Chapter 164: The Cave.
~ Raphael's POV~
We moved through the trees, our ears sharp for any sound that might tell us where that terrible roar had come from.
My wounds ached with each step. The cuts across my chest burned, and I could feel fresh blood staining the torn fabric of my shirt. But I pressed on, searching for any sign of danger.
"Raphael," Caleb called from behind me. "Where are we going?"
I did not answer right away. I was listening for that sound. Waiting for that roar to come again. But all I heard was the whisper of wind and the soft crunch of our feet on the forest floor.
My eyes falls on a cave, hidden among the twisted roots. I knew that was the place to rest.
"There," I said, pointing toward the opening. "We can rest in that cave."
The others followed me as I made my way to the mouth of the cave. It was larger than it had looked from a distance. Cool, dry air flowed out from the darkness within. I stepped inside first, my hand on the hilt of my ice sword, ready for anything that might be inside.
But the cave was empty. Just smooth stone walls and a floor covered with old leaves that had blown in from outside. It would do well enough for shelter.
"Come," I said to the others. "We can rest here safely."
Gemma stumbled as she entered the cave. Caleb caught her arm and helped her sit down against the wall. She was still pale from her wounds, and one thing, I have noticed here, our wounds don't heal here like they would if we were in our kingdom.
Isla came in last, looking around the cave with those strange eyes of hers. I still did not trust her, though I could not say exactly why. There was something about her that felt wrong.
We all sat down on the stone floor and listened to the silence of the forest outside. For a long time, no one spoke. We were all waiting for that roar to come again, but the woods remained quiet.
"What do you think made that sound?" Gemma asked at last. Her voice was weak and tired.
"A dragon, maybe," Caleb said without hesitation. "It had to be a dragon. Nothing else could make such a terrible noise." I didn't say anything even though, I knew he might be correct.
I shook my head, though the movement made my wounds ache. "This forest has been playing tricks on our minds since we entered it. We have seen things that were not there. Heard voices that spoke only in our heads. The sound we heard was just another trick." I said trying to remove their minds.
"But it sounded so real," Isla butted in. " And so close. Like it was just beyond those trees."
"That is how the forest works," I told her. "It makes us see and hear what we fear most. It feeds on our terror. We must not listen to any more sounds or roars we might hear. They are not real."
The others nodded, though I could see doubt in their faces. They wanted to believe me, but fear is hard thing to shake considering all we have seen since we entered this land.
As we sat there in the cave, I began to feel strange. The walls seemed to move around me, turning and spinning like I was on a ship in a storm. My head felt heavy, and my hands began to shake.
"Your highness?" Isla called, her voice sounded far away, though she was sitting right next to me. "You look very pale. Are you well?"
"I am fine," I said, but even as I spoke the words, I knew they were not true. My voice sounded strange even to my ears.
Isla leaned closer and looked at my wounds. They were still bleeding, I realized. Dark red stains were spreading across my shirt.
"You are not fine, your highness," she sounded scared. "You need help."
"There is nothing you can do," I told her in irritation But even as I said it, I felt myself growing weaker. The cave moved faster around me, and I had to put my hand on the ground to keep from falling over.
"There is something I can do," Isla said quietly. She held out her arm, turning her wrist toward me. "My blood. It has power to heal. It will make you strong again."
I stared at her, not understanding at first. Then the meaning of her words hit me like a blow to the chest. "You want me to drink your blood?"
"Yes," she said simply. "It is the only way to save you."
I should have refused. Every part of me screamed that this was wrong, that I should not trust her. But I was so weak now, so tired. The pain in my chest was getting worse with each breath I took. I could feel my life slipping away.
"Please, your highness," Isla said, and for the first time since I had met her, she sounded truly human. "Let me help you."
I looked into her eyes and saw something there I had not expected. Kindness. And guilt. Maybe I had been wrong about her. Maybe she was not the enemy I had thought her to be.
"All right," I said at last. "I will do it."
Isla brought her wrist to her mouth and bit down hard. Dark blood welled up from the wound. She held her wrist out to me, and I could smell the blood mixed rose fragrance.
I took her wrist and drank. As soon as I swallowed it, I felt a rush of strength flow through my body. The pain in my chest faded away. My head cleared. The spinning cave became still.
"Gemma, you need this too," Isla said, turning toward where Gemma lay against the wall. Her eyes were closed now, and her breathing was shallow.
But Gemma, did not respond. She did not even open her eyes when Isla spoke to her.
"I will help her," Caleb said. He knelt down beside Gemma and lifted her head gently.
Isla bit her wrist again, letting the blood pool in her mouth. Then Caleb leaned down and kissed Gemma softly, letting the healing blood flow from his mouth into hers. Gemma swallowed it without waking, and I could see color returning to her pale cheeks.
"Now you, Caleb," She Commanded.
Caleb obeyed without question and drank from Isla's wrist as I had done. Soon all of us had tasted her strange blood.
The effect was almost immediate. I felt my wounds closing, the torn flesh knitting itself back together. My strength returned quickly too. But with it came a deep, overwhelming tiredness that I could not fight.
My eyes grew heavy, and I found myself lying down on the stone floor of the cave. The others were doing the same, all of us giving in to the healing sleep that Isla's blood had brought.
With that thought, I fell into the deepest, most restful sleep I had known in many weeks.
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