“You absolutely will not,” Faye protested, putting her hands on her hips. “I’ve only just found my sister, there’s no way I’m leaving her again.”
Raxx growled under his breath with frustration. “You’re going to slow me down.”
“Deal with it.”
Lori glanced back and forth between her sister and Raxx, her face bemused. He and Faye locked eyes for the first time in what felt like days. A muscle popped at her jaw and she defiantly lifted her chin, daring him to disobey her. Raxx felt his anger flare. He wasn’t one to take orders, especially from bratty faerie princesses, but he didn’t have time to argue.
“Fine. It was a few hours hike from here. Leave the horse, it’s rocky and steep underfoot down by the hot springs, she’ll be more of a hindrance than a help. Get your things. Quickly.”
Raxx paced back and forth as Faye hurried around the camp, gathering a few simple supplies. She hooked her arm through Lori’s and strode ahead, without a second glance back at him. Clearly returning Lori had not had the desired effect. Faye seemed even more angry with him than she was before, her sister’s company fuelling her confidence. Raxx ground his teeth together before following behind the two faeries.
Chapter Eight
It was harder than Faye would ever have admitted, hiking through the snow on foot. The princess had heeded Raxx’s advice and had left Gaia behind at the camp, but she missed the ease of travelling on horseback.
Lori, despite her ignorance of the wilderness, was surprisingly adept at trudging her way through the snow. Usually, a fine drizzle was enough to put Lori in a foul mood, but the princess fought on through the drifts as if her life depended on it, without even a murmur of complaint, fuelled by the apple Faye had given her and her desperate desire to reunite with Lephas.
Faye hadn’t been the least surprised to learn that Lori had seduced the demon commander; her older sister was nothing if not a shameless flirt. What did surprise her, however, was that the man apparently returned her affections. Faye wanted the best for Lori, of course, but she couldn’t help but be suspicious. Was this all an elaborate ruse to get them on side?
Lori cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Lephas!” Her voice bounced eerily around the frozen forest.
When they left the campsite, there had only been a glimmer of dawn on the horizon, but now the sun had risen and was casting warm, rosy light all around. The wilds of Hestaesia were as beautiful as they were terrifying.
“Will he be out looking for you?” Faye asked breathlessly.
“Yes. I’ve never been more certain about something,” Lori replied with a small smile.
“I hope we’re heading the right way.”
“We are,” Raxx interjected.
Faye didn’t respond, just rolled her eyes and returned her focus to putting one weary foot in front of the other.
“Lephas!” Lori called again.
The group halted for a moment, listening intently for a response. Nothing. Lori’s shoulders slumped and she began walking forwards once more. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps, before her head jerked up.
“Wait… Did you hear that?”
Raxx stopped to stare ahead through the woods for a few long seconds. Suddenly and without an explanation, he vanished.
“Lori!”
It was faint, but it was undeniable.
“Lephas?” Lori screeched, breaking out into a clumsy run through the deep snow. Faye followed, but lost her footing and slipped in her haste. She was quickly left behind.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” she muttered with a frown. By the time she caught up with Lori, her sister was already in a passionate clinch with the mysterious demon commander. Faye cleared her throat. When neither of them noticed her, she spoke.
“Well, what a greeting. I'm jealous.” Faye fought hard to keep the bitterness from her tone and plastered a smile across her face.
Lori broke from the kiss with a breathless laugh and Faye got a decent look at the commander. It was clear why Lori had fallen for him. Lephas was the clean, classically handsome type that her sister had always had a weakness for. He smiled at her, kind, dark eyes crinkling at the corners and Faye tucked her hair behind her ear bashfully.
Though Faye wanted to disapprove of their union, and was still annoyed beyond belief that her sister had been so short-sighted and idiotic, Commander Lephas was clearly as relieved to be reunited with Lori as Faye knew her sister was to be with him.
“Lephas, this is Faye. My youngest sister.”
“Faye?” Lephas repeated.
