Two weeks later...
Kaden's POV
Mud must've been one of my favorite things.
It was both messy and productive for many kinds of biomes in the environment.
I kicked the black-and-white soccer ball across the grassy lawn, slick from rain this morning. It had showered overnight, washing the palace. Whenever it rained in Angeles, the sky got a sort of golden glow to it, lighting up everything with the remaining humidity and mist. The weather was hot (of course) as April ended, about to be May. A bead of sweat (or moisture from the air, I couldn't really tell) slid down the side of my face as I watched the ball fly.
Leo laughed, wiping the sweat from his sandy, shaggy hair. He caught the ball easily with the side of his foot, grinning. "You look tired, Kadie. Want to take a break?"
"Right after I finish beating you, Lee-Lee," I replied, returning the favor of using his childhood nickname.
My cousin narrowed his eyes, already thinking of a different strategy to score a goal. Leo and I were both competitive and the both of us also played soccer. This made for a sort of tournament every time we saw each other.
"Boys, take a break!" Mom called from the across the field, waving her hand.
I wanted to protest, but there was no disobeying Mom - even Osten knew that.
"I was winning anyway," Leo shrugged, walking over to me.
"Was not," I protested, the two of us shoving the other lightly as we headed over to our families. Actually, make that very competitive. "That other goal was out."
"Potato potato," he replied, flashing that champion's smile he'd inherited from Uncle James - who was speaking with Uncle Gerad and a butler at the moment.
Most of the family was visiting the palace, enjoying a "spring respite from the winter chill" as Eadlyn had put it. The only person who couldn't be present was Aunt May (and Uncle Kota and Aunt Leah, of course.) But everybody else had arrived four days ago, staying for a couple of weeks. I glanced over at them all, milling around under a white tent set up for our day outside. Dad had promised he'd let us go hiking later, something I was going to hold him to.
Crossing over from the sun-baked grass to the shady tent was like moving from the desert to the arctic (sort of.) Wooden tables were set up with linen chairs, paper fans scattered around for people to use. Snacks were laid out on the tables: chips and salsa, bowls of fresh fruit, a bowl of sparkling lemonade, finger sandwiches, and freshly-baked cookies. Leo and I made a bee-line to the lemonade, racing to grab a glass first.
"Watch it, you two!" Grandma called, the glasses rattling as I caught one, tipping over the edge of the table. She fanned herself, sitting with Astra, her blue eyes fixed on us.
"Sorry, Grandma," Leo and I chorused sheepishly, elbowing each other.
Using the glass ladle, I poured the pink drink into the cup, drinking greedily. The frigid lemonade was perfect for the hot day, ice cubes clinking musically. I drank two glasses before finally turning to join a table, my family fizzling with chatter.
Eadlyn and Erik sat together, fanning themselves, speaking with Miss Lucy as she giggled over something. General Leger, Dad, Mom, and Miss Marlee were all standing, picking over the watermelon and citrus, Mom and Miss Marlee linking their arms. Mr. Woodwork and Uncle James were playing a game of badminton, hitting the shuttlecock between them on the lawn.
"Kaden! Over here!"
I glanced at the source of the voice, my heart already getting all stupidly obnoxious. Josie grinned at me, waving her hand, her face lit up. She loved moments like this, so many gathered around, lots of people to speak to. Neena smiled sweetly beside her, her phone out on the table. She'd been messaging Mark a lot since he'd moved here, asking him about his new job and stuff.
Leo headed over to one of the free seats at their wooden table, and I wasn't far behind. Sitting across from Josie, I kicked the mud off my cleats, trying to act casual. So far, that hadn't been going great around her.
"Have you been playing soccer for a while, Leo?" Neena asked politely, turning her head to him.
He nodded, munching on a cucumber finger sandwich. "Yep. Ever since I was four. My Uncle Gerad taught me."
Uncle Gerad was a big soccer fan himself. Mom even said he wanted to play professionally while the Caste System was still in place. After it was taken down, he started pursuing science. He still played soccer a lot, though, even facing off against Ahren and I when we were younger.
"That's so neat!" Josie chirped, flipping a piece of her blond hair over her shoulder. "I like baseball, myself."
