The ground continued to tremble with every movement the snake made. To Nadia's surprise, it burrowed back into the ground, but she didn't relax.
As its body disappeared, she turned to see the others. Alana, Jakob, and Rik stood on the other side, looking unsteady but otherwise unharmed. Nadia exhaled with relief, but when would the snake emerge again?
"You think it's gone?" Markus asked breathlessly.
"No," Garet said. "We should get moving."
With the ground quaking so violently, they struggled to stay on their feet. Nadia glanced back every few seconds, expecting to see the snake's head, but it remained beneath the sand.
"Maybe it didn't think us large enough prey," Nadia said.
"It's as good a theory as any," Garet said.
Jakob held up a hand. "I here that scuttling again."
"How can you hear anything over the snake?" Rik asked.
"I don't know."
Nadia looked back. A wave of giant, insect-like creatures came over the crest of a small dune. Giant scorpions, hundreds of them, all racing toward the party and the tunneling snake.
"I don't think we can outrun those either," Garet said.
The snake's head shot out of the ground. It took one of the giant scorpions in its mouth and brought its jaws together with a wet, grinding crunch. The other scorpions, with their sword-like stingers, attacked the snake as it moved to gulp down more of them.
"I think we have our answer," Alana said. "The snake prefers larger fare. Now let's get out of here before we become dessert."
They took off running, ignoring the trembling ground as best they could. Soon they left the monsters far behind, but for how long?
That night, they didn't stop to rest, and they came to the canyon halfway through the night, beneath the bright moon. The canyon had to be at least a mile across and possibly more than that deep.
"And how're we gonna cross this?" Rik asked.
"There's a bridge," Alana said. "It's invisible, but we can find it with our staffs. Since we followed our compasses and stayed on course, we should be close. Rik, you head south along the canyon. I'll head north. One of us should find it soon."
"I certainly hope so," Rik said. "That snake could be somewhere back there."
The rest of the party waited while Rik and Alana scanned the canyon with their staffs. At any moment, Nadia expected to feel the ground tremble, to hear the scuttling of the scorpions. How could they expect to defeat Warrick when he'd created such powerful creatures?
Markus put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Nadia? You look like something's bothering you."
"I was just thinking about our chances of defeating Warrick."
"Aren't we all?" Jakob said. "We really don't stand a chance."
"I know what you mean," Nadia said. "Maybe he's just too powerful." She fell to a squat. "Maybe we should give up, settle down somewhere, and go on with our lives."
Markus massaged her shoulder. "No, we have to do this. We can't give up now."
"Your attitude sure has changed," she said.
"Well, it wasn't personal before. Now it is. I have to see Warrick dead."
"Are you sure?" she asked, looking into his blue eyes. "I'm starting to think that maybe we could have a life together, Markus. I don't know how to put this into words, but I think I feel something for you that I've never really felt for anyone else." She took a breath. "I love you, Markus."
Markus grinned. "It's about time you admitted it."
He took her close with his arms, and she leaned up into the kiss. She didn't care that Garet and Jakob were watching. For too long, she'd fought against her feelings for Markus. There was something about him—a spark of courage and nobility, but also a spark of tenderness and his gentle touch—that attracted her to him.
It wasn't the best kiss, not like her kiss with Ander, but there was passion in it. When they finally broke apart, she smiled up at him.
"Strange place to have your first kiss," Markus said.
"It will certainly be memorable," she said, happier than she'd felt in a long time. Maybe she had to let love into her life. Maybe, with it, she could finally put Crayden behind her.
Not for good, but enough that she'd no longer think about it every day. All the hate she felt toward Warrick, while warranted, couldn't be good for her. She had to balance it out with some love, and Markus was as deserving of love as anyone.
"You two done?" Garet asked.
'Let them have their moment," Jakob said. "I remember my first kiss with my wife. We might be on this crazy quest, but we're still human. We have families and people we care about. We can't allow ourselves to forget that."
