Chapter 30 #3
“I told you we’d be safe on this journey.”
His voice was light, teasing.
I narrowed my eyes at him, shivering against the cold.
The skies had split above us, dumping relentless sheets of rain on our heads.
Roman rode on my other side, his jaw tight against the miserable weather.
Emily, Marcellious, and Rosie were tucked safely inside one of the wagons, spared from the worst downpour.
I tugged my fur-lined coat tighter around me, pushing aside a wet strand of hair clinging to my cheek.
“What’s your definition of safe?” I muttered.
Malik grinned. “Not having a darkness on our tail.”
The words sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with the rain.
Ahead, Count Montego slowed his horse, letting us catch up.
“Are we near your estate, Malik?” he called over the rain. “I’ll certainly feel better once the ladies are safe and dry.”
Malik lifted his chin toward the distant hill rising before us.
“Indeed. My home is just over that rise.”
Relief flickered across the count’s face. “Good, good.”
But when we reached the crest of the hill—
Malik’s expression froze.
Then, it darkened into something lethal.
His estate had been razed to the ground.
Nothing but charred ruins and smoldering wreckage remained.
A vision of Costa’s ruined villa flashed in my mind.
The same devastation.
The same cold, merciless destruction.
Malik’s body went rigid. Then, with no hesitation, he spurred his horse into a gallop.
Roman and the count tore after him.
A sick feeling coiled in my gut.
I kicked my horse’s flanks and followed.
We reached the ruins, our horses splashing through puddles of rainwater mixed with soot and ash.
Malik reined in his horse abruptly, staring at the wreckage.
The rain pelted us, relentless, unforgiving.
Roman dismounted, his brow furrowed. “What happened?”
Malik didn’t answer right away.
His jaw was clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might crack.
When Malik finally spoke, his voice was ice.
“I don’t yet know.” His knuckles whitened around the reins. “But whoever did this will pay. Dearly.”
A shudder rippled down my spine as I took in the devastation.
What had once been a proud estate, home, and sanctuary now lay in blackened ruin, reduced to smoldering wreckage.
Count Montego exhaled heavily, shaking his head.
“This is certainly an unfortunate occurrence.”
Before I could snap at him for the understatement of the century, lightning splintered across the sky, illuminating the ruins in an eerie flash.
A rumble of thunder followed.
The storm was worsening.
Montego turned to us, his expression unreadable. “We need to get to safety. Come, you can stay at my estate.”
Roman’s posture stiffened. I could feel the resistance radiating from him before he opened his mouth.
As he began to argue, Montego cut him off with a casual flick of his reins.
“I have a palace, Roman. There’s plenty of room for all of you. Plus,” he added smoothly, “we’ll pass right by the caves you seek. We can take a moment to investigate.”
Then, without waiting for a response, he spurred his horse forward, heading toward the next rise.
Roman’s jaw ticked.
I knew he hated feeling backed into a corner.
But at this point, what choice did we have?
We pressed onward, climbing higher and higher, the wagons struggling to keep pace behind us.
The higher we climbed, the deeper the snow.
The cold sank into my bones, my fingers numb despite my fur-lined gloves.
I clenched my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering, but the exhaustion was wearing me down.
Soaked to the bone, I couldn’t get warm.
“Hang on, Olivia.” Count Montego’s voice cut through the wind. “We’re almost there.”
His horse strained against the climb, its nostrils flaring, thick clouds of breath visible in the frozen air.
My mount struggled, hooves sinking into the deep snow with every step.
Then—
“Look!” Montego lifted a gloved hand and pointed toward a jagged structure up ahead.
A dark, yawning mouth carved into the side of the hill.
“There are the caves.”
Roman’s gaze narrowed. “Let’s check them out.”
His tone was firm and decisive.
“Where is your estate?”
Montego turned in his saddle, motioning ahead. “Just beyond that ridge. I’ll go back and direct the wagons. You go ahead—I know a shortcut to my estate. We should all arrive at the same time.”
Snow drifted from the sky, thickening the already pale, frozen landscape.
Montego gave his horse a sharp kick.
“He-yaw!”
Then, in a motion blur, he disappeared back down the hill.
I swallowed hard, a sense of unease curling in my stomach.
Something about Montego’s smooth assurances always left me on edge.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Roman, Malik, and I pressed forward, forging toward the cave.
As we reached the entrance, we all dismounted, leading our horses to the gaping mouth of the stony structure.
We peered inside.
Nothing but darkness.
The cave was massive, stretching deep into the heart of the hill.
The air inside was thick, damp, and ancient.
The flickering storm light illuminated just enough to show the vast interior.
Roman grimaced. “This could take forever.”
My stomach twisted.
What were the chances of finding the dagger in there?
Slim to none.