"Me too," Leo agreed. "Do you have a favorite team?"
"The Angeles Aardwolves, of course," she scoffed, as if it were obvious. They were one of my favorite teams too, and one of the best in our province.
Leo laughed, shaking his head. "What? No, the Carolina Coyotes are way better."
"They are not!" Josie laughed.
The two of them launched into a debate over the teams, Josie claiming Leo should be loyal to his province, Leo countering that both of his parents were from Carolina. I waited for a break in the conversation, not wanting to interrupt, but they just kept talking. A look at Neena told me that she noticed too, suppressing a smile.
"I was talking to Mark the other day," she said to me, starting out own discussion. "He's really thrilled about the opening of Parliament in November."
I bobbed my head, feeling a thrum of excitement. Politics were an interesting subject in my opinion, and there was a lot going on with Illéa changing to a constitutional monarchy. "Yeah, I am as well. I know Lady Brice is a bit nervous about being Interim Prime Minister and all, but I think she'll do a brilliant job. Until a proper Prime Minister can be elected, that is."
"Yeah, all this so new!" Neena beamed. "I mean, we're alive while history's being written for our country, Kaden!"
"Isn't that every moment?" I countered. Each second was a new step towards the future, history being written as we lived our lives. Sometimes I liked to imagine hundreds of years into the future, what the country would look like then. Would there even still be a monarchy?
Neena nodded thoughtfully. "True. I wonder what history will think of us." She glanced at her phone before perking up. "Oh! I forgot to mention! Mark asked for me to thank you guys again for arranging everything for him, and to give Mr. Gerad a thanks from him. They work for the same company, but in different buildings, so they don't get to see each other often."
"I will," I nodded, making a mental note. "But the whole arrangement thing was Eadlyn's work. I can't take credit for that."
"Still," Neena said. "I know it means a lot to him. And he had lots of fun at Eady's birthday."
"I think we all did," I laughed before remembering Josie and Kile. I could picture it vividly, just from a bit ago, Josie running out of the Great Room, her hair streaking out the door. Osten and I following her, knowing that something was wrong. I'd never seen Josie really cry before, just out of happiness, like at Eady and Erik's wedding. But this was different.
It was horrible, hearing her sobbing. She'd tried to stop crying when she heard us, but her eyes were all red-rimmed. I remembered talking, pointing up the stars, speaking about Kile and Ahren. We went back into the Great Room eventually and danced with everyone. I'd seen her later, speaking with Kile, the two of them hugging. It seemed like things had been patched-up more or less, but I knew Josie was still hurting after Kile decided to stay in Bonita.
I also couldn't help but think about those seconds before Osten came running over to us.
There was a change in Josie's expression, shadows falling across her face. I could barely make out her blue eyes shining, looking right at me. I wasn't sure, but it just seemed like something was there.
Who knows. Maybe I was just imagining it.
I flicked a glance over at Josie, her face shining with joy. It was different than it had been in the garden. She had looked so serious...
"Okay, okay, I admit it: the Coyotes aren't that bad," Josie said to Leo, tilting her head.
Leo nodded. "About time. But, okay, the Aardwolves are pretty talented, too."
"I told you so," Josie teased, blinking lightly.
For a second, I frowned, watching the two of them interact. Then it hit me like a baseball bat to the stomach: Josie was flirting with him. Flirting!
She'd never flirted with me before. Or, at least, not that I could remember.
"I'll have to show a clip of some of Bobby Miller's highlights," Leo told her, talking about a famous Coyote player. "He's the best pitcher."
Josie shook her head. "Not in a million years. The Aardwolves' very own Cameron Camaroon is the best pitcher ever, you dork."
Or was she flirting? I knit my brows, glancing between them. How was I supposed to tell? Girls are so strange.
"Okay, everyone!" Dad called, clapping his hands as he drew our attention. "I think it's about time we went hiking."
A cheer rose up from the tent, Grandma Singer flapping her fan in hyper-drive. She wasn't the hiking type. Neither was Uncle James, who offered to stay with her. The butler went and got our backpacks for us as we all reapplied our sunblock.
