"Is it true?" I asked. "What he said about my mother?"
Alex dusted some of the salt from his torso. "I don't know." He sighed. "My mother doesn't talk about her life before Valdon. You'd have to ask her."
"Well, if what Eris said was true, then maybe that's why Sonya's never said anything."
"Maybe." He thought about this then looked back up at me with that same sort of wonder and curiosity. "I suppose there is one good thing that came out of his controversial monologue. Now we know why your magical ability has been so erratic. But what I can't figure is how you've managed to break through Headmaster Ambrose's barriers…twice."
"That makes two of us," I said. "It'd be nice to know, too. It seems like I'm only able to break through them under situations of extreme desperation, and if he ever puts those barriers up again, I'd rather not be forced to put myself back in a desperate situation to break them down."
Alex made a soft grunting sound. "I don't think you'll have to worry about putting yourself in a desperate situation. They seem to have a way of finding you on their own."
I sighed. "Tell me about it. I feel like Eeyore, only my shower of rain is more like a shower of blazing meteors."
Alex grinned, and then he moved over an inch and patted the space beside him. I scooted over and sat in the space he'd patted, our thighs barely touching. I tried not thinking about the fact that he was naked under his cloak, especially when he reached out and set his palm on the back of my hand, threaded his fingers through mine, and pulled both of our hands onto his leg. I could feel his rough calluses on the back of my hand—rough calluses that represented hands that were used to doing things themselves.
"Daria, I'm sorry," Alex whispered.
I looked sideways at him, but I found myself studying his profile because he was staring at our intertwined hands. "I can't imagine why you are apologizing right now."
His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. "I should've known better. I should've been there for you." He squeezed my hand. "I am your Aegis. You're not supposed to be the one rescuing me. I…I failed you."
"Alex." This time, I turned my body toward him so that my knees were slightly in his lap. My hand was still in his lap, too. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this. It was my fault. I'm the one that made the decision to go to Ven Orelius and use the portal. Not you. And besides…who says I can't rescue you every once in a blue moon? Get over yourself, and let someone else be the hero for a change."
He looked back at me, his eyes glittering like emeralds. "I hate to remind you, Daria, but it's a precedence you've set. You concoct some ridiculous plan that nearly gets us killed, and I find a way to make sure we survive." He tilted his head. "I'm not so sure I trust you with my job. Don't let this one instance get to your head. You don't exactly have the practice…or record, for that matter." He smiled at me.
Oh, his smiles!
I chuckled. "Maybe you should let me practice, then." I reached out and dusted the salt from his bottom lip. I really wanted to kiss him. He must have sensed this because he cleared his throat, pulled his hand from mine, and turned his face away, looking at our hollow like it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen.
"Where are we?" he asked suddenly.
Fine.
"You didn't hear Vera and me talking last night?" I asked.
"No, everything is hazy after Eris."
I was relieved he hadn't heard our conversation, because so much of it had revolved around him. "We landed on the southern shores of Pendel," I said. "Vera found the note I left and thought it was strange, so she grabbed Mercedes and came after us. Mercedes tried to send us on to Pendel's portal, but because of Pendel's wards, we landed in the ocean, about forty-five miles away from Karth, instead."
He breathed in so slowly and so deeply it was like he was breathing in all of my words and holding them there so that he could process them. With his next exhale he asked, "Where is Vera, by the way?"
"Just outside," I said. "She stepped out a few minutes before you woke."
He sat there quietly, still mulling things over, and then he said, "There's something else I'd like to ask you." He looked very concerned about this question he was about to ask. "I heard the most horrible sounds last night, but I'm not sure if that was a dream…"
"Ah." I dusted a few particles of salt from my knees. "Right after we landed, Vera and I were attacked."
"By?"
"We're not sure what it was," I admitted. "It looked like some kind of corpse, but it was faster and stronger than anything I've ever seen. Vera doesn't know what it was, either. Her weapons did nothing, and I was finally able to kill it with fire."
"You," he repeated.
