Chapter 20 #2
It was here where I stopped. I had reached the edge of a small creek, and the ice around it was thawing.
I watched the water flow over it, softening the ice into little bits of slush before carrying it away.
I chuckled at how nature was so marvelously clever at demonstrating that she was the metaphor for my life.
Maybe if I moved on like the water, the pieces of regret would break off and eventually disappear as well.
Could I truly say good-bye to this place?
Most likely not. It was too special, nurturing me when I had been hurting, allowing me an escape from the world, and teaching me the lessons it thought I needed to learn.
However, it also knew too many of my secrets, the most recent of which lay sequestered somewhere deep within itself.
How could I say good-bye when it was these mountains that had shown me the world was so much bigger and more arcane than I’d imagined.
I hiked on, subconsciously in search of the trail leading to that delphic, green oasis enwreathed in grey.
It was a fool’s errand, looking for a path I was never supposed to find, a path whose accidental discovery had nearly gotten me killed.
I was becoming more winded in the hours that went by.
Despite being in a better place emotionally and mentally, sleep deprivation had dwindled my physical strength down to almost nothing.
Even my small backpack had become so heavy that I had to stop and lean on a rock to catch my breath.
I looked at the blackening sky, then at my phone.
Shit. In the time I had spent lost in my head, the weather had turned with no regard for my need to ruminate.
It was later than I had thought, and a low rumble from the clouds marked the beginnings of an oncoming storm.
I picked up my feet and hurried back toward the shelter of my camp, in a rush to beat the capricious weather before I lost light.
About halfway there, I had to slow down again.
My lungs burned with the strain they were under, and my legs shook in protest at the lack of oxygen.
As I pushed forward, my skin prickled. Goose bumps rose on my arms and under my woolen leggings, and I was overladen with the sense that I was being watched.
Stalked.
Hunted.
Tucking my chin, I surreptitiously glanced around.
Nothing. Silence. No growls or disturbance other than the drumming of my heart hollowing my ears.
Not this again, I thought. I was on high alert.
Spindly vines of fear grew around me, and my palm closed around the handle of my knife, dampening it under a sheet of sweat.
Seriously, what the hell was I thinking, I said to myself.
I’d no sooner slip and be disemboweled by my own hand before I could inflict any kind of damage on whatever wild beast was eyeing me as its prey.
The first droplets of rain hit my face, and a clap of thunder sounded over the vibrato of my beating heart.
I was turning toward the noise, gauging the distance of the storm, when the wrist of the hand that held the knife was grasped from behind, and I was pulled backward into what felt like a wall of warm, dense muscle.
The air left my lungs, and I choked on a scream, fighting to free myself.
Slipping on the slick forest floor, I almost missed the voice as it snarled softly in my ear, “Has little red Roxie hood lost her way?”
I’d know that cocky, airy tone anywhere.
His hold loosened, and I whipped around, my legs sinking the rest of the way in relief.
He caught me by the waist, then drew me back up, and for the first time, I saw him in all his shirtless glory.
Celtic tattoos ran along his chest and down his biceps, topping his skin, tanned golden by the sun.
His hair was as blond as ever, and even in the shadowy light, his incredible eyes maintained their usual mirthful exuberance.
They darkened as he stared into mine, revealing something more beneath those waves of sea blue.
“Rox,” Drake said breathlessly and reached out slowly. His fingertips skimmed the side of my face, like he was making sure I was real and not some sort of apparition.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I shouted, realizing my voice was working again, and I punched him on the shoulder.
“Is that any way to greet your savior?” He smirked, sliding his hand under my hair to hold the back of my neck.
“And what exactly were you saving me from?” I asked.
Drake’s eyes went to my knife, and he answered, arching an eyebrow, “Yourself, Ms. Hood.”
Laughter burst out of me, and I jumped into his arms, hugging him hard.
Rain was pouring and thunder roared overhead.
The storm was officially underway. We were both drenched, and my teeth started chattering, but Drake was completely at ease.
He looked at me critically after bobbing his head up and down. “Rox, have you been eating?”
“Like a horse,” I answered, my jaw stiff from the cold.
He brought one hand up to sweep my wet hair off of my forehead, and it went to my neck again, bringing me close as he leaned in. Another clap of thunder grabbed my attention, and I turned my head just as Drake’s lips met my cheek. I heard him sigh, and a pang of guilt knifed through my heart.