"We'll have groups of four," Dad announced to us, already clustered with Mom, Eadlyn, and Erik. It was funny seeing them all out of their formal wear and in more rustic clothes. Mom had her red hair in a ponytail, hefting her blue bag onto her back. Eadlyn had ditched her usual ensamble and yet still managed to carry herself like a queen, wearing a purple sweat-wicking shirt and sturdy hiking boots.
She leaned towards Erik, whispering something in his ear. He nodded, taking her hand, their fingers weaving together.
I glanced over at Josie without even thinking, watching as she tightened her hair into pigtails.
Noticing me out of the corner of her eye, she flashed a grin. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
I shook my head quickly, feeling tongue-tied. "No. Um," I shifted my feet, grabbing my green backpack. "Do you want to be in a group with me? And Leo, of course."
"Sure," she replied, smiling as she pulled a sunburst orange kerchief from her pocket to tie like a headband. "I'll get Neena to join us."
I smiled, even more excited for the group outing. "Alright."
1 Hour Later
"Uncle Gerad! Uncle Gerad!"
"Yes, Osten?"
"What's this?"
We stopped for about the twentieth time, Osten pointing to a shrub speckled with knots of white berries.
Uncle Gerad took one look at the plant, straightening his pack straps before he nodded. "Ah! These are Symphoricarpos, or the snowberry."
"Sounds like it would taste great," Osten said, already leaning forward to pluck a berry from the shrub.
Uncle Gerad caught his hand in time. "No, don't eat them. They can cause things like vomiting... or, for some kids, even sedate them."
That doesn't sound too bad, actually, let him have one, I thought ruefully. Osten had been stopping us every ten minutes to ask our uncle about some plant he'd spotted. So far, we'd learned about the Polypody Fern ("sometimes used in nougat") and the Redwood Sorrel ("these contain oxalic acid") and the Western redbud ("bakers will use the dye found in the twig bark") and more I'd forgotten the name of.
I liked learning, reading the books on law I had in my room, using ebooks most of the time. Sometimes I would listen to speeches or watch shows on history, government, literature, and science, plus plenty of sports matches and magazines. But there was only so much stop-and-go I could take on a hike.
"C'mon, let's keep moving!" I announced.
Our group started trickling along the path, moving on the dirt floor of the forest. I looked up at the green, leafy canopy, bright sunlight filtering through the boughs. Tall trees stood like sentinels, mist billowing around the trunks off in the distance. Soft soil and wood underneath gave way like a sponge, the occasional fallen tree covered in lime-colored moss.
Neena beamed, peering around, listening to the sound of a song sparrow (as Uncle Gerad had pointed out earlier) echoing through the forest. "This is so amazing! Why don't we go hiking more often?"
"Well, we're still working on finding trails," Dad answered, hearing her. "See, years ago, the Northern and Southern rebels used to come through this forest. It wasn't safe to go out into the woods then. Recently, we've been getting braver and venturing off into the woods."
"Of course, America did come into the forest before," General Leger piped up, his arm looped through Miss Lucy's.
I perked up at this. "Really? Why?"
Mom peeked at me over her shoulder, light eyes shining. "It's sort of a long story. Let's just say it involves a crashed party, some rebels, books, and an unfortunate pair of flats."
The adults all laughed, seeming in on the joke. I just frowned, giving Eadlyn a look. She shrugged, seeming just as clueless as me.
"Actually," Mom continued, the laughter dying down a bit. "It was the first time I saw Georgia and August Illéa."
Our group fell silent, the rustle of leaves and crunch of footsteps the only noise fom us. I hadn't seen Georgia and August in years, after that fight before they left the palace. Then, of course, all of the trouble with Marid began. I looked over at Eady again, who put her arm around Erik's back. He pulled her closer, winding his arm across her shoulder, the two of them moving in sync.
"Do you want me to carry your backpack?" I heard Erik whisper.
Eadlyn shook her head, lifting up her chin. "No, darling, but thanks. I can manage."
Erik opened his mouth to say something else before he noticed me watching. He gave a smile, moving his gaze ahead to a cluster of ferns.
