Raxx didn’t respond, just held her eye contact. They both remained silent for long moments. Unable to bear his gaze, fearing he would be able to hear her thoughts if she allowed him to, Faye looked away.
“So where is this pathway?” she eventually asked, rubbing her gloved hands together.
“Follow me.”
The demon strode ahead and Faye suddenly noticed he was leaving no tracks behind in the snow. She shivered. He really was creepy. She asked Gaia to follow and though the mare hesitated, she stepped forward.
As they rounded a bend, large boulders – taller and wider than she and Gaia combined – were embedded in the snow. The cliff had clearly crumbled here long ago, the landscape strewn with steadily eroding rocks, covered in moss and the spindly remains of plant life. As they got closer, she halted her mare and swung herself from the saddle. She looped her arm through the reins and led the horse forward, following a safe distance behind Raxx.
“This way.” He gestured her forward with his fingers. “There’s a deep fissure in the rock face here. It’s wide enough to be passable.”
They approached the rocks and Raxx pushed aside some snow-covered foliage. Ripping the ivy away, he uncovered a dimly lit passageway between the rocks.
“Is it safe?” Faye asked, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Mostly.” Raxx’s lips quirked. That was the closest he’d come to a smile all morning. “We’ll rest here a moment. Once we head inside, there are no passing spots large enough to stop comfortably – especially with the horse in tow.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Faye turned and began unstrapping one of the satchels from Gaia’s back. “Would you like anything?”
“Just a drink.”
Faye rummaged around, her fingers finally closing around one of the water canteens. She pulled it free and threw it across to the shadow demon. Though his head was turned away, surveying the entrance to the passageway, he caught it with ease. Faye pulled the second container from the satchel and leant against Gaia’s muscular shoulder whilst she drank. She eyed the demon with curiosity.
She wondered what was on his mind that had caused such an extreme change in his mood – especially towards her. Perhaps this was all a front after all. Maybe he had no idea where Lori was and was taking her back to be tortured for information. Faye could almost laugh about it. What information could she possibly provide for them? It seemed like the demons knew more about her father than she and her sisters did.
Sensing her gaze, Raxx turned to look at her. He quirked his brow questioningly, whilst he took a sip from the canteen.
“What sorts of things do you have on your mind, Raxx?”
“Nothing that concerns you.” He looked away. He was lying. Faye narrowed her eyes.
“We’re supposed to be partners. How can I trust you, if you won’t trust me?” she argued.
Raxx let out a frustrated sigh.
“I’ll trust you with anything and everything you need to know. Everything else, you’ll just have to—”
“Trust you? Yeah, yeah,” Faye grumbled, taking a large gulp of water. “Look, if you feel like I’m slowing you down or inhibiting you, please feel free to go on ahead without me. I’m a big girl, I can handle myself out here just fine.”
“And what happens when it inevitably gets dark at night, princess?” Raxx replied, almost teasingly.
“I’ll light a fire.” Faye shot him a wide, sarcastic smile whilst her eyes shot him daggers.
“I wouldn’t leave you behind. I said we’d find Lori and Lephas together. I’ll honour that contract. I’m not used to working with someone, it’s just going to take a bit of getting used to, that’s all.” Raxx shrugged.
“Really? But I had you pegged for the super sociable, team player type,” Faye mocked.
“I can be. Depends on how interesting the company is.”
Despite herself, Faye laughed, spitting her mouthful of water into the snow. She shook her head and wiped her mouth on the back of her glove. “Are you saying I’m not interesting, Raxx?”
“Quite the contrary, which is even more troubling.” And, like a pendulum, Raxx switched back to flirtatious. Faye barely resisted rolling her eyes in exasperation. How was she supposed to keep track? The shadow demon was impossible to get a handle on. Faye didn’t respond, just turned her back to him and took another sip from the canteen, fighting against the smile that had curved onto her lips.
Eventually, when they’d both had their fill, Raxx tossed her his drink canteen. Faye blundered the catch with her thick heavy winter gloves and dropped it into the snow. The demon remained silent, but Faye knew he was dying to tease her. Once she had secured Gaia’s load, they took their first tentative steps between the rocks.
Faye was glad to be sheltered from the icy winds, though they still howled and whistled around the boulders. Cold drips of icy water fell in large globules, making her start every time they made contact with her warm skin or hair. Water was frozen in pretty, delicate icicles where trickles of spring water once ran.
Her aching muscles were glad that the snowfall was minimal here, between the tightly packed rocks, just a sprinkling had made it this far, to land on the gravelly surface beneath their feet. Faye led the way, still holding Gaia’s reins, but allowed the surefooted mare to pick her own path behind her. The mare’s hooves echoed, bouncing around the narrow passage.
