by C. J. Abedi
I could feel the tears well in my eyes.
“It goes against the laws of nature,” she explained, “to know your mate exists but cannot be yours. That was why it was so important for Alderon to believe I was beyond his reach. At times, however, I’ve felt him so keenly. I’ve thought that maybe he somehow knew I was alive …”
“Why are you telling me all of this? Why did you call me here?”
Tara handed me the small branch from the Fairy Tree. There was a strange energy in the branch, but I held on to it tightly and watched her as she spoke. She moved away from me, her hair billowing out behind her, as she stared out on the valley. She looked like a Gainsborough portrait.
“I wanted to meet the love of my son’s life. And I was hoping that you would try and help him understand why I did what I did. I need you to show him. We are one in the same. Just as it is difficult for him to deny you, it is the same for me. It is a challenge beyond any I have faced to deny Alderon. If I were to see him, I fear I would be lost.”
• • •
A moment later I woke to find myself holding the branch, with the realization that the impossible was now possible, in every way. I didn’t have the energy to fully process the conversation I had with Tara, but I imagined the seven-hour drive to Nantahala Forest would afford me enough time to do that.
I took a long, hot shower, cherishing every drop that hit my body, knowing that this luxury wouldn’t be so available in the forest. Afterward, I got ready quickly, dressing as warm as possible without looking like the Goodyear Blimp. I couldn’t believe I had been so excited to spend so many nights sleeping in a tent. Now that the trip was upon me, I was starting to dread the rock-hard ground, the lack of amenities, the freezing temperatures.
My mom had helped me pack the night before, making sure that I brought enough thermals, wool sweaters, and socks. Teddy was borrowing a tent and some of our camping supplies, so to make things easier we told him we’d pick him up on our way to the bus.
Giving the room one final look over, I decided that I had packed everything I could possibly fit in my few tiny bags, so I picked up Famous and gave him a hug and a kiss.
“You be a good boy,” I said as he licked me on my cheek.
“Why wouldn’t he be? He’s the most spoiled dog I know,” my mom said, appearing in the doorway with a smile. “You should have named him Lucky because there isn’t a dog luckier than him on the entire planet.”
Is he ever, I thought. I smiled down at him as he growled back, probably trying to say, I prefer Famous.
“Ready, sport?” my dad said as he helped pick up my gear and load the car. “You’re going to miss the bus.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
I ran downstairs and grabbed my black ski jacket from the closet, along with my hat and gloves for good measure.
“I made you some sandwiches for the road,” my mom said, handing me a paper bag.
“Mom, they’re not going to let us starve.”
“Just in case,” she said as she pulled me in for a hug. “I can’t believe you’re going to be gone for so long.”
“It’s not that long! I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Just be safe. And stay warm. Don’t venture off too far—there are bears roaming around in those woods,” she warned. “Honey, did you pack her the flashlight and pepper spray?”
“Mom—”
“She has everything she’ll actually need, Lisa,” my dad said as he rolled his eyes at me.
“Love you, mom.”
“You have your cell phone?” she asked as she followed me to the door.
“Mom, I don’t think we’ll have really good reception up in the mountains.”
“I know, I’m just—”
“Paranoid?”
“Worried.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. Really! Promise.”
“Honey, we have to go,” my father said forcefully as he pulled me into the car. I waved goodbye to my mom and blew Famous a kiss. The excitement of going away rushed over me, and suddenly I couldn’t wait.
• • •
Teddy and I had gotten to the school just as everyone was loading in, and luckily we ended up on the same bus. As we were loading our things into the bus and checking in with one of the teachers, we experienced the shock of the century when Tatiana showed up with bag and jacket in hand, all ready to attend the camping trip she said she would rather die than be a part of. I don’t think I’d ever seen a bigger smile on a guy’s face.
On the other hand, her brother was the picture of doom and gloom. Devilyn hadn’t said hello to me or Teddy, barely spoke to anyone else, and even went so far as to select another bus to ride in, avoiding all of us completely. I wasn’t sure if I should have been sad or relieved, but he definitely wasn’t acting anything like the person I had last seen.
“Don’t mind Grumpy,” Tatiana said as she motioned toward him. “Considering the state of mind he’s in, it’s actually better that he rides in a separate bus from us.”
“I think you’re right. It definitely is best,” I replied as I watched Devilyn take his seat in the bus next to ours. He pulled his cap down a bit and leaned his head against the window. Just as I was about to turn away, I happened to notice with some annoyance that one of the more popular girls from the cheerleading squad rushed to sit next to him, grinning from ear to ear.
“You made it,” Rowan said with a smile.
“I told you I wanted to go!”
“I know,” he replied with a wink. “But most girls hate the idea of sleeping in a tent.”
“Well, I guess I’m not really ‘most girls.’”
“Definitely not. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” I forced myself to look away from Devilyn.
We didn’t reach the Standing Indian Campground until five o’clock, which meant it was already getting dark out. The school officials had originally said it would take around seven hours to get to the campsite from school, but it ended up taking a lot longer than that because of the narrow, winding roads up to the mountain, coupled with the weight of our buses and the seemingly never-ending pit stops.
