Chapter 6 The Real Adventure Begins #2
“My sister-in-law owns it. She made the shrink-meals. I told her our destination and for my brothers not to worry. But after thirty cycles, they’ll come for me—if I don’t return earlier.”
Ransom scowled. “We’d better push hard while I’m able.”
“Don’t forget to pack the supplies the Elevenoss gave you,” Scarlett said, spotting the pills and a single bottle. “What are they, anyway?”
“Some of them will help me block the prince, but I need a strategy. Daenys insisted I not raise his suspicions.”
Scarlett strode to the outer chamber and picked up one pack. She slipped the straps over her shoulders, wincing at the weight.
Ransom followed suit, and they left the ship in silence. Outside, Ransom consulted the map. “This way.”
They strode off the plateau and followed a faint trail that led through the pale blue and red valley.
Scarlett almost wished she had her com-circle to record the stark beauty of the place.
The cool, crisp air stole her breath. The sky was a brilliant blue, two or three shades darker and brighter than the blue in the rocks.
She’d see animals and insects at home on Ione Island or even on Earth.
Birds would wheel through the sky on the hunt for prey.
She listened but heard nothing apart from their feet striking the ground.
“Are there no animals?”
“The prince and his people would’ve used the energy of the large animals to survive once whatever they used to run their survival system failed.”
“So we might see smaller animals?”
“Possibly. Daenys told me they can’t feed on the young. Feeding on the animals depleted the populations, which would create problems with the insects, birds, and perhaps some plants. Life is a delicate balance.”
Scarlett winced at this reminder, and guilt slipped through her.
Ransom spoke nothing less than the truth.
On Earth, she’d visited her young friend who’d caught the feline virus.
She’d sneaked out to see her against her mother’s wishes.
Unknowingly, when Scarlett hugged her friend, she’d become infected.
Although Scarlett never sickened, Lori, Saber’s fiancée, had succumbed.
Lori’s family had blamed Scarlett. They’d accused Saber.
They’d all died except Lori’s brother, and he now hated everyone who bore the Mitchell surname.
Scarlett’s fault and something she’d had to live with ever since.
She bit her bottom lip as another wave of remorse caught her, a wallop to her heart.
Agreeing to accompany Ransom—she was allowing her impulsive side to rule her again.
She needed her lists…a new list of pros and cons to marshal her thoughts and create a safe path.
Allowing a bad impulse to rule her was ludicrous. Dangerous.
Scarlett clenched her fists and unclenched them before turning to Ransom. “Is the prince truly that treacherous? That capable?”
“Worse,” Ransom said without elaborating.
“And he’ll be even more threatening once he awakens?”
“Everyone who lives in this solar system will be at risk.”
Nothing like a bit of pressure. Scarlett walked in silence, taking in her surroundings while picking out landmarks to memorize the return route to their ship.
They climbed a steep path, more suited to mountain goats.
Scrubby plants and stunted trees clung to cracks in the rock face, while delicate, lacelike moss covered other rocks, turning them into displays of color and beauty amongst the red surface.
Both breathed audibly by the time they reached the summit.
Scarlett scanned the valley below. The splashes of moss-clad rocks reminded her of gardens, although the place was still barren compared to what it had been in the past.
“Rest or keep going?” Ransom asked.
“I’ll travel at your pace.” Scarlett pulled out a water bottle and slaked her thirst. “We should trek until it’s dark. I mean, blacklight.”
“I could do with a drink.”
Scarlett nodded, and a thought occurred. “You’re a dragon. Why aren’t you flying directly to the place we need to find?”
“I can’t fly. I haven’t flown since before I fell into the coma.”
“Bummer. Is it permanent?”
“Daenys and Mistress Aelene both thought I should fly again. They think the prince has damaged my neural pathways, which is screwing with the part of my brain that helps me to fly.”
“The more I hear about this quest of yours, the more I loathe it.” Should’ve made a proper list. Too late now.
From the peak, they traveled downward, following a twisting trail through a forest of fossilized trees.
A few were still standing, but most lay on the ground, the rings within the trunks mottled and striking cream and brown.
Alive, the trees must’ve been impressive because the fossilized logs were gigantic.
When they rounded a corner, the volcano came into view. Despite past eruptions, the large cone remained intact.
“Is it extinct or dormant?”
“I’m not sure. No dragon has explored over here since the resonance. Ry never mentioned the volcano.”