"Good point," Garet said. "When you live like I have, you forget those things."
Jakob laughed. "Are you claiming you never have a moment with some woman you meet in a tavern? I mean, isn't that what adventurers are supposed to do?"
"Don't worry. I've had my share of romantic adventures. Nothing lasting, though."
After a long silence, Markus cleared his throat. "We still have to go after Warrick. You know that, right?"
"I know," she said, "but that doesn't mean we can't make room for love. These might be the last few weeks we have together. Let's make the most of them."
"Rik's returning," Jakob said. "I can hear him."
About a minute later, Rik came into view. "I found it. Let's tell Alana."
"I'll do it," Garet said, and took off to the north.
Putting his staff down, Rik frowned at Nadia and Markus. "What's going on with you two? You have a strange look in your eyes."
"They kissed," Jakob said.
Rik grinned for the first time in a while. "It's about time. You've been looking at each other longingly this whole journey. It's kind of annoying, to tell you the truth."
Nadia and Markus laughed, then shared another kiss.
Rik gave them a half-serious glare. "You don't have to do it in front of me."
"Okay," Markus said, "we'll try to keep the kissing to a minimum, just for you."
"Nah, don't worry about it. Do whatever you want. I'm happy for you."
They waited a few minutes for Garet to return with Alana, then walked to the south with Rik leading the way. Soon they stopped, and Rik and Alana held their staffs above the canyon, where there appeared to be nothing.
A yellow bridge flared to life, translucent and insubstantial.
"Don't worry," Rik said. "I already tested it out."
"So how are we going to do this?" Nadia asked. "How will you keep the bridge there?"
"It's there whether you can see it or not," Rik said. "The staffs just help." He took his staff away and stepped onto nothing. "See? Perfectly stable."
"We do need the staffs, though," Alana said. "The bridge isn't straight."
Nadia looked into the distance, where the bridge took a number of sharp and crazy turns.
"No point in waiting," Garet said, stepping onto the bridge first. The rest of the party followed. The bridge was maybe six feet wide, with no railings and a dizzying drop to the rocks far below.
"You really shouldn't look down," Markus said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Can you actually resist the temptation?"
"Well, no, but it was worth saying."
Nadia forced a laugh and continued walking, following the twists and turns of the yellow bridge. They crossed slowly and carefully for maybe half an hour. Ahead of them, Rik looked deathly pale.
"Rik, you okay?" Markus asked.
"You know I don't like heights."
"Don't worry," Markus said. "We're almost halfway there."
Rik groaned. "Oh great, another half hour of torture!"
Nadia wanted to go faster, but Rik could only go so far before he had to stop and close his eyes. She'd never had a special fear of heights, but she could understand how he must feel. Her legs wobbled, and waves of dizziness washed over her. The bottom of the canyon seemed to swirl beneath her, making her sick to her stomach.
When at last they reached the other side, Rik fell to his knees and kissed the sand. "Thank God! I'm never crossing that bridge again."
Alana reached the other side last, and as soon as she moved the tip of her staff, the bridge disappeared. The entire party walked for a few minutes, leaving the canyon behind before they settled down for the night.
When they started traveling the next morning, a light breeze blew.
"Do you feel that?" Nadia asked.
"Not good," Jakob said. "We can expect a sandstorm soon."
All day, they walked with their eyes to the sky, and the sandstorm came upon them early that afternoon. At first, the winds didn't blow all that fiercely, and the sand wasn't too thick, but with time, they could barely make any progress. They used cloths to cover their mouths and noses as they walked hunched against the wind, their eyes closed.
No one spoke as they huddled close together so they wouldn't lose each other.
Nadia couldn't tell how much time was passing, only that each moment was torture. The wind roared. Sand blasted like thousands of needles against her skin. Even through the cloth over her mouth, she coughed and gagged, feeling like she was drowning in a sea of sand.
