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“Amon - you can’t.” I had not known Kasha for long, but the crack in her voice made me do a double take. She almost sounded as if she might cry.
“Think of your people.” Dossidian snarled. I was startled by the tone. I couldn’t imagine any prince being ok with being spoken to in such a way. To my shock, Amon did not reply in anger.
“I am thinking of my people, Dossidian. If we can successfully wake The Origin and return balance, then my people will have no need for Bond-Breaker. The courts will be free as they once were.”
I watched Dossidian carefully, his aura flared as he clenched and unclenched his fist. My mouth went dry at the wave of heat that radiated from him. Kasha still looked like she had seen a ghost, and she did not give me the impression that she was the type of person who scared easily.
“I don’t like it.” Dossidian said finally, and Amon tilted his head in acknowledgement.
“I know, but unless you have a better plan this is the only option we have.” He turned to me then and held out his hand. “Let’s go, Raven. We’ve already waited too long if we want to be back before nightfall.
“Mi nuh think is a good idea to take har to dis Eye,” Conrad said warily. Meredith agreed, and looked like she might appeal to Kasha to help convince Amon to let me stay. However, Kasha just stood up and left the room abruptly. Dossidian shot Amon a dark look before following her out.
“Unfortunately, Obeah Man, it doesn’t matter what you think. You know the rules. Until the debt is paid, she must comply.”
Conrad simmered next to me, but I knew he was powerless here. I remembered the sound Rycon’s windpipe had made when Amon cracked it. Rycon was one thing, but I would do everything in my power to keep the Dark Prince from hurting Conrad or Meredith. Even follow him to The Eye. I climbed out of the pit and went to him.
“It’s ok Conrad. I’ll be fine.” I said, though I didn’t believe it. I put my hand in Amon’s and he wrapped his warm fingers around me, before pulling me in close.
“Ready?” He asked, looking down at me from inches away.
“No.” I replied, but the shadows had already begun to gather, and I jumped as they began to crawl up our legs. The sensation of dissolving into shadow was surprisingly pleasant. The darkness felt almost effervescent.
Using the repulsion of light to propel us, Amon launched our shadows through space, and I was spirited away from my friends once again.
10
We rematerialized in the middle of a vast expanse of rocky hills. The land stretched out before us, a seemingly endless landscape of jagged peaks and valleys. The horizon broken only by the occasional twisted tree, bent and gnarled by the relentless winds. My eyes followed the uneven terrain into the near distance, where one slope turned into a large hill, which I assumed we would be soon climbing.
I could feel an ancient magick coming from the sloped plain ahead of us, a magick that struck a cord deep within my chest. It was calling to me. I nearly took an involuntary step toward it. What was that?
The wind howled across the rocky landscape, and without a coat, or a hood, it seemed to cut straight through the restructium, and I shivered.
Amon glanced over at me, noticing how I had reacted to the cold. I felt his aura reach out and curl around me, creating a metaphysical shield to protect me from the elements. I looked at him, surprised.
“Thanks.” I murmured, and he smirked at me.
“No problem. You know, if you came out of your room once and a while we could teach you how to regulate your environment for yourself. That way you wouldn’t need to rely on me to do it for you. Which I’m sure just thrills you.” He took a step forward and I moved to follow, but immediately I understood why he had been worried we wouldn't make it back before nightfall.
There were no clear places to step. The ground was a myriad of uneven rocks and boulders, many of which were sitting loose on top of the ground. Each step would need to be carefully chosen, or you would surely break an ankle.
“Can’t you just fly us up there?” I asked, as I picked my way forward. I remembered how he had hovered in the air on the docks, both him and Kieran battling in mid-air.
“I could.” He responded, “But then you wouldn’t learn anything.”
Asshole.
“What could I possibly learn on this miserable hike?” I was finding it hard to even carry on a conversation, I needed to focus so intently on where I put my feet. Amon, on the other hand, stepped easily through the minefield of loose rock, without even needing to look down. He paused and waited for me to catch up.
“Tell you what, if you make it to The Eye and back before nightfall, and still have to ask that question, I’ll tell you.” Fine. Be like that.
We continued forward. Slowly. Painfully slowly. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before I found myself falling into a groove. With all the focus I had to put on finding solid footing, there was no room in my mind to think about Clair or relive the torture I had been subjected too.
It became almost meditative, and I found an easy rhythm and flow. I became more and more sure footed as time went on. I noticed that Amon needed to pause and wait for me less and less frequently. After we had travelled in silence together for some time, we finally reached the foot of the large sloping rise where I was sure The Eye waited for us at the top. The way forward, though uphill, seemed much easier. The terrain was flat and boulder free.
“Do you need time to rest? We’ve been walking for nearly three hours, if you want to sit down for a bit before we hike the summit we can.”
I gaped at him. Three hours? I couldn’t believe we had been walking for so long. But the sun was now nearing its peak in the sky. It must be getting close to mid-day.
