The boy gazed up at Adroa mutely, his tiny fingers curling around the leafy golden crown. A sudden eerie feeling stole through Adroa. He felt the presence of his ancestors in the shafts of light penetrating the canopy above. Many thousands of years ago, his people had lived in this jungle. They’d built great cities among the trees, and the cave had held their sacred treasure. All of that had been a myth to Adroa until he’d set foot in the cave with Holt and the others a few weeks ago. The glint of gold beneath their pale flashlight beams had almost blinded him. And he’d sensed the anger of the ancient ones in the cave, felt their righteous fury deep within his blood and bones. But they were dead, dead and gone, and had no use for treasure now.
Perhaps it was his imagination, or perhaps it wasn’t, but he was sure that he heard a whispered warning among the trees as he left the crashed plane. The whispers murmured that a ghost would rise, crowned in gold, a lord of the jungle returning to avenge his family.
Adroa stumbled back and raced into the jungle to catch up with Holt and the others. He tried to banish the image of that child from his mind, but he knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life.
2
Half a mile away from where the Haywoods’ plane had crashed, a band of gorillas paused at the rush of strange noises in the distance. The rapid sounds were harsh and violent to their ears. Their leader, the silverback Mukisa, had been far ahead of them, scouting the unfamiliar area to ensure their safety. But Mukisa had not returned.
Keza, a young adult female, carried her new infant Akika, one of Mukisa’s children, in one arm as she followed the others, trailing Mukisa’s scent.
The smell of blood now drifted to them on the wind, and the band grew agitated. Keza held her child tight, ready to run or climb to protect her baby. They continued to track the scent deep into the jungle until they came upon Mukisa’s body. He lay facedown, one black palm reaching out in the dirt.
Keza was the only one brave enough to approach her mate’s body. She touched his fingers, feeling the coldness, the unnatural stiffness already settling into him. She prodded at his shoulder next, but she knew, as all animals did, that her mate was gone. Their leader was dead.
Sunya, one of Mukisa’s younger sons, came forward and grunted softly, declaring himself the new dominant male. He faced no opposition. He led them forward, in the direction Mukisa had been taking to reach the river, where they could find water.
Strange new smells filled Keza’s senses—an animal she did not recognize, along with an acrid burning scent that left her jittery and anxious for the safety of her infant, Akika. They soon entered a clearing where a great white shape lay in the underbrush.
A sharp cry came from within the white mass. Most of the gorillas stepped back, pressing their knuckles hard against the ground, ready for an attack. The cry came again, and something deep in Keza’s breast tightened. This was the cry of a child. A cry for help. Her mothering instincts were strong with her first child, and she would respond to any call in need. She approached the white shape alone, still cradling her sweet Akika to her chest. When the cry came again, Keza pushed her way carefully into the dark hole.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she halted as her nose picked up the scent of death again, and that strange animal smell she didn’t recognize. She moved closer. It was a sound of distress, not unlike her own babe’s feeble cries.
A white-faced creature was looking at her, its eyes blue like the sky. Keza tilted her head, puzzled. She had never seen a creature like this. It had no hair covering its body, just some on the top of its head. The babe held out something that glinted in the dying light, but that object held no interest to Keza. She hooted softly at the baby creature and reached a finger toward it.
The child dropped the shiny object and curled tiny fingers around her thick black digit. In that instant, Keza bonded with the strange child. She reached for him, curving her other arm around his small body, and nestled him beside her little Akika. The child shifted, sniffled, and then grew quiet. She could hear his belly growl with hunger.
Sunya might not wish for this infant to stay in their band since he was not Sunya’s child, but she was older than Sunya and fierce with a mother’s love. She would kill him if he tried to harm either of her sons. Even across species, a mother and child could love without question. There were many harsh rules that governed Keza’s world, but one ruled above all, and that was a mother’s love.
Thorne clung to the mother gorilla, his belly growling. He didn’t understand why Mummy and Daddy did not wake up, no matter how much he asked them to or cried. But the black beast from his favorite book had answered his cries.
G. Gorilla.
The gorilla had crept toward him, and he’d stopped crying. He nuzzled his face against her dark bristly hair and gazed wide-eyed at the baby gorilla next to him. The baby’s reddish-brown eyes were wide as he gazed back at Thorne.
As Thorne was carried into the jungle, his ears took in the rustle of leaves and the buzz of insects, the exotic sound of birds and monkeys. The blend of sounds turned into a gentle symphony that lulled him to sleep between the warmth of Keza’s chest and the humid jungle air.
The band of gorillas stopped after several hours and settled in a safe, dense spot to feed and rest. Mist rolled in around them, thick and cooling to the skin. Thorne was kept within reach of Keza, who set Akika down beside him.
The little human boy watched the gorilla who had carried him to safety, her black and silver fur blending to a burnished bronze at the top of her head. In that moment she was beautiful to him, more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen before.
She was his mother now; he understood a mother’s caring touch as she brushed her fingers over his head, and his tiny heart filled with infinite love for her.
Keza puzzled over her new child’s tiny fingers, similar yet not quite the same as Akika’s. She ruffled a hand over the dark hair on his head. It was soft, far softer than her own. She plucked gently at his ears, checking for mites. He made a gurgling noise, baring his teeth, but it didn’t seem threatening to her.
She curled her lips back, showing her own sharp white teeth, and he clapped his tiny hands together. The little smacking sound was odd. Keza wondered if he was trying to show his strength at so young an age. She curled her fist and gave a powerful smack to her chest. The noise startled the child, and he grew still. But after a moment, he curled his own fist and slapped it against himself in imitation. Keza hooted in approval. He learned quickly. That was good. The jungle held many dangers, and the quicker this hairless ape could learn, the safer he would be.
The other gorillas in the band warily watched the young child. Sunya snorted and bared his teeth, but one quelling look from Keza and he came no closer toward them.
“I’m Thorne.” The child spoke with a strange tongue. She grunted at him.
He tapped his chest. “Thorne.” Then he climbed up her legs and perched on her lap and tapped her chest, gazing deeply into her eyes as though waiting for her to respond. She seemed to understand that he wished to know her name.
“Keza.” She spoke in her own language, and he repeated the sound. Then he gently placed a hand on Akika’s tiny arm, his questioning eyes so full of yearning that Keza became spellbound by him.