PART SIX

Johannes did most of the talking when they arrived at the tiny village not far from where he was attacked. None of the natives there spoke much English and regarded both women with a suspicious fascination. Bo leaned into Lauren.

"What does he keep calling you?" she asked.

"Shaman," Lauren replied.

Bo blinked and the shrugged. "Well that kind of fits, doesn't it?"

"Bo, I'm a scientist."

"You're a healer," Bo corrected. When Lauren looked at her, she smirked. "Science and magic, remember?" Lauren shook her head with a slight smile and Bo knew she'd won. She saw Johannes signal to Bo and wave them over. They walked slowly so as not to appear aggressive, but the weight of a village-worth of eyes on their shoulders was debilitating.

Johannes looked from the Chief to Bo. "He says they have a sick child in the village, more showing symptoms. If the Sikerei can cure them, they will show us where the pygmy blossoms are."

"Johannes," Lauren started, but Bo cut her off.

"Piece of cake," she said and Lauren turned to her with wide eyes.

"Bo," she whispered harshly. "You can't promise them results."

"Sure I can."

"How?"

"Because I know you can do it." Bo looked into her eyes and held her shoulders in her hands. "Science and magic."

Lauren's took a quick breath and turned to the Chief. "Show me the child."

A quick examination of the child in question told Lauren all she needed to know: the little girl had dengue fever and wasn't far off from developing hemorrhagic fever. They needed to act fast. With Bo's assistance, Lauren gathered ingredients from the surrounding forest and borrowed a small pot from a villager. She smiled broadly at the woman giving up her possessions to help. Lauren nodded her thanks and mixed the ingredients together over a fire.

While the medicine cooked, Lauren instructed a few of the villagers to find a surplus of the ingredients she searched for so she could make medicine for the rest of the villagers that were becoming ill. They disappeared into the jungle, eager to help the Sikerei.

Bo knelt next to Johannes, who had been put on a chair near the Chief. "How are we doing?" she asked.

"The Chief is impressed," he said. "He told me he knew some ingredients, but couldn't remember them all and there wouldn't be a sikerei in the area for another few days." Bo watched Lauren tend to the little girl while she waited for the medicine.

After a few more minutes, Lauren took the pot from the fire and examined the medicine inside. She took a hollowed half of a coconut and poured the liquid, bringing it to the little girl. She said a few words and gestured and suddenly the little girl was downing the stranger's medicine and smiling within minutes.

"She is quite incredible," Johannes said simply. "I have not known a Human like her."

Bo couldn't stop the grin across her face. "Me either."

That evening, the village treated their visitors to a feast of fruit, fish, wild pig, and rice. Bo and Lauren were invited into the Chief's hut which had a small fire burning in the centre and an unending stream of food and drink. The villagers spared no expense. As the latest round of pig was served, Lauren felt a tug at her arm. She looked down to see the little girl she'd helped earlier that day, now smiling and holding out a flower in her hand.

"Thank you," Lauren said with a smile, kissing the girl's forehead. She looked at the flower in her hand and nearly screamed. "Oh my god." She looked up, but the little girl was gone.

"What is it?" Bo leaned over to her, looking at her hand. "Wait, isn't that…"

"Yeah," Lauren breathed. "A pygmy blossom."

They looked out the front of the hut, but the girl had disappeared. "How'd she look?"

Lauren nodded. "Her temperature's still a little high, but nothing to be concerned about anymore. One more dose should do it."

The Chief spoke then, a booming voice that stopped everyone in their tracks. Johannes listened to him and looked over at Bo and Lauren.

"I'm not sure I like that look," Bo said.

"Yeah, me either." Lauren watched Johannes limp toward them. "What's going on?"

"I can't take you to the fields," he said.

"What?" Bo made a move to get up, but Lauren touched her arm.

"The Chief has a plan," Johannes said. "There is only one way to be sure you will find the blossoms without fail."

Bo looked from Johannes to the Chief to Lauren. Her heart thumped in her chest, worried this mission was coming apart at the very last minute. "So what is it?" Bo urged. "We're kind of on a timeline, Johan."

"A ceremony," he said. "To open your minds to the blossom's energy."

Bo blinked. "To what now?"

Two trays were delivered to Bo and Lauren, one for each. On a flat plank of wood sat two large leaves. A small cup with a steaming herbal tea sat beside a wide piece of red bark that was smothered with honeycomb and dripping with the sweet syrup.

