Blind the Stars (Rose of the Dawn Series Book 3) by Ily Maguire Page B

mile,” Ezekiel says and points up
ahead. What looks like a blue horizon is the reflection of the sky in the
ocean. It spreads out before us as the land beside us narrows. I don’t glance
back, but can feel Pike’s presence behind me. The breeze is warm on my
shoulders and I can smell sweetness all around.
    “I
can’t wait to rest,” I say envisioning comfortability disguised as a hidden
safe house.
    “It’s
just up ahead.” Ezekiel says again. “See how the land narrows and then just out
toward the horizon.”
    I
look out. The horizon hasn’t changed and the water doesn’t seem any closer. The
sun beats down and my body is having a difficult time regulating the
temperature of my bionic arm. Instead of cooling it down, it’s heating up and
I’m nervous. It’s hot to the touch and I worry that I may be doing damage to my
shoulder. I can’t feel anything on that side of my chest. My feet have begun to
tingle, though I may be imagining that.
    And
then, as I focus my vision, I can see exactly what he is pointing to. It looks
like a land bridge.
    “There’s
a path we’re going to follow up and over.” Ezekiel hikes up and over to the
left. The trees from the forest are now behind us. “The stream dumps into the
ocean just up ahead and the land bridge separates the ocean from a reservoir.”
    Pike
is beside me now. The speck on the horizon gets closer. “The land bridge goes over
the Sunken City to Lye Island. The safe house is on the island.” We walk
side-by-side. His pace matches mine, which still lags behind Ezekiel.
    “The
city was flooded to create the reservoir. It would be used during drought to
water the territories. You can see the old clock tower when it gets low enough.
It sticks out of the center,” Pike informs me. Ezekiel is too far ahead. I stop
walking. It’s hot.
    “Hey
Zeke, slow down,” Pike calls, his hand on my lower back guides me out of the
direct sun and into the shade. Under a lone willow tree that overhangs the widening
streambed.
    “Thanks.”
I lean down on my knees, taking deep breaths in and out. My feet definitely
burn, but I won’t take off my boots.
    “You
okay?” Pike asks as I wipe my brow.
    “I’m
okay. The pace was just – I’m just hot. I’ll be fine.”
    “I’m
sure you will.” Pike grins and his smile warms me. And then he puts his hand on
my head and rubs my hair. Like a brother. If I had a brother. He pulls his hand
away, as if he’s shy all of the sudden. It doesn’t matter.
    A
low hiss in the weeds behind us, warns us away and I get up. There is sea grass
all around. Light grey and off white with a bit of blue, it’s tall and unkempt.
No human evidence whatsoever.
    Ezekiel
returns to us. He takes some water from a canteen he had strapped to his back and
offers it. Pike shakes his head, but I accept and take a sip. I hand it back
and Ezekiel takes an even bigger swig.
    “We
cross the bridge. We stay along the middle of the path. We’ll have to move fast,”
Ezekiel says.
    “Move
fast,” I repeat. I’ll have to pull out the last bit of energy my legs have
left. I ignore the throbbing pain in my feet and hope for numbness.
    “The
tide comes up in forty minutes,” Ezekiel says looking at his wrist. “When the
tide comes in, it’ll cover the land bridge with water. It doesn’t go back out
again until the tide recedes days later.”
    “Days?
We can’t stay out there for days. We have to find my sisters.” If I had known
how long we’d be stuck here, I wouldn’t have gone so willingly.
    “We
can get off the island,” Ezekiel says. “It’s just easier to get to the other
side and then plan to leave again with the tide, but we can leave sooner if we
need to. There are still other ways on and off the island.”
    “Then
let’s go.” I head for the only speck of land on the horizon. “I’m ready.”

11
    The
land bridge doesn’t look like much. More like a little grassy hill that goes up
from the sandy shores of the water on either