Azir didn’t lie. This place is amazing and scary as hell at the same time. I can’t believe my brother chooses to work here. He’s crazier than I ever imagined.
Once we landed, Kaz introduced me to Ezeoha, a man about my height, making him “vertically challenged.” He’s also paper-thin. I keep trying to get him to eat protein bars.
From what Azir said, I thought Kaz would leave me with Ezeoha, but he decided to come with us.
“There is danger where you are going, and Azir has asked that I protect you.” Kaz was regal and his voice powerful.
“I appreciate that, but I’m good at protecting myself. I know you must have other work to do.” In the short time we’d spent together I’d grown to like him. The words had been few between us, but it was a feeling more than anything. I understood why Azir trusted him.
“You are precious cargo to Azir, and I will assist with what is necessary.”
Cargo? I snorted. “Well, okay.” I turned to Ezeoha. “What supplies will we need?” I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and I had a feeling I might need something a little more lightweight, and some food.
Ezeoha pointed to what looked like a general store. We were actually outside of Mambasa in a small village. The store was old and dusty looking. “We need three days of food and water.” His English was accented with French. “You need zee boots.”
I laughed. Ezeoha had a point. I didn’t think my flip-flops would cut it in the jungle. I’d been in such a hurry when running away from Dr. Zocando’s camp that I’d left my Pumas behind. But even those wouldn’t keep a snake’s fangs from penetrating.
Kaz had scared the hell out of me the last few minutes of our flight with stories about the dangers of creatures in the jungle. If you didn’t get your throat slit by a nasty rebel or eaten by a tiger, there was a good chance the snakes would make a meal of you. I didn’t plan to be anyone’s meal.
A quick trip to the general store and we had full packs, a change of clothes, food, water, several cans of bug spray, (people who live here don’t believe in it, but I do—bugs love to chew on me) and I sported some new khakis. Before heading into the jungle, the two men pulled out a map and lay it across Ezeoha’s Jeep.
“We drive to here.” Ezeoha pointed to a speck on the map. “Den we walk.”
Kaz shook his head. “She believes them to be somewhere here.” He pointed to a spot dead-center in the jungle.
Ezeoha frowned. “It is three days’ walk and very dangerous. The river or the roads would be easier, but the rebels…” He pulled his finger across his neck in the universal sign for slitting throats.
Lovely. He and Kaz should be the spokespeople for avoiding the jungle. I’m sure I could have taken care of whatever rebels we encountered, but I didn’t want to give whoever was holding my family a heads-up. If sneaking through the jungle gave us the element of surprise, that’s what we would do.
“Okay. Well, I choose trekking through the jungle. I like my neck just the way it is. I don’t need a bloody necklace.”
So here we go into the wild green jungle.
Fifteen
The jungle
Tree-hugging witches: 1
Dead guys: 3 (But I didn’t kill them all.)
Spells: 2
I ’m not sure I’d recommend the African jungle as a vacation hotspot. That is, unless someone is into real adventure. The creature noise is migraine-inducing and the insects (thank god for repellant) are annoyingly persistent. I’m really glad I’m current on all my shots. Oh, and the lovely sounds of rapid gunfire have been our constant companion the last twenty-four hours.
I know it isn’t fair, but right now I’m so angry with Brett for putting us all into this mess. If he didn’t have to be the great do-gooder I’d be able to look for Garnout, chase down Jason, or, at the very least, be at home in Sweet eating at Lulu’s.
Stupid brother.
Today has been one giant crap pile.
The first bit of fun began when we were still in the Land Rover. About three hours into the interior of the jungle, we came to a roadblock.
A tree had fallen, or at least that’s what it looked like. As we slowed, Ezeoha pulled out a rifle from under the seat and handed it to Kaz. Then he pulled out another and gave it to me. I didn’t really need a gun, but I held on to it.
“When I stop the vehicle, you must run for the trees to the right,” Ezeoha whispered. We slipped on our packs as he pulled to the side of the road.
He reached down again and this time brought up what looked like and old-timey machine gun. Something you might see in a John Wayne war movie or something. When he stopped, we jumped out.
I heard yelling but didn’t look back until we hit the trees. Kaz held a finger to his lips. Then he motioned upward.
I raised my eyebrows. He wanted me to climb the tree. Crap. The last time I’d climbed a tree I’d been seven. I fell, broke my arm, and Brett wouldn’t let me tell Mom because he didn’t want to get in trouble. His plan worked until dinner. I’d tried to eat with my left hand with no success, and that’s when Mom had noticed. I’d been rushed to the emergency room, and he’d been grounded. He never forgave me and to this day calls me a “wuss.”
I couldn’t understand what the men looking for us were saying, but they weren’t happy about finding the vehicle abandoned. Just for fun they shot off their guns into the greenery. The popping sound made me jump, and that’s when I saw something.
At the end of my branch, the leaves moved in an odd fashion and I thought it might be the wind. Then I realized: there was no wind. I was flat on my stomach staring ahead when something black and huge slithered toward me.
The head of the snake was bigger than my hand, and I almost peed myself right then and there. My breath caught. It was two feet away and would have to creep over me to move along.
