Page 81 of Love in the Wild

Cameron knelt next to Thorne’s body, but Bwanbale was on the other side of the pool, next to the body of Holt, which had washed up into the shallows. He dug through Holt’s clothes until he found a large uncut stone and held it up, mesmerized.

“What the devil is that man up to?” asked Lofty. “We’ve got a man down here! No time to be fussing over baubles.”

Bwanbale suddenly turned toward them, and his dark eyes now seemed to have a hint of gold in their umber depths. He pocketed it and hurried over to the others.

“We must take him to the cave, now.” Bwanbale started to lift up Thorne’s body, and Cameron helped.

“Cave? The man needs a hospital,” Cameron said.

“He will not survive the journey. This is the only way. You must trust me.”

“Bloody hell. All right, which cave?” asked Cameron. “There must be hundreds, and only Thorne knows where it is.”

“I know the way.” Bwanbale’s voice seemed deeper somehow, as though he spoke with a thousand souls. No one questioned him any further.

Eden wiped at her eyes as she followed them into the forest. They soon came upon a cave with a dark, cavernous hole that seemed to be a threatening obsidian abyss, one that made Eden uneasy.

“Stay here. I will take him inside,” Bwanbale told Cameron. Seemingly without effort, the man carried Thorne into the darkness, vanishing from view. Eden tried to go after them, but Isabelle put an arm around her shoulders, holding her back.

“What in blazes is he up to?” asked Lofty.

“I have no idea,” said Cameron. “But I felt something a moment ago. I can’t exactly put it into words, but ... I think we should trust him.”

A minute later, Bwanbale returned from the cave as a deep rumbling seemed to erupt from the bowels of the earth.

Cameron gripped Eden and Isabelle protectively. “Hold on!”

The earth seemed to be speaking with a voice of its own as rocks tumbled down the sloping mountainside, and a heavy rain dropped from the skies only to quickly die away, leaving a rolling mist that shrouded the cave’s entrance. Eden stared at the white mists that began to twist and writhe before a figure emerged from it.

“Oh my God!” Eden covered her mouth as Thorne walked out of the mouth of the cave. And then he stumbled, as though whatever strength had been granted to him had fled his body. Bwanbale rushed over and caught him with an arm around his waist.

“Easy, my friend, easy.” He supported Thorne until he seemed able to stand on his own and his voice had returned to normal.

Thorne grimaced. He lifted his ripped shirt and stared down to where Holt had stabbed him. The skin was knotted in a deep scar, as though the wound was months old and not minutes.

“How in the world ...?” Lofty began, then simply shook his head, removed a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his face. “I give up. I suppose one ought never to question the magic of the jungle, eh?”

“This jungle has a heart,” Bwanbale said with quiet reverence. “And it protects its own.”

Exhausted, Thorne looked to Eden. Without a word, he opened his arms, and she ran to him. He caught her with a soft groan and held her close. She buried her face against him, shivering. His scent of river, man, and jungle wrapped around her. She swore she could still feel the rumblings of the earth beneath her feet, faint, dying away, but still present. If this jungle had a heart, she was sure she was feeling its pulse, a pulse that matched the beating of Thorne’s heart against her cheek. There had been more than one miracle in the jungle today, and Eden sent up a silent prayer of thanks to whatever power dwelt in the Impenetrable Forest. It was a mystery she would leave alone. The forest had a right to hold its secrets, didn’t it? That was what made the world beautiful. There were still unexplored forests, caves of mysteries, and fathomless depths of the sea that men should leave alone. The world needed magic to survive.

“Thank God,” Cameron said. “Thank God you’re all right, my boy.” He placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “What happened in there? Do you remember?”

Thorne frowned, not sure what to say. “I ... I think I saw my parents.” His blue eyes were stormy with emotions, but he didn’t speak further.

Eden kissed his chin and hugged him tighter.

“We should leave before it gets too dark,” Bwanbale said. “It is time for us to go.”

“Not yet,” Thorne said. “We have one more thing we must do.” He turned in the direction that Eden knew would take them to the wreckage of the Haywoods’ Cessna.

Cameron’s head tilted, as if he was unsure of what he was hearing, but then he nodded his understanding. “Yes, I think I understand. It’s time we brought your parents home.”

* * *

One week later

Thorne stood near the shores of Lake Bunyoni, and the Impenetrable Forest lay behind him as he gazed out upon the mist rising from the still waters.

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