A little while later they pulled up to a small campground right of the edge of a large river. Paige jumped out of the car and stretched before looking back at everyone.
“Who’s up to kayaking right away? She asked with a grin. “We can set up camp when we get back. It won’t take long to set up the tents.”
“That sounds great to me,” Raven agreed, mirroring her grin. They both stared at the group waiting for an answer.
“Sure,” Kaedin said after a moment. “That sounds fine.”
Raven and Paige headed for the back of the SUV and started pulling the kayaks they rented off the trailer. It did not take them long to get all of them lined up beside the river. Sara drifted away from the group and stood watching Paige. She already wished she had not let Paige talk her into this. Paige finished helping Raven and Hikaru get into their kayaks and out on the river before she looked for Sara.
“Come on,” she called once she spotted her. “It’s your turn.”
Sara grimaced before she drug her feet as she approached the river. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and put on the life vest that Paige handed her.
“I’ll hold it steady so go ahead and climb in,” Paige said. Sara took a deep breath and tried to climb in, but it tilted precariously with each move she made. “Slower movements and it won’t tip so much.” Sara tried what Paige told her and was finally able to get seated in the kayak. Paige handed her a paddle and then gave her a gentle push. Sara glanced at Raven and Hikaru and tried to mirror their movements with the paddle, and she was soon out in the current of the river with them. A couple minutes later Paige and Kaedin were both on the river. They caught up with them and the group followed Paige as she took them down the left fork of the river.
“We should be good for a while,” Paige called as she drifted over to talk to Raven again.
Sara frowned and shook her head. Why did she need to come? Paige was going to be focused on him the whole time. Rolling her eyes, she took the time to look around at her surroundings. On either side of the river were steep banks that were covered with pine trees. It was a hot day, but the breeze made it quite comfortable. Sara smiled when she could hear the gentle sounds coming from the river and the cicadas. She sighed when she decided this might not be so bad. After leaning back so her elbows were on the back of the kayak, she watched a couple of clouds dotting the bright blue sky. She was so occupied with her surroundings that she did not notice when she started drifting away from the group.
“Sara!” Paige’s sudden shout caught her attention. She looked up and noticed that there was a fork in the river, and she was lined up with the wrong side. Paddling as hard as she could, she tried to get back on the right side of the river, but the current was too strong, and it pulled her down the left side.
“Sara!” Paige yelled again while she paddled her kayak toward the center of the river where it split.
“What is down that side of the river?” Kaedin asked while he followed Paige toward the bank.
“A twelve-foot waterfall,” Paige gasped in a panic.
Kaedin paled when he heard her response and in a couple very strong strokes, he made it to the shore. He leapt out of the kayak and took off at a sprint down the bank toward the waterfall. Paige followed behind him, but it took her a couple of minutes to reach the shore. She jumped out and pulled her kayak onto the bank.
“What do I do? What do I do?” She cried in a panic as she paced around the bank. “What do I do?”
“Do not worry,” Raven said walking up to her after securing his kayak. “I am certain that Kaedin will catch up to her.”
Paige did not act like she had even heard him as she continued to pace along the river’s edge. Raven looked away from her long enough to glance at Hikaru, who nodded before he disappeared in the direction of the waterfall.
“I have to call my brother,” Paige panicked. “He always knows what to do.” She ran back to her kayak and dug through her bag. Pulling out her cell phone that was in a sealed plastic bag, she ripped the bag off and dialed her brother’s number. She prayed that he would answer the phone as it rang. By the fourth ring, there was an answer on the other end.
“Paige?” The second she heard her brother’s voice she started bawling. “I lost Sara. I don’t know what to do…. She is… going to fall off… I don’t know where to go to find her…”
“Whoa, slow down,” Jake said.
Paige struggled to take deep breaths so that she could talk more clearly, “I lost Sara. She couldn’t get… across the river and… missed the folk split before Lilac Falls. I don’t know what to do.” She managed to get out between gasped breaths.
There was a lengthy pause, “Are you two alone?” Jake asked.
“No.”
“Did someone go after her?”
“Yes, Kaedin went after her,” Paige grimaced when she said his name. She heard Jake make a disapproving sound.
“Stay where you are until they find Sara. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m not off duty for an hour. I’ll meet you at the campground.” Paige grimaced again when she could hear the disapproval and concern in his voice.
“Okay,” she said before she hung up the phone. Raven walked up to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Are you all right now?” He asked, his voice concerned.
Paige shook her head no and turned to look where Kaedin had run. She prayed that her best friend would be okay.
***
Sara was terrified when she realized she was going to miss the split in the river. The current was so strong it pulled her down the river fast and it was only a matter of seconds before she lost sight of the group. She tried to paddle toward the bank, but the current kept her from making it any closer. Realizing it was not working, she tried turning the kayak around, so she could push against the water instead of pull. This allowed her to make minimal progress but a loud roaring in the background caught her attention. She peered down the river and her eyes widened in shock when she noticed the river just disappeared. Her mind went blank of everything but the word waterfall. After a few seconds, she came back to her senses and tried to paddle again with all her might.
