Conquering The Unbroken

Chapter 22

I hadn't realized how suffocating Arego was becoming until I stepped outside the comfortable confines of the village with a pack slung over my shoulder, a sword at my hip, and Renit at my side. A new wave of relief has washed over me since we left a day ago to trek towards Lona; I can breathe without hitching, I can close my eyes without seeing Celestine's body, and I don't have to worry about either member of my company nagging to know what and how I'm feeling.

Renit already knows; Citlali has a good enough idea of what is going on inside my head to give me the space I need to overcome these obstacles. For my sake, she doesn't pry. I wouldn't have picked her if I knew she'd be one to ask me an endless amount of questions, but the fact she's leading this journey into Lona and towards Luna gives her all the focus and determination she needs.

Instead of trekking near the land that drops off into the ocean below, we maintain a close distance with the river that flows from Illbre, borders on the Oxpea Mountains and snakes all the way to behind Mailan. Through streams of mountain runoff and snowmelt, the river is forever supplied with the coldest, freshest water Esaria can provide.

We maintain a sizable distance to any trails. If the king sent an army to Arego without us noticing, it's likely he has other patrols throughout the kingdom, waiting to find us or stumble upon us on their way back from bloodshed. The three of us couldn't stand up to an army the size of what the king showed us in Arego. If they were humans, maybe. But witches are a different world—their powers make them prone to destruction and are indestructible at the same time.

In the distance, just over the streaks of sunlight rising from the east, the Oxpea Mountains are visible. Through last night's trek, we weren't able to spot them as the sun set and our camp was made in a safe nestle of trees clothed by darkness.

The summer months are warm; we didn't have to maintain our bodies by a fire and due to that, our journey to Oxpea continued earlier than I was ready for this morning. But the sight of those mountains that we'll reach by sundown is enough to quicken my pace and straighten my spine. I was slouching before, not only from the pack slung over my shoulder but from the exhaustion of this journey.

At my side, Renit carries an identical pack holding our food. It's not much other than cooked fish, fruits, and vegetables sustained by a witch of the gardens. We fill our canteens with water whenever we're out; sweat is already sticking to the back of my sleeveless shirt and the sun hasn't risen fully yet. To be fair, the leather vest buttoned tightly down the middle of my abdomen doesn't help, either. But for extra security and mobility, I must wear it.

Renit and I still haven't discussed seeing Silas that night. He knew I was more than ready to kill the crown prince and would've if it wasn't for him attempting to boil me alive from the inside out.

I send a flick of my power in his direction, tightening on the bond, and his eyes flutter open from where they'd nearly shut themselves once more. Someone had to stay on watch last night. Renit smiles weakly at me and across the river, water splashes against Citlali's bare feet. Apparently, walking became too boring for her. The full river holds more thrill.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

Renit shrugs. "I'm doing fine. But I'm not the one we need to be worried about."

I cock my head to the side and squint. "Who are we supposed to worry about?"

With a pointed arch of his brow, not wanting to state the obvious, my shoulders curve inward in realization. He means me. I haven't received a full night's sleep since losing Celestine; it was hard enough to sleep in another room as her, but to not have her in this world entirely...sleep doesn't come easy. Over these months, I've distanced myself from her—one step after the other. Celestine had always been close by, within walking distance, and I never worried.