“We had volcanoes on Earth. The island country where we lived contained several active ones.”
The path narrowed to single-file, and she let Ransom lead.
An excellent opportunity to study him without censure or embarrassment.
The full night’s rest had helped, and he seemed more at ease in his skin.
The faint lines at the corners of his eyes told her he sometimes laughed, although since he’d carried her off, his permanent expression was pained.
The man bore muscles still, making a girl wonder…
visualize his appearance at full fitness. His arse—a work of art.
In ordinary circumstances, she might let this dragon-man catch her.
Up ahead, Ransom halted, and she stopped beside him. The wind shifted, and she caught a whiff of sulfur blowing from the valley.
“Whoa!” She stared at the vast expanse of geysers and bubbling mud pools. “This isn’t on your map.”
“No.”
“That answers our question about the volcano. It’s more likely dormant.”
“The diversion will take us an extra cycle.”
Scarlett shrugged. “We need to make camp soon, anyway. At least the ground will be warm. This place can get cold at night. I’ve camped on this side of the planet.”
“Yes,” Ransom said, his voice grim.
Sympathy filled her on glimpsing his face. He looked resigned to his fate because they knew the prince would come to Ransom tonight. And if Ransom failed to appease the man, who knew what might happen next?
Ransom scanned the flat valley, and foreboding jumped in his gut. He’d hoped this trip might be a quick one. He should’ve known better.
“Which way do we walk?” Scarlett pointed at a trail branching off from the one on which they stood. “This goes in the right general direction.”
“Let’s go. We’ll stop once we find a suitable place to camp for the blacklight.”
Ransom forced his aching limbs into motion and prayed he remained upright. He’d lost fitness while he’d been in the coma, and it was taking time to recover. As for Scarlett, she seemed as fresh as when they’d left the ship.
A faint smile curved his lips when he thought of his sister Jacinta.
Her idea of fun was relaxing in a resort with friends or attending parties at the luxurious homes of her Dalcon friends.
Scarlett Mitchell was feminine, yet she bore an inner core of strength.
She hadn’t panicked when he’d grabbed her, and once he’d explained, she’d become more cooperative.
The woman preferred to use her brain rather than her beauty to make her way through life, and he appreciated the quality.
As much as he loved his sister, she did little to contribute to the family coffers.
A loud howl came from nearby, the shrill sound raising the hair at his nape.
“What the frying fungus was that?”
“Pass.”
“What did Daenys say? Another tribe or animals?” Scarlett’s frown dug deep as the howl repeated. “Something about that sound raises goosebumps on my arms. I don’t want to meet whatever is making that noise.”
“Me neither,” Ransom agreed. “It sounds far away.”
“I hear water,” Scarlett said.
Ransom tilted his head. He didn’t—wait, she was right. “You have excellent hearing.”
The mystery creature’s howl echoed through the surrounding mountains.
She grimaced, scanning their surroundings. “I wish I didn’t. That is one freaky sound.”
“We’d better keep moving,” he said, leading the way. Much safer than following Scarlett. One: his dragon didn’t have a chance to perv at her curvy form. And two: he could keep a better handle on his festering guilt. If the prince prevailed, Scarlett would never leave Narenda.
Ransom forced himself to drag one heavy foot after the other. He hauled his aching body up hills and skidded down slopes, his mind full of a monotonous chant. One-two. One-two. One-two. The red dust from the rocks irritated his scratchy eyes.
“Wait,” Scarlett said. “I’m going to fill my water bottle.”
“The water might contain diseases or impurities.”
“We have no choice,” she whispered. “Besides, I have a cast-iron stomach.”
He stared at her, slow to understand her words.
“I’ve drunk the water before and have never been sick,” she explained. “Give me your bottle. I’ll fill yours too.”
“Thanks.”
Scarlett completed the task in half the time he would’ve, and shame filled him. He was a liability. A liar. They continued their trek in silence. Tired of his tortured thoughts and counting, Ransom was about to speak when Scarlett halted.
“How about camping in there? It’s sheltered, and if those howling creatures check us out, we’ll only need to defend one entrance.”
Ransom forced his tired eyes to focus, his squint telling him Scarlett had picked an excellent site. “Blacklight will fall soon, anyway.”
“You look as if you might vomit,” Scarlett said.
He snorted. “The truth—I’m terrified at the thought of sleep.”
“I’m sorry. This must be a living hell.”