He supposed that was the closest he would get to an apology from her for stepping on his tail. “You make it too easy.”
“Don’t think I’ll make the same mistake next time.”
As she turned to leave, she flashed him a smile. And for reasons unknown to him, his heart thrummed an unnatural tempo from inside his chest.
The drive to the Ridge of Nine Horns took the better part of the afternoon. Maldenis was glad his mother had managed to borrow one of the modified sand-cruisers that could travel over long distances on various terrains, as there was no way he would have fit in the back seat of a normal car with two other passengers.
Of course, he had to be the one to operate the sand-cruiser, which he didn’t mind. With his mind on the driving, he at least didn’t have to think about what lay ahead.
Or about hiswife.
Something had definitely shifted between them, and it happened sometime after last night.
The kiss he couldn’t forget.
He wondered what would have happened if his cousins hadn’t interrupted them.
“Wow,” Liora said as she looked out the window. “This is certainly different.”
Different was an understatement. Unlike the vast, wide deserts of Solkaris, the highlands towered over them, pillars ofdark stone and falling water practically swallowing their vehicle as they drove up the steep mountain highway. They reached a treacherous incline, and Maldenis had to shift the sand-cruiser into a lower gear to prevent the engine from overheating.
“It reminds me of home,” Elian said in a quiet tone.
“This is nothing like Santa Fe,” Hektor remarked.
“He means Valle Trigenico,” Liora clarified. “And yeah, I can see it. The vegetation is different and it’s drier in Bolivia, but the high altitude and the mountains are all very similar.”
Maldenis shivered. “Yeah, we’re definitely not in the desert anywhere.”
A soft hand landed on his shoulder. “Are you okay? Basilisks don’t do great in cold weather, do they?”
“Nope,” he said, popping thep. “But it’s not cold enough that it’s gonna kill me. I can put on a sweater.”
When he checked the vehicle earlier after it had been delivered, there had been a duffel bag in the trunk with a tag with his name on it. Inside were various cold-weather clothing in his size. Though there was no note or anything else to identify where or from whom it had come here, he could only guess it was Melora’s doing.
He continued driving, reaching a sharp bend covered in mist. Slowing down, he turned on the fog lights, though it cleared the moment they passed through, revealing a large valley below. There was a lake in the middle, its dark surface making it appear like solid obsidian. A road wound around it and led up to a group of stone structures hewn into the mountainside.
“That must be Glenmorgrund,” Hektor said. “It’s the first town in the Ridge that visitors pass through.”
“And the most tourist-friendly,” Maldenis added. “And incidentally, the home of the Dreifhorn clan.”
“People come here on vacation?” Zara asked. “I thought they were close-knit and tough to infiltrate?”
“The clans are, but minotaurs aren’t isolationists,” Maldenis said. “Some parts of the Ridge actually do get a lot of visitors and those towns rely on them to survive.”
“They need tourists to steal from, after all,” Hektor huffed.
They continued the journey, making their way down the road, winding around the small lake, toward the town carved into the base of the rock face.
“I think that’s where we’ll be staying. Felsenloft Lodge.” Maldenis pointed to the large stone structure covered in ivy near the entrance of the town. Melora had also taken care of their accommodations and had sent him the information via email.
He pulled into the small parking lot on the side of the building, then turned the engine off. “Alright, how should we go about this? Thoughts?”
“We should probably stay here in the sand-cruiser.” Zara sent Hektor a reassuring glance. “And once you get us checked in, we’ll go in separately and try to lay low until Hektor gets to the room.”
They had all agreed it would be best for the Drakkon to stay hidden while they poke around, but would be on standby in case anything happens. This, of course, did not sit well with Hektor, and the entire drive here he’d been more anxious than a long-tailed chimera in a room full of rocking chairs. Maldenis couldn’t blame him though, since he was leaving his mate vulnerable, surrounded by beings he’d been taught to despise. If Liora?—
He stopped those thoughts. Liora wasn’t anything more than a temporary wife. Sure, he wouldn’t want her to get hurt, but he didn’t care for her more than that.
