The Guardians of the Forest: Book One

by Kelly Napoli

CHAPTER 25

  HEAVENLY

  Splash!

  Kiethara bolted upright with a wild gasp, wild thoughts running through her head, her now soaked hair clinging to her skin.

  “G-Gandador!” she spluttered at once, without bothering to take in her surroundings. A wild image of the two of them at sea, trying to drown each other, was fresh in her mind. She tried to move, to get up from the soft surface she was on and run, but something fought to hold her back.

  “Kiethara!” someone yelled, and she stopped thrashing when she recognized the voice. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes, to separate fantasy from reality. Navadar was sitting on the bed with her, gripping both of her wrists and holding her back.

  “Kiethara, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he soothed, his forehead creased in worry. “He’s not here. You’re safe, I swear.”

  She didn’t answer. With wide eyes she looked around at the room she was in. It was the same one room she had slept in before. Raynock was hovering over the bed, hosting the same creased forehead on his face as his son did.

  “What…?” she asked, relaxing her muscles. Navadar released her wrists.

  “It seems you fainted, Miss Kiethara,” Raynock said, taking an additional step forward. “I believe you have had quite a strenuous journey these past days and it seems to have deprived you of water. I’m no doctor, but I believe you are dehydrated. I could call for a doctor, if you wish…”

  “No, no, please don’t go to the trouble,” Kiethara replied quickly. Navadar was already holding a glass of water under her nose.

  She took it from his hands and gulped its continents down greedily. It was such sweet bliss to feel the cool liquid running down her parched throat. She finished it in seconds.

  “I’ll go and fetch another glass,” Raynock said quickly, taking it from her hand.

  “T-thank you,” she stuttered as he went through the door.

  As soon as the door clicked shut Kiethara fell back onto the pillow with a moan.

  “What did I say? What would have happened if you had fainted on your way back to the forest, eh?” Navadar said, putting a hand on her forehead.

  “Shut up,” she mumbled playfully. She pulled one of the pillows out from under her head and whacked him with it.

  “This is what I get for being right?” he asked as he wrestled the pillow out of her hands. “Now, that doesn’t seem fair at all!”

  “Never said I fought fair,” she said with a wink.

  Navadar laughed as he set the pillow down. “Lovely, now I know to watch my back.”

  Raynock reentered the room with a fresh glass of water, filled to the brim. Navadar got off the bed as he handed it to her.

  “How long was I out for?” she inquired, taking a more carefully measured sip.

  “Only a few minutes, I believe,” Raynock answered. “It was lucky that I had just rounded the corner, for my son here was quite in a panic. I walk onto the porch and there he was, standing frozen in horror and you unconscious in his arms!”

  “Thank you, father,” Navadar mumbled, and Raynock laughed.

  “Yet it’s late, and I fear Kiethara needs her rest. Come, my son,” Raynock said, walking out of the room. Navadar gave her a swift peck on the cheek and then hurried to follow his father out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  Kiethara finished off her glass of water and then placed it on the window sill next to her. She pulled the covers up to her chin, the only thing keeping her warm and not allowing her wet hair to give her a chill. Maybe taking a day to rest wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe it was exactly what she needed. Maybe…

  Kiethara fell asleep.