An Hour of Need

by Bella Forrest

  “Then… if these trees are only part of the formula,” my grandmother Sofia said, “I wonder what on earth the other ingredients are?”

  Ibrahim stroked his dark goatee. “Hm. I would assume something powerful, yet non-toxic to the body, that could soften the effect of the tree’s poison… No idea what exactly. But I could take a bunch of these leaves—and some bark for good measure—back to the Sanctuary to experiment on with the other witches. Maybe we can even figure this out without the IBSI’s help…”

  “That would be a blessing,” I whispered. “But how long do you think it would take to figure out?”

  “You know I can’t answer that,” Ibrahim replied. “It could be an hour, if one of us had an epiphany, it could be weeks… or it could be never, if we’ve got the wrong end of the stick entirely here.”

  I glanced at my parents. They looked conflicted. “Well, Ibrahim,” my father said, running a hand through his hair, “why don’t you return and get started, at least. Gather as many witches as you can to help you and start working as fast as possible.”

  “I guess you’ll need some Bloodless to experiment on?” my mother asked.

  Ibrahim nodded grimly. “I’ll have to pick some up on the way back home. Won’t be too difficult, though. We will have to do our best not to kill any of the test subjects…”

  The warlock moved about the branch, cutting off generous chunks of leaves as well as bark shavings. He filled his backpack until it was bursting at the seams. Then, giving us one final nod, he vanished himself back to the portal.

  Our eyes roamed to Horatio—the only magic-wielder left among us now. He would need to take charge of transporting us places henceforward.

  “It would be quite uncanny if these trees really could reverse the Bloodless infection,” my great-grandfather Aiden said, running a palm along one of the smooth, broad leaves.

  “What do you mean?” I asked him.

  “Well, the Bloodless virus, or whatever you want to call it, is nothing but a mutation of the original vampirism introduced to humans by the Elders. As you know, Grace, from your history lessons, Aviary and Cruor were bitter enemies. I just think it would be oddly fitting if Aviary possessed a neutralizer.”

  “Right,” I said, nodding slowly. I hadn’t thought about it like that.

  We fell quiet, each of us sinking into our thoughts. The noises of the hunters demolishing the jungle echoed up from beneath us.

  If these trees were the answer, we couldn’t have the IBSI felling them like this. I had no idea how widespread they were in Aviary. For all we knew, they might even be a rare species. If the hunters continued to work at this pace… How much longer would we have?

  I exchanged an anxious glance with my father and mother.

  “While Ibrahim is gone,” my father said, addressing the group, “we have got to stop them from wiping out these trees.”

  Grace

  “We should damage their machinery,” my father proposed.

  “Or,” Lucas posed, “we could fetch more recruits from The Shade and launch an all-out attack on them, Woodlands-style.”

  My father and grandfather looked hesitant.

  “First of all,” my father replied, “that sort of attack would destroy a lot of these trees—we’re talking about dragons’ fire here, Lucas,” he reminded his uncle. “Secondly, a heavy-handed attack would likely send the hunters into a panic. Once alerted to our presence, they could start destroying the rest of the trees at a much more rapid pace. Maybe even bomb the whole area.”

  “But I wonder why they haven’t done that already,” my mother said.

  “Well, they are clearly keeping aside a stock of these trees for themselves. But if worse came to worst, I imagine they would forfeit the option to collect more and instead just destroy everything here…. If we discreetly got to their machinery, for example later tonight after they have all finished work, that would definitely slow them down. I’m guessing it would take them a while to gather enough machines again to continue at their current pace. We’d be buying ourselves some time. And as long as they didn’t see us here, they wouldn’t suspect us. Nobody would know what had happened.”

  “I agree,” Derek said. “We need to tread carefully here. Very carefully.”

  “I wonder if any of the hunters working here might have the recipe for the antidote,” Xavier proposed. “I wonder if any of them have been told what they’re doing here, or whether they’re just blindly following their authorities.”

