The Van Alen Legacy

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Mimi said. “Like we’ve come too late.” The note had been dated four days ago. The little girl’s words echoed in her mind. Bad people. They took her away.

The cab driver took them to the parking lot by the entrance near the Cascatinha de Taunay waterfalls, which was as far as he could take them. The parking lot was a small plateau ringed by the tallest trees Mimi had ever seen. They had a panoramic grandeur, the kind of natural beauty you only saw in movies, so tall and green and wide they looked unreal.

She stepped out of the cab and took a deep breath of the clear mountain air. It almost had a taste—like dew and sunshine mixed with an earthy green smell. Mimi looked around—there were several decent-looking trails, but they disappeared sharply up the mountain, twisting away to what looked like some sharp rocks. It looked like it would be a pretty arduous trek, no matter what, and she cursed her vanity once more. If only she had worn the regulation shoes. She was never going to make it up that trail in her high-heeled boots.

There were several battered-looking Jeeps whose drivers were trying to entice the small groups of day-trippers and hikers to hire them for the day. But Kingsley had read Mimi’s mind and nixed the idea before she could even suggest it. “No, let’s not put anyone else at risk,” he said. “Silver Bloods think of humans as sport. A guide would only make our mission more vulnerable.”

Fine, she thought. It’s been forty-eight hours since we left the hotel. Forgive me if I want to ride instead of hike. Even vampires got exhausted if you pushed them too hard. Meanwhile, the Lennox brothers had found a naturalist guide.

“Fastest way to the hidden falls?” The guide was so deeply sunburned his skin was mahogany. He had a British accent, and explained that he was part of the Natural Geographic Society. “Best way is probably up the Pico trail; there’s an unmarked path through the woods that you can follow through the jungle. But it’s a pretty strenuous climb. Sure you don’t want to hire one of the Jeeps? The Taunay falls are right here. They’re just as spectacular. . . . No? All right, then, good luck. Park closes at sunset, so make sure you’re back here by then.”

Mimi looked down at her feet. She knew what she had to do. She sat on a fallen log, took off her boots, and chopped off the spike heels with her blade, wincing a bit at the destruction. Then she put them back on. Much better. She took a big gulp of water from her plastic bottle, wishing not for the first time that she was on that beach in Capri.

“Catch!” Kingsley said, throwing her something.

It was a small bottle of coconut water. “What’s this for?” she asked, pressing down on the tab. She took a sip. Surprisingly refreshing.

“Found it at the gift shop,” he said. “I know it’s not a limoncello, but I hear it’s really good for you.”

Why did he always seem to know what she was thinking? She was annoyed and grateful at the same time, a strange combination of feelings.

They set a quick pace, soon leaving most of the other hikers on the main trail behind, and reached the mountaintop in short order. The air was so quiet, it was like entering a sort of natural church. From the top they could see all the way across the city, down to the coastline. It was a magnificent and awe-inspiring view.

“This must be that path the guide was talking about,” Kingsley said, leading them through the shrouded greenery to the other side of the hill. “I think I can hear the water.”

Mimi stopped and listened. She heard it too: a rushing, whooshing sound—just slightly audible and probably miles and miles away. Walking downhill was easier; they were almost gliding—one of the advantages of the vampire agility. They hiked in silence into the dark, desolate heart of the jungle, trusting the map to lead them. The heat was oppressive and overwhelming, the air so humid it was almost like breathing underwater. The dense vegetation was primordial, the tree roots looking like the claws of an immobilized beast, the sky completely covered by a canopy of green, and everywhere, the rustling sound of animals in flight. Mimi glimpsed one or two of the wildly colored macaws, but was disappointed she didn’t see any monkeys.

Finally they came to a clearing that opened up to the hidden waterfalls, just as the map directed. A torrent of water ran down through rocks, an elemental, awe-inspiring majesty rushing down to a swirling river that ribboned through the jungle.

“According to the map we’ll have to cross the river to get to the bank on the other side,” Kingsley said, untying his laces and removing his shoes.