Page 33 of Desecrated Reign

Saoirse snaps the map from my grasp and lowers in onto the lid of the crate so she can inspect it. Her eyes narrow on the faded lines and shapes. “This is where we are now,” she points to the little read dot next to the docks. “There’s not much else on here, except for these two trails right here.” Her finger glides along a beige lines that cuts through the forestry before branching off in a few different directions.

Brodie leans closer, paying attention to the frayed edges. “If the other teams each have a piece of this map, we need to head towards the centre, to where the four edges meet.”

Shannon pops a crisp into her month as she rolls her eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. Problem is, for all we know, this island could be fucking huge and we have no idea what shape it is. It could take us days to get to the centre; and without all the pieces, we have no clue where that is.”

“She’s right.” I squeeze in next to Saoirse. “We only see one side, and if we were all dropped off at different points, we can’t be sure where the fuck the others are. Basic instinct suggests we take one of these paths here” —I point to the trail Soairse spotted earlier—“becuase both of those are direct lines to the centre of our map. But, if we look at it from a different perspective…” I peer around me, noting how all the trees are shaped.

Saoirse’s eyes follow mine, brow furrowing when she doesn’t see what I see.

“Lorcan said we were on the west side of the island, right?” I offer. “So, if we look at those trees…” I point at the terrain to my left. “Trees always grow to the direction of the sunlight.”

“He’s right.” Brodie scans the forestry. “Branches on the southern side tend to grow more horizontally, out towards the sun, whereas the shaded northern branches tend to grow up, closer to vertical, searching for the light.”

Shannon’s face scrunches into a frown. “Sorry, but as fascinating as this nature documentary is, I’m not following. What does this have to do with what direction we need to go?”

“To find the centre of the island, we need to head east, right? Which is somewhere in that general direction.” I point straight ahead. “But that’s only if we’re standing at central west.”

“If it was a sunnier day, we would follow the sun, but because it’s extremely overcast, our best bet is to read the direction of tress.” Brodie continues to examine the tree-line, stopping when his gaze veers off-center a little to the right. “Judging by the direction of the branches, I’d say we’re more west by north-west, which means instead of going straight, we should head south-east. Is there a trail leading that way?”

Shannon peers at the map, before shaking her head. “I don’t see one from here, but, further into the forest, a trail appears from nowhere.”

Scanning the tree-line, Saoirse tips her head towards a gap in the trees that isn’t marked on the map. “Sometimes you can’t see the path less taken because you’re too focused on the obvious choice.”

20

SAOIRSE

After we filled the extra backpacks we found in the crate with supplies, we followed Brodie’s lead through the tunnel of trees, heading south-east along the riverbank. We’ve been walking for hours, stopping for short water breaks here and there, but I’m fucking exhausted. It won’t be long before the sun sets and we run out of daylight—not to mention, I’m starving. “I think we should find a place to set up camp for the night.”

“Oh, thank God.” Shannon bends forward, balancing herself by steadying her palms on her thighs. “I thought you’d never call it quits. I know we distributed the weight evenly, but fuck a duck, my back is killing me.”

“The trees look to be thinning up ahead,” Brodie notes. “I say we follow the river and stop at the next clearing. That way we can set up camp and start a fire. Once the sun goes down, it’s going be cold as fuck.”

Stepping in next to him, I see an opening to spark a conversation. “So, Brodie,” I venture, then pause as he tilts his head down to meet my curious gaze, “how is it you know so much about nature?” His jaw tightens, pain working across his brow line.“It’s okay,” I backtrack, not wanting to poke a hole in a wound he doesn’t want opened. “You don’t need to tell me, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He’s quiet for a moment, his gaze roaming over my face as he clicks his tongue off his cheek. “Before my dad died, he would take me camping most weekends along the Wild Atlantic Way. He loved the outdoors. I guess I picked up a few things from him, probably more than I even realised.”

I offer him a soft yet somewhat sad smile. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Don’t be.” His words are clipped, dripping in an angry lilt, signalling the end of our conversation. Then once he turns his gaze from mine, he charges forward, putting some space between us.

I don’t know what I said to change his mood so drastically, but whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t fuck up the progress we’ve made so far. Pulling at the straps on my backpack, I shift the weight slightly to relieve the ache across my collarbone.

Releasing a sigh, I look a few paces ahead to where Rohan has his back against a tree, arms folded across his chest, and his forest eyes on me. “Come on, love. Sooner we get there, the sooner I can eat.” His eyes lick my skin as a suggestive smile tugs at his lips, making me ignite with need.

“Jesus.” Shannon steps in next to me, her Northern accent seeping through every letter. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how do you function around all of that”—she circles her hand through the air, arm extended in Rohan’s direction—“without tearing your wee knickers off and throwing them at him?”

Putting my arm around her shoulder, I ease us both forward. “With great difficulty, Shannon. Great fucking difficulty.”

“Hey, over here.” Brodie’s lilt breaks through the trees. Following the direction of his voice, Rohan, Shannon, and I cut left, following the bend of the river. Before long, the sound of heavy rainfall fills my ears, and my brow creases in confusion because the sky above us, although cloudy, is clear of showers. Finally, when we push through the thick foliage, the sound increases, and my eyes widen. A staircase made from natural rock eats into the side of a cliff, and running down the centre into a beautiful fairy-like lagoon, is the most magical waterfall I’ve ever seen. Mouth agape, my gaze washes over the hidden paradise.

“I’d say this is a pretty good place to set up for the night, wouldn’t you, love?” Rohan encases me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on the top of my head.

Around us, the gentle breeze rustles the towering trees, scenting the air with damp earth and the untouched nature. The water shimmers under the sky, casting a mesmerising glow that dances across the surface, its reflection like a thousand tiny diamonds. Closing my eyes briefly, I bask in the soothing cadence of the water rushing down over the rock and crashing against the lagoon.

“It’s perfect.”

Next to us, Brodie and Shannon peel off their backpacks, wasting no time as they pull open the two tents, and get to work setting them up. Stepping from Rohan’s hold, I drop down next to them and begin to straighten the rods, clipping each clasp into place. “Don’t just stand there, King. Grab a pole.”

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