Page 86 of The Garnet Daughter
August keeps glancing back as we cross the rest of the desert, putting distance between us and our previous camp as dawn brings in the first dull beam of light.
Our destination is within view, but every time I think we are getting close, the bird beak and dense tree line surrounding the cliff is just as Maestra said but never seems to manifest in front of us, as if we are walking in place.
Sadly, the waterskins were drained yesterday, a regret that has taken root as thorns in my throat with every swallow. We share the last of our stolen bread in exhausted silence, but the stale food sits in my stomach like rot. I’m unable to stop replaying what happened to Sav in my mind, so I let August take the majority of my ration.
We remained awake the entire night, expecting the monster to return and finish the attack. August had his gun drawn and his body plastered against mine, but it never came back. Omnesis saw me, looked into my eyes like it had in the Estate temple. It could have killed us just as easily, but it didn’t. A fact I’ve not been able to comprehend since it flew from our camp.
Soon, the dead, dry trees fade into a scattered line of lush forest, an elevated oasis within the harsh desert of thebirthlands. The cliff faces are grey and sharp, plateaued like the sacred mountain. Greenery grows among the cracks and vines spill over the sides.
“Do you hear that?” I ask.
August tilts his head and listens. “No?”
I smile. “Water, and a lot of it.”
“That’s the best thing you have said all day.” He walks more briskly, pebbles displacing under the crunch of his boots. “Come on!”
We climb up the slight incline of the rock oasis, up a natural path that zigzags around the larger boulders in the area. The stones are different here, nothing like the dry crumble of the area around it. The way seems human traveled, worn down by use, but there is no one as far as we can see.
I’m breathless by the time we reach the first plateau nestled in between sheer cliff faces on all sides. The sound of water is all-consuming now, which means it is alive and moving, likely flowing from the top of the cliffs.
We weave through the last of the trees at the ridge and see a beautiful, sparkly pond and waterfall so tall, the top is shrouded in fog. It falls in a sharp stream, some of it bouncing off the rocks and splattering before reaching the bottom, creating a spraying mist.
August grins with such delight his dimple concaves, threatening to leave a permanent wrinkle. “Can you believe it!”
“I could cry!” I tease over the intense sound of plummeting water against the rocks below.
We stand on the edge of the pond, where the plateau is flat and grassy. Some trees line the outside with dense bushes, more plant life than I have seen on this planet. I bend to touch the ground, and the grass touches me back in greeting, moving with my hand and dancing slightly when I let go.
“It’s beautiful,” August says right next to me.
I point to a few birds bathing at the edge of the water, where it laps against the little shore. Another small animal with arching horns and a grey pelt drinks and then retreats up the cliff face, its hind legs hoofed and agile on the rocks.
“It should be ok for us too.”
“I would probably still drink it even if it wasn’t,” he jokes and begins removing his boots. “It doesn’t look that deep. I don’t imagine any man-eating creature is in there, but let me check it out first.”
I survey him, a little confused.
“Oh, I’m not wasting this, and neither are you.” He pulls on the mechanisms in his Viathan armor, tearing it away from his body and then removing his tunic. His torso is shiny with sweat. The muscles bend and flex as he places his armor on the ground and starts on his waistband.
“August!” I turn away, not so much embarrassed as I am shocked he is stripping down without warning.
“Relax.” He chuckles. “We should bathe and rest a bit.”
“We will take turns.”
“It’s a big enough area. We can stay back-to-back if you are uncomfortable,” he offers softer.
I can hear his pants drop to the ground, followed by the sound of water sloshing as he wades in. I close my eyes even though my back is turned, but that makes me picture him more clearly so I stare hard at the dense trees surrounding us.
“Calliape,” he groans, “you’re missing out!”
For some reason, I spin around without thinking. He’s waist deep, completely covered but very naked and grinning like an idiot.
“You have no idea what could be in there.” I cross my arms.
He wades out a little farther, until the water reaches his chest, and then disappears under the surface. The movementacross the top is so fast from the waterfall, I can’t see which direction he swims.
