“We’ll camp here.” Warren removed his helmet and wiped sweat from his brow.
Lillian bit her tongue to keep herself from swooning at the sight of his ruggedly handsome face complemented by damp, white hair that stuck straight up when he ran his fingers through it.
You are impossible, she scolded herself. Here she was, neck deep in dangerous territory, completely helpless, and she had the nerve to fantasize. She fumbled with her pack. No matter how she tried, she always had trouble getting the knots undone. She flushed, watching Vallerie give a brief tug to one rope that instantly freed her bundle.
Taking a deep breath, Lillian calmed herself before returning to the knotted mess of her own bedroll. By the time the others had gotten a fire started, Lillian had finally freed her belongings. She sloppily laid everything out and promised herself it was fine and that she wouldn’t be a perfectionist about it. A rumpled corner of her blanket caught her attention. I’ll just smooth this corner out and be done. Five minutes later she had organized and smoothed out all her belongings.
“Dinner is about ready,” Warren said from behind her.
Lillian flinched, not realizing he was so close to her.
“Sorry—thank you,” she sputtered.
Warren smiled. Wow, he had the most incredible smile. Embarrassed, Lillian stood and followed him to the fire. Stew again. The only part of Illithium that she missed was the food. She was used to eating a variety of vegetables, pastries from the bakery, and fresh fish. None of those were readily available here.
“I know it's not the best, but it’s what we’ve got,” Vallerie apologized.
Lillian’s cheeks warmed as she realized her expression had gone slack. “No, it’s fine! I’m sorry. Thank you.”
The others laughed, making her cheeks heat further.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Lilian tugged at her hair.
“You didn’t offend anyone, Lillian. Come on, I saved you a spot.” Vallerie gestured to a flat rock beside her.
A joyous warmth replaced her shame as she sat next to Vallerie.
“If you could have one food item from home right now, what would it be?” Vallerie asked.
“Thank you.” Lillian accepted the bowl Emron handed her. “I don’t know. Probably Marcia’s fresh-baked cinnamon bread.”
“I figured you had a sweet tooth.” Vallerie grinned. “I miss the strawberry fields outside Methril. My dad would take me there as a little girl.”
Lillian smiled softly, imagining Vallerie as a little girl. The image in her mind of a five-year-old in leather armor was humorous to say the least.
“As much as I hated my parent’s castle, they did have some exceptional chefs,” Cassidy admitted.
“Castle?” Lillian asked.
“No one’s told you you’re traveling with royalty?” Cassidy looked astonished.
“Ex-royalty,” Emron grumbled.
Cassidy waved dismissively, “Lessens the dramatic effect. I was the third son of king Archnamos of Brackenwood.”
Lillian blinked several times. Who am I traveling with?
“Bossing people around didn’t bother me, but the responsibilities and the rules—those were awful. My brothers were old codgers before they sprouted their first chin hair. You can’t make me grow up that easily. A simple dash of ink across my family lineage, and goodbye Prince Cassidy.”
“You better eat before your stew gets cold,” Warren reminded Lillian.
Lillian looked at her bowl, forgotten in her hands. Warren...Cassidy, they were both so much more than she ever imagined.
“Is everyone here a general or royalty?” Lillian asked after eating a few bites of stew.
“No,” Vallerie laughed. “Just those two.”
Lillian nodded, taking another bite. An ex-prince, a general, and orphans; Warren’s team was definitely an odd mix.
And then there’s me, a washed-up healer who’s in over her head. The thought was both depressing and humorous. I guess I’m not the strangest one here.
The group talked for some time, and as the fire died down, the team headed to bed. Vallerie had the first watch. The mountain lay cold and quiet. The crackling fire warmed her back as she glared at the shadows. High above her, angry clouds swirled threatening a storm. They had since the mountain first came into view, yet nothing ever happened. The mountain whispered eerily as a cold breeze whisked between the black stones above.
