Avow

CHAPTER 38

Everyone sat around the campfire in silence, eating the cold sandwiches Nate had thought to pack everyone for dinner.

They’d found a hidden clearing in the center of several boulders. Raven might have the map to the fountain, but Scarlet had no doubt the witch would take any opportunity to capture one of them to use for the sacrifice. So hiding was key.

Scarlet looked at the stitches in her left arm, expertly sewn by Nate, and examined her wound. It ached a bit, but it would heal quickly.

Across the fire, Heather grapsed at invisible things in the air.

Gabriel reached for her wrists and gently lowered them.“There are no sparkles.”

“Oh no, was I doing it again?” Heather said. “Was I grabbing for nothing like a psycho?”

Scarlet’s heart twisted.

Tristan’s shoulder brushed against Scarlet and sent warm pleasure into her body.

She eyed him sideways. He was so doing it on purpose.

He gave her a devilish smile and the twist in her heart drew tighter.

Tomorrow, if things went well, Scarlet would be dead. She was not afraid of death and she would not hesitate when the moment came, but she knew it would break his heart.

He had lived so long for her and she was going to strip that away from him. She was going to do the very thing he’d been trying to do for years; end her life so he might live. But the alternative was worse. If she didn’t die, they would have no access to the fountain.

Tristan would die.

Heather would die.

And if she announced her plan—which she certainly would not—someone else might try to die in her place, and Scarlet would never allow that.

She took a bite of her sandwich and tried to think on the happy things the fountain would bring everyone else. Tristan would never be in pain again and he would live a healthy life. Gabriel could fall in love with someone in a real way—God knew he deserved to. Nate could truly live, without constantly being dragged into all their cursed mess. And Heather would be cured.

Scarlet looked at her best friend. Of them all, Heather deserved life the most. She had been nothing but positive and filled with hope in all this. The curse had not tainted her, had not made her a tortured soul like Tristan, or a hopeless romantic like Gabriel, or a lonely heart like Nate. Heather still had a chance at being bright.

If for nothing else, Scarlet would absolutely die for that.

Nate put the map copy away and grinned at everyone. “Whatdaya say we go around the fire and talk about how great it’s going to be to find the fountain and undo the curse and cure Heather? Gabriel, you go first.”

“Why do I have to go first?”

“Because I’m team captain and I say so.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “Two members of Team Awesome almost died today. I say we nominate a new team captain.”

“Hey,” Nate said, offended. “The captain’s job is to be a leader. Not a babysitter. Okay, Gabriel. What will you do with your curse-free life?”

Gabriel fiddled with a stick. “I would move back to my apartment in New York. Maybe I’d get a pet. Maybe fall in love. Maybe not. Either way, I’m staying away from witches. Permanently.”

“If only you’d had that philosophy five hundred years ago.” Nate grinned at him before looking at Heather. “What about you? What will do you with the rest of your life?”

Heather thought for a moment. “Try to get into a good college so I can study fashion. Ooh, and travel the world. And try new foods. And get married and have kids and become one of those fun grandma’s that always over-decorates for Christmas and constantly smells like cookies.”

“Wow. That’s…specific,” Nate said.

“I also want to eat grass and ride a bear,” Heather added with a frown. “But that could be the drugs talking.”

“Right.” Nate looked at Scarlet. “What about you? What will you do once the fountain makes you mortal and you only have one life left to live?”

Scarlet took a moment to control the ache in her chest at his question. “If I had only one life to live…” She shook her head. “I already had my one life to live in the 1500s when I was mortal and poor and surrounded by love. That was my life and it was beautiful.”

Nate exhaled loudly. “Way to raise the bar on the friendly fireside question, Scarlet. How is anyone supposed to follow that?”

“I’m just being honest.,” she said. “What about you Nate? What would you do if you only had one life left to live?”

He smiled. “I would find a time machine and go back to when I first met Molly so I could live my life with her all over again. She was the happiest I’ve ever been. Life after her is just…” he shrugged, “time. What about you, Tristan?” He turned to the very silent Archer beside Scarlet. “What would you do with one mortal life to live?”

“Marry Scarlet.”

Everyone stared at him. Including Scarlet.

How could he say that? How could Tristan so openly admit that without hesitating?

Scarlet’s heart tore down the middle leaving jagged pieces in its wake. The green-eyed boy beside her wanted to marry her and she was on a suicide mission to save his life.

Nate rolled his eyes. “I’m never playing this game with you or Scarlet again. You’re both way too dramatic. Can we go back to the grandma that smells like cookies?” He looked at Heather. “What else will you do with your life?”

Heather smiled dreamily at the ground and traced a finger through the mud. “Dirt is pretty.”

Gabriel leaned over and quietly said, “Heather—“

“What?” she snapped her head up and looked around the fire. “What? Was I doing it again? Acting crazy?”

No one said anything.

“O-M-G.” She groaned. “I’m an addict. I’m losing my mind because I’m a druggie.”

“You’re not a druggie,” Scarlet said. “You were poisoned. There’s a difference.”

Heather’s eyes widened. “But I feel crazy inside. Like I wanted to scream and laugh and swim in a big pool of chocolate pudding.”

“That does sound crazy,” Nate said. “And sort of delicious.”

