Page 30 of Taloned Heart

They all stood up as though Lore had dismissed them.

Beauty’s father gave her a sharp nod and then blew out a long breath. “All right. When do you want to leave?”

“Now, if possible. I don’t have time to wait and neither does Zephyr.” She did pause at least and smile at Beauty. “Any chance you could be ready soon?”

With a bright grin, Beauty was already racing away from them. Of course, she’d want to go on an adventure one more time.

Although, Abraxas wasn’t so sure this was a good idea.

Drawing Lore away from the others, he muttered underneath his breath, “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I do.”

“Are you sure?”

And there it was. The haunted expression that spread across her face and deepened the hollows underneath her eyes. “I have to get out of this place, Abraxas. I can’t stay in what used to be my home and what is no longer my city. Zephyr needs us. The kingdom is falling apart. I can’t stay here any longer waiting for someone to do something. It’s time for us to move.”

He didn’t want her to feel like this. But mostly, he wanted her to realize that her home was with him. He was her home, just as she was his.

Drawing her closer, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed. “Home isn’t a place, remember?”

He’d said that to her once. Home wasn’t a place, but a person. They were together in this and always would be. And yet, she seemed to have forgotten that in the shadows and muck of Tenebrous.

Lore pressed closer to him and nodded. “You’re right. When we are all together again, I will breathe. But right now, we need Beauty to be our guide.”

“Elven stronghold?” he suggested. “That might be the only place where we can rest.”

“The elves are the ones doing this, and I cannot help but assume they are aware of all the places that we might hide.” She took a steadying breath and then stood on her own, her face a mask that even he could not read. “We will, unfortunately, have to go about this the hard way.”

“I never questioned that this would be easy.” Though he laughed at the thought, he wasn’t exactly excited about it.

Abraxas had forgotten just how difficult it was to trudge through the wilds with little food and heavy packs. He had thought they were past that part of their lives, but apparently, camping it was.

Beauty rushed toward them, dragging three bags that clanked like she’d stuffed them full of metal. “I’ve been preparing for this, just in case you came back.”

“Preparing?” he asked, amused as she struggled to get to them.

“One can never be too prepared, dragon.” She flashed him a bright grin. “And in case you forgot, you were the one without a pack during our last journey and sorely regretting your decision.”

“I don’t need reminding,” he growled. Abraxas grabbed the three heavy bags from her before she threw her back out and lifted them for each woman to take. “Where are we heading?”

“To Solis Occasum,” Lore said. “And whatever we find along the way will be part of the journey, I suppose.”

“To save Zephyr?”

She nodded.

A small whine erupted from Beauty’s mouth before she pressed her hands against it to contain the sound. “I’m so sorry. I just... I never thought I’d see him again.”

He had nothing to say to that, and neither did Lore. There was too much happening and they couldn’t afford to get emotional. Even when Beauty’s father tearfully said goodbye to his daughter. They must not have planned to part so soon, and Abraxas knew the old man must be worried about what would happen.

After all, Beauty was no longer herself. None of them were.

He couldn’t watch. Abraxas turned away from the women and started toward the tree where he would wait. He couldn’t feel like this. He couldn’t get himself all worked up when there was so much left for them to do and fix.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to see Beauty’s father had followed him.

“Here,” the old man gruffed, handing him a piece of parchment that was worn around the edges. “It’s a map. Beauty knows this city well, but she gets turned around sometimes. Best if you have something else to check her with.”

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