Finding Elora

Chapter 11

My hips and thighs are sore from yesterday's walking, but if I play my cards right, I should be in Janta by the end of the day. It didn't look too large on the map, especially when compared to the size of Elora, so I don't anticipate I'll have to do too much walking once I reach it.

I'll linger around the city center until I reserve a spot on one of those vehicles Samuel was talking about. I'm hoping it's a bus or something similar. The cost should be lower if it's a vehicle equipped to hold several dozen people.

If it's a rideshare service with only me and a driver, I might be screwed.

I should've asked Samuel more about this. That would've been a smart move, and it would've saved me from all this possibly needless anxiety.

Still, I don't regret the things I did ask. Knowing about faerie mates and seeing the map was a huge help. Plus, I plan to use the whole glove thing to my benefit.

I should be planning how to proceed once I get to Janta, but I figure it's best to wait until I have a better idea of what getting to Elora will look like. I'm hoping I can find somebody to tell me more about Elora while I'm there, too.

Finding Samuel was easy enough.

The sun continues to heat the air, causing me to sweat away so much of my precious water storage. I try and stick to whatever side of the road has the most shade, but there are long stretches with none. It's not ideal, and I cringe when I duck into a small wooded area to relieve myself and see just how yellow my pee is.

I still feel okay, but the color isn't a good sign.

Nothing I can do about it now, though. I finish the last remaining sips of my water and eat a granola bar before continuing.

Every muscle in my body gradually grows achy, even worse than yesterday, but I push through. This is beyond exhausting, but whenever I feel like laying down and accepting death, I remind myself that I'm doing this for Lill.

She'll die if I don't get the Delysum tea, and I'll be damned if I let that happen.

I'd do anything for her, even entering some magic realm few humans know exists and hunting down the one item she needs to survive.

I'd do it a thousand times over if I needed to.

If all goes well, we can make it a yearly trip. She opens a portal for me, preferably one significantly closer to Elora, and I sneak in and buy her the tea. Maybe I'll even find a mate, too.

That'd be pretty awesome.

I like the idea of some guy being magically chosen as my perfect match. The fact that Samuel even wanted to touch me means it can happen between faeries and humans.

Plus, if some guy is destined to be obsessed with me, he'll probably be willing to help Lill. He could keep her stocked up on tea. It'd be a win-win.

Hours pass with nothing but me and the road, but eventually I spot some taller buildings in the distance. They look about the same size as the ones back in the old town I never bothered to learn the name of, confirming the two cities are about the same size.

The buildings grow larger the closer I get, and by the time I finally reach what I'd assume is the city proper, the sun is just beginning to set.

It's good timing. I'd have hated sleeping in some stranger's barn for another night. Once was enough for me, and I hope to find a nice grass patch in a park or a dirty mattress tossed on the roadside.

The dirty mattress is wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.

My anxiety grows as I enter the city. I'm paranoid about my messy appearance, worried it will draw unwanted attention.