I nodded, and he looked even more quizzical. "I'm not sure what I did, though. Some kind of magical blue fire came out of me and engulfed the thing, and then it ran into the ocean. We haven't seen it since."
Now Alex looked really worried. "There haven't been any more?"
"No, and we've been keeping watch. Do you have any idea what it could have been?"
Alex shook his head.
I studied his face. "What are you thinking?"
He sighed through tight lips. "I'm thinking that either we were attacked because we just happened to be in the vicinity, or your being here has something to do with it."
"How could my being here have anything do with it?" I asked.
Alex hesitated. "I don't know, but there are a lot of things springing to life since you've arrived on this planet, Daria. All I'm saying is that it wouldn't surprise me."
He did have a point there.
"Were you writing Tran?" he asked, gesturing toward the bindingbook on the floor beside me.
"I was going to, but I haven't yet," I said. "I was reading a letter from him—Fleck, too. Here, I'll let you read it." I opened the book and set it in Alex's lap so that he could read the book himself. He leaned forward and a clump of his hair fell against his forehead, his eyes sliding quickly over the page while he read, and once he finished he looked even more concerned than before. I didn't know why; Tran had written all of three short sentences.
"You said we're forty-five miles from the capital?" Alex asked.
"Yes—at least, that's what Vera and I think, based on the landscape and the position of the stars."
"Have you told him your plan yet?" Vera was standing at the mouth of the hollow, arms folded over her chest. Her white-blonde hair had that beautiful windblown quality to it, and her cheeks and lips were red from the wind. She looked kind of like she'd just stepped away from a Victoria Secret photo shoot. I briefly looked down at myself. Life just wasn't fair.
Alex didn't seem to notice my comparison. In fact, he was looking straight at me, his features hardened with skepticism. "What plan?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, quit looking so skeptical."
"This is you we're talking about," Alex said, eyeing me as if to say what did I say earlier? "Of course I'm skeptical."
"Here…" I leaned over to my pack and pulled out the map, unfolding it so that we could both look it over. "We've landed here"—I pointed to a small alcove south of Karth—"which is two full days of walking. Assuming we don’t hit any trouble."
"Which is a fantastic assumption, I might add," Alex said.
I ignored him and continued. "I propose we stop here—" I pointed to the small dot near the delta, named Nyhavn. "It's on the way, anyway, and we need the provisions since everything we packed spoiled in the ocean. We should reach Nyhavn by nightfall and it would be a good place to stop for the night. And besides, we may even be able to acquire horses."
Alex's eyes focused on the map like if he just concentrated hard enough, it might rearrange itself into something more accommodating to his tastes. "And just how, exactly, were you planning on purchasing horses?" he asked. "I didn't bring that much coin."
"I have an idea," I said. And I would by the time we got there.
Alex looked straight at me, and I knew that he knew I had no such thin
g.
He frowned. "We're supposed to be staying hidden, Daria. Not alerting every town between here and Karth that we're here."
"Every?" I asked. "I only see this one town between here and Karth."
"That's beside the point." His eyes hardened in that way they did sometimes like he was trying to stare me into submission. "Taking you to the capital is risky enough. And you want to spend the night in Nyhavn? After our night at Rex Cross, you should know how dangerous public inns can be, and I will not expose you any more than I have to."
"Well, I'm sorry, Alex, but for this you have to," I said. "We won't make it two days with what little we have. I'd rather risk an inn than risk a night in the middle of nowhere when creatures like that…thing exist. And aside of Nyhavn, the rest of our journey is open field, and if we're going to cross open terrain, I'd feel much better doing it on horseback."
Alex leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and pressed both palms to his forehead like he suddenly had a terrible, terrible headache.
"It's a good plan, Alexander," Vera said, picking at her nails. "And we would be much safer on horseback."
Alex's head snapped up from his hands, narrowed eyes fastening on Vera then sliding over to me. His look was accusatory. "What did you do to her?"
I opened my mouth and a little gasp came out. "Me? What do you mean, what did I—"
Alex stabbed the end of his finger into my shoulder. "Why is she suddenly on your side?" He pushed that finger a little harder to emphasize the word "your."
