Romulus was quiet as well, and I lay on my side as darkness closed around me, wondering if my actions were driving my friends away.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The days passedin unending solitude. We kept the horses at a steady pace and the land fell away, the terrain becoming rougher and more uneven the farther we traveled from Anon Loam. Sometimes when we paused on a hill, I looked back and imagined the Shrouded Gates, naught but fog and mist, hiding the red mountain. I missed its beauty and grace, and the safety of my days as I rested and learned. My thoughts often went to Donia and Tiwyn, and I hoped they hadn’t been blamed for the small role they played in my departure.
It was on the third day that I became aware someone or something was following us. First the hairs on my neck stood up straight and then I caught movement beyond the trees. When I glanced at Takari and Romulus, they seemed to be oblivious, and yet my magic warned me. If it was a beast, it would only be a matter of time before it attacked, but what if it was a scout of the defenders, one of the elven, or something else?
My heart kicked at the thought of danger, and the opportunity to practice my magic in combat.
Late in the afternoon the sound of cascading water filled the air. We rounded a bend and the trees on either side gave way to a cliff, out of which poured a waterfall, sinking down into the smooth surface of a pond. The beauty of it took my breath away, and I dismounted, watching the waterfall dance and flicker, flinging crystal drops of water through the air. Some pebbled up on the shore like diamonds and glistened in the waning light. I took a breath of fresh cool air, determined to ease my worries and smooth out the tension between myself, Romulus, and Takari.
Takari spread her arms wide and moved to the shore. “We must be nearing the Crystal Forest,” she called, her voice light and easy.
“A few more days should bring us to the outer edge,” Romulus replied, scratching the back of his neck. “We should rest here and catch some fish. This might be our last chance for fresh meat and water until we reach the defenders.”
I succeeded in not making a face and pointed to the wood in a vague gesture that I needed to relieve myself. “I’ll be back,” I told them.
“Don’t go far,” Romulus warned.
I waited for Takari to volunteer to come with me, as she often did. She’d taken off her shoes and had her feet in the water. They both looked peaceful, almost happy as I slipped into the wood, following the glimmer I’d seen earlier. As I strode among the broad trees, limbs heavy with tiny new buds waiting for the warmth of the sunlight to unfurl, I realized now would be an opportunity—perhaps the only opportunity I had—to leave my companions before we reached the defenders.
The knowledge gave me pause. I weighed the consequences. Aside from the clothes I wore, the knives in my belt, and the sword on my back, I had nothing else. Fleeing would be foolish without the bare necessities, and I’d make it much farther on horseback.
Although I’d come into the woods to find out who or what was following us, my thoughts took over and I almost missed the enormous shape that appeared in front of me, blocking my path forward. I looked up, and my heart all but stopped.
In front of me stood a giant, towering a good seven feet tall, his corded muscles clearly on display. He wore nothing on his chest, his skin bare and open to the elements. His arms hung by his side, but every inch of his skin was covered in runes that glimmered gold when they caught the light. Those letters were foreign to me, not something I’d studied in the Room of Reading, not something I’d thought I’d ever come across. Again. Slowly, I lifted my face to examine his. Deep-set, pale eyes stared back at me. Golden eyes. I imagined they would shine like orbs in the dark, and flashes of memory swirled around me. His face was pure perfection, as though the gods themselves had chiseled him from stone: a work of art, a creation that happened to live and breathe.
Not a hair covered his bald head, but it was his skin, a rich dark blue, that made my heart ache. I’d met one before, which was why I knew one of the Nephilim stood gazing down at me, but it was those eyes that arrested me. Deep, intelligent, and full of sorrow.
A moan escaped my lips as I lifted my hand and took a step forward. A zing went through my body, starting at the tip of my toes and tingling all the way through to my fingers. A sensation hovered in the air between us, but I took another step, trusting my instinct, trusting my magic.
Tears filled my eyes, but I shook them away, unable to understand what I was feeling, thinking, sensing. It was both possible and yet impossible thatheshould stand in front of me. The Nephilim who’d saved me, who’d refused to come with me…and yet, it could not be anyone other than him. His name hovered on my lips as I reached out to caress his cheek. “Adomos?”
The question came out, a whisper, a breath, and just as my fingertips stroked his cheek, I knew, before he responded, I knew it was him.
“Hello, little one.” His voice caught, and he stumbled over the words. Lifting his broad hand, he covered mine with his, pressing gently before removing my hand from his cheek.
The lack of contact left me feeling cold. I stepped forward, wanting to sink into his warmth, curious about how when I’d touched him in the cave he’d seemed so cold and yet, out in the sunlight, he was warm. He shifted, stirring the great wings folded on his back. Folded, they hung past his waist, a combination of gray and blue, beautiful, breathtaking, just like Adomos himself.
“How are you here?”
He studied me from head to toe. “You’re not so little anymore, are you?”
I gave him a smile, my eyes still shining with emotion. “I went to the elves,” I explained, “and learned to use the magic within me, at least, as far as they could teach me. There is more, I’m sure, but…” I trailed off, feeling as though I were rambling.
Adomos placed a hand on his heart and bowed. “Princess Aofie, you must forgive me.”
It was the first time he’d said my name, and a shiver swept through me. My lips parted to tell him there was nothing to forgive, but he went on.
“I’ve hidden for so long, it made sense to hide again when she took over my lair. I did not want to face the woes of the world, the cares that dragged me raw. It’s much easier to sit in sadness where none can harm you. I assumed she came for foul reasons but I did not know she’d taken you, tortured you, until she left. If I had opened my eyes instead of hiding, if I had fought, if I hadn’t hidden, she would not have harmed you.”
“No!” I cut him off and took his hand. “It’s not your fault. I panicked when I first met Jezebel and she wanted revenge. She would have had it, regardless.”
Adomos wagged his head. “Still. I should have come to your aid. After you left, I had time, endless time to think. I came out here to track down Jezebel and slay her, but I did not expect to find you instead.”
“You seek Jezebel?” I confirmed, thoughts twisting through my mind.
“Aye.” He nodded. “One who calls herself a goddess and yet preys on the pure and innocent should not walk this land free. As I’ve traveled, I’ve heard rumor of the chaos and bloodshed she’s left in her wake.”
