and come here. We have to make sure they won’t grow back.”

“Pull them all out from the roots first. Make sure to get all of it out of the soil, and then we burn the field.”

She squeezes my hand once before trekking across the field, the flowers' light causing her skin to sparkle as she goes. This is it—the moment we won’t be able to come back from. This has to save Dru, Mathius, and everyone on this Island.

A clap of thunder rings out overhead, an ominous warning for us to stop what we’re doing.

“Hurry!” Evelyn says, “We have to destroy it all before the storm comes for us.”

I look up to the once clear night sky above us to find a group of grey clouds hovering there. “How is that possible?” I yell back to her. “The storms never come here. I thought they only stayed out in the ocean.”

“It’s the Island! Kafigda wants to stop us,” she yells back.

“Shit,” I say and grab the base of the Elder flowers in front of me pulling them from the ground.

Evelyn and I race across the field, yanking every single flower by the roots from the rich earth, and then we set it all aflame.

We step back and watch as smoke billows from the growing flames, sparks floating up toward the dark clouds overhead.

Evelyn looks up at me, eyes wet with unshed tears.

We have just ruined some precious, beautiful piece of life here.

But it isn’t just about destroying this field.

We are cutting off the source of the sirens' power, destroying what has allowed them to steal the lives of countless men.

A rustling in the trees beside us pulls us both from our haze.

“Quick,” Evie whispers. “We have to get down to the Elixir.”

She turns and runs down the slope and through the trees, away from the rustling we heard. I follow suit, lungs burning with the effort, sweat soaking my clothes. By the time we make it back down to the beach, I am heaving from the exertion.

Sirens are screaming, pointing up at the fire on the cliffs.

Thunder echoes once more, and Evelyn grabs my arm, pulling me down behind a boulder on the beach.

We watch as the sirens and a few of the men fly past us with pails racing up the cliffs to try and put out the flames.

By the time they make it to the top, it will be too late.

There will be nothing left for them to save.

“Come on,” Evie murmurs, and I follow her as she creeps from hut to hut, making sure no one is near enough to see us.

We creep our way to the Elder's hut, hidden in shadow, peering inside. It is empty, the party interrupted by our fire.

“The Elixir is in Yvette’s quarters, up there.” She points to a small set of steps at the far end of the hut that spiral up to a large loft area.

We stalk into the hut and begin our ascent up the steps, and I can’t help but feel that something is off. This feels too easy.

“Evie,” I whisper. “I think something is wrong. This doesn’t feel right.”

“They’re distracted by the fire. They don’t even know we are also targeting the Elixir until it's too late.”

We make it to the loft, and Evelyn opens a small cabinet at the far end of the room. Inside are rows upon rows of the glimmering pink Elixir. It glows bright just like the flowers we just destroyed.

“How are we going to destroy them?” I ask. There are far more vials than I expected. This supply would last them an entire year if we don’t get rid of the vials.

“Here,” Evie rips the blanket off the small bed in the corner of the space. “We’ll put them in here and take them out into the sea, dump them in the water.”

We pull every single vial off the shelf, throwing them into our makeshift sack, and hurry down the steps and out into the waiting night air. Evelyn holds the bag of vials tightly in her grip, not daring to let go.

We are so close. The end is in sight. I will have my brother back.

Evelyn and I just reach the shore when a voice sounds behind me.

“What do you think you are doing?”

I spin, water lapping at my ankles. Yvette, the head Elder is only a few feet away from me.

Yvette laughs, and I turn back toward her. “You both think you are so clever, don’t you. Destroying the flowers, taking my Elixirs. None of it will help you get off this island. Your efforts have been in vain.”

I glare at her, “Why are you doing this? We know there is a way off this cursed place. Why are you keeping us all here?”

“So many questions,” Yvette sneers. “You men are all the same.” She brings up a hand and flicks her wrist. A scream shoots up from directly behind me, and I spin to see Evelyn flying through the air, losing her grip on the stachel.

The vials clink together, splashing into the shallow waves, and are caught in the tide, pulling the bundle out to sea.

I run to her, catching her before she hits solid ground, hoping Yvette doesn’t notice the last of her Elixir floating away.

“Are you crazy!” I yell at Yvette. “You could have killed her.”

“Neither of you will ever leave this Island,” Yvette spits. “Besides, you wouldn’t want to leave your dear old dad here without you now, would you, Evelyn dear?”

Evie is breathing heavily, and I gently lower her onto the sand beside me. She instantly steps forward, “What did you say?” Her hands clench at her sides. She must have been able to get rid of all the Elixir before Yvette yanked her from the sea.

“That’s right,” Yvette's smile is full of mirth. “Your father has been here all along. He isn’t dead.”

“Who? Who is he?” Evelyn’s voice is barely above a whisper, and I come up beside her, placing a gentle hand on her back to offer comfort.

“Who do you think?” Yvette cackles, and Evie goes rigid. “That’s right, dear, Mathius. Your father has been right by your side all along.”