We had been told by one of the teachers that the bathrooms were by the lake, which wasn’t that long of a walk from where the wooden stakes had been placed to indicate where our tents would be set up. I had overheard someone saying they had recently been remodeled, which was a huge relief because I’d heard from seniors that they were pretty gross last year. I just prayed they had enough warm water because it was already bone-chillingly cold and we hadn’t even hit midnight.
There were wooden benches with tables in the middle of the lot, surrounded by tall pine trees. The school had thankfully hired two food trucks to provide meals for everyone, and they seemed to be already armed with an RV full of supplies.
The class had been divided into seven groups of ten students. Even though Devilyn had done everything to avoid us on the ride here, he didn’t have much say when it came to the group assignments. Now he’d be stuck with us.
“I’m gonna go grab your bags,” Rowan said to me.
“Thanks, but you don’t need to do that—I can handle it,” I said.
“I know. I just don’t want you to. Besides, I hear that you and Teddy are the first assigned to clean up after dinner. So you’ll have plenty to do later on. Just save your energy.”
“You heard about that, too?”
“Look on the bright side—you’ll get it over with!”
“You always look at the glass half full,” I laughed. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he said as he walked away to get my stuff.
I found my gaze wandering back over to Devilyn’s bus. He was already off and talking to the cheerleader he’d sat next to on the way. He was smiling at her as if he was clinging to every word that came out of her mouth. I guess since now he was officially the Dark King, he had more of the bad boy thing going for him.
“I’
m so tired,” Teddy grumbled as we waited for our bags to be unloaded. “I can’t believe we’re part of the first shift for dish duty. Talk about the worst luck in the world.”
“I know. Super sucks,” I agreed wholeheartedly.
“I don’t know what’s worse—having to set up our own tents or doing dishes in the dark.”
“I couldn’t say. They’re both equally bad,” I grumbled.
“Totally agree.” Teddy punched me lightly on the arm. “At least we have each other for the torturefest. Misery does love company.”
I laughed as Teddy motioned toward Rowan, who was busy grabbing my bags.
“Must be nice to have your own personal valet service.”
“That’s so not true. He’s just being a gentleman.”
“Hey, I’m not judging, and I’m definitely not complaining, because it saves me from having to carry them for you. Maybe he’ll be able to help put my tent up, too? He looks pretty handy, and considering I’ve never had to put one up before, I think I’m going to need all the assistance I can get.”
“Don’t worry, I’m here for you,” Tatiana said as she came over and slipped her arm through his.
“You know how to set up a tent?” Teddy asked as he looked down at her. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I find that a little hard to believe.”
“Why’s that?”
“You told me that you don’t do camping.”
Tatiana shrugged and gave me a mischievous smile.
“I’m a fast learner.”
Or just a magical superhuman creature that excels at almost everything, I thought with a sigh.
Rowan motioned to me that he was dropping my stuff off near my tent site and excused himself to use the bathroom. I nodded appreciatively and walked over to the plot of dirt where I would be spending the next week. I bent down and began reading the directions to the tent. Ten minutes later, I was convinced that this “simple” task was next to impossible. Definitely the most frustrating contraption known to man.
“Place pole A in slot B and push down,” I read aloud, blowing a piece of my hair away from my face. “There isn’t a slot B, stupid tent instructions.”
Rowan had been called to help one camper after another put their tents up. Even though he offered to help me, I told him to assist the other students first. I wanted to see if I could do it on my own.
Why did I think this was a good idea? I thought, sighing in frustration as I looked around in desperation, and as usual, found my gaze drawn to Devilyn.
Only this time, unlike the past ten hours, he was staring right back at me.
D
It took all my strength to stay away from her. I hadn’t wanted to ride on another bus, but I knew watching Rowan sneak peeks at her or lean down and get close to her ear would drive me insane. So the best thing for me was to stay away. But not too far.
Even after we arrived, Rowan continued annoying me, playing the role of the hero, pulling her bags out of the bus, carrying them to the site, and helping every student and teacher build their tents. The trouble with being a savior, as he would learn, is that sometimes you don’t get to help the person who really needs saving.
I opened my backpack and then picked up my bags, heading in the direction of my group. I had avoided her all day, and into the early night, but now she was looking right at me, and I couldn’t help but look back.
I could feel her gaze.
And I was always drawn to it.
I slowly made my way over to her and noted with a degree of satisfaction that she was blushing. I loved that I did that to her.
“I’ll help you set up your tent.”
“I can do it myself,” she said stubbornly. “It’s not that hard.”
“You’ve been struggling with this thing for the past thirty minutes. I can fix this for you in a second.”
“I haven’t been struggling.”
“Struggling is putting it mildly, sweetheart.”
“So what that I don’t know how to build a polyester makeshift house. I can do plenty of other things.”
“I know you can. You’ve proven that over and over again. So just let me help you.”
“I’m not sure I want your help.”
“So you’d rather sleep out here in the cold and die from hypothermia?”
“You’re so dramatic. I’ll just wait for Rowan to help me.”
Over my dead body.
I sighed. “Look, I’m only trying to lend a hand.”
