Shadow Queen (Gods & Dark Creatures Book 2)

Chapter 5

They walked through the winter landscape. They were forced to dismount from their horses. It was difficult for them to walk through the thick layer of snow cover. Their steps were heavy. Their feet dug deep. As if the snow would try to swallow them. It was strenuous and tiring. It made their journey much harder and longer. They walked slowly. Each step seemed to take forever. The morning came and then the sunset. It seemed like they only walked a few meters. They would have sworn that they still had in sight the same rock at which they had started their journey that morning.

It was endless.

It started to snow. The snowflakes falling to the ground glistened beautifully in the sunlight. Ciaran looked at Amaya walking in front of him. Small snowflakes were caught in her hair. They decorated her like the brightest gems. She was beautiful. And at the same time so distant from him.

She turned to him. He immediately looked away. Amaya caught him looking at her. She felt the heat of his gaze on her back.

He may have looked away, but she didn't. She was looking at him. Snowflakes decorated his raven hair. She wanted to kiss him, but immediately pushed the thought out of her head. She can't afford to be distracted. Not now. Not when her life depends on it.

Oh, she wanted so badly to erase from her memories what Arawn had shown her.

Ciaran finally looked at her. Their eyes met. He gave her a fleeting smile. Amaya almost smiled too. But only almost. The corner of her mouth lifted into a soft smile, but it faded immediately. There was sadness in her eyes. She wanted to be close to him so much, and she moved away from him so much. If only she could push those dark thoughts out of her mind. She wanted it so badly.

"We should find shelter," she said.

"Why?" Ciaran couldn't understand.

"There's a snowstorm coming," she replied.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"According to the wind."

The wind was getting stronger and stronger with every second. The snowflakes danced to its rhythm. Loud wailing echoed through the rocks.

Snowstorms come suddenly and quickly in the mountains. They had to find shelter if they didn't want to end up buried under a layer of snow.

The snowflakes were gently falling. In one moment, it started to snow heavily. They were no longer the beautiful snowflakes glistening in the sunlight. The sky was covered with gray clouds that absorbed the light. Entire clumps of snowflakes stuck together floated to the ground. They fell so thickly that the road could not be seen.

"There!" Ciaran pointed to the hole in the rock.

Anything could be there, but they didn't really have a choice. They will either freeze to death in a blizzard or risk an encounter with dark creatures from the mountains.

A thick darkness swept through the vast space of the cave, but at least it was dry. Amaya looked around the cave. She carefully walked deeper. She was ready to release her shadows and fight. Fortunately, there was no threat.

"Everything alright?" asked Ciaran, whom she had made wait by the entrance.

"No monsters hidden in the dark," she replied.

"You do realize you don't have to protect me like that?" Ciaran told her.

"You went through all this just to survive and now you would be so foolish to risk your life?" Amaya told him.

"You want to survive so badly that you risk your own life so recklessly?" said Ciaran.

Amaya rolled her eyes. She turned her back on him and advanced deeper into the cave. She took the wood they were carrying and tried to set a fire. She tapped the flint with the blade of the knife. She created sparks. However, none of them grew into flame. They all faded back into the void from which they emerged.