“Shut up!” Heather yelled, then gasped in apology. “I’m so sorry, Nate! I don’t know why I yelled at you. I don’t want to be crazy. This isn’t fair. I don’t want to die —“ Her voice cracked as she covered her face with her hands.

Scarlet scooted off her seat by the fire and walked over to Heather. “Hey…it’s okay,” she said, rubbing Heather’s back. “We’re going to cure you and then all of this will go away.”

“I’m not crazy.” Heather’s muffled voice said from her hands. She looked up. “But I might be crazy.”

Scarlet nodded sympathetically. “Drugs have that effect on people. But you’ll be fine. I promise.”

Heather rolled skeptical eyes away from Scarlet.

Scarlet squeezed Heather’s hand. “I promise.”

They sat in relative silence for the next few minutes, everyone shifting uncomfortably and not making eye contact. Nate spoke a few times about the logistics of the next day, but other than that the conversation was stale.

When the fire dwindled, everyone headed off to sleep. Scarlet and Heather shared a tent while Nate, Gabriel, and Tristan slept by the fire, taking turns keeping watch for Raven and her Ashmen.

Scarlet stared at the red vinyl roof of the tent above her, thinking about her many lives and journeys to get to this very place. Funny how she always thought that if she found the fountain, life would be better.

“Scarlet,” Heather said. “Are you still awake?”

“Yeah.”

Heather’s voice had a smile in it. “Remember that time when your ex-boyfriend’s crazy ex-girlfriend drugged me with a syringe from her boob purse and then we had to go on a hike to find a magical fountain while being chased by zombies?”

Scarlet smiled, grateful Heather was normal for the moment. “I think so.”

“That was good times.”

“The best,” Scarlet said. “We should totally do it again sometime.”

“Totally.” Heather shifted. “And remember last year when I swore I would never go camping because it was dirty and uncomfortable and the worst way to have a sleepover. Like ever?”

Scarlet smiled at the roof. “Yeah.”

“I was totally right. Camping sucks.” She kicked at her sleeping bag. “There’s dirt under my fingernails, my feet hurt ,and earlier today something sticky got on my arm and I can’t get it off. When we get back home—after I take five showers, of course—we’re totally going camping my way. With soft pajamas and ice cream and indoor plumbing.”

When we get back home.

Tears rushed up her throat and Scarlet quickly pushed them back. “Indoor plumbing is a nice perk.” She smiled. “Do you remember the first night Laura was out of town and I told you I would be fine sleeping in my house alone, but you showed up on my doorstep with ice cream and a butcher knife?”

“Uh, yeah.” Heather said. “It’s in the Survival Handbook for Blondes. Always sleep with a butcher knife under your pillow. Right next to Always Wear Flats When Walking Down Dark Alleys.”

“This handbook sounds awesome.”

“Oh, it is. I’ll bring it to our sleepover next week.”

Next week.

Scarlet swallowed. “Remember my first day of school in Avalon, how I was all nervous and freaked out? But then I got to school and you’d taped a bunch of pictures of us inside my locker with cheesy inspirational one-liners on them?”

“Yeah. I think my favorite was You Are The Power.”

“I am the power.”

“You are.”

Scarlet laughed. “I couldn’t have done school without you. I couldn’t have done…anything without you.” She turned her head to look at Heather. “You’re a really great friend.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “That’s what I keep telling you. But you still insist on going braless when wearing tank tops, even when I advise you strongly against it.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Friends don’t let friends jiggle, Scarlet.”

She scoffed. “I hate bras. They’re like corsets for boobs.”

“Boob corset. I’m going to patent that.”

Scarlet shook her head. “I love you.”

Heather yawned and her eyelids fell shut. “I love you too.”

Scarlet’s heart started twisting again and her throat tightened. She whispered again, “I love you.”

It was Tristan’s turn to keep watch but Nate was standing right beside him.

“What’s up?” Tristan glanced at him.

Nate shrugged. “Nothing. Just, you know, taking in the beautiful night sky and the cool breeze.”

Tristan nodded. “You heard a wolf howl?”

“Yes! Did you hear it too?”

“No.” Tristan smiled. “Dude, we’ve talked about this. There are no wolves in Georgia.”

“There might not be any common wolves—“

“There are no werewolves either.” Tristan shoved his hands in his pockets. “If you’d like to be afraid of something, try armies of Ashmen or evil cousins who have hooked up with Gabriel.”

“Okay, ew.”

Tristan waited a beat. “So why are you really awake?”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve just been thinking about stuff. The map, the journals, the magic.” He shuffled his feet. “We’ve been searching for this fountain for five hundred years and it’s been this elusive adventure, you know? It’s just weird that we’re so close to the end.” He looked at Tristan. “I’m sure you’re happy.”

Tristan thought for a moment. “It doesn’t feel real yet. I’ll be happy when Scarlet is cured and I never have to watch her suffer again.” The dark trees swayed with a gust of wind. “She’s up to something.”

Nate shrugged. “It’s probably just nerves. We’ve got monsters and caves and witches to battle. It’s like we’re in a real life video game.”

Tristan nodded. “And you’re the slayer.”

“That I am.” Another gust of wind came and Nate shivered. “Don’t worry about Scarlet. Sometimes people keep secrets to protect the ones they love. You just have to trust her.”

Tristan nodded. Right.

His chest started to hurt.