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For rejecting Joon.
But most of all, I felt guilty for how badly I craved for Joon to sink his teeth deep into my flesh.
The Barren Lands...Again
Joon
We stoodon a precipice just outside Gygax overlooking the span of desert before us. It stretched on forever, a reminder of the daunting journey ahead. This side of the desert would take twice as long to cross, and we didn't have the comforts of a friendly city waiting for us on the other side.But we were lucky this time, our journey being much less eventful and bloody. We only encountered a few snakes and the occasional troll that simply grunted at our presence then stalked off.
After several days, a storm came into view far off in the distance, hanging over the cursed lands. It looked inviting as we traveled across the scorching dirt, the sun's rays burning into my skin. I couldn't help but look forward to the promise of shade, no matter how painful the acid-like rain would be.
The dark clouds got larger the longer we walked, and I could hear the muffled sound of thunder at night. We were starting to run out of water when I woke one morning to feel a wisp of a cool breeze coming from the rain-drenched land.
I stared at Tzidal as she watched the lightning dance in the thick, black clouds just a few paces away. We decided to rest for the day, then breach the barrier first thing in the morning. The storm would be very hard on our bodies, and it was essential to be at full strength before moving on.
"It's not normal rain, is it?" Tzidal asked.
"Will it hurt?" Lex turned to me.
"Yes. It will."
"Of course it will," Tzidal mumbled. "Why can't anything be normal out here?"
"It is normal for out here," Lex replied, poking her side. "Everything out here is looking for its next meal, including the rain." He gave her a menacing laugh.
"And how exactly do you fight the rain?" she snorted.
"With a couple of fat palm leaves tied to your head.”
"Are you saying I just need one good coat to win a war against the clouds?"
They continued laughing and teasing each other, but I couldn't enjoy it. We'd be in the thick of it by mid-morning, and we needed to prepare if we were to get to Vaesen in one piece.
The city had been a haven for humans during the war. They had captured it then forced witches and Fae to curse the land around it, flooding it with rain that stripped anyone of their enchantments. Heavily magicked creatures, like rock men and Fae, almost immediately died. Others simply couldn't bear the pain of having a portion of themselves burned away and eventually succumbed to the torture before making it out. This left the land riddled with corpses for scavengers and wayward beasts to rip apart.
I was worried, not fully knowing what to expect. I had never been forced to walk over the cursed lands before, always getting to Vaesen by boat. But the ports were heavily guarded, and stowaways were thrown overboard or killed on sight. I knew I'd be able to hide on a ship easily, but three of us was just too risky.
When morning came, I sat watching the rain in the distance and glancing at Tzidal as she slept. She seemed to have rested well on this half of the trip. Before we arrived in Stone City, she had been much more prone to bad dreams and restless nights. But now, the Omega appeared to be a little more at peace, or at least I hoped she was.
My wolf and body craved her in a way that weakened me, stripping my most basic instincts down to a possessive yearning to mate and settle down. It was jarring, but I wanted to embrace it. Embrace her.
I wanted to carry her away from all this pain and violence, but I couldn't. This was her fight as well. Not just mine.
I brushed a strand of hair from Tzidal's face and tucked it behind her ear. She was just so lovely.
I wanted to tell her how special she was, that she had awoken something in me I thought had died with my mate. I tried to tell her how much I did want to mark her that blissful morning in the lodge. But I couldn't, not after seeing the panic in her eyes when she slapped her hand over her throat.
I could see the love she still carried for her mate, and it made me jealous. It made my wolf snarl possessively, knowing I could never fight the dead for her affections. I would have to be patient. Something I wasn't great at. But when her heart was ready for me, I'd take her. I'd take her and keep her and make her mine. But until then, I'd wait.
I just hoped we lived long enough for me to claim her properly. Assuming she even wanted me.
"I'm so thirsty," Lex said, rolling over. His voice still groggy with sleep. "And being forced to look at all that poison water pour from the sky is just cruel."
"Maybe we'll get lucky, and it'll immediately kill you," I smirked.
"If I weren't so tired, I'd slap your gorgeous face."
"Is it time?" Tzidal asked, pulling herself up and rubbing her eyes with little fists.