The Earth Goddess doesn’t like it when you blow up her creatures for no reason. This was the snake’s domain and I was in the way. Using magic against it wasn’t an option. The Earth Goddess is not a chick you want to anger.
Slithering closer, the snake was only a few inches away. My body seemed to have a mind of its own and flung itself out of the tree. I was falling when someone caught my arm. Pain seared into my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Kaz’s dark eyes staring into mine. My arm was sweating, partly from the heat, but more from the confrontation with the snake. I slid out of Kaz’s grasp and hit the ground feet first.
The rebels, who wore dark blue uniforms, heard the movement and showered the area with bullets. I threw up a protection shield on both of us. Once I caught my breath, I stood, and I could see them heading my way.
I threw the first fireball at the man in the center. He screamed as his uniform caught fire and the other two turned to see what the commotion was about. They tried to pound the fire out with their hands and then threw the man to the ground and stomped on him. The fire spread quickly, and there was nothing left but a pile of ash in a matter of seconds.
That’s when I heard two pops, and I saw the other two men fall forward.
Ezeoha stood up out of the bushes and walked over to the rebels. He kicked one over and then the other, grabbing their guns.
Kaz jumped down out of the tree and shook his head. His brown eyes were huge with surprise. “Azir told me you were a witch. I didn’t know you had such great power.”
I shrugged. “Sorry. I hadn’t really meant to kill him. I have a habit of blowing people up first and asking questions later.”
Kaz didn’t get the joke. “No. Do not be sorry. It is good they are dead.” Kaz moved forward and Ezeoha handed him something. It was a necklace with something on the chain.
Kaz held it up to show me. “These men are animals. They prey on women and children, and they do not deserve your worry. These men believe killing the young gives them power.”
The horror and disgust of it rushed over me, and the fury began to build. If I ran across more of these bastards I’d wipe them all off the face of the planet.
“We must move away from the road and into the jungle.” Ezeoha grabbed some more water out of the Land Rover and put it in his pack. “The rebels will come looking for these men. We must move quickly.”
If I hadn’t been in such a hurry to find my dad and brother, I would have stayed and given the rebels a real welcome party. But if these were the kind of people who had kidnapped my family, I wanted to find them fast.
We’re taking a few moments to rest near a large tree. Now I hear roaring. Kaz and Ezeoha both told me there was nothing to worry about; it was probably just a leopard. Just a leopard? Gah! Are they insane?
Judging from the way they both looked at each other when the animal roared again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d realized they were wrong, too.
Friday
10 p.m.
Dead guys: 11
We’ve been walking forever, and everything still looks the same. Twisted green trees, mud, snakes, spiders, and really weird monkeys that shriek so loud I almost blew up Kaz, who was standing in front of me the first time I heard them. They made me jump out of my skin. The heat is worse, and there were times when I wasn’t sure I could take one more step. I never say a word, but I think Kaz knows I’ve sort of reached my physical limit.
He suggested we stop for a couple of hours to rest near a small river, more like a creek. About five minutes after we sat down, I must have fallen asleep.
In my dreams I heard Sam and Azir talking. They were coming here, even though I had asked them both to stay home. When I tried to reach them telepathically, Sam put up his shields, and he must have done the same for Azir. He knew I would try to stop them. The last thing I needed was those two getting lost or killed. I was furious in my dream but had no one to scream at.
I woke up with someone’s hand over my mouth and I realized I was being dragged away from the river. My first instinct was to blow up whoever had their hands on me, but when I opened my eyes, I saw it was Kaz. He motioned with his head that someone was coming. He let go and I scooted back into the bushes on my own. The green leaves were damp with the last rain, and the branches scratched through my shirt.
Ezeoha was to our right.
I don’t know why it took my brain so long to kick into gear, but I finally opened up and tried to sense how many people were on the way. I could see two boats loaded down with soldiers and small children.
The boats moved past us and I heard the children crying. I sent my mind into that of a small boy I could see on one of the boats. The rebels had taken all the children from a village. The tiny boy was frightened and repeated a constant prayer for his mother. I saw her lying on the floor, her throat slit.
Bastards. God only knew what they would do to those poor babies. I couldn’t kill the rebels on the boats. The children might drown. I jumped up and grabbed my pack. Following the path of the riverbank, I ran after the boat. I could hear footsteps behind me, so I assumed Kaz and Ezeoha were close.
I didn’t really have much of a plan past killing every one of the rebels and saving the children. At about the time my lungs were giving out from running in the heat (maybe I’ve mentioned I’m not the most fit of witches when it comes to running—yoga is more my speed), the men turned the boats toward the shore.
They tossed the children from the boat and then ushered them forward into the jungle.
Kaz stood behind me and we watched from the safety of the bushes.
“I’m going to kill them,” I whispered.
Kaz touched my shoulder. “I will help. Ezeoha has moved to the other side to trap them. We must not let any get away, or we will have a war on our hands.”
“Don’t worry, Kaz. I don’t plan on there being many survivors. I’m going to try to get their attention. You move the children away if at all possible, and don’t let them see what I’m about to do.”
“I will do as you ask.” Before I could thank him, he was gone.