“Stop!”
“I can’t stop,” she yelled in a panic. “I’m going to go over the waterfall!”
“You must conserve your strength to swim.”
Sara shook her head no even though she knew the voice was right. She was not strong enough to go against the current. As she watched the edge of the waterfall get closer, she had to fight with herself just to sit and wait. It was terrifying. She shook so bad that she could barely keep a grip on the paddle. At the last second, she clamped her eyes closed and went over the edge. Somehow, she managed not to scream as she fell and took a deep breath before crashing into the water. The force of hitting the water forced most of the air from her lungs. She fought with all her might and got her head above the surface long enough to take a quick breath before being pulled back under by the current. It was like being in a washing machine as it tossed her around with the debris under the surface. She flinched as things slammed into her and she tried to keep track of which direction was up. For a few moments she kept the direction straight, but it was not long before she became disoriented.
In what seemed like an impossibly short time, she could feel her lungs begin to burn with the need for air. She grasped at the life vest and wondered why it was not working. A few moments more and she was completely spent, and her lungs were screaming for air. Her vision started to grow hazy as her body went limp. Just before she lost consciousness a strong arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her to the surface. As soon as her head was above the water, she took a great searing breath and started coughing.
“Let me pull you,” a voice said into her ear. She tried to figure out who it was, but her mind was still too hazy. A few minutes later she was laying on the river bank taking great big breaths. She glanced over and finally realized it was Kaedin who had pulled her out of the waterfall. He
was on a knee next to her but did not appear to be out of breath from fighting the currents.
“Thank you,” she said once she caught her breath.
He looked over at her, “You are welcome.” He stood up before he looked at the waterfall and tilted his head. It was a long climb to get back to the top. Sara watched him for a minute before she sat up and pulled off the life vest. It was awkward to wear, and she did not need it anymore. She moved to stand up but felt a sharp pain in her ankle.
“It appears as if you hit that on something,” Kaedin observed before he offered her his hand to help her stand. She hesitated but before she could take it a sudden growling sound got her full attention.
“Oh no,” she gasped. “Not another one.”
A demon stepped into view from around several trees. Kaedin pulled her up in one quick motion and set her behind him. She could not put weight on her ankle and struggled to keep her balance. Kaedin reached into his pocket where his dagger should have been and paled when he realized it must have fallen out in the river. He stood for a split second trying to decide what to do. He glanced back at Sara with a conflicted look before turning back to face the demon. A strange glow started to envelop him as he closed his eyes.
“No! I must protect him!”
Sara gasped when she felt something taking control of her body. She put full weight on her ankle and stepped around Kaedin. His eyes flew open and he made a quick move to grab her arm, but she put a hand against his chest.
“Jhyōta.” Sara heard the strange word in her own voice as she raised her other hand. Once the word was out of her mouth the demon burst into flames. Kaedin pulled her backwards, as a look of shock and relief crossed on his face. His eyes widened when he noticed that Sara’s normally blue eyes were now a brilliant shade of green.
“You are in there,” he said, his voice filled with pain.
“Do you know me?” Sara heard herself ask.
“Of course, I do.” Kaedin grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Who am I?”
A look of complete shock and panic crossed Kaedin’s face but before he could answer Sara’s eyes were back to normal. She collapsed, and he caught her before she hit the ground. He picked her up and could feel that she was burning hot. His brows furrowed in thought.
“The magic,” he muttered when a look of realization flashed across his face. A sudden movement to his left caused him to turn. Hikaru appeared beside him without a sound.
“Is she really here?” He asked when he saw Kaedin was already holding Sara.
“Yes,” Kaedin said. “And there is a serious problem.” He started walking back to where they left the kayaks.
It took over an hour for the group to get everyone plus all the kayaks back to the campground. Raven and Hikaru hurried to set up the girl’s tent and Paige got Sara’s sleeping bag. Once it was set up, Kaedin laid Sara on her sleeping bag, and only after getting a suspicious look from Paige, did he leave to help set up the rest of the camp. Paige remained in the tent with Sara after she went to the river to wet a rag. She laid it on her friend’s forehead before she sat down beside her in the tent. She did not move until a familiar voice broke the silence.
“Where are they?” Paige leapt up and ran out of the tent. Jake saw her as soon as she opened the tent and walked over to her. She grabbed his arm and tugged him the rest of the way to the tent.
“Please, help Sara,” she begged. Jake frowned at her when he had to crawl to get into the small two-person tent. His brows furrowed in concern as soon as he saw her.
“How long has she been asleep?” He asked as he knelt next to her.
“Since Kaedin brought her back,” Paige said.
Jake observed Sara for a few moments and his brows furrowed. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, and he knew without touching her, her heart would be racing. He placed the backs of his fingers on her cheek. She felt like she was on fire and he did not hesitate as he picked her up off the sleeping bag.
“I have to get her to a local hospital,” he said, his mannerisms becoming business-like.
