“So someone is really going to come for them?” I stared Calvin right in the eye. I needed an honest answer.
“Yes. Does that mean you are ready?”
“Why not?”
***
The trip through the mountains took less than a day, exactly as Calvin had promised. I’d almost had to take him up on the offer to carry me, not because I was tired, but because Henry kept freaking me out about snakes. I might have been attuned to animals, but snakes still terrified me. Something about the way they moved and hid in the brush freaked me out more than a much larger animal would.
The sun was high in the sky, but the heat lessened the further we got from the desert. I started to understand the appeal of hiking. The walking was relaxing when I let go of everything else.
I gaped as we came to the exit of the mountain pass. On the other side lay swamps that went on for miles, a bayou with cypress trees and moss. Houses seemed to float on the murky water.
We walked closer, and I got a better look. The village consisted of at least a dozen pieces of land floating on the surface of the giant swamp. Nothing connected them. “What is this place?”
“The Bashan Swamp. The only swamp I know of here at least,” Henry replied.
“Are you ready to tell us what Ruth told you about the scroll?” Liam asked, his first words to me all day.
“Just that it was a scroll that wasn’t really a scroll.”
“A scroll that is not a scroll?” Henry adjusted the straps of his pack. “What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“In other words, we don’t know what we’re searching for?” Liam’s tone was surprisingly nice.
“Not a clue.”
Liam laughed. “This is never going to be easy, is it?” I wondered if he meant defeating Blake, or us.
“What in life is easy?” Calvin took my hand, gently rubbing his thumb over mine. “Do you have any suggestion of where we should start?”
“No, but maybe this is one of those times that it’s worth just asking for help.”
Henry bent to tie his boot. “Asking who?”
“There have to be people here. Maybe they know.” I squinted, hoping to catch sight of someone near one of the homes.
Liam shrugged. “I guess anything is worth a try.”
Henry wrinkled his brow. “The Bashani people are known to be reclusive. They are rarely seen outside of their swamp.”
I brushed off his concern. “That just means they know the swamp well.” Then I saw another problem. “But how do we get there?” There were no bridges as far as I could see, and although I’d made an ice bridge before, I wasn’t sure how to make a bridge in a swamp. An algae bridge didn’t sound particularly strong.
Calvin squeezed my hand. “We swim.”
“No way.” I shuddered. The algae bridge sounded better than getting in that swamp. “Have you looked at that water?” Swimming was fine and all, but not in that. The dark brown water had who knew what lurking beneath the surface.
Calvin put his arm around my shoulders. “It is not ideal, but I do not see another solution. We have come too far to give up.”
“She wasn’t suggesting we give up.” Liam smiled. Speaking to me and smiling? Maybe he didn’t hate me as much as I thought.
“Let’s get this over with.” I stepped toward the edge of the murky water. “Do you think there are alligators in there?”
“There are far worse things than alligators,” Henry said offhandedly.
“Excuse me? Worse than alligators?”
“He’s only trying to rile you up. Right, Henry?” Liam nudged Henry’s arm.
“Yeah. Right.” Henry was anything but convincing, but stalling wasn’t going to make it any better.
I let out a deep breath. “I can do this. I’m the Essence. Dealing with a swamp shouldn’t faze me.”
Calvin chuckled. “That is the spirit.”
“All right.” I towed Calvin along as I stepped into the water. “Ick.” The water quickly penetrated my boots and pants.
“With that resounding response, I’m ready for this.” Liam came over to my other side.
“I am coming.” Henry remained one step behind us as we continued to wade into the waist-deep water.
Green floating algae clung to my clothes, as I tried to avoid the plants that I might become tangled in. The only saving grace was that the water was luke-warm. I’d been afraid it would be cold. We moved forward slowly, trying not to lose our balance on the uneven ground. All my relief over the temperature disappeared moments later.
“Ack!” I grabbed Calvin’s arm with both hands.
He stiffened. “What is wrong?”
I tried to slow my breathing, but I was about to flip out. “Something has my leg. There is something on my leg.”
“What does it feel like?” Calvin asked calmly.
“I don’t know! It’s gross and slimy!”
“Do not move.” Calvin pulled out some sort of hunting knife. I’d had no idea he was carrying it.
I eyed the blade nervously. “What are you going to do with that?”
“Liam, will you hold Charlotte so she does not jump?”
“Sure.” Liam put his hands on my shoulders, his body inches from mine, reminding me of how close we’d been the day before.
“Why does he have to hold me?” The heat from Liam’s body momentarily distracted me from whatever was wrapped around my leg.
“So you do not move and get cut.” Calvin leaned over and grasped my ankle. Moments later, he rose, holding something I could only describe as a half-amphibian, half-fish thing. Green and slimy, it was downright gross-looking.
“Ugh, get that away from me!”
He tossed it a distance away from us.
“What if it comes back?” I asked
Henry chuckled. “It’s not the only—”
Liam punched Henry’s arm. “Would you like a piggyback ride, Charlotte?”
I looked at Calvin. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“I assume that means you want to ride on someone’s back?” Calvin smiled.
“Maybe.”
He reached out a hand, and he helped me on to his back. “That should keep any unwanted creatures away.” If I wasn’t imagining things, he was looking at Liam as he said it.
We continued wading until we came to the first piece of land. The house on it looked rustic, made of trees and other natural materials, but very well put together. Calvin put me on the solid ground. I was just about to examine my leg to check for a bite or bruise when I was grabbed from behind.