Every nerve in my body was awake and stressed as we rode along the beach. There was absolutely nobody here, which gave me very eery vibes. Grant explained that their ports were further north to keep away from the strong tides of the waterfall–which is gorgeous–but it didn't do anything to relax me.
"Are you sure she's here?" I asked him.
"I'm very sure."
"How, though? You never told me how you know about Zena or how you know she's here."
"I came to see her after my father passed."
"But how did you know she was here?"
"There's a village not far from here that's very familiar with her. They only send those that they believe are genuine to her."
"Why did you come see her?"
"I wanted her to help make the pain a little more bearable."
"And did she?"
"No."
Okay, well... "Why do you think she'll be willing to help me?"
"This isn't part of life. You aren't supposed to be here."
"That's why she wouldn't help you..."
"She doesn't believe in upsetting the 'natural course' as she put it."
"I'm sorry."
He nodded slightly. "It was probably for the best."
"Would she have helped if you had been like... stabbed or something? Is bleeding to death part of the 'natural course'?"
He finally broke out into a laugh as he shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Aston. Let's hope I never have to find out."
"Definitely."
We came to a stop at the bottom of the cliff, and Grant got off his horse, so I did the same. I didn't follow him when he started walking closer to the waterfall, though.
"Where exactly is she?"
"Behind the water."
"All the time?"
"No, of course not."
"Yeah, because that would be the craziest part about all of this."
He grinned and held his hand out. "Do you trust me?"
I groaned. "Not fair, Aladdin is one of my favorites."
"I'm sorry?"
"Nothing," I said, a small smile on my face as I took his hand. "The horses will be okay, right?"
"I promise."
I didn't think his smile could get any bigger, but it did when he heard my relieved sigh.
He led me closer to the wall and I watched as he stepped onto a small edge. I'm torn between wishing I would've done rock climbing, and also being thankful that I didn't. It was slightly terrifying, then borderline crippling when I saw the opening to a cave about eight feet above my head.
"Grant... I don't know if I can do this."
"Look at me, Aston."
I squeezed my eyes closed and shook my head. "No, I can't."
"Aston."
"I really don't–"
"Aston."
His stern tone made me look at him. "You survived meeting my mother, you can do anything."
I smiled and he did the same. It did exactly what he intended, relaxed me. I started moving and he jumped down just to climb on below me. I focused only on my next move and before I knew it, I was there, climbing into the surprisingly well lit cave. It had a lot to do with the lanterns and candles that were everywhere.
I couldn't help but reach out to the water. It felt warm, but not too warm that it wouldn't help on a hot day. It was perfect. I was still running my hands through it when I felt Grant's hand on my hip.
"I'll greet her first, then I'll come back and get you."
I turned briefly to look at him, and nodded, then furrowed my brows when I swore he leaned in. He stopped himself before fully committing to whatever he had planned on, then swiftly walked further into the cave. I let myself feel curious and confused for a second before turning back to the fall. I wanted to strip everything off and jump into the clear water. I was so close to giving in, but realized I had to keep my priorities straight. We're here to help me get my memories back and find a way to get me home.
I hate when I'm reasonable.
It was a few minutes before I heard Grant's footsteps again, and when I turned to look at him, he was wearing his show-stopping grin. One more like that and I'll probably start swooning for him. Secretly. Obviously.
"Zena's ready for you."
He took my hand before I could say anything and led me down the lantern lined path. When we got to where Zena was, the first thing I noticed was how open it was, mainly due to the giant hole above our heads. The second thing I noticed was a ladder.
"Are you serious bro? I just climbed a hundred feet on rock that wasn't all that dry and there was a ladder this whole time?"
"I told you you had to work for it."
"You're right, Your Highness, she's not from here."
That was almost enough to make me forget about the lack of accent that came from Grant. Almost. "What happened to your weird posh accent?"
He was smiling again, but this one was less confident and more awkward. "I've been spending too much time with you, Aston. Your strange informal accent is wearing off on me."
Before I could get a chance to respond, he was looking at Zena. Beautiful, caramel skinned Zena with dark eyes and hair that was held up by pins and a braid.
"You're sure you can help her?"
"Of course."
