I jerk awake, disoriented—and a little pissed off—that I’ve been woken up from such a vivid dream. Someone just had to wake me up now? Before it got to the good part? “What?”
Aron's hard face gazes down at me. "You were talking in your sleep."
"Was I? No I wasn't." I tug the blankets higher, wishing I'd slept in more than just my breast band and leggings. I swear I can still feel his breath on my thigh. "Don't be ridiculous."
But Aron isn't paying much attention to me. He's gazing off, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a moment, he seems to remember that I'm there, and raises his chin in my direction. "Ask me a question."
"Was I really talking in my sleep?"
"Yes." He grunts. "I am not lying to you."
"Are you sure?" When he gives me an irritated look, I shrug. "Let's test it again, just to be sure, because I'm positive I wasn't talking in my sleep." Because if I was, oh god, I hope I wasn't begging him to touch me in filthy, filthy ways. "Is my hair blonde?"
"Yes."
"Are you arrogant?"
"Yes." He grins at me, all boyish pleasure. "See?"
"You're right. What changed?" I stifle a yawn.
"He no longer influences me." Aron shrugs. "I am back to just me."
I can't say I'm displeased. As I get dressed for the day’s travel, though, part of me grows uneasy. If it’s that simple to just wipe an Aron out of existence…what happens to the Aron I’m with when this is over?
47
The first sight of Novoro takes my breath away.
First there's nothing there—just more endless mountains and craggy, snow-covered peaks. Then, we round a corner and suddenly there's a massive fortress tucked high amidst the cliffs. It blends in so well it's impossible to see from afar, and if there wasn't a well-traveled road leading up here, I'd think I was imagining things. The stone city looks as if its hewn straight from the rock itself, and it lofts high, hundreds of windows carved into the side of the mountains. The longer I look, the more windows and fortress come into view, until all I can see before us is just one big stone anthill of humans. It's fascinating to see, and I wonder how many people live here. Two thousand? Ten thousand? How deep into the mountain does this go? Two massive doors that look as if they're made of steel bar the entrance, and each one is easily three stories high and wide enough to fit two lanes of traffic.
They're also shut tight. Of course they are. Dozens of tiny plumes of smoke tell me that someone's home, though—not everything can be hidden away.
Markos sidles forward on his woale, moving to the side of the land-hippo I share with Aron. He gazes up at the massive gates that dwarf our small party. His expression is downright indignant, as if he's been insulted. "They do not welcome us, my great Lord of Storms. Shall I let them know of your presence?"
I wrinkle my nose, inwardly wincing. Do we really have to announce anything?
But this is Aron, Lord of Arrogance. I can practically feel him stiffen with indignation. "Demand that they let us in."
"At once, my lord." Markos gives a firm nod and then spurs his woale into action. The thing gives a deep belly squeal and then trundles forward, grunting, and Markos approaches the gates.
The hair prickles on the back of my neck and I'm tense as I watch him move forward. He looks impossibly tiny as he walks up to them. Woales aren't tiny creatures, and yet Markos and his mount look like toys in front of those huge gates. I hear him shout for entrance, but his voice gets lost in the cavernous canyon, as if soaked up by the rock itself.
We wait.
The gates don't open. Eventually, someone leans out a lower window and shouts something back, gesturing at us while we wait. Markos puts a hand to his mouth and calls back, and then…they sit there and bicker for what must be a good five minutes.
"Well, everyone does say Novoroans are weird," I mutter to Aron. "Novorese? Novorians? Novoroni? What do we call them?"
"We call them fools for not welcoming our lord," Solat says, his hippo restless.
I just roll my eyes. If there was a suck-up in the group, it'd be Solat.
Something moves in one of the windows, and then another. Nothing big, just a small shift of movement, but both Kerren and Vitar immediately push