Vallerie adjusted the light blanket around her shoulders to block the cool breeze. Other than the crackling of the burning wood and the occasional shifting of sleeping bodies, all was quiet. What would it be like to sleep the whole night? If it weren’t for the war, she and Cassidy would have had children already.
She longed for children and knew Cassidy felt the same. They talked about it occasionally. He wanted six, but Vallerie wasn't sure. What if she turned out like her mother? Vallerie had heard that personalities could be shared throughout generations. She hoped beyond hope that wasn't true. What if she couldn't handle having children? It would ruin her marriage. Dread washed over her. What if she couldn't have any? What would Cassidy think of her? He’d be crushed! By the time Cassidy put a hand on her shoulder, signaling the end of her shift, Vallerie had worked herself into a fit.
"Hey there, beautiful." Cassidy sat next to her.
"Hi." Vallerie tried to push her worries aside.
Cassidy studied her face, his eyes showing concern.
He knows.
"What's on your mind?"
Vallerie let out a heavy sigh and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Would you still love me if I couldn't have children?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
Vallerie looked into his eyes. "What if I'm a bad mother?"
A strand of hair had fallen over her face. With a gentle hand, Cassidy brushed it behind her ear and took ahold of her hand.
"You are not your mother," he said. “You will be a great mother.”
"How can you be sure?"
"I know you. Trust me, any kid would be lucky to have you as a mom." He held her close enough for his scruffy cheek to rub over hers.
"I love you, Cassidy," Vallerie whispered.
"I love you, too."
Vallerie yawned into Cassidy’s warm arms. Being in his embrace always melted her worries.
"Go get some sleep."
"I’m okay," Vallerie mumbled.
"You’re already half asleep," Cassidy chuckled.
"Nhmm," she tried to argue.
Cassidy rubbed his cheek over her hair. His scruff pulling some into her face.
Vallerie giggled. Then he tickled her sides.
"Okay, okay," Vallerie yielded, laughing.
She kissed him tenderly and retreated to her bedroll.
A selfish part of Cassidy wanted her to stay with him. They had so little time together, but it had to be that way. He sighed reluctantly. In spite of his longing to be with his wife, part of him was glad she’d gone. He wished he could stay awake all night so she could rest. She needed it. But then, they all did.
He remembered his first night in the wild, growing up. The cold darkness had frightened him. Every whisper of wind on the leaves, every click of a beetle resting on the rough trunk of a tree had set him on edge.
The look in Lillian's eyes told him she felt that way now. On the outside, she seemed calm, but when she encountered a sound or a rustling bush, she’d cast a quick glance at Warren. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and anyone paying half a cent of attention knew she liked him. Cassidy had to admit, she’d impressed him by keeping up with the team for so long.
His thoughts drifted to the night Lillian had destroyed the drevics with a flick of her hand. Warren had told the team about what happened to her—said she was stable and could control it. Cassidy hoped that was true. If she couldn’t and she hurt someone…Cassidy didn’t care what Warren thought about her; he would make sure she wouldn’t hurt anyone again.
Cassidy sank d
eeper into thought as he stared down the stone valley and twirled an arrow between his fingertips. Twenty feet down the mountain pass, a gray figure appeared. Cassidy only saw the creature for a moment, but it took no longer for the image to be ingrained into his mind.
Six feet tall, with thick stony plates covering its body like some sort of exoskeleton. Two crests ran across the top of its head and joined at the center of the brow. The space between the crests looked darker than the rest of its body, and where the crests met, a crimson gem glared at Cassidy. Its long, bony fingers ended in three-inch menacing claws. Even stranger were the two appendages branching off the creature’s back like two scythes. Its black oval eyes penetrated Cassidy’s soul. And then it disappeared.
Cassidy gawked at the space where the being had been, but the space just stared blankly back. He jumped as the fire crackled behind him.
I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy!
