Scarlett stepped close enough for Ransom to savor her scent.She smelled of him now, their personal fragrances combined, and that brought him great satisfaction.
“Talon’s right.”Scarlett compared the landscape with their rough map.“Only one mountain is there… No, wait.It looks as if that might be an old volcano.Look at the shape.”
“I agree.We’re getting closer.Can we make it that far before blacklight?”
“Let’s try,” Scarlett muttered as a lava-heated rock whizzed overhead.“We’re right in the path of the rocks here.”
By the time blacklight approached, exhaustion dragged their footsteps.They made camp but didn’t bother with a fire.Instead, Scarlett added water to one of their remaining shrink-meals and they ate a cold meat stew.
Talon made his own bed on the other side of the clearing where they camped while Ransom and Scarlet set up their sleeping area together.
“Make love to me,” Scarlett said, busily skimming out of her clothes.
“You’re exhausted.”
“I am, and so are you, but my gut tells me we’ll find the place soon.I want to feel alive.”
Ransom understood all she wasn’t verbalizing.What would happen when they found the prince?He drew her closer and kissed her, then yanked off his footwear and clothes.
Naked, he lifted her and continued to kiss her before he kneeled and set her on the foil blanket.This time, their loving was slow and sweet, and when they finished, they curled their bodies together, neither of them wishing to lose contact with the other.
“Have you set your dragon on guard?”
Ransom yawned.“What?”
“I’m still telling my feline to guard the barrier I build in my mind before I sleep.My headaches haven’t been as bad this cycle.I’m not sure if the prince has given up trying to access my mind or if he’s too weak to try.Try it.”She yawned.“Tell me if it works when we wake in the morning.”
Ransom tossed and turned during the blacklight, but Scarlett wasn’t certain if it was nightmares or the visiting prince.Although healed now, her arm ached and throbbed, and she could’ve sworn it vibrated, but that might have been her imagination.
Something crashed onto the ground near to them, and she sat up, casting out her feline senses.She stood and made her way to a point where she could see the volcano.Ah!That might make their quest to find the prince more difficult.Now, along with the tinges of smoke, lava poured in a river down the slopes.It glowed—a scarlet ribbon twirling downward, flickering enough to tempt a curious kitty to bat it with her paw.A snort escaped Scarlett, and she pushed her feline back.
“Not to touch,” she said.“It’s dangerous.”
She stared at the problematic volcano and sighed before searching for Talon.The wee Trolleris kept to himself, especially at night.Her arm itched, and she scratched it.
Eek!Scarlett darted into a patch of better light to study the healed scar.The two holes left by the Quito man now bulged and vibrated.What the what?
She gingerly touched one bump, and it quivered beneath her fingertip.She swallowed, fear writhing through her at the unknown.
A sharp snarl had her stilling, and she whirled to find Talon watching her with bright eyes.
“I let the Quito tend my wound because you intimated it was a sound idea.”
Talon gave a strangely reassuring squeak.
“If this kills me, Iwillcome back to haunt you.”
“Haw-haw-haw.”
“You laugh,” Scarlett muttered.“That is not a threat.It’s a promise.”She scowled at Talon for a beat longer.“Are you sure I shouldn’t take to my arm with a pointy knife?”
Talon growled a toothy warning.
Scarlett bared her teeth and gave him attitude in return.“I’d make an excellent poltergeist.”
“Haw-haw-haw.”
“You laugh now.”Scarlett lifted her gaze.“The volcano is spewing lava, and that’s the direction we’re traveling.”
