Lephas reached for Lori and Faye stared at their clasped hands, confusion and envy roiling within her. It was becoming clearer by the second that Lori had not been exaggerating when she had said Lephas returned her feelings. How had this happened? Faye glanced up at the commander, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realised he had caught her staring. She turned away, pretending to watch a bird gliding through the branches above.
“So, how lost are we then?” Lephas called out to Raxx.
“We're only two days' travel from the main road. You've done well to get this far,” the shadow demon replied. “I would have been here sooner, but when we first heard of the ambush, I followed your tracks and stopped to bury the men. I lost you after that and I didn't pick up any trace of you until last night.”
“We may have goneoverthat cliff edge, rather than around it,” the commander replied. Raxx caught Faye’s eye and she mouthed:I told you so.He shook his head, but she saw the corner of his mouth quirk into a half-smile.
“And you've been out here all that time?” Raxx asked Lephas. “I didn't think you had packed that much equipment.”
“We didn't. It's been tough going. Do you know Haros got captured?”
“I had figured as much.”
“The King's Guard were out here looking for Lori, as predicted,” Lephas replied. “We got away, but Haros wasn't so lucky.”
Faye looked between the shadow demon and his commander. So, another of their companions was missing? Raxx had failed to mention it. She knew what had likely become of their friend, if her father’s men had anything to do with it. The faerie shivered and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“How did they manage to take him down?” Raxx enquired.
“Lazuli sent a whole troop – at least fifteen men. We managed to get a few down, but Haros had taken an arrow and they overpowered him.”
“Zelrus isn't going to be happy about that.”
“I, uh, don't think that's the only thing he's not going to be happy about,” Lephas said sheepishly.
The shadow demon glanced over his shoulder. “It hadn't gone unnoticed.”
“We'll talk about it later,” Lephas replied in a low tone. Raxx nodded and continued to stride forwards.
“How are you feeling? Are you too tired for this?” Lephas asked Lori quietly.
Faye tried not to eavesdrop, but try as she might she couldn’t keep her eyes off them. It was so unnatural to see her sister hand-in-hand and carefree with any man, never mind a demon.
“I'm doing alright so far. I'll let you know if I need help. Faye has apples – real apples – in her pack back at their camp. I had one before we set off and I'm feeling a little better for it.” Lori smiled.
“I'm glad to hear it.” Lephas looked across at Faye, “So, princess, how exactly did you get here? And more to the point, how did you meet Raxx?”
“Raxx and I ran into one another at a tavern I stopped in a few days ago. I'd foolishly stuck to the main road, not thinking for a second that my sister might have wandered off the beaten path into the forest.” Faye replied.
“In my defence, Iwason the road when the demons picked me up.” Lori laughed. “It's a miracle you weren't seen.”
“I think the weather has been so bad, it's driven everyone into their homes. I didn't pass a single soul.” Faye shook her head. “When Raxx realised who I was and that we were looking for the same people, we decided to work together.”
“That's very sporting of you, Raxx,” Lephas teased.
“Two birds, one stone,” the shadow demon replied tightly.
Faye’s stomach churned, but she forced another smile. “We've been out here looking for you since then.”
“And, I'm just going to remind you yet again, how utterly stupid you've been to follow me,” Lori snapped at her.
Despite herself, Faye felt the disquiet and bitterness she had been silently harbouring flare up, angry majick flickering to life in her chest. “And as I'm going to remindyou,it's no use telling me that now, is it?” she replied between gritted teeth.
“You realise you can never go back now? Father has already disowned me, no doubt he's cast you onto the fire now as well,” Lori argued.
“I wasn't to know that, was I? If you hadn't run away in the first place then–”
“Hey, hey.” Lephas stepped in. “Maybe we can argue later, hm? Let's just be grateful we're all here and safe now.”
