I’d figured that out when the pair of them spent ten minutes staring at each other as snow fell without saying a word. Maverick glared. Zane smirked. No words needed.
Alaric had taken one look at Zane this morning and stormed off outside. Kai hadn’t stormed off exactly, but he’d acted frostier than the snowman some human kid had built on the lawn outside the inn.
The snowman was sort of cute. At least I thought so until I spotted the giant carrot sticking out from its groin area.
Kenji was the only member of the fun crew not in a bad mood. He’d jumped into my arms when we checked out and had spentthe rest of the day on my lap, alternating between grooming himself and sleeping.
The further north we traveled, the more my jaw dropped at the sheer beauty of the terrain.
Until a security mage had dropped me at magic school, I’d never traveled very far. Heat, arid desert, and endless blue sky were my normal. The forests and hills around Starfall were pretty, but this landscape was on a whole new level.
I stared up at the snowy mountain range ahead. We were staying in another small town tonight before crossing the pass tomorrow. From the increasingly dire weather reports flooding the local radio channels, it was going to be touch and go whether the local rangers would close the mountain pass until after the holidays.
If that happened, we’d be stuck for at least two more days.
I hoped it remained clear. My vampire couldn’t wait much longer. I wasn’t sure how I knew he was still alive, but I did; however, without sustenance, time was rapidly running out.
Glynda had told me vampires went into a hibernation state after an extended period without a blood source, but if they stayed in that state too long, they didn’t recover.
I shuffled uncomfortably on the back seat of the vehicle Maverick had sourced. When I asked where he’d found it, he just murmured something about a contact. It ate up the miles just fine, despite the appalling weather, but the seats were hard, and each time we bumped over a pothole, my bladder complained.
The sooner we reached the next inn, the better.
Endless snowy hectares of forest passed by as I sat squished between Alaric and Zane. In front, tall mountains loomed, the upper slopes lost in ominous black cloud. The wind had picked up an hour ago, and with each mile that passed, more snow fell.
The incubus had been surprisingly quiet since our dream tryst. I’d woken to find Maverick on the verge of shifting into an angrybear. Not wishing to get between a bear and his prey, I’d dashed into the bathroom.
By the time I’d washed away sweat and unmentionable things in the shower, Maverick had gotten dressed and was busy checking our route, while Zane had disappeared.
Since we set off, Zane hadn’t said a word to me, although I noticed he stayed close. Always within touching distance.
Was he angry with me? If so, I had no clue why.
Each time I slid a sideways glance at him, the tether in my chest throbbed. My magic wanted us closer. Preferably me sitting on his lap. Only I didn’t think he’d want that.
Were we even soul-bonded now? It had seemed that way in my dream, but what happens in dreams stays in dreams, right?
I rubbed the spot between my breasts where my amulet rested. When I checked this morning, the hairline crack across the black gem had widened a fraction. The stone remained intact, but I wasn’t sure for how much longer.
Whatever had happened to it during the demon attack, when I channeled Kenji’s magic, had weakened the stone.
“Can you think more quietly? I’m trying to sleep.” Kenji dug his claws into my leg, making me wince.
Zane turned to glance at me before looking away again. Oh stars, was I broadcasting my thoughtsagain?
“Yes, you’re the most useless witch I’ve ever met, and that’s saying something given you share a building with some truly hideous specimens.”
I frowned. “None of the witches at school are hideous.” Most were exceptionally beautiful, which strongly suggested they’d nailed Beauty Magic 101.
“Not on the outside, no, but inside?” Kenji shuddered dramatically before curling into a tight ball with his two fluffy tails covering his ears and eyes.Rude.
Zane’s lips twitched. I wondered if he could hear Kenji. Stars, I hoped not. It was bad enough Maverick sometimes caught Kenji’s inane chatter.
“Are we nearly there yet?” If not, I might pee myself. That would be embarrassing.
“Three more miles,” Maverick said as we drove past a road sign with a picture of a waterfall. Angel Falls. It sounded picturesque. If this were a vacation, we could have gone there and taken some photos.
Only it wasn’t a vacation, and most of the males in this car hated me. I tried not to dwell on that as we arrived in a snowy small town with a single main street and more pretty lights and decorations. Once again, the residents had embraced the holiday season with vigor. Every few feet I saw decorated spruce trees, men in red suits with white beards, and lights dangling from posts.