"Over the river, and through the wood/To Grandfather's house we go/the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh/through the white and drifted snow!" Mom began singing, her voice clear and beautiful like the birdsong winding through the forest.
"Over the river, and through the wood/to Grandfather's house away!" we continued, our voices echoing through the soil-scented air. We sang the old song as we walked, Miss Marlee keeping track of our location using the blue markers on the trail.
I listened to the sound of our entwining voices, Miss Lucy's high and light, Astra's almost a whisper, Osten's as loud as he could make it, all of us moving through through the wood, to hike further away.
45 Minutes Later
I drank from my water container, hearing ice rattling around in the plastic thermos.
Everyone sat around, taking a break before we turned around and headed back down the pathway to the palace. Some of the adults sat on two different logs, munching on dried fruit and crackers, talking together. Neena and Osten were picking some plants to compile in a press book. The clearing was sun-dappled, light falling and spilling on the forest floor like liquid gold. Butterflies flitted through the air, their colorful wings glinting in the sun. In other words, it was pretty scenic.
However, what had my attention the most was Leo and Josie, the two of them standing by a tree, talking. Josie shook her head and Leo said something before she laughed, elbowing him playfully.
I frowned. Whatever Leo said couldn't have been that funny. I mean, probably not. Did she really have to laugh that much over it?
Leo said something, Josie covering her mouth to cover her laughter.
Putting the cap on my thermos, I puffed my bangs off my forehead.
This was ridiculous. I wasn't just going to stand here like a jealous lump. Focusing on putting away my water thermos, I turned to Neena and Osten. "Hey, do you guys want to go ahead with me to the next clearing?"
"Sure!" Osten nodded, excited at the prospect of more plants to collects. Who knew he'd ever be interested in botany?
I looked over at Mom and Dad. "Hey, we're going to go ahead to the next clearing. It's just two miles up, if I'm remembering correctly."
Dad frowned, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Well, I don't know, Kaden-"
Mom put a steadying hand on his arm, smiling gently. "It's okay, Maxon. They'll be together. We'll catch up to them." Mom smiled at me. "Be careful, don't talk to strangers, and remember the markers."
I grinned back, nodding with a chuckle. "I make no promises on not talking to strangers."
I waited until Osten had a handful of ivy leaves and flowers before turning to the dirt path leading back. Neena and Osten caught up, the three of us leaving the clearing. I straightened my backpack straps, watching as the sun sparkled through the leaves overhead. A quick check of my phone confirmed that it was four o'clock. We'd get back in time for dinner.
"Kaden, will you help me put together a notebook of the plants when we get back? Neena's going to help me get information from Uncle Gerad on them," Osten said, looking up at me hopefully with eyes as blue as the sky around us.
I nodded. "Sure. As long as you're not going to try and prank me with poison ivy."
Osten blinked, cocking his head. "Genius. I hadn't even thought of that."
"Thanks, Kaden," Neena said dryly, tossing me a smile.
I grinned back, about to reply, before I heard two sets of footsteps behind us. Turning around, I froze, watching as Josie and Leo chased after us, the water thermos on Leo's bag clinking with the metal zippers.
"We're a group, guys. Were you trying to leave us behind?" Josie joked, tugging on her kerchief, beaming.
Maybe. I frowned guiltily.
"Sorry," Neena apologized. "We're just going to next clearing. You can walk with us."
I didn't say a word, Josie and Leo falling in step with us as we walked. They talked in low voices, debating something else. Neena joined in, giggling over their conversation that I didn't care to listen to.
The wind picked up, ferns fluttering. I let the breeze ruffle my hair, thankful for the cool respite from the heat. The forest was calm, the five of us walking along like there wasn't anyone else on Earth. I closed my eyes, letting myself imagine what this forest looked like back thousands of years ago, when sabre-tooth tigers and dire wolves roamed the land. If I focused enough and felt the sun on my skin, the cool breeze swirling around, and smelled the soft earth, it was like I was there.
"No!"
My eyes snapped open as I spun around, expecting to see a real dire wolf leap from the brush. Instead, I watched as Osten dashed off the path, tearing through the sea of ferns as the wind carried one of his plants away, a purple flower floating in the air.