The Chief spoke and Johannes translated: "This is a sacred recipe. The honey and cinnamon bark are a mystical pair with the highland tea. You will become part of the jungle. The blossom will guide you." He gestured at the presentation. "Drink. And open your mind."

Lauren swallowed and looked at Bo who nodded at her. Together they lifted the honeyed bark from the trays. Closing her mouth over the thick honey, the spice of the cinnamon bark filled her senses. It burned, and she began to let go. She looked at Bo whose eyes drifted shut as she leaned back on her hand. She keyed in on her face watching as her cheeks tightened in a gentle smile and then it hit her. A jolt to her stomach, Lauren's mouth watered as her head began to spin. Her eyes drifted shut. Her hand removed the bark from her mouth as her body listed into Bo's. There, she leaned against her, trembling with an unnamed excitement. A chill ran through her and her eyes opened at the Chief's voice.

"You must finish the tea," he said.

The trays were thrust in front of them once again and they leaned forward to accept the cups brimming with brown liquid. Lauren sipped it at first, but the bitterness proved overpowering and she downed the cup in a few gulps and Bo followed in suit.

Half-lit and unprepared, they were led to the forest's edge and urged to find the path. As the sun began to set, Bo hoisted a pack onto her back, Lauren stepping ahead of her and venturing into the darkness of the jungle.

"What the hell did we just eat?"

"Organic psychotropic drugs, cultivated by the natives for medicine."

"So when does the trip begin?" Bo grinned.

"It's going to get bad before it gets worse."

"I'll protect you," Bo said, quite serious.

Lauren bowed her head and laughed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Bo in the dying light of day. "I know you will." She marched ahead. "Now, Johannes said we should head due North." Lauren stopped walking abruptly, looking up from the compass.

"What is it?" Bo asked.

"You don't see that?" Lauren's eyes tried to focus on the foliage but it was alive with movement. Leaves swirled, their intense unnatural colors calling attention to the fact that Lauren was not in touch with reality.

And then she heard Bo behind her. "Holy shit."

Lauren smiled. "Give me your hand. We can't afford to get separated." Lauren reached out for her.

The jungle was alive around them, but Lauren felt protected with the Chief's assurances that they would be safe and Bo's posturing was always welcome. A curtain of darkness seemed to envelop them as the colors were extinguished and the blackness surrounded them. Bo stepped in close to Lauren's hip. Lauren reached around the side of her pack and clicked on an LED torch hanging from a carabineer clip. An eerie fog was lit up around them.

"Just when you thought it couldn't get any creepier…"

"Let's just keep moving," Lauren said calmly, though her heart had inexplicably begun to race.

Trudging ahead, Lauren and Bo walked hand in hand, deeper into the underbrush. The dew on the leaves soaked their clothing, and they began to hear the animals rustling around them.

"I'm beginning to have my doubts…" Lauren's whisper barely audible amidst the strains of the animals.

And then it was like the volume had been turned all the way up and the animal's songs were deafening. "Beginning?" Bo asked skeptically.

Lauren shushed her. "The forest is testing our mettle."

Bo unsheathed her dagger. "But I didn't bring much metal."

Lauren smiled, the depths of her affection for Bo in that moment, indescribable. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

And then silence blanketed them again and Bo blinked into the darkness. "What the hell?"

"Auditory hallucinations are common with the honey and bark we were given. The honey actually contains a poison from the pygmy blossoms, which the bees pollinate."

Bo stopped walking. "Poison? Jungle bees?"

Lauren tugged on Bo's hand until she started to walk again. "In small doses the poison is harmless, simply causing an alternate reality for an indeterminate amount of time."

Their footsteps-soggy and mushy-filled the silence that had taken over since the animals went quiet. They continued on the soft and marshy trek toward the unknown, Lauren keeping them pointed due North, and Bo using her Fae to keep an eye out for incoming danger. And then it happened: the underbrush became alive with color again, but this time it was a trail of fizzing phosphorescence. Bees seemed to flit from here to there, spreading the neon colored pollen.

Walking faster, Lauren followed the streams of glowing pollen. And Bo, who felt the effects of the honey and tea egregiously now, stumbled along with her. They emerged from the jungle at a clearing carpeted with glowing blossoms. A hundred phosphorescing bees buzzed around the blossoms. They stopped at the edge of the field of blossoms and a laugh escaped Lauren.

