Page 47 of Outcast Fae
We walked back to the circle. Daniella reclined, closing her eyes. Patricia and Chan lay next to each other, fast asleep. I sat off to the side, pondering what to do.
A few minutes later, Gina and Henry returned, heads together as they whispered to each other and giggled. It wasn’t hard to imagine how they had ended up on this island. I suspected every bone in their bodies was made of mischief.
“Where have you been?” I asked Gina and Henry as they sat down and started munching on leftover pork.
“We went by the dome,” Gina mumbled, her mouth full.
“The dome?” I said while another voice repeated the same thing behind me.
It was Vaugh’s voice. He’d returned from his sulking and seemed as curious as I was.
Sinasre was also back, shirtless and dripping with water. He had taken a dunk in the ocean and his skin glistened, highlighting his muscles. His skin looked strange without his warrior tattoos. They had taken them away like Wally’s.
“Oh, my God,” Daniella whispered beside me, her eyes popping at the sight of my cousin. She hadn’t been asleep at all.
Vaughn grunted in displeasure, then repeated, “What dome?”
“There’s a section of the island that is protected by some sort of force shield,” Sinasre said.
“Yeah, you haven't seen it?” Henry added. “Gina and I were just trying to use our magic to get past it, but no luck.”
Vaughn’s expression filled with urgency “Where is this shield?” he demanded. “You take me there. Now.”
Chapter Seventeen
“It’s just over this ridge,”Gina said, glancing over her shoulder at us.
The rest of the party gazed up, too, scanning for gods knew what. I hung back, gripping my new spear and trying to control the thudding of my heart. We were definitely breaking all kinds of island rules.
It was only a few hours since Meadow Song sent us running after that pig. We couldn’t leave any sooner since everyone was still drunk from Gina and Henry’s coconuts. Vaughn had tried to prod them, but it took some time to sober them up. He was anxious the entire time and rounded everyone up as soon as he could get them going.
There was desperation in his eyes when we talked about the dome, making me wonder if he knew what was inside. Was this why he’d been eager to run into the jungle since the first day? If so, did he know what awaited if we breached its membrane? I tried asking, but he gave me a shrug and walked away.
Leaving the safety of the camp and heading in the direction they’d told us explicitly not to go made me anxious. Any moment, Meadow Song could find us trespassing and dole out punishment. Still, I had to know why Vaughn was so bent on heading to this force field. What could it be guarding?
“Stay low. You don’t want them to see you.” Gina waved us into a crouch.
“Who is ‘them’?” Vaughn asked, crouching down amongst the foliage and searching the sky with his green eyes.
“We don’t knowwho they are,” Gina said, answering Vaughn’s question. “But we know that sometimes an electrified field zaps us back and sometimes it doesn’t.” Gina gave a shrug and adjusted her backpack.
Seven of us had come on this expedition: Vaughn, Wally, Elon, Sinasre, Gina, Henry, and myself. Daniella, Chan, and Patricia had all elected to stay back at the beach, likely the smartest option. Part of me wished I could’ve done that, stuck my toes in the sand and sipped coconut milk, but if Vaughn was interested in the dome, it must be important.
It was late afternoon and broad daylight. The trees and shrubs rustled in a light breeze as the blue sky stretched endlessly overhead. If someone was spying on us, they’d spot us in an instant.
I still wasn’t sure if what he said about children being kept on the island was false or a hallucination. My assumption that my friends had been brought here might be wrong, but if it was right…
Could the children be under the dome? If Oberon was trying to hurt us, taking them would be the fastest way to crush me. I wrung my hands. Everything had to go perfectly since this might be my only chance.
“Are we sure this is the right time to do this?” I asked the group. “Maybe we should come back at dark. Try then.”
All eyes turned to me.
“Come back at dark?” Elon said to me. “Are you crazy? Those wolves might be out.”
Vaughn shook his head, nostrils flaring scenting the air. “They’re not here. They’re far away right now.”
It was his turn to be scrutinized by everyone in the group. Even the mighty Vaughn seemed to shrink once he realized he’d just reminded them he was a werewolf. He said nothing further.
