Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibanez

Author:Isabel Ibanez
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781645671336
Published: 2020-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

CAPÍTULO

Diecinueve

Chaska reluctantly motions for us to continue our journey. As we trek farther into the lush green land, my skin warms up. I welcome the heat. My teeth stop chattering, and I can feel my toes again. Even the jungle song warms my heart, the trill and chirps from birds filling the air.

But we do not slow, or linger. Chaska constantly looks over her shoulder.

“Manuel,” I mutter. “I don’t understand. What took them?”

He has no answer, and neither must our guide, because she, too, remains silent. We move at a brisk pace, and slowly, the sense of danger drops to a persistent thrum in my veins. It’s hard to remember the frigid cold when you’re sweating profusely. From somewhere above, a monkey follows our trek and occasionally drops fruit in front of my feet. Apples and oranges, a mango. I pick up each and smile up at the generous creature, with its walnut-colored fur and white ears.

I am enchanted.

The first bite of orange makes me groan. The tart flavor bursts in my mouth, and even as the mosquitos flutter in my face, they don’t lessen the enjoyment. I hand Manuel and Chaska a slice, and we eat orange after orange as we walk, the juice making our fingers sticky. The terrain slopes downward and my ears pick up the sound of running water. My stomach lurches. I’ve had enough adventures with water to last a lifetime.

We reach the sandbank, and I immediately search for caimánes. Chaska veers toward a thorny grove of plants with long leaves and stems, and then drags a canoe from within the tangled brush. It’s about as tall as Manuel, perhaps around six feet. There are three wooden benches inside. I help push the boat off the muddy bank, careful not to step a toe in the water. Chaska and I climb in from opposite sides. Manuel pushes us off then jumps inside. There are two oars tucked along the edge of the canoe, and when Chaska attempts to pass me one, Manuel holds out his hand instead.

“I’ll do it,” he says.

She shakes her head. “She’ll never learn if she doesn’t try.”

I take the oar. “I’ve paddled before.”

Chaska smiles. “Then you’ll only get better.” And then she dips the oar into the water, barely skimming the surface. After a few clumsy attempts, I manage to imitate her movements and we glide toward the middle of the river. A large shape leaps up from the depths and lands with a loud splash.

“Look!” I exclaim. Manuel leans outward, his hand curling over the slim railing, to see where I’m pointing as another one jumps out of the water.

“Pink river dolphins,” Chaska says. “Legend says they are the guardians of the underwater city of Encante.”

My jaw drops. “Does such a place exist?”

“Seeing as I cannot breathe underwater, it’s hard to know for sure,” she says wryly. “Those who are invited never return to the land.”

“Then how do you know that’s where they’ve been?”

“Because we have seen the pink river dolphin transform into a man.

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