He put a large hand on my shoulder. “Badger, your body has been through an ordeal, whether you remember it or not. I suggest you don’t use your power again until I can give you a proper checkup. Get some rest now, but I expect to see you at the clinic first thing in the morning.”
I agreed, and said goodbye to my friends, each of whom apologized a final time. Our adventure had left us with a nasty taste in our mouths, me most of all. My mothers lectured me further once everyone left our home, but still cooked my favorite dinner.
I went to bed early. Glass had advised me to hold off on the use of my power, but as soon as I laid my head down to sleep, the memory of the beautiful blue and gold light twinkled behind my eyes. I wanted to know I hadn’t imagined it. The anxiety caused by the day's events was not more powerful than my own instincts, telling me my power should not make me afraid.
My heart was steady as I stared into the pitch darkness. I activated the power, but to my bitter disappointment, I saw nothing at all.
The sweet scent of fresh pastry, peaches, and sticky caramel woke me the next day. It pulled me up by the nostrils and over to the window, where a steaming peach tart was sitting on a maroon dishcloth.
Piranha popped their head up from below, eyes smiling. “Mornin’ delinquent. How’re you feeling after yesterday’s shenanigans?”
“Pir!” I hopped over to hold the warm dessert to my nose. “How nice! You didn’t have to do this for me!”
They climbed through my window like a slippery gecko. “Don’t get an ego, I made some for the others as well.”
“Are they with you?” I asked, scarfing down a third of the tart. “Damn! That’s nice! For someone who can only eat meat, you sure make a good pastry!”
“Thanks, but don’t talk with your mouth full, Valley Boy. Oh, so sorry, I mean Wild Boy.”
“I don’t need another nickname,” I grumbled, my guilt slowing returning to the forefront of my mind.
“Don’t count on it.” Pir winked and fell backward onto my unmade bed. “The others are on their way, and we plan on accompanying you this morning to the clinic. Now you answer me: How’re you feeling this morning?”
I mulled over the question as I finished my breakfast. Despite my guilty conscience, I slept like a hibernating bear. I expected it was my body’s way of recovering from the episode with the Wild Fruit.
“What’s up Freckles?” Pir tilted their head. “You look concerned all of a sudden.”
“It’s just… It’s nothing. I feel fine. I just have a question for Sharp.”
“A question about what?” Piranha’s smile faltered.
“About… the Savage Wilds.”
We were interrupted by the unmistakable melody of Willow’s voice at the window. “Are you both gossiping without me? How rude!” Before I could stop him, he was already in my room, jangling the gold jewelry on his arms. “Badger! Are you able to communicate with the dead yet?”
"W-what?” I stuttered, keeping him at arm’s length.
“Shut your trap feather boy.” Sharp's tall frame and cutting voice appeared at my window next, but she made no attempts to climb through. I suppose she thought being on the roof was far enough. “Sorry, I have no control over these two. Hurry and get ready.”
I shooed them outside so I could wash up and get dressed. On the way out, I promised my mothers to listen to the doctor and tell them everything, then let them both kiss me on the cheek.
Outside, Piranha and Willow leaned on one another and chatted. Sharp stood upright, arms crossed and foot tapping. “No more goofing off. Let’s go,” she commanded, heading down the main path without looking back.
“Such a stiff,” Willow mumbled in my ear, “but maybe we should listen to her more from now on. She is the smartest.”
“You know, the Fruit has some lingering effects,” she shouted from up ahead, “so I heard that!”
“Good!” Willow shouted back.
Piranha hurried their catlike legs to catch up with her. “Hey wait up! Badger has a question for you!”
Without looking back, she slowed her gait until we were walking in a line. “You should wait to ask my dad.”
“It isn’t a medical question,” I said, stumbling on the steep path. “Why does everybody talk about the Savage Wilds like its different from the rest of the V.U.C.?”
She huffed and kept her eyes forward. “I told you to take that political science class with me but you insisted it was too boring! You see, the kingdom at the heart of the forest is inaccessible and isolated, kind of like the Kingdom of the Wind in the north. It’s one of the most Divine places in the Vast United Continent, that’s what makes it different.”
I examined my hands, like I did when I was first able to disappear, fascinated by what I could no longer see. “So is Lucent still my power?”
She glared at me. “No idea. Ask my dad.”
Willow twirled into view. “From what I know, the Deep Dark center of the Wild is powered by the forces of death.” He hissed the last word and stuck out his tongue.
I stopped walking. “The forces of what?”
“Death,” he hissed again, causing Sharp to shove him.
“What is your problem?” she snarled. Most of the time Sharp got along famously with Willow, except on the few occasions he got us in trouble. “Stop trying to scare him.”
“But it’s true!” he insisted, only to be shoved once more.
“Shut it,” she snapped, walking faster to avoid my inevitable follow-up questions. “Don’t listen to that clotpole. Just hurry up.”
A narrow stone stairway led to a little red house on a hill, where Glass lived and worked. The sunrise turned the clouds pink, and the sunflowers nodded as we passed. Sharp pointedly avoided us the rest of the way.
I stood back with Willow, curious about his unusual insight. “What did you mean earlier, about death?”
