Chapter 407

Because his legs refused to hold him any longer, he slowly crouched down, careful to appear to stay in control. He took another slow look around him, a small frown on his face. Why was he seeing everything through a veil, as if he were only half in his world and half in another?

He plunged his hand into the soil he had slept in, hoping that it would anchor him and keep him from the shadows. Just as he’d expected, the soil was terra preta, fertile black soil found among the poorer reddish clay or white sand in the rain forest.

Unlike the other soils of the rain forest, the terra preta maintained fertility. Finding the precious soil had been a deciding factor in his family’s decision to purchase the island.

He took handfuls of the precious dirt and packed the wounds on his belly and sides to keep from losing any more blood. Even with the soil in his hands, the large, lacy fronds darkened in color, turned from vibrant green to a drab gray.

His breath caught in h