"Osten, come back!" I yelled, taking off after him without a second thought.
"Kaden, wait!" Neena called behind me.
I didn't though, Osten running faster as he chased his plant, leaping up, trying to catch it. "My violet sample!" He took sudden turns, following the erratic path of the wind, flowing around trees and tall bushes.
Then, without warning, he vanished. I gaped, my eyes widening, as I stumbled to a halt. What-
A wail rose up from beyond the ferns, my heart sinking as I heard it. I moved forward, as fast as I could carefully, before I gasped, my feet slipping on a small drop-off. The ferns ended abruptly, a cliffside of dirt about eight feet high beyond. Besides the trees further away and on the hillside, open air stood in front of me.
Lying at the bottom of the hill, of the "cliff," Osten was splayed out, clutching his leg. Another wail melted into my consciousness, making me look for a way down.
Neena caught up to me with Josie and Leo not far behind. "What happened?" Neena asked, breathless, before she lowered her eyes and noticed my little brother. Her eyes widened in horror, probably identical to my expression.
Josie gasped, covering her mouth as Leo gaped. I glanced around the hillside before I noticed a tree perched on the edge. Its roots threaded through the soil and clay, tumbling halfway down the cliff. Without a word, I ran over to them, grabbing the rough roots as I lowered myself down. I held my breath, hearing Osten cry again, before I managed to get to the end of the root-rope.
I glanced down the last four feet, bracing myself before I jumped. Bending my knees as colors rushed past me, I hit the mossy dirt below before I ran to Osten's side.
"Osten, I'm right here," I said quickly.
He peeked open his eyes, tears sparkling as they spilled down his flushed cheeks. "My leg," he choked out, pulling himself into a ball.
I glanced at his leg, one of his hands clutching the other plants in a vice grip. My mind spun, already trying to remember all the first aid I knew. I had a small pack in my bag that Dad always made us carry when we went hiking. "Is it your shin? Your calf?"
Osten didn't respond, sucking in a rattling breath before he started crying. My heart clenched, watching him sob before I knelt, leaning over him. "Osten! You have to try and help me. What part of your leg hurts?"
"My ankle!" Osten cried. "My ankle."
I heard the thump of someone landing on the soil behind me before Neena ran over. Pulling my backpack off, I tore the zipper open, fishing around for the first aid kit. It barely had anything, but that was better than nothing - I hoped.
"Is his leg broken?" Neena whispered to me, kneeling in the dirt beside me.
"I don't know," I replied, trying to think more about what to do. "It's not a open fracture, at least, because then there'd be bone visible."
Neena gagged. Josie and Leo ran up beside us, silent in terror.
"Osten," I said, looking him in the eyes as best as I could. My heart squeezed seeing the tears in his eyes. "I'm going to look at your leg. I'll try and be gentle." Fishing out the plastic first-aid kit, I set it on the ground beside me before I looked at Neena.
"Talk to him," I muttered, muffled over Osten's sobs. I didn't want Osten to focus on his leg, and speaking with Neena could be a distraction.
She gave a shaky nod before glancing at my brother. "Hey, remember that time a couple of months ago, when we went and caught butterflies?"
I didn't listen for Osten's response, reaching for the hem of his olive pants. Be careful around his ankle. His ankle. I rolled up the material around his ankle gingerly, wincing when I saw his skin. My stomach roiled, making me turn away, taking in a breath of clear forest air.
Bracing myself, I glanced at Osten's ankle again. It had a deep purple bruise forming, yellow mixing in. His foot would probably be swelling soon, too. I shook my head. His ankle had to be broken. Panic seeped into my mind for a second, wrapping around my calm thoughts.
Osten fell off a hillside. He broke his ankle. Our parents think we're at the next clearing, safe and sound. They'd get there and see that we weren't around. Maybe they'd think we'd gone to the palace ahead of them, leaving us here.
"Leo," I said, my voice strained.
He appeared across from me in a flash, nodding, his hazel eyes alert. "Yeah?"
"See if you can find the trail again. If you don't remember, don't try. I don't want you to wander off," I said, swallowing. "We're too far from the path for anyone to hear us really well, but maybe we can still retrace our steps."