“You can’t,” Paige gasped and she grabbed her brother’s arm. “With all the weird stuff happening, they’d ask too many questions.” Jake looked down at his sister and regarded her silently for a few moments before he breathed a heavy sigh.
“You’re right,” Jake admitted reluctantly. “But if this gets any worse or does not respond fast enough, I’m taking her anyway.”
Paige nodded and held the tent flap open so Jake could get out with Sara.
“Will she be okay?” Paige asked, her voice filled with fear.
“I don’t know for sure,” Jake replied. “It’ll depend on how high the fever is and if it will break.” He headed straight over to the jeep and laid Sara on the backseat before he fastened the middle belt around her waist. When he turned around, he found Kaedin standing behind him. He closed the jeep door before facing him.
“Where are you taking her?” Kaedin asked. He was unable to keep the sharp edge out of his voice and Jake noticed right away.
“Home.”
Kaedin’s eyes narrowed, “Should she not see a healer?”
Jake tilted his head at the odd word choice. “I assume you mean doctor and she already has,” he said, his tone becoming a little bit smug.
“You?” Kaedin asked as his eyebrow flew up.
Jake was about to make a sarcastic remark when he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes. He glanced around and realized he had made a tactical mistake. While his attention was fully on Kaedin, Raven and Hikaru moved closer to the jeep. They stood casually but he knew they were making their presence known, and the jeep was now surrounded on three of four sides.
Jake took a deep breath as he assessed the situation. He had been studying martial arts for years, but he did not want to have to fight his way out of here. Sara needed his attention.
“Paige,” he called. “Get your things it’s time to go.”
Paige gave him a dirty look from where she was standing near Raven, “I can’t leave, or it will ruin their trip. They still need a guide. You don’t need me to help you with Sara.”
Jake pressed his lips into a hard line as he looked at his sister, “Now Paige.” His eyes narrowed when Raven stepped over and rested his arm on Paige’s shoulder.
“We could bring her home with us,” he said, tilting his head. Paige looked up at him with a grin on her face.
“No,” Jake said, his voice starting to rise. “Get your things.
Raven glanced at Kaedin who shook his head no. Jake noticed the interaction and realized that Kaedin was the one in charge. Kaedin glanced back at Jake before he backed off and headed over to stand with Raven. He appeared to be dealing with some sort of painful internal struggle.
“You should go with your brother,” Kaedin said, a fake smile plastered to his face. “We will be fine, and you would be worried for your friend.”
When Raven nodded in agreement with Kaedin, Paige’s face fell with disappointment.
“We can try again another time,” Raven said with a wink. Paige grinned and nodded before she turned, ran back to the tent, and grabbed her bag. She returned and waved to Raven before climbing in the front passenger seat of the jeep. Jake moved to his door.
“Take good care of her, Jacob,” Kaedin said with a forced smile. Jake regarded him for a moment before getting into the jeep. He did not understand Kaedin’s interest in Sara and he did not like it. As they drove away, he continued to watch them until they were no longer in sight. After they were safely away Jake sighed.
“Paige,” he started in a firm voice. “I don’t even know where to start this time.” Paige grimaced before she looked at him with sad eyes. “That’s not going to work. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
She rolled her eyes and prepared for the inevitable argument, “Yes, I made plans for a weekend of fun with some friends. I know you don’t understand fun.” Jake ran the fingers of one h
and across his forehead several times.
“That was not fun,” he said, maintaining his flat tone. “That was extremely dangerous and quite frankly, stupid.”
Paige crossed her arms across her chest and glared at her brother. “Why do you alwa--.”
“No,” Jake snapped. “We aren’t doing this again. Just know that one of these days I’m not going to be able to get you out of whatever mess you get yourself into.”
“What mess?” She snapped under her breath.
“What mess?” Jake shot back in a sarcastic tone. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe almost getting your best friend killed? Or having no idea what to do in an emergency? Or better yet trying to stay out in the woods alone with three men you just met a month ago? Come on, Paige. What would you have done if I was deployed?”
Paige blanched at the onslaught of questions from her brother. She knew what she had done was not the brightest, but she just could not admit it to him.
“I ‘d have figured it out,” she said, her voice filled with defiance.
“Before or after Sara died in that river?”
Paige looked stunned and floundered for an answer before turning and facing the window. She refused to speak to him the rest of the way to the apartment. Once they arrived, Jake lifted Sara out of the backseat and took her up to her room. He laid her on the bed before he disappeared into the bathroom in search of a thermometer. When he found one, he headed back to Sara’s room and checked her temperature. His eyes opened wide when he saw that she was 103.3*F. He knew she was hot but did not realize her temperature was that high.
“Paige,” he called.
She walked into the room a few moments later with her arms crossed. He glanced at her but ignored her attitude.
“I need you to get a bowl of cool water and a couple of rags. Do you have any apple cider vinegar?” Paige pursed her lips and still did not answer him. “Now is not the time to act like this. We can talk later, but right now this isn’t about you.”
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