“You’ve said that before. And yeah, we both really, really reacted to them. But there’s just no way to be sure.”
“I realize that. It’s just something that pops into my head on occasion. A mystery that, while unsolved, I am nevertheless quite grateful for. It’s so unusual to bond once in your life. And twice? Even after the damage my Infala received? It’s unheard of. Finding your Infala mate is not an everyday occurrence, you know.”
“I do. But if you’re right, then the fact we both drank the water and had its effects in our systems when Heydar finalized my Infala would mean that it was that shared surge in connectivity that sparked it. And, logical as that may be, I kind of like not knowing for sure. It’s kind of romantic, the thought that your body simply couldn’t live without me, forcing itself to heal so we could unite.”
He nodded his agreement, stopping that line of thought. Of course, it would still be in the back of his mind from time to time, but she was right. This was a blessing, and one he would be wise not to question.
“Whatever it is, I’m just grateful to be with you.”
“And I with you,” she replied, her smile broad and full of joy. “But the sacrifices you’ve made for me?—”
“Are nothing compared to what we have, and I would make the same decision a hundred times more if given the opportunity.”
“But don’t you miss home?”
He shrugged. “No, not really.”
Maria knew him far better than that, even without their Infalas binding their hearts and souls. “I know you do. And Idofeel bad you had to leave on my account.”
Zepharos sighed. “Of course, I do miss it alittle, but that is only natural. But I hope that one day we will be able to return, free of the threat of the chancellor’s goon squad.”
“I’d really like that. Your village, it’s full of the most wonderful, kind people. And there are two human residents as well. It would be nice to get to know them better.”
“I’m sorry, my love.”
“It’s okay. One day we will go back.”
“You have my word on it. But sadly, it may not be for a long time. Not so long as you are at risk.”
Maria surprised him with a laugh, her mirth in the face of adversity just one more thing to add to the already long list of reasons he was head-over-heels for her. “Will I ever not be? With my luck, who knows?”
“I wish I could say. But as long as we have each other, we will be okay. And you, my dear, are all I need in my world. So long as we’re together, life will be just fine.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The next few days took them across a swath of dense forest leading toward an imposing mountain range. From what Zepharos had learned of the region in previous excursions, this was something of a no-man’s-land simply due to the geological upheaval making it unsuitable for any large-scale settlements. There were little pockets of level ground, some areas one could set up a small encampment, perhaps, but the mountains broke up the land in such a way that settlers had simply decided to put down roots somewhere easier.
“They won’t expect us to take this route,” he said as they reached the base of one particularly imposing mountain.
“I can see why. Look at that thing,” Maria grumbled, staring up at the high, snow-capped peaks far above. “We’re supposed to climb it?”
Zepharos grinned wide. “Ah, and that is how anyone else would react.”
“Yeah. Because it’s impossible.”
“Not impossible. Just not pleasant. There are many gullies, ravines, and slot canyons, and they are dangerous and hard to navigate.”
“So what do we do, then? Go around?”
A gleam in his eyes, a broad smile spread across his face. “That’s the good part. We don’t go around or over. We gothroughit.”
“Through it. We’re supposed to dig a tunnel through a mountain?”
“Obviously not. But with your newfound strength, we will make an ascent to a hidden cavern system. It’ll take us a couple of days to reach the entrance, and I still have to find it, but I was once told of an ancient people who lived in this mountain. And we’re going to take full advantage of that.”
“And go live inside a mountain?”
“No. But their former home will take us through it.”
