Page 128 of Blue Arrow Island
“They thrive in tropical climates. They’re actually very cold-intolerant. And when they bloom, they’re covered in beautiful orange-red flowers. But their blooming season is short— a few months at most.” I pick up my bowl. “So what if the flower we’re searching for has a limited blooming season and that’s why we haven’t been able to find it?”
He clears his throat. “It’s a good theory. I was searching during the transition from dry season to wet season, though. That’s the least likely time for tropical flowers to be dormant.”
“But maybe you didn’t search in the right place at the right time.”
“It’s possible.”
I scoop a spoonful of lukewarm oatmeal into my mouth, breathing in the mix of saltwater and the light, sweet scent of plumeria.
“The people at Rising Tide are starving,” I say.
“Marcus isn’t withholding food to be cruel.”
Interesting that the man Marcus detests is defensive of him.
“I know, and I understand why he’s doing it. But food is precious here, and I think you should eat yours.”
He doesn’t respond, but a few seconds later, he picks up his bowl and takes a bite of the oatmeal.
After both of us eat our oatmeal in silence, he says, “We didn’t study the effects of turning aromium off and on. If Marcus is doing it, he may reach a point where he can’t turn it off.”
I don’t let my alarm show. Even though I know there are risks to turning our aromium on every day to search and off when we get back to camp, there are also risks to not turning it on.
We heard a group of Tiders in the jungle yesterday. We hid and stayed quiet until they’d passed. But we could encounter them at any point, and we’re walking targets without aromium.
I stand, brushing the dirt from the back of my pants. “I hope that doesn’t happen, but no one can convince him to stop doing it at this point.”
McClain looks up at me through the thick lenses of his glasses, his brow furrowed. “The long-term effects of aromium haven’t been studied, either. We fast-tracked everything.”
“The solar array was damaged in the last storm.”
The worry lines in his brow deepen. “Is it repairable?”
I shrug. “We’d have to cross through unprotected territory to find out, and Virginia’s just waiting for us to do it. She killed one of our team members last time and injured another one.”
McClain’s shoulders slump. “The shield will go down.”
“We’re searching for the flowers. It’s all we can do.”
He nods, his expression grim. “This is all my fault.”
“Maybe you’ll be able to do something to help.”
He shakes his head. “It’s too far gone. Even if I had the flowers and could make a stabilizer, Virginia wouldn’t let her people take it.”
“Let’s hope that’s a problem we get to work on a solution for.” I hold my hand out. “Can I take your bowl?”
He takes the piece of toast from the bowl and passes it to me. I nod to him as I take it and walk back to the rock path that led me here.
The past few days have been a contradiction of sorts. Marcus brings me to the highest peak of happiness, both in and out of bed, when we’re alone together. But we’re also running on borrowed time as we search for the flowers every day, because our supply of electricity is dwindling by the day and because every day his aromium is activated so close to full bonding, the more likely it is that it won’t go back off.
I’d be devastated if he was sentenced to a lifetime of aromium. When I start to think about it, I force the idea from my mind. We’re not there yet.
When I get to the Sub’s entrance, Amira, Nova, Chance, Wyatt and Adele are all gathered there, waiting for the rest of Command Team One to arrive.
A small tree nearby that had leaves yesterday morning is blackened and bare today, because yesterday afternoon Rising Tide members shot two dozen flaming arrows into our camp.
Thankfully, two of the security teams were drilling in the center of camp when it happened, and they were quick to get everyone sheltered and get the fires put out. One man was grazed by an arrow, but he wasn’t seriously injured.
