Dante and Jasper walked ahead, the latter somehow still having more to say. I couldn’t recall a stretch of more than a few minutes passing without him telling a story or sharingobservations. His continual conversation softened the otherwise grueling trek, especially because my lungs burned from exertion and it served as a distraction.
As if he’d heard my thoughts, Tio asked, “How are you doing?”
Even with a sweat-slicked forehead, his curly hair sticking to his face, he was beautiful. Gratitude swelled in my heart that I had the opportunity to know him, to see that sparkle in his stunning eyes when he looked at me.
“I—” A root jutting up from the uneven path assaulted me, throwing off my balance. I shrieked, but strong arms secured me before I collided with the ground. Tio held me, smiling.
“Careful, sunshine.” His gorgeous smile entranced me. Maybe it was a mix of his beauty and the fact that while he held me I could give my aching body a break, but I forgot how to even form words. I could’ve lived in this moment forever. Even shrouded in a cursed forest, he was all I needed.
He placed me on my feet, and my dazed mind became clear and burdened as pain flared anew in my tired muscles.I grimaced. “I think I need to stop.”
Tio’s face changed from charming to concerned. He whistled, signaling Dante and Jasper. With beckoning fingers, he called them back to us. Heat that didn’t have anything to do with exertion bloomed across my face. When Dante and Jasper approached, they asked what was the matter.
“I’m sorry, I just need to rest for a bit,” I admitted, guilt hounding me for slowing our progress.
“That’s fine,” Dante said. I couldn’t help but stare, transfixed by his beastly mouth and daunting stature. “We probably wouldn’t have made it by nightfall anyway, so no point in pushing beyond our limits.”
He said we, but it was obvious I was the weak link. I’d heard him and Jasper mention how they’re able to pass through thisentire kingdom in barely two days, yet with me we were on day four and still traveling.
“We should try to push a few more hours today before we lose sunlight, but we can take an hour before that,” Dante added. I could see the battle waging behind his lupine eyes, a delicate balance of compassion and understanding mixed with impatience.
“Thank you, I think I can do that,” I said, even though my feet yelled that they very much could not.
Jasper slipped a full pack off his back. It’d been stuffed with supplies we’d taken from the castle. The weight would have been excruciating for a regular human to carry, but the sturdy creatures took turns, barely affected by it. My empathy grew for those fleeing Argora Vale in these conditions.
Jasper passed the bag to Tio and he rummaged through, retrieving bread, cheese, and meat. He made me a sandwich and handed it over. Love was written all over my face for this man, and I did nothing to conceal it.
We sat, and he had me placed between his legs, letting me lean against his solid chest while he propped himself against a tree. I melted into him, my body finally relaxing from the strenuous journey.
Jasper and Tio had made a game during our trip. Tio would use his telekinetic magic at whatever Jasper tossed into the air. Pebbles, twigs, leaves. They would float, or dance as if by the hands of a juggler. Once a handful of items were added to the display, Jasper would shout out an animal or an object, and Tio would rearrange the objects into that shape. The magic was impressive and precise, and Jasper got such a kick out of it. Even Dante grinned his feral wolf-like smile at the gargoyle’s boisterous laughter.
He talked about how his friend Calista had limited telekinetic ability, mostly using her magic to cheat at some game they’d made up.
“What isthat?” Jasper whispered, peering into the desolate forest ahead before taking off into the sky.
Tio dropped the objects in the air, raining stones over the ground. He and I sat up. I squinted, but couldn’t pinpoint what Jasper had seen. My fingers dug into Tio’s thigh, fear crawling its way up my spine. I prayed it wasn’t ogres. His hand gripped my shoulder, and I could feel his stern awareness of whatever was approaching.
Dante stood, a formidable barrier between us and whatever might come our way. Moments later, Jasper returned. “Tio,” he called, his voice lacking its usual glee.
Tio gathered himself from around me and rose, approaching the oncoming gargoyle as he landed before him, passing a piece of parchment. Before I could ask where he got it from, a tiny blue dragon joined us, perching on the gargoyle’s bald head. Jasper glared up at the impertinent little thing, but didn’t shoo it away.
“Braxius,” I whispered, knowing the creature belonged to Ro. She had been missing for a while now, and it had weighed heavily on Tio. He cared a lot for her, and my stomach turned leaden as he read from the paper, every passing second waiting to hear what it said growing my concern.
“She’s alive,” Tio whispered, a smile gracing his lips. A single tear rolled down his tan cheek, and my eyes blurred with happiness for him.
“What did she say?” I asked.
Jasper spoke covertly to Dante, passing information over his shoulder while he stood with his arms crossed before him.
Tio’s smile faded. “That bastard king sent her on a mission. How the fuck did she end up doing that? She says she was forced. How?” The paper shook in his hands, his anger becominga palpable force. He looked at Dante. “How far is Devera from here?”
Dante used his claws to scratch the underside of his jaw. “At your speed? Maybe a day. At ours, a few hours.”
Tio’s eyes darted around in thought before landing on me. “Interested in flying?”
58
Ro