I grabbed his finger and pulled it away so that our hands were fisted between us. "It's not a side, Alex. It's a plan, and you know it's a good one."
Alex made a face that said he didn't at all think it was a very good plan and he wasn't buying anything I was selling.
Vera smirked, glancing between us. "I'll wait outside." And then she leapt gracefully from the ledge. I heard the soft thud as her boots hit the sand.
Alex pulled his finger from my grip, leaned his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes as if he were bemoaning his fate and I was the cause of all of his misery.
Well, he did sort of tell you that yesterday.
"Alex…"
He shook his head, his jaw clenched.
"Alex, please, just think about it—"
"No, you think about it." He sat upright again, his eyes boring into mine. "You are the princess of Gaia, heir to the throne and granddaughter of King Darius. Do you think the people of Pendel rejoiced knowing that their home was the prize in our games? As though this land was something King Darius could just"—he waved his hand at nothing—"give away? I was wary before, bringing you here under these circumstances, and now, after everything we've been through, I see just how dangerous your being here is." He leaned forward, his face just inches from mine. Normally, I would've liked this physical proximity, but there was nothing tender and inviting in his expression now. He was all ferocity and determination. "Daria, I hear what you're saying—I really do. But please hear what I am saying. We have no idea how these people will react to you. I realize that stopping in Nyhavn could be profitable and probably save us time in the long run, but I don't want to risk it. I don't want to risk you any more than I have already."
His words sat between us, his decision marked by the hard lines on his face.
Slowly, I reached out and touched the curl behind his ear, rubbing it between my fingers. "And I can't risk Stefan any more than I have already," I whispered.
He sighed, turning his head from me.
I moved my fingertips from his hair and rested my hand on his bare shoulder. It warmed my palm. "Alex, I understand the risk. It's been made perfectly clear how little this world thinks of me. So despite what you think, I do hear what you're saying. I've always valued your opinion above everyone else's."
He murmured something I couldn't hear.
"What did you say?" I asked.
He clenched his jaw before looking up at me from beneath his dark brow. "I said that it doesn't matter what I say because you still always do whatever you want."
My cheeks flushed in anger and I pulled my hand from his shoulder. "Not true," I said lowly, staring straight into his eyes. "What I want is you. What I want is for you and me to run away from all of this and go back to Earth and start a life together. Where there is no magic or politics or Eris or shadowguard. But no matter how badly I want that, I know that doing it would cause too much pain for so many others that I care about, so I don't. Instead, I walk this path I hate walking, trying to make sense of a world that is convoluted and twisted, hoping that I can stand to look at myself when I'm done. I'm doing the best I can, Alex, weathering a storm I can't control, and if going to Nyhavn means provisions and four walls through the night and one less day of travel, then by the spirits, it's a chance I have to take."
For a long moment, Alex just stared at me. I thought he was going to argue. I thought I'd said something that would ignite a flurry of reproaches, but none came. At last, he sighed and rested his head back against the wall. "Fine," he said. He looked deflated. "But if there's any sign of danger, we're leaving."
We were on our way within fifteen minutes. I turned my back while Alex dressed himself, and afterward he insisted I wear his black venita cloak, despite any and all protest. Apparently, it didn't matter that he and Vera would be cloak-less; I was going to stay concealed in that cloak or we weren't going. He then packed the rest of our things while I wrote a quick note to Tran and Fleck. I told them where we were and asked Tran if he knew anything about a dragon heir or if he knew why Cian had finally decided to commit. I wanted to write my entire conversation with Eris to see what was and wasn't true, but we were in a hurry. Some questions would have to wait.
There was no sun when I eventually climbed out of the hollow. A thick layer of dark blue clouds blanketed the sky, bringing with them a cold, wintry breeze that burned my throat and stung my eyes. It felt particularly chilly after spending a few hot and humid days in the jungles of Gesh. Apparently, Pendel was situated on the same hemisphere as Valdon; both were currently in the freezing glories of winter. The ocean looked cold and black and ominous beneath the clouds, and a few gulls sat atop one of the rocky pillars near the beach. Now that it was day, I could see white stains upon the rock splattered all over the surface like paint. That particular rock must have been the birds' particular favorite.
