the jungle. It’s the way I came in.”
“Good,” Vaughn nodded. “All right, let’s get moving then. I know we’re all tired, but we’ll feel better if we eat and get some rest. After that, we can try to come up with a plan to defeat the Habermanns.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Not that again. We don’t—”
I waved my hands to avoid another argument. “Don’t worry about it now, all right? Just one thing at a time.”
“Whatevs.” Becca flipped her hair and gave a dismissive shrug.
Sinasre led the way through a wide tunnel as Ronnie produced a magical light to guide us. I made sure to remember the path to the fountain, the cure to all of those whom Adaline and Alexander Habermann had turned into monsters. Maybe we were their last hope for a cure.
“Where are Antonio and Regina?” I heard Bael ask Becca as we went. Becca explained about the ship’s crash and the vampires’ desire to go on their own with her usual flair while the rest of us walked in silence.
After about ten minutes, we reached a small chamber, which was wide enough to hold all of us comfortably.
“The exit is just out through there,” Sinasre said, pointing at a narrow tunnel. “We can eat and rest here for protection.”
“Okay,” Vaughn turned to the group. “Everyone stay here. I’ll go out and gather some fruit.”
“How about some meat?” Becca asked.
Vaughn shook his head. “We can’t build a fire inside the cave, and if we build one outside, the smoke might give away our position. So unless you want to eat it raw…”
“Ew! No, thank you, I’m not down with your werewolf tendencies.”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
Vaughn turned to leave.
“Aw! Hi, cute little fellow,” Becca said in a high-pitched voice as if she were talking to a baby.
I turned to see what she was doing now and found her leaning forward, reaching a hand toward a small red frog.
“No!” I cried. “Don’t touch it.”
But too late. Becca petted the animal as if it were a domesticated creature and not a brightly colored, take-your-hands-off-me one. The frog squirmed from under her touch and hopped out of sight.
Becca glanced up, startled, then her arm went limp at her side. “Oh, crap! My arm is numb.”
Ronnie rushed to her and waved a spell over her arm without wasting time.
“Oh, God!” she exclaimed. “It’s climbing.”
Ronnie frantically cast spells, his face twisted in concentration. “Tell me when it stops.”
I held my breath, my gaze locked with Becca’s. What if Ronnie couldn’t stop the poison? What if it reached her heart? Everyone stood frozen, staring as the young warlock cast healing spell after healing spell, while Becca’s expression grew more panicked.
At last, Becca said, “It stopped. It stopped.” She collapsed on the ground, panting as if she’d been running, her arm still limp like a rope. Ronnie knelt at her side, pulling at his hair.
I squatted next to Becca, relief washing over me. “Are you sure it stopped?”
“Yes.”
“Ronnie…” I didn’t want to voice my question, but he seemed to understand.
He nodded, letting me know she would be all right. I let out a pent up breath. Gods, didn’t we already have enough trials? We didn’t need poisoned frogs, too.
Everyone sighed in relief, and Becca laughed it off, but it hadn’t been funny.
When, a few moments later, she announced that she could move her pinky, Vaughn stood and walked toward the exit.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said.
“I’ll go with you.” I followed after him.
He stopped at the cave’s entrance and faced me. “You should stay and rest, keep an eye on Becca.”
“No, I’m not letting you go alone. We can’t get separated again. Becca’s fine.”
He smiled, his green eyes twinkling with their light. Gently, he pressed a hand to my cheek and kissed me. His soft lips caressed mine lightly, tenderly. My whole body seemed to exhale as I closed my eyes and pressed against him.
Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, he pulled away and smiled. “I love to hear that. I want you to stick by me. Always.”
We left the cave, my hand in his, and stepped into a moonlit jungle. Insects chirped and the waves crashed in the distance.
“We are still close to the water,” he said.
“I’m sick of coconuts, but they’re certainly an option.”
We followed the sound of lapping waves, the moonlight easily illuminating our path. A short walk from the cave, we reached a small stretch of sandy beach. To the right, the sheer cliff through which we had entered the