Chapter 66

　　The Gift

　　“Imara! Slow down. Baby, please wait for me!” The cool forest air bit at his lungs as he ran along the dirt path after Imara. No matter how hard he tried to reach her, she was always a few steps ahead.

　　Once he got past the tall stone guardians at the gate, he followed her scent down a cobblestone road to a harbor. She sat on an old wooden dock with her feet dangling in the water, watching the ships sail off into the fiery sunset beyond the horizon.

　　A gust of wind caught her hair, the scent of warm apple pie slapped him in the face.

　　“Imara!” Ben shot up in bed and looked around the room lit only by the stormy Savannah morning that awaited him on the other side of the curtains.

　　“No, not with this ugly mug, I’m not.” The familiar Norwegian accent cut through the dark room before he switched on the lights.

　　With his eyes shut, Ben shook his head and collapsed back to his pillow. “Haldir? Of all the faces I have to see when I wake up.”