Page 135 of Blue Arrow Island
I admire what he does, but I don’t envy it.
38
Root system of plant indicates adaptation to mineral-rich soil with high metal content. The flower structure does not give specific indications about a pollinator relationship.
-Excerpt from the journal of Dr. Randall McClain
There are vines everywhere. They twine and wrap through the air and around my legs. My waist. Ranging in shades from the lightest green to a dark pine, some sturdy and thick and others lithe and deft. There’s one winding around my neck, poised to go into my open mouth. I can’t close it, and I can’t scream. I’m helpless; frozen as the vine slithers past my lips.
I wake up with a jolt, gasping. Sweat coats my brow even though I’m in an underground room, Olin asleep on the bed beside my chair.
At least he was asleep. I just woke him up.
He sits up, his brows lowered in a look of concern.
“Sorry,” I say sheepishly, standing. “I had a bad dream.”
His concern slides away. I reach for the pitcher of water on the table beside his bed and pour him a cup of water.
When I pass it to him, he drinks it. There’s also a small bowl of rice and a cup of fruit juice on the table.
“Do you think you can eat a little?” I ask him. “And drink some juice? Ellison said you should have a little bit every couple of hours.”
He nods, looking groggy.
“There’s a pencil and paper here if you need to say anything.” I pass him the cup of juice.
I survey him as he sips it. He’s been wasting away at Rising Tide, his hair thinner and his cheeks hollow. It hurts to know I’ve been here, eating my fill every day, while he’s been starving and suffering.
Sitting down on the end of his bed, I tell him what I’ve learned since I last saw him. His eyes widen when I mention McClain and genetic engineering, mirroring my own feelings when I found out.
“I wanted to be here when you woke up,” I say softly. “But I have to get back to searching for the flowers. You’re in good hands with Ellison. Please just rest and heal. Switching off the aromium makes you tired and weak. I’ll come check on you when I get back.”
He nods, leaning against the pillows at his back. The warmth in his gaze reminds me of my mom. I don’t have a brother, but I think the tenderness I feel toward Olin is how I would feel for a brother if I did.
I kiss his forehead. “You’re okay now. I’ll see you later.”
On the walk out of the Sub, I twist my neck to one side and then the other, trying to work out the stiffness from sleeping in a chair. I reach the Sub’s exit, squinting against bright morning sunlight.
“What time is it?” I ask the guard stationed at the entrance.
He looks at his watch and says, “Almost seven a.m.”
I can’t believe I slept in that chair the entire night. Going on and off aromium like we have been isn’t just getting harder for Marcus. I’m feeling it too.
I push the button on the side of my radio. “Aphrodite to Ares. I’m at the meeting point.”
A few seconds later, his deep voice responds over the radio. “Copy, Aphrodite. I’m at the switch point.”
That’s the spot at the shield perimeter where we meet to activate our aromium in the morning and turn it off in the evening. My aggravation flares because Marcus has no business having his aromium on again.
I don’t even bother with a shower. I change into clean clothes, wash my face, brush my teeth and braid my hair, winding the braid into a thick knot at my neck and securing it. I’m seething the whole time, playing out the conversation Marcus and I are going to have when I reach him.
He knows there’s a pissed-off woman heading his way. He wouldn’t leave without me, would he?
Even though I shouldn’t, I grab my radio and press the button, barely containing my mood as I speak into it. “Aphrodite to Ares. I’m almost on my way. Your ass better be there.”
“Copy, Aphrodite.” Amusement laces his tone. “My ass will be here, along with the rest of me.”