“You often wander around the woods half-naked in the rain?” I asked, teasing him to try to get past the awkwardness. “Aren’t you freezing?”
“You’ve warmed me up, Rox,” Drake whispered into my neck. “I never thought I’d see you again. We have some catching up to do.”
“I texted you,” I told him accusingly. “You didn’t respond.”
He glanced at me quickly but didn’t offer an explanation. “Come on,” he said instead, putting me down and taking my hand. “It’s getting wild out here. Come back with me.”
I shook my head, panicking a little. “Drake, no. Konstantine. I can’t… I don’t want any trouble.”
He squeezed my hand and winked. “You’re nothing but trouble, Rox, but that’s what makes you so fucking hot.”
“Drake, seriously.” I pulled away. “I’m just here because I come back every year. I told you, it’s like a ritual. I need to head back to my camp before it gets too late.”
“No,” he replied stubbornly. “The storm is going to get worse. Just come, say hello… and I’ll bring you back in the morning.”
I glanced in the direction of where I thought the castle was located. In my heart of hearts, I knew I wanted to go with Drake, but the anticipation of seeing Konstantine was giving me equal parts butterflies and nausea.
“Please, Rox? I… I’ve missed you,” he said, looking away.
I had missed him too but, perhaps, as I was sadly realizing, not in the same way.
The initial excitement and general shock at seeing Drake again was fading, leaving behind an ugly tinge of regret and what was it…
contrition? Worse, I knew the reason for it, and it irritated me to no end.
I was hung up on a guy who had been nothing but stone cold, yet Konstantine’s hold had created a barrier between Drake and me—and anyone else, for that matter.
It had kept my feelings selfishly inaccessible.
It wasn’t like I wasn’t attracted to Drake, but attraction was as far as I was willing to let it go.
“Okay,” I said, accepting his offer despite my misgivings. “One night. I just hope your boss doesn’t get too pissy about it.”
“Don’t worry about him,” Drake said, unconcerned. “You’ll be there as my guest.”
I let out a nervous breath and nodded. He slipped his hand back into mine and led me up the mountain, into an area with no detectable footpath.
The hike was arduous, and we had to break several times due to my endurance, or lack thereof.
The raging storm seemed to diminish the closer we got to our destination.
I was still soaked to the bone, but it wasn’t until we got to the top of the cliff when the weather cleared up, and I saw for myself where we were.
“Are you ready to tackle this mountain again? Conquer it this time around?” he asked, motioning toward the steep drop a few feet from us.
“What?” I exclaimed. “You’re joking. I’m not scaling down that shit!”
“You won’t have to. Get on my back. I’ll carry you,” Drake replied with a grin.
“Carry… me? On your back? You’re crazy. You’ll get us both killed.” I shook my head and took a step back.
“Rox, I know what I’m doing,” he said quietly and turned around, gazing back at me. “Come on, we need to dry you off. Your chariot awaits, Empress.”
I went to oblige him, but the tattoo I caught sight of had me enthralled.
It was absolutely striking. A giant, serpent-like dragon took up the entirety of Drake’s back, its body coiled and ready to strike.
I ran my fingers along its scales, admiring the intricacy and complexity of the work.
The piece was black and grey with the only spot of color being its eyes.
They were a deep, deep blue, exactly the same shade as Drake’s, and it made them stand out even more in contrast to the monochromatic color scheme.
“Wow,” I murmured. “This is so beautiful. Why a dragon though?”
“My name,” he replied.
“Your name? Is Drake short for something else?”
He faced me and nodded, performing a curtsy. “Mom is Greek. Dad is English. Drakon T. Prescott at your service.” He looked up and smirked. “Now if you’re done checking me out, Rox, can we go?”
I rolled my eyes and climbed onto his back, securing my legs around his waist. He took off at full speed down the mountain, with me shrieking in his ear.
His legs were clearly adept for this sort of activity, and they had a mind of their own, avoiding every boulder, rock, and tree root as he whizzed by, taking the nearly straight incline at an angle.
I couldn’t understand how easy he was making it look.
“What are you, part mountain goat? How are you doing this?” I cried.
“Not my first time,” he said with a laugh.