  The same question had arisen in my mind too. Something told me they were simply obedient workers who had been fed some other reason for why they needed to fell the trees. I doubted very much that Atticus had allowed the antidote recipe to be made common knowledge within his organization. I figured that most IBSI members were probably not even aware of an antidote. As Mr. Munston had told me back in Chicago headquarters, FOEBA was classified information.

  “I doubt it,” I said.

  “Though anything’s possible,” my father went on. “After we have messed with their machinery tonight—and checked for any explosives in their possession—Lucas and I could spy on their camp and see if we can overhear anything relevant.”

  “All right,” Derek said. “Then we will wait until tonight.”

  My father and Lucas left us temporarily to search for somewhere more comfortable, sheltered and away from creepy crawlies where we could pass the time.

  When they returned from their exploration, they shared the same expression of awe.

  “What is it?” my mother asked.

  “We’ve located a dry cave that’s fairly out-of-the-way, in one of the large mountains to the north,” my father said. “But that’s not all we found. We discovered where the IBSI’s men are staying—and it’s not in those little caravans we saw earlier. Those are just for toilets and refreshments.”

  “Well, where?” Derek asked tensely.

  “They’re staying in old Aviary city,” my father replied, his eyes shining with wonder, as though his mind was still there. “Where Arron used to live.” Where my father had been kept as a newborn…

  “Much of it is still intact,” Lucas said. “And it appears to have been completely abandoned by the Hawks. The hunters have taken up residence within the tree houses.”

  Wow. They were daring. They must have been pretty confident in their ability to fend off Hawks to do that. Then again, the Hawk population had weakened immensely since the war between Cruor and Aviary decades ago. Much of Aviary city was supposed to have been wrecked and abandoned in the struggle.

  “So,” my father concluded, “the good news is that Lucas and I know exactly where to head to eavesdrop later on. For now, let’s all head to the cave.”

  It was a relief to arrive at the cave. Horatio smoked it out first, just to be sure there were no dangerous animals dwelling within. Hordes of shiny green beetles came scuttling out, along with the odd snake, clearing the way for us to step inside. He also kept his spell of shade over the area that he’d been holding up until now, for the sake of the vampires. Although it wouldn’t be long until dark. The sun was already halfway along its descent in the sky. I was feeling a drop in temperature already.

  Lucas and my father went off to fetch some wood—wood that was not derived from the peach-leaved trees—and we sparked a bonfire on the ledge outside the cave’s entrance. I huddled close to it and scooped up a flame to hold in my palms. Orlando, whose knees still looked unsteady, dropped down next to me.

  My mother handed us both an energy bar. Orlando eyed the packaging, looking reluctant to eat anything. He was bracing his stomach with one hand, apparently experiencing a stomachache.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, giving his forearm a gentle squeeze.

  He nodded, wincing. “I guess.”

  “That was kind of crazy of you to volunteer,” I said.

  “Yep,” he replied, stretching out his legs and leaning back against his elbows. “But sometimes, crazy works.”

  I coul
dn’t disagree with that.

  I tore open the wrapping of my bar and took a bite. I was still having trouble tasting food properly. This bar was banana and walnut—one of my favorites since I’d been a kid—and yet, as I chewed, I could hardly detect its flavor. It was like having a really bad cold; my tastebuds were muffled. But the bar was filling at least, and provided me with a dose of renewed energy.

  The adults mostly retreated into the cave, except my father, Lucas, Aiden and Derek. They sat about ten feet in front of us, their legs hanging over the edge as they spoke in hushed tones and beheld the Jurassic land of Aviary at sunset.

  I ate the last of my bar and scrunched the packaging into my pocket.

  Orlando tossed me his. “Have mine too. I won’t be eating for a while…”

  I stuffed it into my backpack in case he or I wanted it later. Then I moved closer to him, allowing myself another long study of his face. I kept fearing that his paleness would return full force, but that touch of health still remained in his complexion.

  “What do you see?” Orlando asked, his expectant eyes on mine.