I noticed she was already putting things in small bags, and when she saw me staring, she smiled, bringing a softness and kindness to her eyes.
"They're just herbs that will help you remember what you've forgotten."
"And how will we know how to get her home?"
When she was done packing things, she held her hands out. "Here."
I glanced at Grant, but he seemed to trust her, so I stepped forward, despite being a little reluctant.
Zena took one of my hands in both of hers, then lightly traced over my palm with a finger as she hummed. It was pretty and soothing, and was hopefully doing something helpful. Which it must've been, because it was only a few seconds before she opened her eyes again.
"You'll get home the same way you arrived."
"I don't suppose you know how I arrived here."
She threw a look towards Grant, then shrugged when she looked at me again. "I'm sorry, but all I'm getting are images of deep water."
I tried not to sound too disappointed and ungrateful when I asked, "That's it?"
"Unfortunately. The herbs will be of more use than any other magic."
"Thank you. At least it's a start."
She nodded and passed the small pouches to me. "Drink one pouch a day, starting when you return to the castle. Five years and five days. It's strong magic, so be careful and be sure to rest."
"I understand."
"If there's anything else you need, feel free to return."
I just gave a small nod, then started walking towards the ladder. I was pretty sure I heard Grant following me, but I was too lost in thought to really notice. I guess I was just hoping for something a little more concrete. I wanted answers, but I'm still playing the waiting game.
It was a few minutes before we reached the horses, and only one more before we were back on the road to Grant's castle. He seemed content with the silence, and I think I might've been too. My mind was swarmed with a million questions I was dying to ask. Instead, it was filled to the brim with possibilities. Matin is practically surrounded by water, and I can only imagine the amount of rivers going through it. How am I ever going to find the right spot? I'll be here for months probably. Maybe even a year considering how long it takes to get around. The hope of going home was getting further and further away and it was crushing me.
Before I knew it, we were at our campsite, getting a fire going and laying out blankets. I still hadn't said one word to him, even as he offered me food. He was steadily growing concerned by the time I fell asleep without so much as a whisper of "goodnight". In the morning I might've said hello, or something to that effect, but I don't really remember. I'd set my focus to getting back to the castle as quickly as possible so I could start the process. Grant could see that, and instead of stopping at Jasper and Sienna's, we went a little further and camped instead. Our trip home seemed to be going by a lot faster than when we were leaving. Needless to say, when I saw that castle on the hill, I nearly set Midnight into a run.
I didn't. I held back, but man did I want to. When we stopped and dismounted, I started searching for the pouches, but Grant found them faster and withheld them when I reached for them. I pouted, but he only smiled and gently squeezed my shoulder.
"You go to your room and start resting, I'll bring the tea to you and some dinner. It's been hours since you've eaten anything."
"I'm fine, Grant, I promise. Let me do it."
He shook his head and nudged me inside. "No, I'm personally seeing to it."
I groaned, but went inside anyway. I mean, it's not like I know where the kitchen is to begin with, but it's hard giving up control. This is too important and I don't want him to mess it up. However, he's just as stubborn as I am, so there was no winning.
When I got to my room, I immediately got rid of the clothes I had been wearing and wrapped myself in a robe. I was momentarily distracted when I went into my now fully stocked closet. There were so many beautiful dresses and I found myself wanting to put all of them on. I reached for one of them just as I heard a door open, so the dress was forgotten and I went to my bed. I was so excited to see that little teacup, and nervous of course. There's always the possibility that it won't work.
Grant waited until I was settled before putting the tray over my lap, and stopped me when I reached for the cup. "Eat first, okay? I don't know the effects the tea will have and I want you to be strong enough to handle it."
I was going to argue with him, but the chicken looked amazing, so I dug in. When he was satisfied that I was actually going to listen, he got up and straightened his jacket.
"I have things I need to tend to, so this is goodnight for me."
"Goodnight," I mumbled between bites. I didn't see him leave but I swore I heard a laugh.
When I was done, I drank my tea, surprised by how sweet it tasted, then put everything aside. I curled up under the blankets and quickly drifted off to sleep. The last thought I had was wondering how it works and if it would. Then I was dead to the world.