Page 58 of Edge of Wonder

He shook his head and scraped a hand through his sandy hair. “No. It’s not. I’ll take you to the stream to get cleaned up.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Peter’s eyes widened as his gaze shifted to something over my shoulder.

“I’ll take her.” Sebastian’s voice cut through the frenzy of celebrating guards as they set up the next game. Peter nodded and flashed me a sheepish smile, then backed away into the group.

“I think you scare him,” I said.

“Good.” Sebastian took my arm and led me from the game. I swayed slightly into him and he laughed softly. “Had a bit to drink, have you?”

I measured with my thumb and index finger. “Just a little.”

“First time, huh?”

“Does a sip of brandy from Julian’s stash when I was twelve count?”

“No. It doesn’t.”

“Then, yeah. First time. Ale tastes terrible.” Sebastian kept a guiding grip on my arm as we stepped over a fallen branch at the edge of camp. “But I know why you guys drink it. I like the way it makes my head feel all swimmy.”

“It has its perks in the moment, though it doesn’t feel so great when it wears off. Ask me how I know.”

“Ah, so that’s why you had a headache this morning. You shouldn’t drink to help you sleep, Sebastian.”

“That’s not why I was drinking,” he mumbled under his breath.

We walked away from camp, Sebastian using a lantern to light our path. It took me a moment, but I realized we were walking in the wrong direction. I slowed and looked back the way we came.

“I haven’t drunk so much that I don’t know the stream is that way.”

“Your sense of direction while inebriated is excellent, but I’m taking you somewhere else. I want to show you something.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s up ahead. Be patient. I think you’ll like it.”

The trees thinned, and the sound of falling water filled the air. Sebastian led me out onto a moss-covered ledge that looked over a tranquil pool. A waterfall spilled moonlit water from a rocky ridge, splashing into the basin below.

Lush vegetation surrounded the pool, the ground dense with brilliant flowers, colorful mushrooms, and large ferns. The trees dripped with red hanging moss that seemed to glow from the numerous fireflies dancing around the limbs.

A silver mist lingered in the air, created by the fine spray of the falls. The droplets sparkled in the moonlight like the water was encrusted with diamonds.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, taking in the sweet scent wafting from the flowers.

“Yeah, it is. I stumbled across it earlier. Things have been so chaotic since we arrived. I didn’t want you to miss it. I’ve never seen anything like this back home.”

“Are you saying your haunted houses aren’t near breathtaking waterfalls?”

A warm breeze lifted the hair off the back of my neck. Sebastian pulled a strand out of my face, his fingers skimming the side of my cheek.

“Not usually. But sometimes I find things just as remarkable.”

My eyes narrowed. “Still charming as ever, I see.”

“And you’re still living.”

“Thanks to you.” My boot dug into the spongy moss as I tried to get up the nerve to continue. “Shire told me what you did to enter the challenge. I don’t know why you did it but thank you. I’ve never had anyone by my side like that before. It felt nice.”

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