"We did it!" she exclaimed, falling into Bo's arms. She kissed her, caressing her cheek. "We did it," she cooed, quieter, kissing her again. Lauren waded into the field, pulling Bo behind her like an awestruck child. "Can you believe we are in such a pristine nursery for these flowers? Incredible!"

"Lauren…" Bo said quietly.

"And to be the only two outsiders who have experienced this in years? Unbelievable!" She laughed.

"Lauren…" Bo's high was shifting gears now and her eyes blinked blue, flickering like a florescent lamp turning on. She dropped to her knees in the field of blossoms and yanked Lauren down to her level.

"Bo," she gasped.

"We've flown ten thousand miles, trekked through the jungle for three days, lost a guide to a tiger attack, and I haven't fed in four days."

"Just the highlights, huh?" Lauren asked, bemused. She scooted forward, the long stems of the ironically-named pygmy blossoms bobbing around them. The smell was intoxicating, not unlike the finest of perfumes. She inhaled the forest's scent, earthy moss coupled with and the hypnotic spice of cinnamon but the flowers themselves, their scent was mysterious and dark. "Four days, hmm…" Her husky voice was made Bo swallow the lump in her throat as Lauren's hands threaded through her hair.

Her words were colors, her sounds, muffled and crude. She was the loveliest thing Bo had ever seen. Her skin was alive, sparkling with sweat and salt and, unable to resist, Bo moved to taste her. Lauren intercepted Bo's mouth, lifting her head to her own, before toppling backwards with the driving force of Bo's advances. Bo loomed above Lauren on a carpet of undulating grass. Her eyes were fireworks and her lips were plump with wanting. Bo kissed her with an unmatched intensity.

Spinning, her head felt heavy and uneven. Off-kilter. She closed her eyes and opened them again; her vision had doubled. Two Laurens and pygmy blossoms for as far as the eye can see, Bo was certain it had to be a dream by the way the jungle canopy lit up with firebugs in bursts like a golden firework shower. She unbuckled Lauren's cargo pants hastily and sunk her hand into them, the need to feel her overwhelming all else.

Lauren moaned and it was like she was hearing her in surround sound. Her very breath was distinguishable from the breeze that tousled the blossoms, or the water dropping from the leaves above and every facet of her moans which reverberated off the canopy and went straight to her core. Lauren's hands gripped her shoulders as she pushed her shirt up. They kissed like it was their last, mouths moving with fervent effort as Lauren unbuttoned Bo's impossibly tight jeans and peeled them off her hips. It was a blur, clumsy and haphazard, and soon they lay in the tall grass of the pygmy blossom's field, flowers floating effortlessly above them like a second jungle canopy. The flowers themselves looked malevolent. Violet and lavender petals with indigo stamen. And as the moonlight shone through the covering, the blossoms cast a purple hue onto their skin.

Purple everywhere, the flowers threw shadows in every shade imaginable and as a rare breeze passed through, it rustled the flowers above Bo as she made love to Lauren. Her body was art, her canvas smooth and supple, and Bo was a student once again. Her curves so enticing, the long stretch of her neck as she moaned, irresistible. There never was a time to compare it to and she doubted there ever would be and when release came her heart was so full of love, Bo knew that she would never be without her again. The drugs were beginning to fade and the faint euphoria of exhaustion and sexual satisfaction burned through her body.

She rolled onto her back and her belly clenched in laughter. "What the hell was in that honey?"

Lauren reached up and snapped a flower from it's stem. Her eyes studied the menacing little blossom. "The key to immortality."

They took their time redressing, their clothes wrinkled and dirty from being rolled around on. The only remnants left of the hallucinogens in their system were the trails that seemed to follow anything that moved so the women moved slowly because the unexpected side effect to the trails was nausea. Lauren sipped from her canteen, wiping the sweat from her brow as she watched Bo dutifully gather flowers.

"How many do we need?" Bo called from deep in the field.

There was no telling how many she would need for experiments if the recipe she found didn't work. Lauren was going all in. "Whatever we can carry out," she answered. She stood, brushing herself off and walked to Bo's side, offering her the canteen. Her generosity was selfish as she delighted in watching Bo close her eyes, leaning her head back to drink.

They thinned the field methodically, not taking every flower from any one area and Lauren meticulously trimmed the blossoms before storing them away in their pack. To stop the rainfall from soaking them as they slept, Bo set up a makeshift tent with their rain ponchos, using the brimming backpack as their pillow and blanket beneath. Bo inched into the shelter and called for Lauren who lifted the flap and peered inside at her. Bo smiled from inside the one-man tent. "You want the top bunk or bottom bunk?"

