Fire & Flood

Chapter 14

Emily sat down by the fire and buried her face into her hands. She felt helpless. Worry over Sam seeped into her every cell. 

"I have to go after him," she said quietly, tears running down her face.

"Look, I know you are worried about him, but trust me, we have bigger fish here," said Morgan in an even tone. Emily felt him sitting close. She could feel his warmth and smell the familiar scent of leaves and moss.

"Technically, he can't even die," Morgan continued. "His connection to this realm may be severed, but he exists on the same plane as Sylvos and Laura... they are like cockroaches, they'll survive anything." Emily heard the bitterness in Morgan's voice.

"Sam is different than Laura... then Sylvos. He is good," Emily said with conviction.

"Sure, sure...lover boy acts differently, but he is still one of them... and so, extra durable... unlike us... unlike you." Morgan looked at Emily knowingly. "If we die, we won't be coming back."

"I have to know that he is okay," continued Emily. Emily got up and started walking away from the camp.

"Where are you going?" Asked Morgan walking beside her.

"I don't know, I'll just follow the path of destruction until I find them," said Emily pointing to snapped twigs and upturned earth on the mountain lions trail.

"You won't get far," said Morgan and pointed ahead of them where the forest was already starting to heal. There were no visible tracks or broken branches. The forest looked untouched.

"This place is designed to swallow you, walking aimlessly is a death sentence."

"Help me then, please," said Emily pleadingly. His dark eyes looked unmoved, his expression was indifferent. He didn't care if the dryads lived or died. If fact, it would be easier if they died, one less thing to worry about. But still, Emily saw a small flicker in Morgan's eyes, a softening.

"You are a silly person," he said mockingly. "But I guess I can't have you die on me... Sylvos will just then find another replacement... and they might not be so nice," Morgan walked over to his tent and grabbed a small backpack. He quickly packed it with some provisions and slinging it over his shoulder started walking into the forest.

"Are you coming or what?" He called back to Emily who was still lost in thought watching him walk away.

The two walked in silence for some time. Morgan navigated the forest with ease and Emily struggled to keep up. It seemed like every fallen branch and exposed root were trying to trip her. Emily looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was high up now. She checked her phone - 10am. Only two more hours before her mom gets home. Maybe I'll be back by then, she thought but she knew that this was false hope.
Emily opened up her texting app and typed a message to her mom:

"I went to school after all. Home later."

Emily pressed send but an error message popped up again. The text was not delivered.

"No communication," Emily heard Morgan. Suddenly he was standing directly in front of her, his expression wild. A sneer stretched across his face.

"No way of contacting those you love, no way of getting help," he continued. "You could try to navigate your way through the forest, but how? It all looks the same. Even a compass is useless here... a perfect trap. And then there is the hunter," Morgan leaned closer to Emily. He stood only inches away, eyes black as midnight watching her appraisingly. 

"He waits for you to stumble aimlessly through the forest," he continued. "He waits for you to get thoroughly disoriented, and then," Morgan moved suddenly and pinned Emily against a nearby tree. "You are dead, little rabbit," he purred softly into Emily's ear.

Emily felt his body against hers, a mixture of terror and excitement pulsed through her. Her breath quickened, she wanted to run but felt utterly helpless. Morgan suddenly let go and looked at her sheepishly.

"It's a perfect system, isn't it?" He said looking at Emily's terrified face with a mix of sadness and shame. "Its only design is to feed a hungry god."

"Is this what you are doing to me?" Asked Emily in a barely audible voice. "Luring me into a trap?"

"Like I told you before, if I wanted you dead, you already would be," said Morgan with annoyance. "You are not a sacrifice. I need you as much as you need me. So, what does that make you, exactly?"

Morgan pondered seemingly lost for words to define this new relationship. "A partner," he said brightly after a moment and offered Emily his hand in a handshake.

Reluctantly, Emily reached out and shook his hand. As their hands touched, the world suddenly started to spin. Emily heard a loud tear and she felt herself moving very fast. It felt like she was flying through the forest, the trees moving past her at an incredible speed. It took her a moment to realize that she was on top of the colossal black wolf who was now carrying her deeper and deeper into the forest.

"What are you doing?" Emily yelled hopping that Morgan could hear her against the rushing wind.

Taking you home, little rabbit, Emily heard Morgan's voice echo inside her head. You don't belong here.

"No!" Emily protested. "I need to find Sam!"
Morgan didn't answer, but Emily felt him slow his pace.

Something is different, said Morgan smelling the air. Emily felt the black wolf slow to a cautious walk under her. With his slow movement, Emily could feel the rise and fall of the animal's shoulder blades.  The wolf's muscles tensing beneath her as he moved expertly through the forest. Emily held on tight and felt as each step sent vibrations through her body.

"What's wrong?" She asked looking around her trying to notice anything out of the ordinary.

He wants us both dead, Morgan growled.

"Who?" Emily asked fully expecting that she already knew the answer.

Sylvos, Morgan's voice echoed in Emily's head  and she felt his terror.