Glancing back at Aileana, I raised a brow. “How long was I asleep?”
She shrugged, her tone evasive as she said, “A few hours.”
The first rays of sunlight were already pushing the night away. This was definitely more than a few hours. A growl rumbled through me, and I sat up. “You need to sleep, too.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” she murmured after a moment. “I couldn’t have slept, even if I wanted to.”
My brows furrowed. “Why not?”
Aileana’s eyes darted over to Ryllae and understanding dawned on me.
“Oh, Sunshine.” Reaching over, I lifted Aileana by the hips. She protested, but I drew her onto my lap and held her tightly against me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that it was still bothering you.”
I should have been more attentive. Even though Aileana insisted on taking the first watch, I should have stayed up with her. She deserved a mate who paid better attention. Vowing to be that male, I kissed her forehead. “I’ve got you.”
After a few minutes, she relaxed against me.
“Will you… talk to me?” she asked.
“I’d love to.”
We remained like that until morning. Keeping our voices low, we spoke of everything and nothing. Aileana asked me about Saena, and I shared about our childhood. My mate told me about her magic and the way it felt to connect to the land. The voices she heard and the songs the earth sang to her. We talked about the future—getting married when this was all over, and maybe one day, having a family of our own to take care of.
The night marched on, and we just were.
Together.
Snowshoes, Secrets, and Surprises
AILEANA
Somehow, I had forgotten how much I hated hiking. Those first few hours after we left Nonna’s had been enjoyable. The snow on the forest floor was just enough to paint a pretty picture in the woods, and being next to my dragon shifter had been nice.
Things went downhill fairly quickly, though. The wolf attack had been less than pleasant, and then there was the issue of Ryllae’s magic. The sight of it had shaken me far more than I’d admitted to Xander.
I knew she wasn’t her father or her brother. I was also fairly certain she didn’t want to hurt me. Despite that, when I saw those red ribbons, all I could think about was the sound of the whip flying through the air, the stinging when it landed on my back, the painful clenching, and thedrip, drip, dripof my blood on the cold stones of my tower.
Needless to say, I had not slept at all that first night.
The second day, I’d been exhausted before we even began our hike. By the time we stopped for the night, every single muscle in my body ached. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the sun disappeared on the third day.
Clouds rolled in early in the morning, and by the middle of the afternoon, a winter storm caught up with us. We found shelter under enormous pine trees, huddling together for warmth. Snow fell from the sky in droves, ice slammed into the ground, and lightning burst through the clouds.
After the unusual weather died down, we hiked. This time, blustery, frigid winds reminiscent of everything unpleasant battered against us every step of the way. We picked through the forest silently. None of us had the energy to speak that day, or the next. Every hour was more miserable than the last.
When the sun rose on the fifth morning, any traces of happiness were well and truly gone. Snow had fallen overnight again—not a surprise, considering it was winter—and now we trudged through feet of the white substance.
Using my magic and significant guidance from the earth, I formed six pairs of snowshoes out of vines. While they made traveling easier, the cold continued to make its way into our bones. Everyone was tired, sore, and done.
Even with Tiaesti’s special cloak, the frigid temperatures were getting to me. Heat was just a memory, becoming more fleeting with each passing day. Walking kept my blood moving, but it did little to keep me warm. My fingers numbed and my teeth chattered as I fed my magic into the earth. The well within me seemed to fill even as I poured magic into the land, the forest strengthening me in return for my magic.
This journey reminded me of traveling with Kethryllian. The Guardian of the Appointed Ones was an enormous deer-like creature that had first appeared to me in the Sanctuary. Sent by Thelrena herself, he had helped me on my journey to rescue Xander.
He couldn’t help us with the broken balance, but he’d said to summon him if we ran into trouble. I kept that in the back of my mind, always.
How are you, Aileana?Xander’s hand brushed against mine as the trail widened and we walked side-by-side over the snow.
Releasing some ribbons into the forest, I sighed as they cleared the path in front of us.Tired, I replied.Cold.Ready to stop hiking.