“I’m not leaving. I’m staying with Aditsan,” she replied in a mutinous tone.
Mother cannot calm him. You must come home, Angeni, her sisters warned.
She stood still and closed her eyes. The rumble of displeasure deep within the earth matched the one above. Her father was furious. A tremble of unease swept through her.
I love him, she whispered, hoping her father would accept her decision.
Beneath her feet, the ground began to shake. Fear for Aditsan filled her. She dropped the wood she had collected, opened her eyes, and turned back in the direction of the campsite where she had left Aditsan peacefully sleeping. If her father created an earthquake, there was a chance that rocks from the cliff might fall.
All sorts of horrible images filled her mind as she raced back to the campsite. Relief flooded her when she saw him down near the riverbank. She slowed until she was walking at a quick pace.
“Aditsan, you are awake,” she said with a trembling smile.
The smile on her lips faded when she saw the panic in his eyes. She rushed forward when he opened his arms for her. They held each other as if they would never let go.
“I was afraid you’d disappeared when I didn’t see you,” he murmured in a slightly unsteady voice.
“No, I wanted to restart the fire before you woke,” she said.
He brushed a kiss across her lips and smoothed the loose strands of hair back from her face. She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his palm. The warmth of his body felt good.
“Let me help you,” he said.
She nodded, pushing away her fear of her father’s anger. When she was with Aditsan, she felt whole. He healed her soul.
They walked back to the spot where she dropped the wood and retrieved it. She ignored the worried whispers of her sisters. She handed him the firewood and picked up the basket of food. The ground trembled under her feet and she swayed.
“Look out,” Aditsan shouted.
He grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground and carried her a few feet out into the open. They watched as small chunks of rock rained down on the campsite. He jumped back when several larger rocks fell into the fire and sent out a shower of hot embers.
“Stop!” Angeni cried out, pulling out of his arms.
“Angeni?” he asked, confused.
She looked up at the sky. “Father, please!” she called.
“Father? Angeni, what is it?” he demanded, gripping her arms.
She twisted to face him. Tears glistened on her cheeks in the early morning light. She flung her arms around his neck and held him.
“He’s angry. I’m afraid he will hurt you,” she whispered.
His arms tightened around her. “Come with me,” he said, pulling back far enough so he could see her face. “Come with me. We’ll leave here.”
“It won’t matter where we go. Father will find us,” she said in a voice touched with despair.
“We have to try,” Aditsan insisted, refusing to give up.
The sky above them rumbled and dark clouds began to form. Angeni could feel her father’s fury building. She gripped Aditsan’s hand and nodded.
She followed Aditsan as he led her to the path along the cliff. The sky grew darker the higher they climbed. The mournful winds of her sisters pulled on her hair and clothing. She stumbled and almost fell when the ground violently shook once more.
“Hold on to me,” he instructed, gripping the side of the cliff to keep from sliding on the loose gravel.
Angeni looked up at the sky. She knew they would never make it to the top. Thick droplets of rain began to fall. Soon, a small river of water ran down along the path, loosening the soil and eroding the edge of the narrow ledge.
Horror gripped her when the ground under Aditsan’s feet dissolved and he fell. She frantically reached out and grabbed his arms. The combination of rushing water and sediment made his skin slick and he began to slip.
“Hold on,” she cried.
The weight of his body pulled on her. She tangled her fingers in the material of his shirt, desperately seeking a way to hold on to him. More of the path gave way, slipping down the side of the cliff. The ground trembled beneath them and they both looked up when they heard the rumble of rushing water.
“Flash flood! Let me go,” Aditsan harshly ordered.
“No!” she whispered, shaking her head.
“Angeni… let me go,” he said in a gentler tone.
“Aditsan,” she whimpered, his damp shirt slipping from her grasp.
“I love you,” he said, staring into her eyes.
Tears blinded her. This was her fault. She had dared to love a human and this was her punishment. She lifted her head and stared up at the angry sky.
Father, let me save him and I will return. Please, just let me save him and I will come home, she promised.
She returned her gaze to Aditsan’s face. He stared at her, the power of his love shining like a beacon in the night. The flood waters poured over the edge of the cliff before it parted on either side of them. Her tears mixed with the rain.
“I love you, Aditsan. I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
“Angeni…. No! No!” he cried out.
“Sleep, my warrior,” she softly commanded.
Aditsan fought her command, but it was no use. Pain filled her when she saw his eyelashes close and his body went limp. The weakness seeping through her body disappeared. She slowly pulled him back onto the cliff path and cradled him in her arms.
Around them, the trembling earth settled and the sky cleared. The earth under them healed. The wall of water seeped into the ground and wildflowers suddenly filled the cracks, knitting the ground back together. She whispered to her sisters and the wind swept down and helped her carry Aditsan back to their pallet of blankets. Her brother lit a fire for Aditsan while her sisters cleaned and dried their bed.
Angeni ran her hand down over Aditsan’s sleeping form, cleaning his clothes and body, and healing the bruises left from his fall. Her expression softened when he murmured her name in his sleep. She leaned forward, cupped his cheeks between her hands, and pressed a light kiss to his lips.
“I love you, my warrior,” she murmured before she rose to her feet. “Goodbye, Aditsan.”
Her heart was breaking. She felt that she would never truly be happy again. How could she heal the earth when her own heart was beyond repair? With a cry of despair, she sank down into the earth near Aditsan—returning to the soil where she belonged.
Chapter 10
Aditsan woke to the sound of a helicopter. He sat up and shielded his eyes. A shout from the cliff above drew his attention and he pushed off the ground to stand. He looked down at the ground and swayed. He was standing on a pallet of brightly colored blankets. Memories flooded through his mind and he gripped the wall.
His dazed eyes swept over the campsite. There was no evidence of the earthquake or the flash flood. In fact, the area looked even better than it had before. A carpet of wildflowers covered the ground. The songs of birds were intermingled with the annoying sound of the helicopter.
“Aditsan, thank goodness you are alright,” a voice exclaimed.
He looked up when he heard the familiar voice of his executive secretary. George, followed by half a dozen men, hurried toward him. Confusion filled him when he saw all the men. He looked up when the shadow of the helicopter flew over.