  “I see, uh…” I see a brave man.

  “I still don’t look as pale?”

  I shook my head and realized that he still hadn’t seen what he looked like. I moved into the cave and asked my mother if she had brought a travel mirror with her. She rummaged inside her backpack and found a small one. She handed it to me and I returned to Orlando, who was now leaning with his back against the wall of the mountain. I slumped down next to him, our hips an inch apart, and stretched out my feet until they almost touched the fire. I passed him the mirror. He studied himself in it with a frown. “Yeah, I see what you mean… I don’t look like such a freak.”

  He set the mirror down and leaned his head back against the rock, his eyes half closed as he focused on the sunset. We were both lulled into a relaxed silence, the late evening chirping of birds and the low murmuring of our group surrounding us.

  “You know,” Orlando spoke in a low voice as the sun dipped out of sight, “I’m feeling something I haven’t felt in a long time.”

  “What’s that?” I asked him.

  His eyes flitted to mine and lingered for a few seconds before returning to the sky. “Hope,” he replied. “Real hope. The first time I felt it was just after you arrived in Chicago. When we stood on that rooftop and you persuaded me to talk to my sister about attempting escape with you…” He paused, swallowing. “You brought me hope, Grace, when I was in a very dark place. And, even if I never see my sister again, at least I can say she went out fighting. She always has been a fighter. It’s just that city… it jaded her. But you brought the fire back in both of us.”

  I glanced uncomfortably at my feet. It didn’t feel like I had done anything at all. I had just been desperate to escape that city, and I had needed the siblings to help me.

  I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I didn’t.

  “You know, I really think we are onto something with these trees,” Orlando said, changing the subject. “If they can make a marked difference in me, imagine what they might do to you or for fully turned Bloodless?”

  “Right,” I said, staring into the crackling flames.

  “But that’s another thing you reminded me of,” he went on thoughtfully. “Not to think too far ahead. To live in the now. We might have reason to hope we’ve made major progress today, but who knows what might happen tomorrow. It could all come crashing down around us as some kind of colossal misunderstanding. We could be back to square one. I could return to waking up every morning wondering whether I will live until the evening. I could die tomorrow. And so could you…” He wet his lower lip. His voice had risen with surprising passion over the course of his dialogue, but now it softened to a whisper, and I wasn’t sure anymore whom he was really talking to—me or himself—as he said, “I realize it more and more. I have to live in the now.”

  I couldn’t help but stare at him as firelight danced in his enlarged irises. My focus on him caused him to glance at me again, but this time, he didn’t look away. He held my gaze steadily, shadows playing across his rugged face.

  “You agree?” he breathed, his eyes searching mine.

  I nodded, frowning slightly at the intensity of his question. Yes, of course I agreed one had to live in the now. Especially in circumstances such as these, otherwise—

  I was in no way, shape or form prepared for what happened next.

  Orlando’s hand moved to my cheek. His fingers curved and entered my hair. His face descended until our noses touched and then our lips. He kissed me firmly, confidently. Like he’d kissed a hundred times before. When he drew away, it was as if he’d sucked the air from my lungs. My lips parting, I gaped at him.

  Wh-What just happened?

  Grace

  I remained in a daze after Orlando drew away. His eyes stayed settled boldly on mine. My heart pummeled against my chest as it dawned on me that someone else might have noticed our kiss. I quickly looked around, but it seemed nobody had. My father, Lucas, Derek and Aiden still sat with their backs to us by the edge of the cave entrance, and Orlando and I were sitting in a corner, away from the direct view of those in the cave.

  My gaze returned to Orlando. His heavy brows arched slightly in question. When I still didn’t respond, it seemed to occur to him that he might’ve crossed a line.

  “Grace, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I got carried away.”

  I gathered myself and rose to my feet. “I-I need to rest,” was all I could manage, even as I winced. The lamest response ever. But in that moment, I just needed to get away from him. I needed some space for my brain to process what had just happened.

