no one would notice. The Darklings were on the run, and we were right behind them.
They couldn’t be more than three or four miles ahead, farther up north and close to the coastal road, while Corbin’s troops were likely still at least two miles behind us, if not more. After all, they’d had their hands full with investigating Astoria. Our Vision horses were coming back from the stream where they had grazed and drunk their fill of water. Visibly rejuvenated, they crossed the plain toward us, their muscles twitching.
The gold guards we’d taken with us were still combing the nearby woods, gradually returning to the open field. We’d yet to find any ghouls, but I was certain we’d cross paths with them soon enough. The Darklings had them—we just didn’t know whether the creatures were free or in chains. We’d made plenty of assumptions, but until we saw them with our own eyes, the knowledge of their presence was all we had.
“My father should be on his way,” Valaine said. “Though I’m not sure how quickly he’ll get here.”
We sat on a flat boulder. Behind us, the ocean sprawled in rippling shades of dark blue and splotches of weedy green. The storm heightened in the distance, blackening the sky. Thunder rolled with the swelling winds as the temperature gradually dropped. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t bikini season anymore, either. The ocean breeze had a tendency to nip at one’s skin after prolonged exposure.
Valaine’s hair danced on the wind, black as ink and fine as silk. It was almost hypnotic, and I became lost in watching the dark strands swirl beside me. Several seconds passed before her words registered.
“Right. Shall we stick around and wait for him?” I asked, immediately regretting the question. I damn well knew we couldn’t risk losing the Darklings’ trail, but Valaine had a way of slowing my brain down.
“We can’t—”
“Lose the Darklings’ trail.” I cut her off, trying to save a little bit of face. “No, you’re absolutely right.”
She gave me a soft smile. It faded as she noticed more soldiers returning from the woods empty-handed. Some were shaking their heads at her, confirming what the both of us were already thinking.
“I doubt they’ll find much now,” I said. “The Darklings are on the move, and they probably know we’re following.”
Valaine raised an eyebrow. “Do you think so? If I were them, I would’ve left some men or ghouls behind to keep us busy. I suspect they’re too busy running and recovering from whatever happened in Astoria to even notice us. Besides, there are at least three miles between our groups.”
“Fair enough. We should get moving, though,” I replied. “They’ll keep going north for now. Do we know of any potential hideouts they might come upon along the way?”
Valaine took out one of the maps she carried in her leather shoulder bag. Unrolling it, she checked our location first. I moved closer so I could get a better look. Energy emanated from her, seeping through my skin and warming me up on the inside. The fewer the inches between us, the better I could feel the impact she had on me. I was falling, faster and deeper than I could’ve imagined. I had no way of protecting myself, and I figured there was a fifty-fifty chance I’d get my heart broken—an outcome I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
“Up here,” she said, pointing her finger at the road drawn in black ink along the fractured coast, “there isn’t much. But farther north there are several settlements. Most are inhabited, from what I remember, and they’re pretty old. There might be a Darkling bunker beneath one of those villages, for sure. They seem to have them all over the continent, especially along the main roads.”
“Albeit underground, but yeah… that makes sense,” I replied.
“I do have a question,” Valaine said, slowly turning her head to look at me. Her dark eyes jolted my very being, her breath tickling my lips. I didn’t even realize how close I’d gotten until I stopped breathing, my face mere inches from hers. She paused, her gaze dropping for a second.
Clearing my throat, I nudged myself back a bit, enough to give her room to think. “Yes?” I asked, then held my breath.
“Once we catch up with the Darklings, what will we do?” she replied. “We’ve got enough soldiers for a solid offensive, but they’re Aeternae, too. On top of that, they have ghouls and death magic, as you called it. Will