Chapter 6 The Real Adventure Begins #3
Her sympathy and caring almost did him in. An ache started behind his eyes, and his throat tightened. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d cried. His father had knocked the tendency out of him early, but Scarlett made him want to weep.
The guilt cut him deep, and he fervently wished there was another way.
Daenys had told him he had to follow Prince Kalim’s orders.
Easy for her to say. Her goal was to free her people and take down their Maphra enemies.
She wasn’t betraying Scarlett. She wasn’t leading an innocent woman to absolute hell. She wasn’t lying to a mate.
Ransom forced his unruly mind and body back to business. He cleared his throat. “I’d do anything to protect my people.”
Scarlett nodded and walked into the area they’d decided to camp for the blacklight.
She shrugged off her pack and stretched her arms above her head.
Ransom stared. His gaze zapped to her breasts, and his breathing stalled.
Heat roared through him and concentrated in his groin.
In the act of self-preservation, he removed his own pack.
“What do you want to eat? Mistress Aelene instructed me to keep up my energy levels. It’s time to take one of her pills.”
“What will the pill do to you?”
“It will make the prince assume he’s using too much of my energy. We hope he’ll back off and give my body time to recharge. My dragon does his best to repair me, but my healing abilities can’t keep up with the prince.”
Scarlett squatted by her pack and removed a foil blanket and several of the shrink-meals. “Eva gave me several cook blocks. I’ll heat one, and that should be enough for the meals to cook. Sit. Rest. You’re exhausted. I can do this without breaking a sweat.”
Ransom sank onto a handy rock, his muscles heavy and weak now that they’d finished walking this whitelight.
As he watched, Scarlet spread out her foil blanket. She turned to him, concern evident on her face. “Use my blanket. I’ll bring you food when it’s ready.”
“You don’t have to wait on me.”
“You have battles to fight. I have the easy part.”
Ransom stared at her mouth, remembering their kiss and how her touch had stirred him, momentarily offering a diversion.
“Hey!” She clicked her fingers. “Focus.”
He accepted the blanket, although he didn’t need to use it to keep warm.
It was better if he was cold since the prince hated lower temperatures.
He situated the blanket and flopped down.
His limbs twitched with the need for rest, and he stretched out, scarcely heeding the hard rock beneath his body.
Soon, Scarlett was shaking him awake with hot food. “We have soup followed by a pie. I’m not sure what’s inside the pastry, but you can trust Eva’s cooking. My sister-in-law is a magician with food. Where are the pills you need to take?”
“In the side pouch of my pack. One of the blue ones.”
He sat up and sipped the soup. A rich, meaty flavor burst over his tongue. His next sip was more eager. Scarlett handed him a blue pill, and he swallowed it down with more soup.
Scarlett sat next to him. She didn’t fuss about the poor campsite or the lack of amenities.
Never once did she grumble about having to prepare their meal.
Once again, he compared her with his sister, and Jacinta made a poor contrast. Sable, his youngest sibling, worked hard, and her presence had turned them into a family, the house where he and his siblings lived into a home.
He wondered if Sable’s work made her happy because, as Jacinta often pointed out, she was little more than an unpaid housekeeper.
The thought gave him pause. Following in his father’s dominant footsteps was the last thing he intended.
A pity it was too late to make the changes now.
He expected to lose his life in this endeavor.
“Oh, wow! This pie is amazing. It’s like a traditional Cornish pasty with a savory and a sweet end. Hmm, peach and raspberry. How did Eva manage this? Taste this. Tell me what you think. Eva will want our feedback on the meals.”
Ransom bit into one end and meat in a rich sauce exploded across his taste buds.
He wasn’t sure what the protein was, but it melted in his mouth.
He wolfed it down. His next bite contained sweetness.
Ransom slowed to savor the unusual flavors.
As a dragon, he enjoyed his sweets, but this resembled nothing he’d tasted before.
He finished it and turned to Scarlett. “Is there more?”
“Four more.” Scarlett grinned. “Told you Eva is a talented cook and baker. She and my mother design the menus for our resort. We’re always getting compliments and pride ourselves on ensuring our guests have access to suitable food.”
Ransom ate three more pies and drank one more mug of soup—more than he’d eaten in ages.
A howl rippled through the mountains, and several more followed at different pitches.
“Daenys mentioned other tribes lived here, but she suspected most had died, thanks to the prince,” Ransom said. “According to her, they were a peaceful tribe and worked with the Elevenoss people.”
“At least they’re not heading in our direction. Wherever they are, they’re staying put. You should get some rest.”
