“I don’t thinkhecan bear the thought of dying at home,” she said softly.
“Are you two coming or are you going to sit there all day?” Robby called to them several yards ahead.
Ridge pressed his lips together and rode after his brother. India followed at a more sedate pace, her chest aching with regret.
They rode for over an hour, silence draped over them like a heavy fog. Even Robby, ever a jester, remained quiet, his expression solemn. Their horses picked their way carefully over the rocky terrain. Mount Orion loomed over them, filling their vision, and yet they didn’t seem to be getting any closer.
When they topped a particularly steep hill, India pulled up short. Robby and Ridge stopped as well and stared. Before them stood a solid sheet of rock.
It jutted skyward, easily the height of a dozen men. Her gaze slid sideways, examining the width of the barrier. Though not incredibly wide, it fashioned an apron of sorts on the mountain. There was no way over and no way around unless they skirted Mount Orion completely. And that could take days.
There must be a way through it. Her breath caught in her throat. Were they to cut a path into the mountain itself?
She turned to look at Ridge and Robby. “This has to be where the gap in the rock lies.”
Mindful of Juan Miguel’s directions, she slid from her horse and retrieved her bag holding her clothes and supplies. Ridge dismounted and hurried over to help Robby, who to her surprise, accepted Ridge’s aid without protest.
She glanced back at Robby. “Can you make it?”
He nodded, fierce determination molding his features into a hard mask.
Ridge’s hand slipped over her hand, and she squeezed, grateful for his reassurance. Her heart fluttering wildly in her chest, she dropped Ridge’s hand and started toward the rock.
As they drew closer, the shadows cast on the rock by the sun seemed to shift as her focus sharpened. When they were but a few feet away, a crack in the stone became visible. Her heart sped up.
“This is it,” she said.
They paused for a moment, and India found herself almost reluctant to forge ahead. With a shake of her head and a silent scolding, she started for the crevice.
It was a tight squeeze. They all turned sideways and slid along the rough surface of the stone. Her clothes snagged and her bag caught. She twisted and yanked it free.
Halfway in, panic clawed at her throat. She closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to regain control of herself. Sweat beaded her forehead, rolled down her neck and dampened her palms. Flashes of her days in captivity danced wicked steps in her mind.
She took several deep breaths, shook her head then directed her gaze forward, to the light she could see shining aheadFocus on the light.Focus on the light.
Behind her, Ridge grunted as he shoved his much larger frame through the crevice. Her feet, feeling as though they weighed more than the rock they were sliding through, dragged, unwilling to obey her commands. She shook so badly, she feared starting a land slide.
Finally, she vaulted from the rock, heaving great gasps, sucking in precious, clean air. The breeze blew over her damp clothes and the limp tendrils of her hair.
She stood to her full height and gazed in awe at the scenery before her. Mount Orion stood in all its glory, surging upward to the sky in a mass of jagged rock. Near the top, snow glistened in the sun, blinding her when she looked full on.
The rock they had pushed through formed a small pocket between the mountain and the stone barrier. The area they stood in was enclosed, the rock rounding on either side to meet the mountain and mesh seamlessly together.
She reached again for the bracelet, reassuring herself by running her fingers over the rough surface.
Behind her, Robby whistled in appreciation as he stumbled out of the rock. “It’s bloody magnificent.”
Ridge put a hand on her shoulder. “Where do we go now? It appears as though our only option is up. Or through.” He glanced from side to side as he spoke.
She scanned the surroundings, her lips pursed in concentration.
Look to the north, to the great peaks of Orion.In the cradle of the moon lies the doorway.The way is broad that leads to destruction.
The words echoed over and over in her mind. They had traveled north. They had arrived at Orion. In the cradle of the moon lies...
Her eyes fastened on the surface of the rock, the face of Orion. Many colors dotted the rough exterior. A mixture of shadows and light. But mid-way up, the colors became more uniform, a faded pattern rested before her eyes.
She squinted and studied harder, the shape coming alive. It almost resembled a crescent. A moon! An upside down crescent. Cradling...the doorway?
