She couldn’t imagine spending that much time with this man.
“Yes.” His voice left no room for argument. “I like you, and traveling alone is rather tedious. We can part ways later when we get closer to our destinations.”
Octavia narrowed her eyes. “What, exactly, is your destination?”
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“No.” She would’ve remembered. Frustratingly, she felt like she’d remember everything this witch told her.
A small smile. “I’m on my way to Vlarone.”
“The city beneath the mountain?”
“The very one.” His eyes slipped shut, and she knew this conversation was done for now.
That same curiosity flared within Octavia. She couldn’t help it. Vlarone was the oldest city in the Rose Empire, built completely inside a mountain range. No one knew where it had come from. Some said it was gods-blessed. Others said giants had carved it out of the shale many years ago. Either way, it was supposedly beautiful—and far from Octavia’s final destination.
She studied the witch for a long time. The dim light of the night didn’t bother her, as she could see perfectly well, even in complete darkness. She wasn’t sure what to do. Yes, she’d found Flynn digging through her bag, and he was definitely irritating, but he also hadn’t harmed her. She didn’t trust him for obvious reasons, but maybe traveling together for a bit wouldn’t be so bad.
Kydona only knew that she could use the company.
What do you think?she asked her dragon. The creature was always rational, sometimes frustratingly so.
Flynn snored. How had he fallen asleep so quickly?
The dragon peeked out lazily, assessing the form of the man on the ground.Stay with him for a few days, but don’t trust him.
Obviously. Octavia didn’t trust anyone. Trust was just an opportunity to get hurt.
Sighing, Octavia shimmied to the ground. Propping up her ankle again, she crossed her arms. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll travel with you for a few days. But I reserve the right to leave at any time.”
In response, the witch stopped snoring. He cracked open an eye and smiled. The twinkle in his gaze told her he’d already known she would agree.
“Good. You should sleep,” he rumbled. “You look like you need it.”
Octaviawastired. And cranky. And frustrated. A trifecta of unpleasantness.
Needless to say, with the handsome, irritating witch a few feet away from her, she did not find much rest that night.
The sun was shiningwhen Octavia woke the following day after a night of restless sleep. Just like Flynn had predicted, the rain was gone. The air was lighter, and for the first time in a week, she could hear her thoughts instead of the constant rain.
Sunlight, actual gods-damned sunlight, shone into the cave. Dust particles danced in the rays as if celebrating the lack of rain.
It had only been a week, but it had felt like an entire lifetime had passed since Octavia had felt those warming rays. She eagerly rose, grabbed her walking stick, and hurried out of the cave. Relieving herself in some nearby bushes, she adjusted her tunic and leggings as she strolled back to the shelter.
It was only then that she realized the cave was empty.
A strange sensation burned in her chest, and she rubbed her fist over the pain.
Flynn had… left. Alright. That was fine. It wasn’t like he owed the dragon shifter something. He must’ve woken this morning and reconsidered their travel arrangements. It wasn’t like she had her heart set on them—after all, they’d just met yesterday when he was rifling through…
Her bag.
A million curses ran through Octavia’s mind as she hobbled to the cave as quickly as possible. Her ankle was still sore, a sign that she’d overdone it yesterday. She found herself wishing for her brace. She’d stupidly left it in the shack when fleeing from Flynn. Evidently, that had been a mistake of epic proportions.
Thank Kydona, her satchel was exactly where she’d left it.
Octavia exhaled and dropped to her knees. Ignoring the cold stone pressing into her, she reached into the messenger bag until she felt the coolness she sought. Her fingers curled around the object, and she clutched the bag to her chest.