Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bereft. That’s what it felt like when Marcus shut her out. Fedra didn’t know exactly what had happened, but somewhere in their conversation, he had figuratively—and literally—turned away from her.
When he rose, she turned to look at him as he walked to the fire.
She drank in the sight of his bare back rippling with muscles as he tugged on his trousers.
He didn’t spare her a look when he slipped the tunic over his head and fastened the leather vest. She wanted to call him back to her, to have him curl up behind her again, but the distance growing between them was now too wide to cross.
He dropped her clothes beside her without meeting her eyes. “I’m going to have a look around. Doona make me chase you again.”
She sat up after he had walked away. All the warmth that had surrounded her earlier was gone with the dawn, and she didn’t know how to get it back.
Fedra hurried to dress and get closer to the fire for warmth.
She glanced in the direction she had gone last night.
Marcus was likely watching her to see if she would leave again.
She should do exactly that. Then she recalled the big black cat that had nearly caught her.
The walking stick hadn’t been much of a weapon, and she had lost it somewhere in her wild dash to get away.
Then there was the river. There might be a better place to cross, but it would take her time to find it.
Marcus was too intent on watching her right now for her to get away cleanly.
She needed him to lower his guard first. Which meant she would have to remain with him for the time being.
If Eurielle showed up, then Fedra would have no choice but to help.
If Eurielle didn’t make an appearance before Fedra got away, then so be it.
She wouldn’t have to decide either way. It was entirely up to fate.
Since fate seemed to enjoy toying with her life, she might as well use it to her benefit. There might not be another chance.
She shivered as she cast aside the warm cloak and pulled on the cold clothes.
They were mostly dry thanks to Marcus laying them near the fire.
Her boots were another matter, but there wasn’t time for them to dry completely.
She stuffed her feet inside and laid his cloak aside before reaching for her own.
Even clothed and next to the fire, she couldn’t get as warm as she had been while curled up with Marcus. She drank some water and used the time alone to fix her hair, though she put it back up into the high ponytail.
As she waited, she looked to the east, expecting to hear dragons, but there was no sound.
Even when she headed in that direction last night, she hadn’t heard any roars.
Was she farther away than she had originally believed?
Maybe that’s why everyone could live so freely next to their land.
She would never be able to stay near the dragons.
Marcus had made some good arguments, but he had never seen the destructive power of the beasts.
If he had, he wouldn’t be so quick to defend them.
It was for the best. If she could sway him, it would only make finishing her mission harder.
There was no future for her. She knew that trespassing onto dragon land would eventually lead to her death, but she was willing to do it so no one else had to suffer what she had.
If her feelings for Marcus deepened, she might find reasons to delay. How would she ever look Sten and others of her planet in the eye if she met them in the afterlife? She had made a vow. She couldn’t go back on that simply for one man.
She heard someone approaching and looked up to find Marcus. He still refused to look at her, and it bothered Fedra. A lot. The divide between them was growing with every minute. She wished she knew a way to end it.
“We need to head out,” he told her as he swept up his cloak and fastened it.
She rose and gathered her bags as he doused the fire. He dug out some food and handed it to her before slinging the other sacks over his shoulder. Fedra fell in behind him as she ate her breakfast. She didn’t even try to walk even with him. Neither was in the mood to talk anyway.
It wasn’t long after they set out that he turned east toward the mountains.
Was it because she had dared to go that route last night?
Or had it been his plan all along? A mountain range stood between her and the dragons, but not for long.
He could drag her halfway around the planet, and she’d still find her way back. No matter how long it took.
The closer the peaks got as they loomed over them, the thicker the clouds became. After two hours of walking, Marcus suddenly halted. She stopped and stared at him as he studied the area around them.
“What’s wrong?” she finally asked.
He was quiet for so long that she began to think he hadn’t heard her. Just as she was about to repeat the question, he said, “Just seeing if we had company.”
“Where are we going?”
Instead of answering, he continued on. She rushed to keep up with him since he’d quickened his pace.
“Hello?” she called. “I asked a question.”
She stayed with him for another few strides, but when he still didn’t reply, she stopped.
He walked three paces before he halted, too.
So, he had been paying attention to her.
He didn’t turn around, nor did he look at her over his shoulder.
If she bolted, how far would she get before he caught her? Based on last night, not very far.
“Where are we going? Because it looks like we’re headed straight for the mountain,” she stated.
His shoulders rose as he inhaled. “We are.”
“Why, exactly?”
“It’s where Eurielle was recently seen.”
Which still didn’t answer her question. She debated on pushing for more, but given his tone, that was all she would get. When he set off again, she went with him. She didn’t mind returning to the Ferdon Woods. In fact, she quite liked the forest. It was Marcus’s demeanor that unsettled her.
Whether by design or accident, they didn’t encounter anyone, but his mood wasn’t any better when they stopped for lunch.
