‹ Prequel: Dark Tides
Sequel: Rising Shadows

Blurred Horizons

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Good morning, little monster."

Scarlett gushed over her daughter as she picked Gigi up out of the crib, who cooed and reached up for her as she was lifted out. She was a little heavier than Scarlett remembered her being the day before. She laughed softly as Gigi buried her face into Scarlett's blonde hair, babbling as Scarlett opened a drawer to pick out something perfectly pink and wonderfully frilly to dress her in.

Ben was still passed out in bed. He'd spent the entire night redrawing the map of the island itself, marking the exact path they'd taken before. The least Scarlett could do was let him sleep a little bit. She kissed Gigi on the cheek as she laid her back down on her empty side of the bed to change her and dress her, making sure Ben didn't stir. He did, however, when Gigi let out a lout squealing noise that startled him awake. Scarlett sighed, shaking her head.

"Oh, look what you've done," she said softly. "Go back to sleep, Ben, you need it."

"Huh?" he yawned. "No, no. I'm fine. No need to sleep in late."

His tired appearance said otherwise, but he refused to go back to sleep, scooping Gigi up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Scarlett watched them play together for a little bit, smiling as Gigi's giggles filled the room, but felt another tugging at her heart. She had been so scared, but Gemma had filled every hole Scarlett had in her heart, that Ben hadn't filled already. Like with him, she wouldn't have been able to breathe without her daughter near.

"Ben?" she said softly. "What if we don't come back?"

Ben paused and frowned, looking away from where Gigi sat in his lap and examined the buttons of his shirt that had been lying on the bed to look at Scarlett with an odd look on his face.

"We will come back," he promised her.

"But what if we don't?"

Ben looked back down at Gigi, kissing the top of her head and gently pulling the shirt away when she tried to put it in her mouth.

"Well," he sighed, "If that were to happen, in a tragic turn of events, then I'd say we send her back to London. There is no shortage of caretakers for her there. Your father alone has kept all of your things untouched. He'd take another little girl, especially his granddaughter. However, you needn't worry, because we'll be fine. Right? Madi, look at me and tell me you're not worried."

Scarlett looked up reluctantly and nodded, though she didn't say anything. Ben didn't push her, turning his attention back to Gigi as she started putting the shirt back in her mouth.

"No, don't eat that," he said, pulling it away from her again. "I haven't washed it. Otherwise I'd be wearing it."

"It must smell like you," Scarlett said, laughing softy. "Have you seen the way she nuzzles her face in my clothes?"

Ben pried the shirt from her little hands and sniffed it, wrinkling his nose before tossing it out of Gigi's sight.

"Come on now, Scarlett, I smell better than that," he said, standing up with Gigi in his arms. "Come along, my little monkey, let's find you a carrot to teeth on instead. You can't bite into it yet, but one day, it'll be very good for your eyesight."

Scarlett smiled and watched as Ben headed to the galley with Gigi, talking to her about things she couldn't yet understand. When they were gone, Scarlett moved back to Gigi's pink corner of the room, folding her little clothes and tucking them into the drawer. She had no shortage of pretty clothes, just like her mother. They were two little spoiled princesses, indeed. Scarlett had embroidered all her blankets with her name in silver thread, framed by dainty little flowers. She never thought her embroidery skills would have ever come to use when she was first learning them as a child, but now that she had a child of her own, she was glad to have a piece of her there for Gigi to have.

She jumped at the sudden knock on the door that interrupted her thoughts, spinning around to see Thomas standing there.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized.

"No, that's quite alright," she said.

"I've just come to let you know that we're ready to go when you and Ben are."

She nodded to him with a half smile. "Thank you. We'll be out soon."

Like he said, he and Doc were ready to get off the ship when she and Ben handed Gigi off to Stephen. This time around, Scarlett didn't want her entire crew coming with her. With a smaller group of people, they'd move much faster. Thomas was needed because of his extensive knowledge of the island, and Doc was needed in case someone were to get hurt, even if Ben didn't like it. He refused to agree until Scarlett pointed out that Doc coming would mean he'd be away from Gigi. She watched as Ben instructed poor Stephen on the exact position Gigi liked to be held, while the man awkwardly carried the baby that seemed extremely unimpressed by him.

"Ben, he can handle it," Scarlett sighed. "It's two days, at most."

He reluctantly stepped back, giving Stephen a warning look before following the group back onto the island, staying close to Doc to keep an eye on him. When they stepped onto the sand, Ben and Scarlett immediately looked at each other.

"Fond memories," Scarlett joked, though Ben didn't look amused.

"Let's just put the stupid amulet back and go," he grumbled.

She linked her arm with his and kissed his cheek as he read his map and led the way. This time around, they were much quicker about finding their way to the thick jungle before the island had time to change its mind and send them going in circles again. Ben tensed up every time those little creatures in the ground snapped at his ankles, leaving a little red welt.

"Do it for the baby," Scarlett reminded him.

"This is the last time I step foot on any 'magic' island," he grumbled.

"What on earth is that?"

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked to where Doc was staring with wide eyes. There were five much larger creatures hidden in the trees up ahead. They were feline creatures, the size of tigers, with emerald green fur, yellow eyes, and sharp fangs like a saber tooth.

"Just leave them be, and they'll leave us be," Ben said.

"I'm not so sure about that," Doc said. "They're growling."

Ben didn't seem very happy about Doc arguing with him, and Scarlett instinctively looked at the amulet she'd tied to her belt, seeing that the glowing was getting dimmer and brighter.

"I thought you said the amulet is protecting everyone," Doc said.

"The amulet is," she agreed. "The island itself, however, is a different story. Maybe... It doesn't want the amulet back."

The feline creatures growled and began circling around them, and they clustered together, eyeing the creatures as they closed in. The first one lunged at them with a snarl and Doc shot at it, getting it in the shoulder as it whimpered and fell hard. It only angered the other four, however.

"Spread out, it'll confuse them," Thomas said.

Everyone moved in different directions, and like Thomas said, the remaining two tigers looked overwhelmed by who they wanted to attack. One of them, who was closest to Scarlett, tried to pounce on her. She quickly drew her pistol and shot it, but she didn't see a second one coming towards her as the others fended off the last too. It clawed at her back, and she cried out in pain as she fell forward, the stinging pain and the feeling of blood dripping down her back blurring her vision. She flipped around helplessly to find that the feline was slowly coming towards her. She couldn't move. Something about the scratch wasn't right. The claws must have been poisonous. She was ready to be ripped to shreds when a blast of aether shot over her head and through the creature's skull. She turned weakly to see that Thomas was the one who'd saved her, giving him a grateful smile before she passed out from the pain.