Chapter 21
This was Hell. Without a doubt, Hell wasn’t some fiery pit. It was ice and snow and frigid temperatures.
Eden kept moving her toes in her boots, but it didn’t matter. They were as numb as her fingers. She couldn’t believe how much heat Maks put off, she had been warmer just being near him. Now that he was gone, it felt ten degrees cooler.
Or it could just be her mind freaking out because she was now alone.
Yeah. That was probably it. Though she should stop thinking that way because there might be a real chance she could lose her mind. That made her pause. Could she go nuts from being in the cold? She’d never thought to ask something like that.
“Oh, God. Stop,” she chastised herself.
One foot in front of the other. It took her twice as long to pull her feet from the deep snow as when Maks had been there to pull her out.
She then groaned aloud because she realized that he’d been expending much more energy helping her than if he’d been on his own.
She hated being a burden in any situation, but this one was even worse.
I’m not going to fail. I’m not going to fail. I’m not going to fail.
Eden repeated that over and over in her mind, her resolve growing.
She was cold, yes. Actually, she was fucking freezing and never wanted to see snow again, but that was beside the point.
She wasn’t in the hands of the Saints, and that was all because of Maks.
He had gotten her this far, and she was a capable woman who had lived alone for many years.
She could take care of herself, and even though she didn’t know the first thing about surviving in the wild, she was a fast learner.
With her lungs burning, she paused. Each breath felt as if icicles were scraping her esophagus and nasal passages.
She put a hand on a tree to steady herself and not fall backward.
Thinking about that had her looking back the way she’d come.
Eden was shocked to see that the incline was as steep as it had felt.
There was no sign of Maks, but she wasn’t worried. No doubt he was hiding someplace.
Eden tried to even her breathing. She could already feel what little energy she’d had draining fast. It wasn’t just the altitude or the climbing, it was the extra effort just to walk in the snow. All of that, combined with the frigid temperatures, was zapping her strength at an alarming rate.
She looked around, really taking in the sights. She might admire how the snow glowed in the night. Or how one side of the trees was covered with snow, showing how the wind had driven it against the bark. Or that the snow flurries hovering against the backdrop of the darkness was stunning.
That is if she could stop her teeth from chattering long enough to appreciate it.
With a deep breath, Eden pushed away from the tree and continued up the path.
The farther up the mountain she went, the more difficult it became.
She had to stop frequently just to catch her breath.
She glanced behind her often, hoping to see Maks and praying that there wasn’t an animal—or worse, a Saint—coming after her.
The only thing helping her at the moment was the knowledge that she would most likely be a popsicle soon, which would make for difficult eating for an animal. Or would it? Something else she didn’t know and should’ve thought to ask.
She rolled her eyes at herself. The thoughts that went through her brain at times were disturbing. Why should she care if it was hard for an animal to eat someone who was frozen? She didn’t want to be eaten or end up frozen.
Eden paused to catch her breath for just a moment.
She went to take a step when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
Her eyes rounded when she found herself staring into the yellow eyes of a Eurasian lynx.
Its winter fur was thick and a silvery beige-gray with black spots.
It’s belly and neck were white. She took in the black-tipped, bobbed tail and the long tufts of black fur on its ears.
It was a beautiful animal, even with its really long, powerful legs.
She knew from her love of animals that the lynx was a shy creature who liked to stay away from other animals and humans.
With as much noise as she’d made on her trek up, no doubt it had heard her.
However, it was half-hidden, so perhaps it thought she wouldn’t see it.
And she wouldn’t have, had it not twitched an ear.
“You are a beauty,” she whispered to the animal before giving it a wide berth and continuing on.
When she glanced behind her, the lynx was gone. She spotted it going to the east as if giving chase to something. Eden was happy the lynx hadn’t been some other kind of predator that could’ve made a meal of her.
She was beginning to think that she would never reach the top of the mountain when she heard something behind her.
A look back confirmed that there was indeed someone coming, and it was Maks.
She wanted to shout for joy. He was moving quickly, so she kept a steady pace, knowing he would catch her soon.
When he did, she fought not to give him a hug. “I knew you’d make it.”
“Did you?” he asked with a grin.
“Of course. Did you see anything?”
“A bear.”
“I saw a lynx,” she said excitedly while continue to walk. “He was stunning.”
Maks slowed to stay with her. “How are you doing?”
“I could be worse.” She smiled when he chuckled.
“Things could always be worse.”
They continued on in silence until they got to the top of the mountain. Eden hoped this was their destination, but she had a feeling she was wrong. And when Maks kept going, it was all she could do to hold in her groan of disappointment.
“Not much farther,” he told her.
At least they would be going downhill again.
Or she believed that until Maks shifted from their path and went to the left, which took them up another part of a mountain.
Time no longer mattered. All Eden could focus on was walking and staying upright.
She didn’t try to carry on a conversation with Maks or even herself.
Her brain couldn’t handle that at the moment.
She walked when he told her. She stopped when he told her.
She drank and ate when he told her. And it was a good thing he was there because she was sure she would’ve stopped a long way back and just sat in the snow, waiting for the elements to finish her off.
She just didn’t have any kind of energy or will to do anything herself.
Whether it was the cold, the fear, the altitude, or simply utter lack of drive, she didn’t know.
What she did know was that she wasn’t cut out for this kind of stuff.
Hiking in the summer was vastly different than in the winter.
There was a reason she declined such things when it was cold.
She’d instinctively known that she couldn’t cope.
Eden didn’t even care what Maks might think of that.
He hadn’t left her behind, and that was saying something.
