Page 18 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Sion seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Are we near where you saw her previously?”

Selenia studied the area. It all looked the exact same, with no distinguishing features. “I'm not sure, it was almost like the Murcurial was waiting for me before. Like she knew what I wanted. She foresaw our meeting, so perhaps she knew where and when to appear? But...she didn't mention meeting me a third time.” Selenia chewed on the inside of her cheek, suddenly unsure. The Murcurial loved to play games, and it made sense to Selenia that if they were to see each other again, surely, she would have teased that information during their last meeting? Perhaps this was the wrong path, and they shouldn't seek her out again?

“Sion, I—”

“Shhh, quick Selenia, get down!”

A loud, fierce roar shook the forest and vibrated through the trees. Panic welled up inside of Selenia, and she crouched down low, trying hard not to yell out in fear.

Sion covered her body with his. He pulled out his sword, but otherwise remained incredibly still. The gut-wrenching bellowing still echoed throughout the forest, and Selenia longed to put her hands over her ears to drown out the horrifying sound.

She knew exactly what they were without having to see them.

Dragons.

She could feel her heart racing in her chest, and could feel Sion's ragged breathing against her neck. “Hush,” he reminded her, and she nodded.

Selenia turned her head slightly, and circling, just above the tall trees, were three dragons. She instantly recognized them as Cressida's beloved pets. The maroon dragon with slashes on his underbelly seemed to be leading the other two, and he was making loud, bellowing noises. He dipped below the tree line, and Selenia began shaking so hard her teeth practically chattered. Sion buried his face into her neck, and then threw his fur cloak over them both, hopefully shielding them from the dragon's view.

Selenia had no idea how long they lay there underneath Sion's cloak, but by the time the rustling and flapping of the dragon's wings stopped, she was covered in sweat, not just from being in Sion's warm embrace, but out of fear. They waited at least another half hour before Sion finally pulled the cloak out from over them. The forest air hit the dampness of her brow and she could feel moisture on her cheeks. At some point, silent tears had squeezed out of her shut eyes as she lay there in fear.

Sion stood up, then held out a hand, pulling her onto her feet. Her legs shook, and she almost lost her balance. Sion pulled her in closer, supporting her weight against him.

“Shush, my darling. It's okay. The danger has passed. You're safe.”

Selenia's chin trembled, and another wave of tears burst forth. “Oh Sion, you were right. This was too dangerous. I was worried that we might lose each other.”

“It's okay, sweet one. We're both okay.” Sion sank to his knees on the forest floor and then pulled her onto his lap. “Everything is alright.”

She wiped her eyes. “But it might not have ended up that way. I was being selfish, secretly hoping she'd unlock your bond. I feel so foolish now. It's better to have a small part of you than none at all.”

Sion cupped her cheeks in his large hands, tilting her face up so she could look into his caramel-colored eyes. “You already have every part of me. Every single muscle in my body is attuned to you. I wake up, and I think of you. I go to sleep, and you haunt my dreams. My darling girl, you possess me in every single fiber of my being. My life begins and ends with you.”

Her breathing slowly returned to normal, and her tears stopped.

“Let's go back to the horses,” she said, picking up the pile of clothes where she had dropped them. “This was a foolish errand.”

He nodded and sheathed his sword, then took the bundle of clothing from her hands. Slowly and silently, they made their way back through the forest. But every sound, every cracking branch made them pause.

“What do you think they were looking for?” she whispered.

“Her.”

Selenia knew who he meant immediately.

“The dark red one is bound to her. They're trying to find her.”

“Sion, that means they could be tracking her. They could even track her to the lodge!”

“You're right, Selenia. We need to turn around and tell the others. We are unprepared for an attack like this.”

The pair restarted their journey through the dark woods, more urgently than before. But then, something caught Selenia's eye.

It was her old cloak. The one she had given to the Murcurial during their first encounter.

“Sion!” she pointed. “That's hers—she must be around here.” Selenia moved in to investigate the fallen cape and noticed that it was covered with a slimy green residue. Sion nudged her, and she saw a trail of the thick substance. Gulping, Selenia moved forward, but Sion shoved her behind him and followed the trail. After just a couple of minutes, the trail stopped in front of a tiny cave. It was so small that Sion couldn't traverse the opening. Selenia dropped to her knees, but Sion put his hand on her shoulder.

“You can't, Selenia.”

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