Ransom followed suit, and they left the ship in silence.Outside, Ransom consulted the map.“This way.”
They strode off the plateau and followed a faint trail that led through the pale blue and red valley.Scarlett almost wished she had her com-circle to record the stark beauty of the place.The cool, crisp air stole her breath.The sky was a brilliant blue, two or three shades darker and brighter than the blue in the rocks.She’d see animals and insects at home on Ione Island or even on Earth.Birds would wheel through the sky on the hunt for prey.She listened but heard nothing apart from their feet striking the ground.
“Are there no animals?”
“The prince and his people would’ve used the energy of the large animals to survive once whatever they used to run their survival system failed.”
“So we might see smaller animals?”
“Possibly.Daenys told me they can’t feed on the young.Feeding on the animals depleted the populations, which would create problems with the insects, birds, and perhaps some plants.Life is a delicate balance.”
Scarlett winced at this reminder, and guilt slipped through her.Ransom spoke nothing less than the truth.On Earth, she’d visited her young friend who’d caught the feline virus.She’d sneaked out to see her against her mother’s wishes.Unknowingly, when Scarlett hugged her friend, she’d become infected.Although Scarlett never sickened, Lori, Saber’s fiancée, had succumbed.Lori’s family had blamed Scarlett.They’d accused Saber.They’d all died except Lori’s brother, and he now hated everyone who bore the Mitchell surname.Scarlett’s fault and something she’d had to live with ever since.
She bit her bottom lip as another wave of remorse caught her, a wallop to her heart.Agreeing to accompany Ransom—she was allowing her impulsive side to rule her again.She needed her lists…a new list of pros and cons to marshal her thoughts and create a safe path.Allowing a bad impulse to rule her was ludicrous.Dangerous.
Scarlett clenched her fists and unclenched them before turning to Ransom.“Is the prince truly that treacherous?That capable?”
“Worse,” Ransom said without elaborating.
“And he’ll be even more threatening once he awakens?”
“Everyone who lives in this solar system will be at risk.”
Nothing like a bit of pressure.Scarlett walked in silence, taking in her surroundings while picking out landmarks to memorize the return route to their ship.
They climbed a steep path, more suited to mountain goats.Scrubby plants and stunted trees clung to cracks in the rock face, while delicate, lacelike moss covered other rocks, turning them into displays of color and beauty amongst the red surface.Both breathed audibly by the time they reached the summit.Scarlett scanned the valley below.The splashes of moss-clad rocks reminded her of gardens, although the place was still barren compared to what it had been in the past.
“Rest or keep going?”Ransom asked.
“I’ll travel at your pace.”Scarlett pulled out a water bottle and slaked her thirst.“We should trek until it’s dark.I mean, blacklight.”
“I could do with a drink.”
Scarlett nodded, and a thought occurred.“You’re a dragon.Why aren’t you flying directly to the place we need to find?”
“I can’t fly.I haven’t flown since before I fell into the coma.”
“Bummer.Is it permanent?”
“Daenys and Mistress Aelene both thought I should fly again.They think the prince has damaged my neural pathways, which is screwing with the part of my brain that helps me to fly.”
“The more I hear about this quest of yours, the more I loathe it.”Should’ve made a proper list.Too late now.
From the peak, they traveled downward, following a twisting trail through a forest of fossilized trees.A few were still standing, but most lay on the ground, the rings within the trunks mottled and striking cream and brown.Alive, the trees must’ve been impressive because the fossilized logs were gigantic.
When they rounded a corner, the volcano came into view.Despite past eruptions, the large cone remained intact.
“Is it extinct or dormant?”
“I’m not sure.No dragon has explored over here since the resonance.Ry never mentioned the volcano.”
“We had volcanoes on Earth.The island country where we lived contained several active ones.”
The path narrowed to single-file, and she let Ransom lead.An excellent opportunity to study him without censure or embarrassment.The full night’s rest had helped, and he seemed more at ease in his skin.The faint lines at the corners of his eyes told her he sometimes laughed, although since he’d carried her off, his permanent expression was pained.The man bore muscles still, making a girl wonder…visualize his appearance at full fitness.His arse—a work of art.
In ordinary circumstances, she might let this dragon-man catch her.
Up ahead, Ransom halted, and she stopped beside him.The wind shifted, and she caught a whiff of sulfur blowing from the valley.