Soon they could no longer make any progress. They all collapsed, the wind whipping the sand against them. Nadia ducked low, praying for relief.
There was none. The wind blew harder. The sand grew thicker. A deafening roar filled the air, almost as loud as a tornado right over them. At times, Nadia feared the wind would rip her from the ground. She continued coughing, feeling weaker with every passing moment. Once again, she was struck by Warrick's power.
Could they really stand against him? Could they even survive the next five minutes?
Sand had forced its way between her closed eyelids. It coated every part of her body, her clothes, her hair. On the verge of passing out, she prayed that God would see them through this.
The sandstorm didn't relent.
Chapter 49
Just when Nadia thought she was going to succumb, the sand stopped striking her. Exhausted, she struggled to her feet. Alana stood with her staff raised into the air, and an invisible shield had formed around them, deflecting the sand.
"Why didn't you think of that sooner?" Rik demanded.
Alana's voice sounded strained. "I did, but it was hard to get the spell to work."
"Can I do the same thing?" Rik asked.
"It's just a fire shield. It apparently stops sand as well as arrows."
The rest of the group had gotten to their feet, brushing sand from their skin and clothes. Rik raised his staff. At first, some sand penetrated the shield, but soon his added strength kept all the sand from striking the party.
Nadia didn't know how long the wind howled and the sand blew, but eventually the sky cleared, and the stiff gale weakened to a gentle breeze. Drenched in sweat, Rik and Alana let the shield fall, and then they collapsed.
Markus put a hand on Rik's shoulder. "You okay?"
"I'll be fine. That was just really exhausting."
Alana nodded her agreement as she got to her feet. After a brief rest, the party started marching again. Hopefully they wouldn't need Rik and Alana's magic any time soon.
In the wake of the sandstorm, the sun burned intensely against the orange sand. The air shimmered in the distance as Nadia trudged ahead miserably, coated in sand.
They walked through the scorching day, crossing sand dunes that became more and more like mountains. Nadia's feet ached, but she ignored the pain. Even Rik kept his complaints to a minimum. Maybe he was reclaiming the old Rik.
At night, the air cooled, and they rested beneath a clear sky. Alana could now summon water again, but she lacked the strength to stand up to another sandstorm.
"I have the feeling we're almost across the desert," Markus said.
Rik gave him a look. "What gives you that feeling?"
"I don't know. It just feels right, you know."
"Well, we better be close," Rik said. "I can't stop another sandstorm."
"I think Markus is right," Garet said. "From what Cyrus has said, the desert isn't that large. It's more the dangers that cause problems."
Rik looked down at the sand. "Let's hope so."
"At least we haven't seen any monsters on this side of the canyon," Markus said.
Rik glared at him. "Do you have to say that? Someone might be listening."
"No one's listening," Nadia said. "Not even Warrick is omniscient."
"Yeah, maybe," Rik said, but he was frowning.
They continued their westward trek the next morning, climbing dune after dune. Nadia tried to ignore the sweat dripping into her eyes, the weariness of her legs. Late that afternoon, they came to a dune as tall as a small mountain.
"I don't want to climb that," Rik said, brushing sweat from his red hair.
Garet gave him a sharp look. "And what would you do instead? Sit here and die?"
"Well, no."
"Then stop complaining," Garet said. "We all feel the same way."
Rik turned away, and they climbed the dune in silence. At each step, the sand shifted, threatening to send them sliding down the dune. They occasionally had to climb on their hands and feet, for the dune had become so steep. Nadia forced herself not to look down.
Just before sunset, panting with exhaustion, they reached the top of the dune. In the evening sunlight, Nadia could see the distant mountains forming the western edge of the Empire. Closer to them, beyond a few more dunes, stood the Forest of Darkness. In between, there was a small area of the first vegetation they'd seen in ages.
She fell to her knees. "Thank God!"
