Page 59 of The Hidden Falling
What if she fell in and got swept down river?
My head snaps to the water at the thought and panic really starts to set in. “Shit.” I jog alongside the river, checking the ground and the water for any signs of her. Darius stays on the other side, keeping pace with me. The longer we follow the river, the more I feel dread starting to set in. The river deepens and the water turns rapid down here, violent and deadly. It’s like a vice grips around my heart, squeezing it until I wheeze out a breath. Where in the Gods is she?
“Anything?”I ask Josh, hoping he picked up something.
“Nothing yet,”he replies through the link, his voice strained.
“Can she swim?” Darius asks from the other side of the river, looking at the water like I am.
“I don’t know,” I choke out, my throat tight at the thought of her not knowing how to swim. Why haven’t we been teaching the kids how to swim?
“Surely you would know if she can swim. She’s what, ten?”
“Thirteen, and I don’t know, Darius!” I snap at him, then come to a sudden halt when I hear a snap to the left of me. “Sam!” I call out, rushing toward the sound through the trees.
The scent of Kade hits me just before dark gray fur appears. I go to him, not caring about the fact that the last time he was in wolf form he was about to attack me. His blue eyes look between me and Darius, and I grip his muzzle in my hands, making him focus on me. “Kade, Sam is missing. She was last seen at the part of the river we use to collect water. She’s not been seen since. Have you seen her?”
“No.”He shakes his head, his ears standing up and alert as panic shows in his eyes.“Has she been caught up in the river?”He moves around me, lowering his nose to the ground and takes deep breaths, trying to catch her scent.
“I don’t know! Can you go on the other side of Darius and search that side of the forest? You’re faster with your wolf, and then you can meet up with us after you have searched there.” He nods, his eyes full of concern as he takes off, crossing the river and runs past Darius.
“Why aren’t you in your wolf?” Darius questions as we continue moving down the river.
“Why aren’t you?” I counter. If I could be in my wolf I would, but I can’t. I don’t need the fucking reminder of how useless I am.
“I’m keeping pace with you, and you told us not to approach Sam if we find her.”
“When,” I growl, glaring over at him.
“What?” His brows scrunch as he looks at me over the river.
“When we find her,” I tell him forcefully. “It’s not if we find her. It’s when.”
There’s no other option.
“How much further does the river go?” Darius asks. It’s the first time either of us has spoken in hours, too busy searching for Sam. The sun is slowly setting, and we are quickly running out of daylight. We have to find her soon.
“Not far. We’re nearly at the edge of the forest, coming up to the Unforgivable Sea.”
Kade and Josh haven’t found any sign of Sam in all the time we’ve been looking. Not a single trace. How could she have just disappeared? The only explanation, which is one I don’t want to think about, is that she’s got caught up in the river. But it’s calm where we collect water. It doesn’t become violent until you travel further down, sweeping you into its current and not letting you go.
“The edge of the forest?” Darius wonders, looking around to keep an eye out. I don’t know why he’s helping me, I would have thought he wouldn’t care. But here he is, helping us look for her.
“Yeah. The river opens up more toward the end of the forest. Its current goes to the crest of a waterfall between an opening in the cliffs that goes over into the Unforgivable Sea. That’s where the forest ends. It’s the only way out of the valley apart from climbing up the cliffs that surround us.”
“When I was on the top of the cliffs, I saw the Unforgivable Sea from where I stood, but I thought the valley would slope down into it. Not just stop abruptly.”
I glance over at him as I answer, our pace now a walk since my energy is fading. He doesn’t look the least bit out of breath, his movements still strong. I’m panting slightly, my walk is more pained with my whole body aching. “It just stops,” I tell him, shrugging. “The only way to get to the sea is down by the waterfall, and no one survives it. The cliffs cage the sides of the water, so you can’t walk near the waterfall and try to climb down that way. Before the cliffs cage on either side, there are two statues facing each other on opposite banks. Their hands reach out to one another across the water, their stone faces sad, pained, and desperate. Apparently two lovers died there, swept away by the rapids and into the Unforgivable Sea. The female fell in, and the male dove in to try to save her, but he was unable to get to her and they went over the edge. We call it Lovers Rest.
“The statues were built as tribute to them, but also as a warning for others to be careful. We have unfortunately had some who have used that warning as an invitation.” I swallow hard at their memory, at my memory of standing there and ready for it all to end. “When life gets too much for so long, they come here and give themselves over to the waters, finding peace the only way they can, in death.” I don’t know why I told him that last bit. Maybe exhaustion, or maybe to make sure he understands that down here is dangerous. Deadly. I just hope Sam didn’t come this way.
He’s quiet after my words, his green eyes searching my face until I look away from him, feeling too raw and not wanting him to see the failure on my face at not saving the ones who chose the sea. I never know when people sneak around to go to the end of the forest. I saw no warning signs in the people we lost. No cause for me to be overly concerned. I should have looked more closely. I should have known they were hurting so badly they would choose death over life. I should have seen something.
I stop dead in my tracks.
Is this what Sam chose? She couldn’t handle her memories anymore and came out here? She had been withdrawn, and Sybill said she’s been quiet. Am I going to find her scent at the edge of the river as she enters the water to be swept away? I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling tears well.
“Rhea?” Darius asks, his voice low, a question in his tone. “What is it?” I snap my eyes open and pick up the pace again, not answering him. I need to know she hasn’t been there. I need to know she hasn’t chosen this.
