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They traveled in silence. She took in the view, watching the scenery change from the royal lands into the wild lands. She suddenly enjoyed seeing the difference in landscape. It was a sign they had gotten away.
“How are you feeling?” Grux asked, looking at her.
She gave him a smile. “As good as I can.”
It was the truth. She wasn’t sure if she was good, but she wasn’t terrible. They weren’t exactly being chased, but she wasn’t free, either.
She sighed, resting her head against the cushion of her chair. She suddenly wondered what her future held now. Was she ever going to get back to Earth?
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “About everything. I didn’t think this was how things would go, and I know you want to go home. I know you want to go to Earth, and I will try everything in my power to get you there.”
She took his words in, knowing he meant them. Grux had always been sincere when he told her things.
They drove through the day into the night. She fought her urge to sleep, wanting to stay alert. But as the hours grew, her ability to remain awake grew weaker.
“You should sleep.” Grux nodded toward the back of the hovercraft. “There is a sleeping area behind the chairs. So, you could get more comfortable.”
She didn’t want to move. She also didn’t want to sleep in the back when she had no idea whose hovercraft this even was.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.”
“Scarlett,” he growled her name. “You need the rest. I’m sure you’re used to just pushing through things, but that isn’t how this is going to work.” He glanced at her belly. “You’re pregnant, after all.”
She’s almost forgotten about that. It wasn’t just about herself anymore. She frowned, knowing he had a point. She needed to rest up. They didn’t know what was ahead of them.
“All right.” She nodded. “But I’m not sleeping in the back.”
Grux gave her a grin but didn’t argue. She leaned her chair back and tried to get comfortable. She gazed at Grux while he drove, wanting to calm her heart.
She looked at his hair and the shape of his face. She glanced over his violet skin and at his horns. The more she looked at him, the heavier her eyes grew, and before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
Grux didn’t want to wake her. She had finally fallen asleep after hours of driving, and she looked peaceful. She had walked around with that horrified expression since they left the palace.
He knew she would wake and be worried just like before. He wanted to at least let her have some time to rest before they started moving again.
But the night turned into day, and he couldn’t push it off much longer.
“Scarlett,” he whispered her name, gently shaking her shoulders. “Darling, we need to get moving.”
She blinked her eyes awake, glancing around the hovercraft. “Where are we?”
“In the middle of nowhere,” he said, giving her a gentle smile. “You get out, and I’ll disable the hovercraft.”
He wanted to ensure that even if his father followed them, they couldn’t use it to go after them. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not with everything on the line.
He pulled some wires out, snipping them as Scarlett climbed out. He watched her stretch her legs before he climbed out. He took in the steady breeze and looked around, surveying the area.
They still had several more miles of walking before they would even be close to stopping anywhere. He hoped Scarlett could last that long. He needed her to.
That last thing he wanted was for them to walk, but he couldn’t risk anyone finding them. It was better they leave the ride behind and go the rest of the way on foot.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, rounding the vehicle to Scarlett. She looked at him, and he could see all the stress on her face.
The little sleep she got last night wasn’t enough, but they didn’t have a choice. They needed to keep moving.
“I’ll be fine.” She nodded. “Where are we headed?”
“Down that road.” He pointed toward the south road, which led into the forest. They would take it for a few miles before they could actually start walking without the road.