Still, he wondered if what he’d seen had actually appeared or if he imagined the whole thing. Nothing could possibly move that fast without making a sound. He replayed the phenomenon over and over again in his mind, trying to figure out what he’d seen, but with each repetition, he felt less and less convinced, eventually deciding he hadn't seen anything.
29
W ith the new day on the horizon, the journey up the mountain continued. Warren slid his hand along the mountain face, feeling the dips of stone under the palm of his gauntlet. A dull grumble of thunder rolled overhead. If it rained, the paths would flood, and the team would be swept down the mountain. The chances of survival were almost nonexistent.
The threat of being swept off the mountain wasn’t the only thing keeping him on edge. Instinct told him something lingered just outside his vision, beyond the reach of his hearing. He kept a hand close to his sword, his eyes inspecting each rock as though they might betray them. He would be ready when whatever lurked out there finally showed itself.
The air grew thinner by the mile, and breathing became harder. Warren tossed a glance over his shoulder. He could almost hear the yawning cries of his friends’ muscles—their cries were the same as his own. Lillian seemed in far worse condition. She plopped one foot in front of the other with a hollow gaze set on the ground.
Guilt hissed at Warren. She could barely move, and yet he continued to drag her forward. She deserved to be free of this journey. The most he could do now was give her a chance to rest. Unfortunately, their current location was unfavorable. He hoped for a better opening on the other side of the bend.
Minutes passed, and the bend persisted. Sweat clung to Warren, and the arches of his feet burned. This would end, he knew it would. Yet every second the team persisted amounted to nothing. Dark clouds still scowled at them, and the path became less visible. Warren realized the ledge could continue for miles, all the way around the mountain. They might not have a choice of where to stop. Warren breathed past his helmet, seeking some cool air. If nothing changed in the next few minutes, they would stop.
As time stretched on, the stone they traveled ended in an abrupt stone wall. Complicating the situation further was a seven-foot gap between where they stood and the next cliff.
“What is it?” Vallerie asked when Warren stopped.
“The ledge ends.” Warren said, scanning for a way around the obstacle.
“So, what’s our next move?” Emron asked.
The cliff face appeared to flatten out ten or so feet above Warren, but that didn’t mean it would lead them farther up the mountain. For all he knew, it led to another cliff. Their current ledge had taken two hours to explore. Turning back would mean they wasted all that time. On top of that, the only other option behind them seemed highly unfavorable.
Some small loose stones clattered down the mountainside, disturbed by some unknown force. Warren scanned the cliffs above but saw nothing. He never saw anything. No rodents. No vegetation. The mountain showed no signs of life, except the strange movement of rocks and shapes hiding on the edge of his vision. Warren eased his hand off his blade and refocused.
“We’ll rest topside. Is everyone okay with that?”
“Sounds good to me,” Vallerie said.
Emron nodded, while Lillian’s haggard gaze stayed locked on the cliff. She probably couldn’t climb such a surface unaided, even if she was fully rested. She simply didn’t have the arm strength.
“Cassidy, you head up first and throw your rope down for the rest of us.”
“You scared you’ll fall without me?” Cassidy smirked.
Warren snorted but didn’t argue.
Cassidy eyed the gap as he removed his gloves and strapped them to his belt, then jumped forward. He connected with the cliff with a thud but didn’t slide down. Instead, he picked a path through the dimpled stone and landed at the top of the cliff within a few seconds.
Warren gave Cassidy a second to adjust to his new surroundings, then called up to him.
“What do you see?”
“The mountain flattens out quite a bit up here and continues into a ravine.”
Warren nodded. Just a little farther and they could get some rest.
After removing his gauntlets, Warren leapt to the cliff and used Cassidy’s rope to climb to the top with relative ease. The top of the edge held a house-sized clearing that funneled into a deep canyon. Cassidy sat on a rock, looking far too pleased with himself. As Lillian neared the cliff, she hesitated.
“We’ll pull you up,” Warren reassured.