"I don't know if I'd say that," Rik said. "Now we have to go through the forest."
"It's another step accomplished," Alana said. "We need to keep our hopes up."
Nadia got back to her feet. "We should get to that river before nightfall."
"Good idea," Garet said. "Then we can rest."
They crossed the last few dunes, pushing through exhaustion. When they reached the green vegetation by the river, the air cooled and became more humid. The river rushed by with a steady roar unlike anything Nadia had ever heard. Those waters churned so rapidly they looked impossible to cross. She could swim, but not that well.
"Can we really make an ice bridge across that?" Rik asked.
Alana held up her staff. "I hope so."
"An ice bridge?" Markus said. "That sounds kind of dangerous."
"Well, it's the best option we have," Alana said.
Garet held up a hand to end the argument. "We'll worry about that tomorrow. For now, let's get a fire started."
They took wood from the nearby trees, started a fire, and ate from their dwindling stores. Night fell, but the air didn't take on the same chill as it had in the desert.
Nadia sat close to Markus. Since that kiss by the canyon, she'd gone to sleep nestled up against him, letting him hold her in his strong arms. She felt like kissing him again, but not in front of everyone else. In fact, she felt like more than kissing.
After their meal, she said, "Markus, would you like to come with me into the woods?"
Rik gave them a sly grin. "Hmm, that doesn't sound suspicious at all."
"We're just going to look for more wood for the fire," Nadia said, her face warm.
"That's not all you plan on doing," Rik said.
Nadia ignored him. "So are you coming, Markus?
"Sure," he said, hopping to his feet. They marched off into the woods, the light of the campsite fading behind them, leaving nothing but moonlight. Nadia put her arm around Markus, and he put his around her.
Once they'd gone far enough that they could no longer hear the fireside chatter, Nadia motioned for Markus to sit beside her on the soft ground. Alive with passion, she rested her head against his chest. Neither of them smelled good, but that didn't matter.
He brushed a hand through her tangled brown hair, gently. She looked up into his blue eyes, her heart poun
ding a sudden drumbeat. They kissed—softly at first, then with more passion. It felt strange, even awkward, but she liked it. Liked him.
She lay atop him, kissing him with all her desire, listening to the mighty roaring of the river. Though she felt hesitant about the next step, she worried she'd never have another chance.
He looked up at her with a frown. "Are you sure about this?"
"I have some herbs to keep me from getting pregnant." She pulled away from Markus and dug the herbs out of a pocket. "What better chance will we ever have? From everything I've read and heard, the Forest of Darkness is much more dangerous than anywhere we've been. I want you. You want me. It's been obvious for a while now. Let's make this night count. It could be our last."
"You're right."
She chewed and swallowed the herbs. They tasted bitter, and it was a struggle to get them down. Then she and Markus disrobed, tossing their filthy clothes to the side. His muscles stood out, and she felt suddenly self-conscious about her own muscular body. Most men seemed to dislike muscular women.
"You look beautiful," Markus said.
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes, I do."
With a sudden rush of passion, she took him to the ground.
Afterward, they put their clothes back on. It had been a strange experience—awkward at first, but more pleasurable as it went on. They'd both been fearful that their companions might walk in on them, but no one had.
"That was very nice," Nadia said, not sure what to say as she shuffled her feet against the leaf-strewn ground.
"Yeah," Markus said. "It was."
Arm-in-arm, they made their way back to the campsite. The others sat around the campfire, talking quietly, their words drowned out by the river. When Nadia and Markus stepped into view, Rik gave them a knowing look.
"So where's that wood you were going to find?" he asked.
Nadia's face burned. "Well, we didn't find any."
Garet chuckled. "With all these trees, I find that hard to believe."
"As do I," Jakob said with a grin. "How was it? Your first time?"
"That's none of your business," Nadia said, a little annoyed. Sex was nothing to be embarrassed about, but she didn't want everyone to know.
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 41