“Well then, lower your voice—people are staring at us.”
“Just concede and quit being so damn stubborn and let me help you, or work with you, and get your tent up.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Yes, fine.”
“Okay. Fine is good. I can handle fine.”
A few minutes later as she stood with her arms crossed, I was making sure her tent, which was now standing in the correct position, was sturdy.
“Looks like a pretty good-sized tent,” I said as I walked to the front to unzip the entrance.
“It’s my dad’s.”
“You’ll sleep comfortably in it, I’m sure.”
“That’s the plan.”
“You might be a little cold, though. I brought a lot of extra stuff, so let me know if you need anything.”
“You haven’t been in a very giving mood lately, Devilyn, so forgive me if I’m not sure how to respond.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. This is frustrating to say the least.”
Now wasn’t the time for arguments. We were on different territory, playing by different rules, and there was too much at stake.
“Listen, can I talk to you for a second in here?” I said, motioning inside the tent. She looked at me and hesitated.
I knew she didn’t want to be alone with me. But after a few long seconds, she agreed and crawled in as I followed behind.
“Hear me out before you say anything,” I began in a low whisper as I searched her face. “We’re here now. All of us. But I need you to understand the gravity of the situation, and more than that, I need you to help me keep you safe from harm.”
She went to say something and I raised my hand to her mouth, feeling the electricity and the draw once again. I took a breath and continued, hoping that she would really listen. “I don’t want you going anywhere alone. I don’t—I can’t worry about you any more than I already am. So please, just listen to me this once and make sure that you always keep someone by your side. Whoever you want there is up to you—I’ll just have to deal with that part. But just please don’t ever be alone. Ever.”
I knew that what came out of my mouth sounded like a jumbled mess, but I couldn’t help myself. I was nervous, and for the first time I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep my end of the bargain. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to help her if she needed it.
Moments passed as she stared at me, and then she finally closed her eyes and sighed.
“Okay.”
“Thank you,” I replied, diverting my gaze. I had expected us to get into an argument about it. Lately, that seemed to be par for the course.
“So, we’re in the same group,” I said.
“I kind of figured that would happen,” she said, actually cracking a smile.
I nodded awkwardly.
“Did you bring enough warm clothes?” I asked. “You don’t have too many bags.”
“Now you sound like my mother. Yes, Devilyn, I did. I promise. Now that I have this tent, I’m not going to freeze out here.” She paused. “But thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you for worrying about me.”
“I will always worry about you.”
“I hope not. I hope one day all of this will be behind us so you can go on and live your life in peace. Just like you wanted.”
Your company is what brings me peace.
Her gaze met mine but she chose not to respond.
“I actually seem to be missing a bag, so I’m going to go see if Rowan h
as it,” she said.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Devilyn—”
I loved the way she said my name.
“Caroline. I know what I said. And I know I said it less than five minutes ago. I promised to stay away from you. But not out here. I can’t keep my promise out in this wilderness. So please don’t argue with me about it.”
“I give you an inch and you want to take a mile.”
I couldn’t respond. I didn’t want to antagonize her any more, so I just stood there hoping she wouldn’t put up a fight after we’d come so far. She sighed then finally nodded.
As we made our way along the small dirt trails and through each campsite, I suddenly didn’t mind that we were out in the wilderness on this trip, because I had the perfect excuse to demand to be in her company at all times. Things were definitely looking up.
We found Rowan putting his tent together a few minutes later.
“Hey, Rowan,” Caroline said.
“Hi, doll.” He smiled, his perfect teeth glistening.
Annoying.
“I’m missing one of my bags. It’s a black North Face backpack. Did you grab it from the bus?”
“Yeah, it’s actually right here. Sorry, I got a bit tied up with everyone’s tents. It was like a domino effect.” Rowan smiled. “You put yours together all right?”
“I tried, but that didn’t go so well. Devilyn ended up doing all the heavy lifting.”
He nodded. I knew he was irritated.
“All right, kids! We’re going to give everyone another hour or so to set up, and then we’re going to get ready for dinner. Everyone needs to stay in their designated areas,” Mr. Simmons, the principal, called out. “You’ll see each group leader holding up a white sign with their number on it. Please take a moment to join your group leader, and then you can get back to setting up your tents. Find your places so we can all warm up and get some grub!”
We were in group one with Mr. Copeland. We quickly made our way over to him. He smiled when he saw us approach.
“Hope you are all hungry, because we’ve got a pretty amazing feast this evening. According to the schedule, Teddy and Caroline have the first shift for cleanup. It’s not too bad, since most of what we’re using is disposable. You two just need to help make sure everything is in its proper place for the next meal. If there is anything that needs to be washed, there are faucets located to the right of the restrooms, and you’ll need flashlights at night because as you can see we’ve only got the moon out here and those gorgeous campfires! All of this is in your informational packet, but I know how you kids like to forget things! And one more thing. Tonight is the annual Nantahala ghost story extravaganza! I’ll draw a name out of a hat and whomever I pick will get to tell a scary story. All right, then! Finish up with your tents and we’ll head out for dinner in a bit,” he said, hitting his flashlight. “Try not to forget that there are bears out here.”