  Orlando had kissed me.

  He had claimed my first kiss.

  I moved clumsily inside the cave and found a corner to sink into by myself. My mother noticed me and moved to approach but I shook my head. “You can stay over there,” I told her, trying to sound normal. “I’m going to try and get some sleep.”

  “Good idea, honey,” she replied, before resuming her seat next to Rose and Vivienne.

  I curled up in one corner, turning my back on everyone and facing the jagged wall. My eyes remained wide open, though my vision glazed over. I realized that my hands were shaking slightly—I prayed only from the encounter with Orlando, and not because I was about to descend into another fit—and my breathing came fast and uneven.

  I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that kiss. Heck, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Orlando. Despite all that we had been through together, he was still basically a stranger to me. As I was to him.

  But maybe Orlando really hadn’t meant much by it. Maybe he had simply been high on emotions after the events of the day, and when he’d started talking about living in the moment, he had just been tempted to do something crazy. Maybe I was reading too much into it. Maybe he didn’t see a kiss as any big deal.

  As much as I tried to tell myself that I shouldn’t see it as a big deal either, it was. For me, a kiss was a big deal. A huge deal. It changed everything about Orlando’s and my dynamic. My stomach clenched uncomfortably, and I felt a heavy dread at the thought of facing him again when I left the cave. God, things are going to be so awkward between us now.

  I tried to shake myself to my senses. I had far greater things to worry about now than Orlando. Like not turning into a vampire-zombie. I figured I should close my eyes and try to forget about what had just happened. Try to get some rest. And when it came time to leave, I should act like nothing happened. I didn’t possess the emotional fortitude to get weighed down by this now.

  I clamped my eyes tightly shut and tried to think of everything but Orlando. In my effort, my thoughts wandered to Lawrence. My mouth felt dry as I remembered the last evening we’d spent together in that old abandoned hotel in Scotland. How I had lain in his arms throughout the night… I couldn’t help but feel that my first kiss should’ve taken place then, instead of tonight. And perhaps it would have, as the early morni
ng hours drew in. Perhaps we would have found ourselves awake at the same time. Perhaps we would have caught each other’s eye, and found our lips drawn together. But then Lawrence had descended into a fit, and soon after that he had slipped through my fingers. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye. And now he was lost to me.

  I tossed and turned for hours, until my father announced that the hunters had packed up for the night. It felt very late by now; the IBSI must have had them working long days.

  I dared to sit up and look toward the entrance, where my father stood addressing everyone. Beside him were Derek, Lucas and Aiden, while Orlando appeared to still be outside the cave. Maybe he was regretting kissing me.

  “Lucas and I have already figured out where they keep the machinery after work—they park them up in that huge clearing we saw earlier,” my father said. “So we can make our way there now. Though this is a job that has to be done extremely quietly so as to not alert anybody, and Horatio is the best person to do it… Magic is obviously quieter than any effort the rest of us would make to damage the equipment.”

  Everybody wanted to come in any case, so we all gathered together. I held my mother’s hand and lowered my eyes firmly to the ground to avoid glimpsing Orlando joining the group.

  Horatio transported us to the clearing we had come upon minutes after arriving in Aviary. It was an eerie sight to behold in the dark, this graveyard of trees. The lack of moonlight in the overcast sky made the shadows of machinery look like hulking monsters.

  My eyes were drawn to the caravans, scattered near each other in the center of the clearing. The blinds were drawn tightly shut in the windows, except for one of them, which emanated a warm orange light.

  “Seems like someone’s on night duty,” I whispered, tugging on my father’s arm and pointing toward the glowing caravan.

  “Hence, we have to be stealthy,” my father replied.

  Our group sidled around the clearing, closer to where the machines started. Then Horatio left us and began moving among the vehicles. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing as he circled each one and sometimes disappeared into them—but he was being utterly silent about it. Maybe he was putting some kind of irreversible freezing charm on the joints and other parts he figured were crucial.