Alina’s face turned bright pink and she immediately tried to step away, but I held on to her tightly.
“I swear to the gods. All of us are scared shitless to walk in on you having sex again. One time was enough.” She waved her hand dismissively and walked back in.
“What are the chances that they forget about that?” Alina asked.
“Close to zero.” I smirked, following her.
When the familiar peaks appeared in the distance on the third day, the entire group was beyond exhausted. All our supplies had been depleted. We flew without food and strictly rationed our water. A light headache pushed against my temples, and I was severely dehydrated. Alina tried very hard not to complain, but I could tell how difficult the trip was for her.
“There,” I said and descended.
“Home sweet home,” Frid muttered.
“I’ll be surprised if they don’t try to shoot us from the ground,” Victor added.
“They won’t,” I responded.
“You said you had a plan?” Frid asked.
“Sort of.”
Frid growled.
We landed on the familiar platform on top of the mountain. Carefully, I lowered my body and watched Alina slide down my back. She did not complain, but her knees buckled and she reached up to grab me for support. I immediately shifted and caught her before she tumbled to the ground.
“Name yourselves!” someone shouted.
“Here we go,” Victor muttered.
“Who’s she?” another voice shouted.
“My fiancée,” I said, taking her hand.
“Does she have a name?”
“Aly. Aly Webber.” Alina responded.
“What do you want, Darragh?”
“We need to speak to Grace.” I glanced behind the barrier of rocks where I knew the post was stationed.
“It’s too late for a social call. Hanoch would want to see you first,” one of the guards shouted.
Hanoch. I could still see his mutilated body on top of the table, painted with flickers of flames. Everything I was so good at suppressing was coming to the surface all at once, but I needed to be focused.
“Take us to him.”
A faint shuffling sound came from the distance and a group of guards approached us. They quickly checked our weapons and led us down the valley. I took Alina’s hand, helping her descend the steep stairs carved into the surface of the ancient rock.
“This place is beautiful.” Alina sighed behind me.
“Do you remember it?” I asked, lowering my voice.
“A little.” She sighed.
I shifted my gaze back to the others. They needed rest and food, and it was up to me to play my cards right to make that happen.
Twenty minutes later, we entered the castle. It was nearly jet black, and appeared absolutely immense in the dull moonlight. I had almost forgotten how damp and foggy Darragh usually was. We rarely saw the stars or the moon,only in brief glimpses. But when they did appear, it was the most breathtaking spectacle known to man. I noticed Alina and Frid looking up, while Victor pointed out something in the late-night sky. Even Sol paused for a moment to admire the view.