Some might be unnerved by their lack of conversation, but it was nothing new to her.
She had spent so much time on her own that it seemed natural.
Even with Sten, there had been limited talk.
He had been more interested in reading and tending to his plants than spending hours talking to her.
Then there had been the seemingly never-ending time in the pod.
She was used to the silence and crafting conversations with herself in her head.
Fedra used the time outside to study her surroundings. Winter had put most fauna to sleep, but it only made the deep color of the evergreens prettier. The birdsong was still lively, which added a nice backdrop to their journey.
She also used the time to study Marcus. While she was in stasis, listening to everything in the city, she had pictured him in her mind the times he had stood still.
She hadn’t realized that he was studying plans at the time, but it wouldn’t have mattered what he was doing. His presence was still the same.
Solitary. Unwavering. Authoritative.
Just like the man she watched now. Many secrets were swirling around him, and he didn’t intend to let any loose.
She understood. She had felt the same, and yet he and his friends had managed to get her to open up.
It was too bad she couldn’t do the same to him.
Though sometimes, it was better not to know some secrets.
“Ready?” he asked.
She got to her feet and waited for him to set out. He took the lead again. The afternoon passed without incident. They paused beside a stream to refill their waterskins and even spotted the ruins of a village. She wanted to explore it, but they didn’t get close enough.
It soon became obvious that he intended to climb the mountain.
She had regained much of her strength from being in the pod, but she still tired easily.
Hopefully, they would rest overnight before they ascended the slope.
As the afternoon wore on, it became apparent that he wasn’t looking for a place to camp for the night.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to stop when they started their climb, but she knew it wouldn’t deter him.
It didn’t take long for her thighs to begin to shake as her muscles became overworked.
She used the trees she passed to help propel her forward, but they could only do so much.
The pine needles that littered the ground made it difficult for her to keep her footing.
She thought about the times she had run up and down the mountain at home with ease, compared to now.
One moment, she was staring at the ground, getting ready to take a step. The next, she was sliding. She reached out for something to grab on to and was able to stop herself, but when she looked up, it wasn’t a tree she had seized—it was Marcus’s arm.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
It was the first time he had looked at her since that morning. She jerked her hand away from him and nodded. “I’m fine.”
“We doona have that much farther.”
Fedra released a relieved sigh when he turned away from her. The more they ascended, the steeper the climb became, the slope more slippery. That’s why she didn’t mind when he took hold of her arm to steady her.
Her lungs wheezed, and her muscles screamed in protest for rest, but she kept walking, even as the sun set and bathed the mountain in shadows.
She no longer looked where they were headed.
She used everything she had to plant her feet safely.
So, she was unprepared to suddenly find herself inside a cave.
“Rest,” Marcus told her at the entrance.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Fedra’s legs gave out, and she slid down the wall to sit. She reached for the water and drank deeply, uncaring where Marcus went or if he returned. At that moment, all she wanted to do was sleep.
A few moments later, she heard a soft click and then spotted the flicker of flames. The light grew brighter as it approached, and she soon spotted Marcus carrying a torch.
“There are rooms farther back. Can you make it?” he asked.
“I’ll manage.”
She braced her hands on the wall to stand, but he surprised her by helping her to her feet.
When he took the bags from her, she couldn’t even find the energy to argue and gave them up.
The trek through the tunnel might have been scary had she not been so tired, but as it was, she barely paid it much attention.
True to his word, Marcus found them a small room without having to go very far. There was nothing in it, but it was out of the elements, which was enough for her. She walked to the back of the room and dropped to the floor.
“There might be others with beds. I can keep looking,” he said as he dropped the bags near her.
She shook her head as she leaned against the wall. “This is fine.”
“We’ll stay here tonight and head deeper into the mountain tomorrow. I saw a brazier in another room. I’ll bring that in to help heat things up.”
Fedra leaned to the side and found the sack with the blanket. She spread it out and curled up on her side. Marcus returned shortly with the brazier, the coals already glowing. He set it near her and moved to the other side of the room.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Tunris Mountains. We’re on the backside of Stonemore. Villette built the tunnels to move her army quickly.”
Fedra frowned. “Where is everyone?”
“Villette built the city, but Miena tried to take it over. Villette then trapped and imprisoned her sister for centuries. Miena was released, and she wreaked havoc on the city. It was one of the reasons Villette joined us against her. By the time Miena was defeated, the city had collapsed, and most of those in it scattered.”
She couldn’t believe Marcus was talking to her again, but she wouldn’t say anything about it, lest he stop. “Why didn’t we enter through the city?”
“It’s no’ safe, and I didna want anyone to see us. We’ll get to the palace this way.”
“Why there?”
He walked to a bag and handed her food. “Villette was there recently, and Eurielle paid her a visit.”
“You think Eurielle will return?”
“I do.”
She held his gaze. “And you believe I’ll help you?”
“You’ll be there. You doona have to do anything else.”