From where we stood, the only way out of this tiny alcove was to climb the cliffs that harbored our cozy hollow—unless we wanted to swim along the shore. None of us were very eager for that alternative. Instead, we managed to find a narrow yet climbable crack in the rocky crags. Alex went first, and I climbed after him with Vera right after me. With every gust, my cloak billowed like a sail. Vera stopped following me so closely.
We'd missed breakfast, being that we no longer had any edible food, so I hadn't climbed very far when my stomach announced its dissatisfaction by grumbling. It grumbled so loudly that even Alex looked down at me over his shoulder. "Was that you?" he asked.
"Yeah." I gripped a sharp rock and pulled myself up farther. "I'm glad we're going to Nyhavn. I could use a real meal."
He went back to climbing.
A couple of times, my foot slipped, and to Vera's dismay, it sent shale and loose pebbles skittering down the cliffs after me. But each time I'd catch myself—my hands paying the price for it. Sharp edges of rock dug into my palms and sliced my fingertips, but I kept climbing until I finally hoisted myself over the ledge. Alex grabbed my elbows and helped pull me over so that I was safely on land. Then he bent over to help Vera, and I looked ahead. If Gaia had created this beautiful world and all of its splendor, then Pendel was her pride.
For miles, a plain stretched before us, untouched and luxuriant, open and wild and free. Wind rustled through, rippling the tall green grasses like the waves of a great ocean. A swollen river snaked to our left, the color of rich azurite reflecting the churning sea of dark blue clouds above. Dramatic mountains loom
ed in the distance, great heights lost in the bloated clouds. Rain descended upon them in curtains of mist, like a diaphanous veil falling from the skies, while ribbons of golden sunlight dared to pierce through. Here, in this place, Gaia was boasting.
A gust of wind twisted around me, holding me in its grip, and I shut my eyes. My spirit hummed with sudden energy, and I was overwhelmed with feeling. It was similar to when I'd first stepped into this world, only this time I felt a sense of belonging that overshadowed anything I'd ever felt before. I was a part of the earth, the grasses—even the clouds up above. I was in the rain and in the heart of the mountains. And all of it was familiar: the layout of the land and the strong smells of juniper and pine. My mind could picture the road to Nyhavn as clearly as if I'd traveled there only yesterday. But I'd never been to Nyhavn. I'd never been to Pendel, period. It was like I was suddenly experiencing someone else's nostalgia. Was I somehow sharing the memories of my mother?
"Daria?"
Alex's voice startled me so much I jumped. I looked back to find him watching me, his expression unreadable.
"I asked you which way you'd intended for us to go…?" He raised a dark brow. "Are you feeling all right?"
I tucked a rogue strand of my hair behind my ears. "Fine. I think. It's just…I feel so much. It's like when you first brought me to Gaia, but it's stronger." I looked back at the mountains. "Much stronger. It's like I've been here before." I looked back at them.
Vera studied me like she was trying to translate my words into something she could understand. I still couldn't read Alex's expression, but then he squinted past me at the mountains while the wind tossed his dark hair. "We should probably get moving," he said. "Since you know the way…" He eyed me again and gestured for me to take the lead. I noticed he adjusted his baldric so that the hilt of his sword was positioned for easy reach.
The three of us crossed the open plain, walking around bramble and navigating through juniper. The earth was wet from fresh rain, and tiny beads of water clung to the grasses and dampened the toes of my boots and the hem of my cloak. It was cold enough that I thought this might have frosted over during the night. I felt bad being the only one with the extra layer of warmth, and I offered my cloak to the others. Not surprisingly, there were no takers. Thunder rumbled softly from the mountains ahead, echoing across the open fields like a great bass drum. A few gulls flew overhead in the direction of the ocean, the white of their feathers stark against the dark sky. Rabbits ducked into burrows, and foxes hid behind bramble. A few elk ambled in the distance with antlers the size of small trees.
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