Tempest left the circle to shake Jeremy’s hand.
“I did it…again,” he told her. “Let my guard down…too early.”
“You’re the only one who could ever disarm me,” Tempest said. “I’m almost glad you’re going. That’s not true.”
Then, for the first and last time in Shanandoah’s recorded history, a Valkyrie hugged someone. She returned to her place among the guards.
Then Emilie went to Jeremy and carefully kissed his cheek. He could barely speak, but he managed a few words to her.
“Miss you already, Princess. Pet Fritz for me.”
“I’ll see you again,” Emilie said.
“No, you won’t.”
“I’m a princess. What I say goes. I’ll see you again. Thank you for finding us.”
It was almost as hard to say goodbye to their horses. Rafe gave his beautiful Sunny one quick kiss on his nose while Freddy leaned against Jeremy or maybe Jeremy leaned against Freddy. Or maybe they just leaned against each other.
“Princess Emilie will take very good care of you,” Rafe said to the horses. Emilie took them by the bridles.
“I will,” she said. “I promise.” And the horses bowed their heads as if in mourning.
With Jeremy’s arm over his shoulders, Rafe half walked, half carried him past the rocks, and just like that, they were back in the ruins of Lost Virginia.
Two hills rose to the sky, and between them lay a broken cobblestone road, shrouded in fog. But as they took their first steps, the mists grew thicker, and soon they could see only three steps ahead, then two. But that was all Rafe needed to keep going. Skya had warned them that the path would seem twisted, confusing, turning in on itself, but they only had to keep on it to make their way out. And Aurora stayed close, cawing to them whenever they questioned their next step.
Around them, shapeless forms moved in the shadows but made no sounds. Once, something slithered across the path. Rafe couldn’t tell if it was a snake or something much worse.
“I wish we’d brought apples,” he said.
“I wish,” Jeremy said, gasping between words, “we’d brought my Outback.”
Rafe laughed and kissed his forehead. Jeremy was feverish and clammy. They were running out of time. Aurora cawed again, insistently. Hurry, hurry.
Redoubling his efforts, Rafe practically dragged Jeremy down the dark path. Skya had been right to warn them. They passed the same tree limb overhanging the way twice. Once on their right. Once on their left. But they kept going, remembering her warning.
“Need more water?” Rafe asked. Jeremy didn’t answer.
But Jeremy had passed out.
“No, no, Jay, wake up.” Rafe held him with one arm, lightly patted his face with his other hand. Slowly, Jeremy’s eyes opened.
“Here,” Jeremy said.
“I’ll try to carry you,” Rafe said. “Okay?”
It wasn’t easy. They weren’t kids anymore. Rafe took Jeremy by the wrist and dragged him across his back and shoulders, then pressed up with all his strength. A cry of pain escaped Jeremy’s lips, but he said nothing else. Probably passed out again.
They weren’t going to make it. They had to make it. They would make it. They couldn’t make it.
Terror and hope went to war with each other in Rafe’s heart. No telling which side would win.
For another mile or more he walked head down, eyes on the path, seeing nothing but his feet as he carried Jeremy step by torturous step. He tripped once, recovered. But when he stumbled a second time, he barely made it to his knees without dropping Jeremy.
As carefully as he could, he moved Jeremy off his shoulders to the ground. Rafe rested him against a tree stump.
“Jay?” Rafe wiped sweat from Jeremy’s cold forehead.
Panting the words out, Jeremy said, “I’m done.”
“No,” Rafe said. “No. I can keep going.”
Jeremy shook his head no again.
“Dammit, Jay.” Rafe groaned, rubbing his face. “Don’t give up. This can’t be the end. I won’t let it be the end of us. We just found each other again.”
Resigned, Jeremy lifted his hand and touched Rafe’s face.
“Go back to Shanandoah without me,” Jeremy said. “Promise me.”
“No, no…I won’t go anywhere without you.”
Jeremy gave a tired smile. “Born to be a prince.”
Aurora landed on a branch above their heads, looked down with her bright black eyes. Even she seemed to have given up. Rafe wished he could order Jeremy to live again, to fly, the way he’d ordered the robin. If only the world could obey him, but no, only birds. Yet Aurora was no ordinary crow.
“Aurora,” Rafe said. “We need help. Go find help if there’s anyone who can help us.”