Leo nodded. "I'll try. Josie, do you want to go?"
I looked back at Osten, knowing she'd go - it would be reckless for Leo to walk off by himself. It didn't really matter, though. Osten was my focus - our focus.
Opening the first aid kit, my hope sank a little. There was just a few bandages, some ointment, sterile gauze, a bit of wrap, and tweezers as supplies. Absently, I made a mental note to put time into a quality kit before we went hiking again.
"Is there something we can use?" Neena asked me softly, placing a soothing hand on Osten's cheek.
I pulled out the little bundle of wrap, unwinding it. The cloth ran the length of my hand, nothing close to what we needed to wrap Osten's ankle. "No. We need something for a compression wrap to stop the swelling, but there isn't enough material - "
"Here," Neena said without a second thought. Shrugging off her jacket, she gripped the hem and ripped it open.
I flinched as the sound of popping thread. Neena handed my a jagged strip of lavender cloth, nodding. "Is that fine?"
Grabbing the soft fabric, I nodded. "Great."
General Leger had showed me how to wrap an ankle once. I couldn't remember if it would be the right way for a broken ankle, but it was the best we could do. "Talk to him again," I muttered to Neena, turning to look at Osten's skin.
Gulping down my squeamishness, I started wrapping the cloth around the middle of his foot like a band, moving the material to rest above his ankle bone. Trying to work as gently as possible (as Neena asked Osten what plants he'd found) I managed to roughly wrap his ankle, tightening it lightly. Making sure the ends weren't loose, I leaned back, taking a deep breath.
"You're going to be okay, Osten," I told him.
He sniffled, his big eyes flicking to me. "Am I bleeding?"
Underneath the skin, yes. "No." That wasn't a lie, right? Thankfully, there wasn't a puncture wound in his foot. "I wrapped your ankle. Neena gave me some cloth."
"It's the least I can do," Neena said sweetly, smiling at him. "You'll be just fine."
Osten stared up at Neena, something shifting in his expression.
Thump.
Thump.
I turned around, my pulse pattering expectantly as Josie and Leo jogged over to us, having jumped off the tree roots. Then I noticed the look on their faces, Josie's eyebrows puckered, her mouth quirked down. Leo seemed reluctant as he walked over to me, the bearer of bad news.
"You couldn't find the path?" I asked softly, as if I were afraid of hearing my own words.
Josie shook her head, blond hair shaking on her shoulders. "No. It's practically impossible to even know which way it is."
Neena and I exchanged a glance, gazing back at Josie and Leo. None of us spoke, the sounds of singing birds and wind rushing through trees occupying the space. But our thoughts were all the same.
We're lost.
Hey!
I'm sorry it took me so long to update, guys. Honestly, I am sorry. School has been hectic, life can be a little crazy, and for some reason I've had writer's block with this chapter.
I've been having trouble writing recently. :_( I'm not 100% positive why, but I'm hoping it passes. Anywho, I have a few ideas for what's going to happen next chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to write it more easily.
So, this chapter didn't have a lot of Kosie fluff in it (a little bit of fluff, yes, but not a lot.) This is a Josie & Kaden story, and so there WILL be some fluff next chapter. I'm already expecting myself to swoon. ;)
Thanks for all your support, it's SO sweet and it makes me very happy! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. What do you think will happen next? Poor Osten... And what do you all think of Leo? We all know that Josie doesn't end up with him, just so you don't freak out! :D
Thanks to our reviewers:
Roses323
Happygreenbirdy
boekenworm
Dauntlessprodigy46
LostAngelx123: Haha, exactly! I Sorry, I'll try to update a bit more regularly. School - and writing - is a little insane right now. XD Hm... Neena and Mark... Lets see, we have Meena and Nark, off the top of my head. I think Meena sounds better - Nark is just hilarious!
MysteryGal5
Guest: Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you like the story!
sarahwalkup
Alrighty, well, I hope you have a fabulous, glittery week FULL of blessings!
Bye, friends!
~Loveableheart
P.S. I keep calling Leo "Liam" and have to correct it!