"Lauren…"

She heard her name and opened her eyes. Bo was fast asleep beside her, still crammed into their little poncho tent. Rubbing her eyes, she scooted out of the tent and stood, stretching in the dark. The flowers didn't glow as vibrantly as before and Lauren wasn't sure if that was because the drugs were wearing off or the fact that they had taken half the blossoms.

Lauren sat, knees pulled tight to her chest watching the stars through breaks in the canopy. What a night. A breeze blew in and Lauren could swear she heard her name again. She stood, grabbing her fluorescent torch from in front of the tent and went for a wander.

She knew to stay close, that the wildlife alone could kill her, but if she got separated from Bo, she could be lost for good. Still, she walked to the stream along the edge of the tall grasses. Squatting beside the stream, she dipped her hand into the cool, fresh water babbling against the stones. She washed her hands and splashed water on her face, refreshing her. The breeze hit her skin and cooled her immediately.

She looked over her shoulder at the tent and smiled at Bo's boots sticking out.

"Lauren.." A voice on the wind, swirled around her.

She stood and scanned the area for movement but all was quiet again. And then she saw him, standing in the field of flowers. A mere shadow, still Lauren felt safe. "Who are you?" Lauren moved between Bo and the shadowy figure.

He turned and the moonlight hit his face. Lauren gasped. "Ben?" He smiled at her and Lauren stepped quickly into towards the meadow. Wading through the flowers, she reached for him as he disappeared into a mist.

She looked at the sky, covered over by vines, branches and leaves. The jungle canopy was quiet. She couldn't explain what she had just seen, but she knew it wasn't a trick, it wasn't Fae, that was her brother. Lauren closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air that dried the tears that fell. She could hear the animals in the distance, the wind in the trees, the distant stream. Her senses seemed elevated and as she listened to each sound, she cried for her brother, grieving for a lifetime of companionship lost, for the space in her heart that used to hold the hope it'd be filled once they met again.

There were footsteps behind her. Silent, but she could hear the blossoms rustling as she walked. She could feel her, her concern, her love, and when Bo touched her arm, Lauren didn't turn. Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist.

"I saw him," Lauren whispered. Bo didn't respond, but Lauren wasn't expecting her to. She just needed her touch, her presence, her protection.

"Come on back." Bo kissed her shoulder. "It's starting to rain." Bo released her, turning back to their cozy makeshift shelter. She stopped when Lauren didn't follow and squeezed her hand. Lauren turned finally and looked at Bo, her face naked with emotion, walls took energy to build that she just didn't possess. Bo smiled at her and pulled on her arm. "C'mon."

Lauren followed her then, looking up at the canopy one more time.

The morning rain dripped on the sagging poncho over their heads, quietly tapping her awake. It had done its job. The blanket under her back was damp, but the body wrapped around her warmed her through. Bo blinked at the glittering water above her, catching the sunlight as it peered through the jungle canopy. She grunted as her night spent on the forest floor caught up with her, but the smile crept across her face anyway.

Lauren was still fast asleep, her head resting against Bo's breast. There was a peace about her here. Tucked away from everything and everyone in a place that was difficult to describe. Bo sighed and closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like to experience this every day, waking up in a jungle paradise with the woman she loved above all else. Maybe in a bed next time.

"Bo?" Her voice was soft and hoarse.

"Yeah, right here," she said, looking down at the confusion in Lauren's face.

Lauren looked past Bo, squinting through the poncho door. "We're still in the jungle?"

"Yeah," Bo chuckled, her arm squeezing around her. "Safe and sound and… mostly dry."

She groaned, her eyes closing as she pushed herself upright, her head nearly hitting their natural chandelier. She rubbed her neck. "This is why I don't go camping."

Bo grinned and sat up next to Lauren. "I dunno, you seemed to have a good time."

Lauren smirked and shoved Bo's shoulder. The smile was infectious and Bo hoped she'd never be cured, even as it disappeared through the makeshift tent flap. Outside their shelter, Lauren stood in front of the field of blossoms, her dirtied camisole and cargos were this succubus' dream. Bo stepped behind her and slid her arms around her waist.

"I thought I dreamed it," Lauren said.

Bo rested her chin on Lauren's shoulder. "But here we are."

END PART SIX