Nor was he carrying her. She might not be moving very fast, but she was moving and on her own.
There was no telling how long that would last, but she would wring every last drop of it before she let him carry her.
A giggle escaped her at the thought, causing Maks to look at her with a frown.
As if she could stop him from carrying her.
She was only on her feet now because falling would take too much effort.
And each time she did start to lean one way or the other, he was there to right her.
The simple fact was, she had no idea how she was still going.
Sheer will, it seemed. Odd how much that could get you when you really needed it.
She was aware of the many times Maks looked over his shoulders to check behind them. He was always very careful to keep his face devoid of expression, but she knew he was worried. Not once had he told her to hurry or speed up. He didn’t need to. She knew for herself that they were being hunted.
“There’s an easy spot up ahead,” Maks told her. “We’re going to need to run. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” Damn, I really hope I can.
He didn’t question her, which she was thankful for. She’d given him the answer he needed, the answer she needed. Whether she could actually do it or not was something altogether different.
“Here it comes.”
Maks grabbed her hand. Before she’d been on her own, that gesture would’ve warmed her significantly because he put off so much heat. But she was too cold to feel anything. She was glad he had a hold of her, though. She tried to squeeze his hand, but her fingers were too numb.
“Run, Eden. As fast as you can,” he urged in a low whisper.
She pulled her foot out of the snow and stepped down to find there was rock beneath her. The snow on this section was only a few inches thick, allowing her to move freely. It felt like she had shaken off five hundred pounds of weight. In fact, if she tried, she was pretty sure she could fly.
Despite that thought, she still couldn’t keep up with Maks.
He was half pulling her behind him. She wanted to look over her shoulder, but she didn’t dare.
To do that meant she would certainly fall on her face.
A glance to the side showed that they were inches from a sheer drop-off.
If she fell, there was no doubt she’d tumble off the side of the mountain and disappear into the darkness below into who knew what.
All too soon, the easy section ended, and Eden found herself back in snow that was up to her knees. She choked back a sob. It had felt so good to be free of it, and now that she was back in the snow, it felt heavier than before, as if it were pulling her down.
Suddenly, Maks stopped and faced her. His hands grabbed her upper arms, and his bright blue eyes met hers. “Listen closely.”
“Don’t leave me again.” She’d barely survived on her own the first time. She couldn’t do it again.
Maks’s lips softened. “You’re a strong woman. One of the strongest I’ve ever met. Look what you’ve done.”
“It’s because you were here.”
“You could’ve done it on your own. I know that. So do you.”
Maybe she did. She was just so tired. She wanted to lie down and close her eyes. They were so heavy.
“Eden,” he said sharply and gave her a little shake.
Her eyes snapped open. “What?”
“If you keep on this heading, you’ll find a cave entrance. It’s covered so no animals can use it. You’ll have to look closely for it, but you can do it. It’s only another few kilometers away.”
Anything more than a foot was too far right now. Did he really expect her to walk that by herself? On top of the mountain. Oh, God. Then there was the cliff she’d have to worry about falling from.
“I caught up with you the first time,” he continued. “I’ll do it again. I give you my word, and I never break a vow.”
Eden swallowed, tears threatening. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask of you. Just don’t stop moving. Go as slow as you need, but don’t stop. Do you understand?”
She nodded, emotion choking her. She was more terrified now than when they’d left the house. The cold had permeated every inch of her. Warmth was a distant memory she feared would never return.
“You can do it,” he told her with a smile. “I know you can.”
Eden sniffed and lifted her chin. “Of course, I will.”
One side of his lips curved into a heart-melting smile. “I’ll catch up soon. Remember, don’t stop. No matter what you hear behind you, keep moving.”
She tried to look down the slope, but his fingers on her chin prevented her from turning her head.
“You need to go. Now,” he said and gave her a little push.
Eden turned and started walking. She wanted to look over her shoulder and see Maks once more, but she didn’t. She had to stay focused, needed to concentrate on what was before her so she didn’t bust her ass and maybe even die.
The cold was turning her into a pessimist. That had to be it.
Obviously, she was suited to warmer weather.
Modern conveniences made people forget how damn cold it really was.
It wasn’t something she would ever take for granted again, that was for sure.
She even tried thinking of sitting in front of a fire, or taking a hot shower to warm herself, but it did nothing.
Kudos to those who could think such thoughts and shift their internal temperatures. She didn’t have that skill.
Step by step, she plodded ahead. When the silence of the night was broken by the sound of a gunshot, she jerked, pausing for a heartbeat before she started moving again.
She didn’t want to think that it was Maks who might have gotten hit.
She would continue thinking that he’d either fired the gun or that whoever had fired on him had missed.
There weren’t any more gunshots, but she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Her mind raced with all kinds of possibilities.
It wasn’t until she went over what Maks had told her to look for that she realized she hadn’t been looking for a covered cave entrance.
Nor did she know how far she’d walked. Not that she was ever very good at gauging distance on a flat road, much less going over mountainous terrain.
She stopped caring about the cave and instead concentrated on walking. If she had to go all night, she would. She’d have to stumble across a house or village sometime. Right? If she was lucky, maybe.
Eden began to keep a lookout for anything that might be a hidden cave.
She tried several spots that her fuzzy brain thought might be a covered entrance, but so far, she’d come up empty.
It became harder and harder to even lift her feet.
She refused to stop, though. Maks had told her to keep going, and that’s what she would do.
No matter what, she would keep going. She wasn’t going to let him down.
He’d made a promise to her, and she was going to keep her side of the bargain and continue on.
“Don’t stop,” she said to herself. “Just don’t stop.”