“Yeah.” If he were lucky, he’d sleep for a while. “We’d better check the map first and decide which way to walk in the whitelight.”
“Give me the map, and I’ll plot an alternative route. I’ll give you my reasoning for my suggestions before we start walking tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” He’d considered restraining her, but that hadn’t worked last time. Frankly, he didn’t care any longer. He’d brought Scarlett to Narenda. It was up to the prince to make sure she stayed.
Ransom settled again. He hated to close his eyes, to give in to his fatigue. With a sigh at the inevitable, he spent a few minutes corralling his dragon at the rear of his mind. His dragon hated Prince Kalim, and their animosity was mutual. With Ransom in the middle, things didn’t go well for him.
“Ransom?” Scarlett whispered.
“Yes.” He didn’t open his eyes.
“Tell Prince Kalim you’re coming to find him and make him understand this isn’t a five-minute walk in the park. He must not feed on you if he wishes you to free them.”
“That discussion won’t go well.”
“You have to make sure he understands the danger of overfeeding on you because if you don’t discover the place where they’re resting, they’ll die.”
“I’ll try.” Not a bad strategy. To date, he hadn’t tried to gainsay the prince, not after Prince Kalim had demonstrated his powers.
Just the thought of him taking over the minds of his brother and sisters and the other dragons who depended on him brought a shudder of horror.
Scarlett was right. This time, he had to handle the prince differently and make the power-crazed man understand the dangers.
When he’d confided his worries to Daenys, she’d intimated the dragons were probably safe unless they attempted to travel in this region or flew too close to the mountain range that sang with resonance.
But what if she was wrong? A curse slipped free.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, despite the colder clime.
No, if Gryffnn sent anyone, it would be the Indy crew, and not one of them suffered resonance side effects. If Scarlett’s brothers came, they should bear the same resistance as their sister.
Ransom drifted closer to slumber. His mind fought, but his body was exhausted. He was cold—so cold. He thought about wrapping the blanket around him but rejected the idea. It was better to maintain a low temperature.
A faint pressure pushed against his head, and a pop released the tension. Prince Kalim had arrived.
“Where have you been?” The imperious voice held seductive beauty, yet Ransom had discovered the prince’s ugly underbelly.
“I had to travel to another planet to retrieve the woman.”
“I’ve been able to contact you before. The resonance made you accessible at all times.” Accusation and suspicion laced the arrogant words this time.
“I do not have answers.” Ransom sought the right words. The faint pull at his temples indicated the prince drawing energy from him. “I was merely following your instructions.”
The pull ceased abruptly.
“You do not taste right. Are you feeding your body?”
“Yes, my prince.” The words almost choked him, but playing the game was important.
“I sense the woman, but our minds are not compatible. Describe her. Is she thankful for this opportunity I grant her?”
“I have not told Scar—the woman of her purpose. I thought you would prefer to tell her of the honor you do her.”
“Yes, it would give me pleasure to speak with her and tell her of our future together.”
The tug on Ransom’s mind resumed.
“May I request a boon, my prince?”
The prince ceased his feeding. “What?”
“The journey to your resting place is onerous. There are many mountains and valleys, lakes and much thermal activity between us and your haven. I can’t fly, so I must walk.
The woman is delicate, and I am not strong.
I require all my strength to make the journey safely.
If I fail en route, who will free you?” A long speech for him.
To his surprise, the prince let him speak.
“I, too, require strength,” the prince said after a pause that had Ransom’s stomach roiling with nerves and fear. “But you are correct. Each time our minds join, I weaken you. It is important for you to succeed. Now, tell me more about the woman. Is she worthy of a future king?”
“She is elegant and will make an admirable consort. Her beauty is without question, while her conversation is polite yet intelligent. She has kept up with me on this trek, so she has a strong body. I believe you will find her commendable.”
Ransom didn’t add that she bore a temper and could defend herself. Her tongue could be smart and sassy, and she’d dance rings around a weak male. Scarlett Mitchell was not a woman happy to stand in the background. She’d demand equality.
“From the moment I glimpsed her face in your mind, I sensed she would be my savior. Her presence will help me awaken. I will be watching. Do not fail me.”
There was a faint pressure as the prince pulled free then blessed silence and peace in his tortured mind.
Ransom released his dragon from his barricade, welcoming his other half and his help in healing some of the damage the prince had inflicted.
And luckily, the prince hadn’t scooped up any stray thoughts or memories.
Ransom hadn’t allowed that to happen since his misstep with his dreams of Scarlett. Thankfully.
He frowned as he recalled the prince’s last words. Scarlett was to be his savior. What did he mean by that?