Chapter 115

I look around. I only see trees and thick undergrowth, but I can hear machinery, banging and shouting in the distance. The sounds and smells of construction drift towards us on the breeze. I throw my head back and sniff the air. Despite the slight tinge of diesel, sweat, and dust, it smells cleaner here, without the ever-present scent of decay clinging to the place. “I love it,” I say.

He nods and shifts to human, a huge smile on his face. “Wait here. I’ll get clothes.”

I sit down and look at my surroundings. It’s not like Mountain Fire. The trees and undergrowth are very different here. Tropical is the only word I have to describe it. And there’s a saltiness in the air. I wonder how far away we are from the ocean.

Dressed in shorts, Edric comes stumbling back, almost falling over some kind of creeper. Grinning at his own clumsiness, he hands me a dress. I recognise it as the dress I wore on my first day at Mountain Fire. Tears fill my eyes, but I quickly blink them away. I’m sure