Yet as he spoke, his insides knotted. Shaking the fear out of his head, he crouched down and slid his fingers around the rope. Lillian shifted from foot to foot, occasionally bending her knees to jump, but always stopping short.
“You’ll be all right.” Vallerie put a hand on her shoulder.
Lillian nodded and took a few steps back. Exhaling, she sprang forward. As she flew through the air, Warren’s heart stopped. Sweat beaded along his palms. Lillian crashed gracelessly into the side of the mountain, and Warren gripped the rope so tight his hands shook as he waited for her to reach for it. Lillian held onto the stones with shaking arms, her face, filled with terror, tucked into the hard surface.
“Perfect. You’re almost there. Just grab onto the rope,” Vallerie said.
Lillian reached over and clutched the rope.
Warren clenched his jaw as he and Cassidy pulled Lillian closer, directing her where to put her feet as they hauled her to safety. She was visibly shaking, and her skin had acquired a slightly green hue.
“Are you okay?” Warren asked, holding her at arm’s length.
“I hope I never have to do that again.”
“Me too,” Warren said with a slight laugh.
He guided her to the side of the mountain and helped her sit down before returning to the edge with Cassidy. He leaned over and watched Vallerie and Emron climb up.
With his whole team at the top of the cliff, Warren’s muscles finally relaxed, and he sat against the mountain wall. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes. Cool air breezed through his helmet, tickling his facial hair. He took off his helmet and scratched his face. He wished he could shave, or at least trim the hair, especially along his neck. Every time he turned his head, the hairs jabbed into his skin.
He looked out over the edge of the mountain. The Darkness had turned much of the forest gray. Like the scruff irritating his face, the dying vegetation agitated the land, leaving it angry and ugly. Warren clenched his fist.
They were so close. They would destroy the Darkness and finally free the realm of that plague.
30
W arren woke early the following morning, too early to start climbing, but too late to bother sleeping. Thick clouds obscured the sun. Getting up, he walked toward Emron, who sat before the fire, rereading an old letter.
Warren had seen the yellowed page a number of times and had noticed the air of reverence Emron acquired every time his eyes slid across the page. Yet in spite of Emron’s extreme care, a small tear had started to form along the worn crease.<
br />
Cassidy had pried about the letter in the past but never received an explanation. When he was much younger, Warren had wondered—even fantasized a little bit—about what the letter contained. He had considered everything from an old girlfriend to a letter from his parents, but nothing ever seemed to explain why Emron still treated it as though it were a sacred artifact.
Now, Warren noticed something new. Circular water-like stains scattered across the parchment. A few of them were still damp. Warren hesitated, unsure whether to turn around or try to investigate. Then Emron looked over his shoulder at Warren. If he had cried, he didn’t show it now.
"Time to move?” Emron folded the letter and gingerly placed it back in his pocket.
"Not quite." Warren joined Emron on a rock.
"Then what's up?”
"Nothing, just woke up early."
They sat in peaceful silence—no words to be said. The dull rumble of thunder drew Warren's eyes skyward.
"It better not rain," Emron grunted.
"If it does, we don’t stand a chance," Warren agreed. "Well...most of us don’t. You could probably grab onto the wall with your pinky and be anchored for weeks.”
Emron laughed, and Warren chuckled with him.
"You know, when this is over, I'm going to build a house somewhere in a meadow, find a wife, and spend the rest of my days raising a family," Emron said.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Warren said.
He would probably move back to Fortitude, then raise a family of his own and die an old man. Warren glanced over at Lillian. She slept soundly in her bedroll, blonde hair hiding her face.
"Why do you keep doing that?" Emron asked.
"What?"
"Looking at her."
"Just want to make sure she's all right. She wasn't raised for these kinds of long days."
He sat with Emron for an hour, before making the call to start moving again. Warren was about to ask if everyone was ready when he noticed Lillian still having trouble with her things.
"Need help?"
Lillian raked a hand through her hair. "That bad?"
The Ajoiner Realm (Defenders of Radiance Book 1) Page 21
