Chapter 1
Zia, a 5'4 woman with ginger hair and hazel eyes, awoke to the rhythmic pulse of distant drums and the scent of herbs filling the air. Her curly hair, which fell eight inches from her shoulder, was damp against her neck.
She remembered standing on a cliff, listening to her professor talk about a scientific breakthrough—a rare stone found deep in the Amazon rainforest. Then, a sudden push. The memory was a sharp jolt, the sensation of falling, then the cold shock of the river.
But the ground beneath her was now soft moss, not rock, and the suffocating humidity of the Amazon was gone, replaced by a cool, fragrant breeze. Pain still rippled through her body, but the sharp agony had softened to a dull, healing ache. She tried to sit up, finding her arm bound in a splint of bark, the wound carefully wrapped.
A shadow fell over her, and Zia's breath hitched. Her eyes widened at the sight of the woman standing before her. She was tall—well over six feet—with broad, muscular shoulders and arms that spoke of raw power, yet she moved with uncanny grace. A cascade of blonde hair fell over one side of her head, while the other was shaved close to the scalp, giving her a fierce, almost untouchable appearance.
"You're awake," the woman said simply. Her voice was low and resonant, a rumble that seemed to vibrate through the small hut. She knelt, offering Zia a gourd of water. "Drink."
Zia hesitated, then took a sip, tasting the earthy coolness. "Where… am I?"
"The forest," the woman said, gently brushing Zia's damp hair from her face. Her hands, rough yet gentle, applied a fresh poultice to the splint. "You fell. The forest does not forget its fallen."
"I'm Zia. I'm a geologist. I fell…"
The woman's dark eyes, flecked with grey, studied her intently. "I am Lena," she said, her voice calm and measured. "You are lucky the forest found you."
"You can understand me?" Zia asked.
Lena nodded. "Someone like you found their way to our village once. She taught us."
"I need to go back," Zia said, her voice laced with desperation.
"You can never go back," Lena replied, her tone final. "The river brought you to this side of the Amazon. No one can leave, and no one can find you either."
As Lena tended to her, a strange warmth spread through Zia—a mix of gratitude and something more. Lena's hands were efficient, strong, and yet so careful. When she reached to adjust the splint, her fingers brushed against Zia's chest, a brief, accidental touch that sent a jolt through her. Lena's expression remained unreadable, her touch professional, and she didn't linger. Still, Zia's heart fluttered, a confusing mix of emotions stirring within her as she tried to process the encounter.
The way Lena moved—efficient, strong, yet careful—sent a curious warmth through Zia. There was something in the way she looked at her, fleeting and unreadable, that made Zia's heart flutter, even though she barely knew her."