Moving toward the sound of the soldiers, I threw protection spells at the children, Kaz, and Ezeoha. Pulling my shirt out from the waistband of my khakis, I tied it into a knot under my breasts, and unbuttoned all of the buttons. I needed a quick distraction, and boobs are some of the best things a woman can use.
I put two confusion potions in my pockets. I said a protection spell for myself, and then stepped into the clearing.
“Hello?” I waved a hand as if I were greeting a neighbor. “I’m a little lost and I wondered if you could help me?”
All of the men turned and stared open-mouthed at me. I gathered that coming across a half-naked white woman in the middle of the jungle wasn’t an everyday occurrence.
Two of the men moved toward me. I tossed the confusion potions at them. They turned and pointed the guns at their comrades.
“Now!” I yelled as I threw two fireballs.
Ezeoha rushed forward, firing at the men as he did. He took out the two men with the children, and then began speaking to the children very fast in French. He told them to run into the jungle with him.
Kaz fired his rifle and took out two more of the soldiers. The others, believing they were surrounded, didn’t bother to fire back. They ran.
I threw more fireballs as fast as I could, pulling energy from the nature around me so I wouldn’t deplete my own power. Kaz and Ezeoha took care of the rest.
The soldiers had to die. I knew from the quick trips I’d taken into their brains the atrocities they had committed. Kind and wonderful people populate most of Africa, but these guys were not among them.
Shoving my hands out, I used my powers to push one of the men against a tree. Sending my mind through his, I saw my brother blindfolded, his hands tied behind his back.
I stepped over some of the dead bodies to reach him. “Where is my family?” I demanded. The anger burned within me. “I know you have them. Where are they?”
The man shook his head, and I realized he didn’t understand English. I had a feeling that if he did, he would have answered me. A wet spot spread in the front of his pants. He was afraid of me.
Good.
I sent my mind into his. I rewound it a few days and saw how he and the other men had snuck into the medical tents and had taken my father and brother. They had moved them to a cave not far from here, maybe another two-and-a-half days’ walk. But they had used transports, which got them there in a matter of hours.
I opened my eyes and Kaz stood with a gun pointed at the soldier’s head. “Tie him up. He knows where my father and brother are.”
Kaz did as I asked. Ezeoha motioned to me from the edge of the clearing.
“What do we do with zee children?” There were about six of them, huddled together. Buttoning my shirt, I smiled as I walked toward them.
Sending a healing-of-the-spirit spell, I knelt before them. “You are safe.”
Ezeoha stood beside me and repeated the words in French.
“I won’t let anyone else hurt you. This nice man,” I said as I pointed to Ezeoha, “is going to take you to a place where you will be safe.”
One little girl who couldn’t have been more than three scooted toward me, and then threw her arms around my neck.
The other children followed, and soon I was flat on my butt with all six of them wrapped around me. I hugged them back, and it suddenly dawned on me why my brother couldn’t leave this place. Things like this happened to the children here every day. It was wrong, and he had to stop it.
By the time we made it back into the clearing, Kaz had moved all the bodies out of sight and had left the lone soldier tied to a tree.
We loaded the children into one of the boats. “I do not like to leave you,” Ezeoha said as he ushered the last of the children in. His heavy French accent had grown on me. He’d been very brave—well, he and Kaz—and there was no way I could ever possibly thank him enough.
“Thank you for everything, Ezeoha, but we can make it from here. You are a good m
an.”
“You are a fearsome but kind witch. I wish you well on your journey.” He handed Kaz the maps. “In case the prisoner tries to take you in the wrong direction, I have marked the trail we were to follow.”
Kaz took the maps. “Be safe, my friend.”
“And you,” Ezeoha said as he held up a hand to wave good-bye.
We traveled for a couple more hours, stopping when it grew dark.
Kaz wants me to sleep in a tree tonight, but after the run-in with that Black Mamba, I’d rather sleep by the fire. Kaz had promised that he checked the tree and shook every branch, but I’m not buying it.
Oh my god.
“What the hell is that?” I pointed to what looked like a large black plate moving across the ground about fifteen feet from us.
“Spider.” Kaz shrugged.
Crap. That tree doesn’t look so bad after all.
Sixteen
The jungle
Sunday
9 a.m.
Pungent witches: 1
Pissed-off leopards: 1
I don’t like it when leopards eat people. It’s gross.
Last night we’d tied our prisoner to the tree. Kaz did it so the guy could rest, but not get away. It seemed, at the time, more humane than the guy actually deserved—I mean, considering on what he planned to do to those poor children.
Anyhoo, I fell asleep in the tree. Don’t ask me how. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it. The next thing I know, I hear this low growl. The prisoner below screams, and it sounds like something is ripping him to bits. Low, guttural moans, and then silence.
Honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was climb down to see what had happened. It was pitch black. Kaz had doused the fire before climbing up on his own branch earlier in the evening.
I sent Kaz a mental message. “What do we do?”
“Don’t move or speak.” Kaz’s words were strong, even though he didn’t say them out loud.
We waited in silence for what seemed like hours. As the sun rose, the jungle lightened and I had my first peek at the carnage below.
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