But who? And why?
I stared at the map, trying to see what we were missing. Ignarath was marked clearly, a city symbol surrounded by territorial boundaries. Scalvaris was far to the west, across the desert we'd been flying over. Other cities dotted the map, each with their own territories, their own spheres of influence.
And between them, unmarked spaces. Areas that belonged to no one.
Nyx's claw moved to one of those spaces. Northeast of Ignarath, past the edge of the mountains, a region marked only by topographical features. Rough terrain, no roads, no indication of habitation.
"No city controls this area," he said. "No patrols, no monitoring. The terrain is too hostile for settlement, too remote to be worth claiming."
I leaned closer, studying the details. Steep valleys, narrow canyons, scattered rock formations. The kind of landscape that would be hell to traverse but perfect for hiding.
"Someone could hide there," I said slowly.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Indefinitely, if they had supplies and knew what they were doing."
My mind raced through possibilities. A third party with unknown agenda. Resources to move captives without being detected. Knowledge of the territory sufficient to navigate to an unclaimed region and establish a hidden base.
"That's where we're going," I said. Not a question. A decision.
Nyx nodded. "It's our best lead. But you need to understand how dangerous this is. That terrain is hostile even by Volcaryth standards. If we get caught in a canyon during a sandstorm, or if we encounter predators in confined spaces …"
"I know the risks."
"Do you?" His eyes locked on mine. "Because once we're in that region, we're on our own. No backup, no support, no way to call for help if things go wrong."
"We were on our own the second we left. This changes nothing."
The corner of his mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "That simple?"
"Yes."
He studied me for a long moment. I held his gaze, refusing to back down. I'd come this far. Made this choice. Committed to this insanity. I wasn't turning back now.
"We'll need to approach from the north," he said finally, turning back to the map. "Follow this ridge line, use it for cover. There's a canyon system here that should provide shelter and concealment. If anyone's hiding in that region, they'll have scouts. We need to see them before they see us."
I traced the route he indicated, memorizing landmarks. Better to approach unseen than to fly straight in and announce our presence.
"How long?" I asked.
"Another day and a half of hard flying. We'll reach the outer edge by tomorrow night, but we should wait for dawn to enter the canyon system. Better visibility, less chance of ambush."
Two more days. Two more days of being pressed against him during flight, of sharing shelter during the heat, of fighting the pull I felt every time he was near.
I could survive two days.
I'd survived worse.
The thought rang hollow even in my own mind.
"We should rest here until the worst of the heat passes," Nyx said. He was already moving, checking the perimeter of our shelter, scanning the sky for threats. "Conserve energy. We'll fly again in a few hours."
Rest. Right. Because lying here in close quarters with him, hyperaware of every sound he made, every shift of his body, was totally restful.
I settled against the rock wall, trying to find a position that didn't pull at my wounds. The stone was warm against my back,rough texture digging into my shoulders through my shirt. I closed my eyes, focused on slowing my breathing.
