“We can’t fly or use any magic because they’ll detect it before we get to their border, and then we risk having to defend ourselves, and I would rather that we didn’t have to do that. It could take a few moments for them to realize who I am, and I don’t want to risk someone getting hurt before that can happen,” Griff explains.
“Got it,” Coen replies. “I guess walking it is. At least it’s not raining, the snow is pretty even if it is cold.”
“Please don’t jynx it,” I groan.
River grins, “Don’t worry, beautiful, it’s too cold to rain.”
Chapter Sixteen
Neith
“Unless of course, it decides to rain freezing rain,” Reed points out, glancing up at the cloud-filled sky suspiciously.
“Wait, seriously?” I ask. “I would much rather it snowed than we had freezing rain, which sounds absolutely horrific.”
I may be being slightly dramatic, but the thought of freezing rain has my fire wanting to come out to play so it can cocoon me with warmth. Which honestly sounds amazing, and the only reason why I don’t take advantage of it is that Griff specifically said that we shouldn’t use magic. I’m also still learning the finer points of it, and while my magic so far has been reasonably instinctual, it is also mischievous, and I don’t trust it not to burn all of my clothes off, and then I would be naked, and my boob would probably drop off from exposure. Just one boob. I’m almost certain that’s how it works.
Now there’s a disturbing image.
Fortunately, before I can really consider using it, we come across a path, and Griff turns to walk on it instead of walking across it and continuing on walking on what I’m assuming is usually some kind of field when it’s not covered in snow, although there are no fences, so it's not a livestock field. The path is still covered with snow, but at least it’s not quite as deep here, and it means that I can look up from my feet and look around at our surroundings instead of watching where I walk.
Scotland really is truly beautiful.
I have seen quite a few photos of Scotland. I liked looking at them and imagining how cool it would be to visit one day. None of those photographs have even come close to doing it justice, and Scotland may be on its way to becoming one of my favorite places in the world.
I hope that we get a chance to explore some of it while we’re here, but considering I don’t know how long we’re going to be here for, I’m not sure that we will have the time.
Maybe this walk won’t be so bad after all.
Just cold.
Zephyr
Ifind myself floating in the darkness of my dream, and I sigh.
Most people can find solace in their sleep, but apparently, I’m one of the lucky fuckers who can’t. My reality follows meinto my sleep almost always. I wish I felt some sort of reprieve from the moments I’m awake.
There’s no such luck though.
The thing is, I need to fix the situation that I’m in. I have always felt a certain amount of urgency to get out of the exile that I find myself in, but now it's stronger.
I didn’t think that it was possible for me to want to fucking fix it more, but apparently that was because I hadn’t met her.
She has changed things in more ways than I thought possible, and yet, I can’t do anything about it. I can’t get to know her better, not like I want to, not until I have figured out a way to escape this prison.
Ethel wasn’t lying when she said that she didn’t kidnap me, nor is she keeping me prisoner. She has been my friend for several decades. She was also there for me in those beginning days when I knew nothing more than pain, darkness, and confusion.
Then, more recently, she has become my guardian of sorts. She has been aware of my situation for the last few decades, and when it became clear that I was in trouble, she offered me a safe place with her and House.
It pissed me off that I was being forced into hiding. I fucking hated it. Honestly, I wanted to rip out the hearts of those who were a threat to me. The problem with that is that in order to do that, I would need to know who has caused me to be in this fucking situation in the first place.
I know the trigger, however, I don’t know who then cast the spell to make it a permanent thing and how to reverse it.
I hate being a pawn in someone else's game, and I will find a way to fix the shit that they have caused and find out who is responsible.
However, figuring out who is responsible is actually not the first thing that I’m working on. I want the spell removed. I have to fix it so I can help her.
As soon as I wake up, I’m going to make some more pastries, because I’m stressed and I bake when I’m stressed, but also because Neith likes them, and I may not be able to do much for her in the state that I’m in with my hands tied and my mouth gagged, but I can make her pastries.
