36. Jasmine

Aflutter of nerves took flight in Jasmine"s stomach as Edgar brought the helicopter in for landing, the whirring blades kicking up a cloud of dust. That he could even land on that tiny patch of flat terrain was a miracle and a testament to his skill.

As Dagor slid the back door open, Jasmine leaned over and kissed Edgar"s cheek. "Be safe," she murmured next to his ear. She couldn"t hear herself over the engine noise, but she knew that he"d heard her.

Turning toward her, Edgar wrapped his leather-gloved hand over the back of her neck and kissed her hard. Passion mingled with desperation as he held on to her, and he didn"t let go until Dagor cleared his throat loudly enough to be heard over the engine noise. "Sorry, lovebirds, but we need to move."

"Be safe," Edgar said as he pulled back.

When Dagor lifted her from the craft, Edgar yelled, "Keep her safe."

"I will." Dagor ducked under the rotating blades.

While she and Edgar had been busy kissing, Aru and Negal had taken the equipment out, and as soon as she and Dagor reached them, Aru signaled to Edgar that he was good to go.

Edgar returned two thumbs up, and the helicopter lifted off a moment later.

They watched it climb for a long moment, and then Negal turned his back to them. "I"m ready." He crouched low to the ground.

"What"s that?" She pointed at the contraption on his back.

"A harness," Aru said. "That way, both your arms can be free. You don"t need to hold on to whoever is carrying you, and he doesn"t need to hold on to you, either. It is also less likely that any of us will drop you."

They had fashioned the harness from thick nylon straps that Jasmine couldn"t imagine where they could have gotten them from. The main part wrapped around Negal"s shoulders and chest, probably to distribute her weight more evenly and allow his arms to move freely.

They had added padded supports at the shoulders and waist, using foam to cushion against the pressure points. The design even included adjustable buckles, allowing the carrier to tighten or loosen the harness as needed.

"I can"t believe you made this," she said. "When and how?"

"We worked on it yesterday while you were resting," Dagor said as he lifted her into a sling-like seat made from the same material which dangled from the main frame of the harness.

When she was seated, Negal checked each buckle and strap to ensure everything was secure. Once satisfied that she was safely ensconced and comfortable, he stood up slowly, adjusting to the weight distribution before starting to walk.

"Thank you for making this ingenious thing for me." Jasmine patted the pocket with the scrying stick. "Now, I don"t need to cling to you like a monkey and can keep scrying on the way."

"You"re welcome," Aru said.

They set out in the opposite direction from the military base, picking their way carefully over the rocky terrain. They had started late in the day, and the sun was high in the sky by the time they reached a large boulder that seemed to mark the edge of some invisible boundary.

Aru called for a halt, and as Negal carefully lowered Jasmine to the ground, Dagor helped unstrap her from the harness.

"We will rest here for half an hour." Aru put down the two backpacks he was carrying and leaned them against the boulder on one side of her, while Dagor did the same with the packs he"d been carrying on her other side.

Half an hour was a long time for the gods, who did not need rest, and since she was being carried, she didn"t need rest either.

"Here." Aru handed her a canteen. "Drink."

She scrunched her nose. "Maybe I shouldn"t. I don"t want to have to go to the bathroom." Holding it for the entire trek was not feasible, but she intended to minimize bathroom breaks as much as possible.

"You need to drink." Aru crouched before her, shielding her from the sun with his body.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes but took a few sips before handing him the canteen back.

He smiled. "Now, that wasn"t so difficult, was it?" He was looking straight into her eyes. "It was a hard trek, and you are feeling very tired. Close your eyes for a few moments and take a short nap. It will do you good."

As her eyelids started to lower, Jasmine wondered why Aru wanted her to sleep. They were in the middle of nowhere, with danger lurking around every corner, and he wanted her to nap?

It was absurd.

Except, he was right. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue washed over her, and the heaviness in her limbs seemed to drag her down like an anchor.

She tried to lift her eyelids and glare at the god, but when they refused to obey her, it occurred to her that he was using his mind manipulation abilities to force her into unconsciousness for some reason.

The thought filled her with unease, and a prickle of fear traveled down her spine.

But there was nothing she could do. She couldn"t resist the inexorable pull of sleep. And as her mind slipped into darkness, Jasmine couldn"t help but wonder what secrets the gods were keeping from her.