20. Montana

We travelled on as quickly as we could for another few days until we reached the mountain range Andvari’s ring had shown us. We’d finally left the ruins behind and the world was greener here, having escaped the onslaught of bombs in the Final War. In the past weeks, I’d seen more of the world than I ever had in my life. But nothing compared to seeing the expanse of nature before me now, lush and green and rolling on forever.

We still had a long way to go before we reached the holy mountain and we were constantly looking over our shoulders, expecting Valentina to catch up at any moment. But from what we could piece together from the ring and what the vampires knew of our destination, we were still a week or more away from it.

We headed off of the road, taking a direct path across rocky hills as we moved higher and higher into the mountains. Soon, we were forced to walk single file along a narrow track that weaved between tall rock faces either side of us. The clouds were thickening and rain speckled my cheeks as we walked ever on.

I’d not had nearly enough blood in the last few days to fully diminish the ache in my throat and I was sure the other vampires felt the same. We maintained a steady pace, never pushing ourselves too hard, but with the difficult road across these mountains, it was likely we’d be depleted by the time we reached the other side. The only comfort we had was that Valentina wouldn’t be able to land her helicopter up here if she located us.

The track widened a little as we scaled a steep hill and someone bumped shoulders with me as they moved forward. I glanced up to find Julius beside me, the sound of his thumping pulse making me nearly groan with hunger. His breathing was growing heavier. We’d laboured on all day into these mountains without a moment’s rest.

“Break?” I murmured, but he shook his head firmly.

“No need,” he mumbled.

I glanced over my shoulder at Callie, panting as she hurried to catch up, and the strain in her expression was all I needed to see to make my decision.

“Let’s take a break!” I called out to the group.

Julius didn’t refuse again as he dropped down onto a boulder and took a bottle of water from his pack, passing another one to Callie. They gulped them down as the vampires moved to perch on the rocks in the area, statuesque in a way that highlighted our inhuman nature.

Julius took out a couple of dehydrated bars of food for him and Callie, and my sister fell on one ravenously. I frowned, hating how much this journey was putting on the slayers. They not only had to support themselves, but they had to feed us too. I still refused to drink Callie’s blood, taking as little as possible of the blood Julius drained for us into bottles. I found it easier not to lose my mind when I drank by keeping him and Callie pictured in my head.

Besides, the less I took the more there was for Fabian who always seemed on the edge of going psycho and biting one of them. The hungrier he got, the more he fell back on his asshole ways. But Magnar kept a constant eye on him to make sure he never acted on his impulses. I knew it wasn’t really Fabian’s fault, but his swinging moods set all of us on edge.

The rain turned to sleet and everyone groaned their misery. Callie pulled her coat tighter around her but it was clear she was shivering beneath it. I might not have been able to feel the cold, but there was nothing enjoyable about this, and now our visibility would be reduced along the next trail.

“I hate this mountain.” Fabian kicked a rock and it slammed into a cliff face, breaking a huge chunk off of it. His posture was stiff as he started stalking back and forth in front of Chickoa. She reached for his hand to stop him and he stilled, eyeing their fingers as he gripped her palm. She quickly pulled away again, looking down the path.

Thunder cracked overhead and I shuddered, thinking of Valentina. But I didn’t think there was much chance of her trekking all the way up into this mountain range.

The sleet grew more persistent and Julius and Callie rose to their feet.

“Better get moving,” Callie said, bobbing up and down on her heels to try and coax some warmth into her body.

I dropped my pack, unzipping it and taking out a scarf I’d taken from a store back at the mall. It was thick and made of cream wool. I’d only really taken it out of sentiment, knowing I would have longed for something like it in the Realm. I moved toward my sister and wound it around her neck. Her eyes lit up as she beamed, brushing her fingers over the soft, dry material.

“Thanks, Monty,” she said, tucking the bottom of it into her coat.

I nodded, giving her an encouraging smile as we all started walking again. Magnar and Erik took the lead as usual, the two of them often spending the days together at the front of the group, their newfound bond obvious even if they never put a voice to it.

The path wound higher and higher and as we rose onto an exposed track with a sheer drop to our left, the wind started to batter us. I squinted against the fog of sleet and rain as we trekked ever on. Each footfall had to be carefully placed as the path grew narrower and I eyed the drop below us with my gut churning. Vampire or not, I did not want to fall down there and hit those sharp rocks.

We finally made it away from the frightening drop where two paths lay before us. One that continued up and another that led down to the east.

We moved closer as a group and Julius placed an arm across Callie’s shoulders as we huddled together. The fog was thickening and it would be too easy to lose each other in it if we strayed away from one another.

The battering sleet had soaked Callie’s hair and the scarf I’d given her was already drenched. We looked like the strangest group ever with Julius and Callie bundled up and the rest of us just in sweaters and jeans which were now thoroughly wet.

“They can’t take much more of this,” Erik said, nodding to Callie and Julius.

“I’m fine,” Callie said through chattering teeth.

“You’re not,” Magnar growled, protectiveness flaring in his gaze.

“You’ll get hypothermia before we ever get off this mountain,” Fabian agreed, his brow creased with concern.

My stomach knotted as I looked between the two of them, fearing what would happen if we didn’t find somewhere dry where we could build a fire and pitch the tents soon.

“I say we get down from here,” Erik said, eyeing the path that descended away to our left. “We can head east for a while and pass these mountains via the coast.”

“It’s quicker to go straight over,” Callie said firmly, but Magnar shook his head.

“What point is speed if you’re dead before we reach the other side?” he insisted and Callie nodded in defeat.

“East then,” Clarice said, pointing to the path we needed to take and we hurried on in that direction.

After a mile of travelling down the steep decline, the fog lifted a fraction and the sleet turned to a drizzle of rain. I eyed Callie and she looked decidedly better already. I relaxed a little, glad of the choice we’d made. It was hard to judge the level at which the slayers could cope. My skin didn’t feel the bite of the cold and though I’d not been a vampire long, it was becoming more difficult to recall exactly what that kind of discomfort felt like.

The track brought us down to a cliff that rose high up above us. Water cascaded off of it and Julius hurried forward to fill the water bottles from the falling streams.

Trees gathered at the edge of the wide clearing, giving us shelter from the wind. The sky was growing darker and I wondered if the sun was close to setting, but it was hard to tell what time of day it was through the thick clouds.

I moved to join Erik as he dropped to the ground, sitting down beside him. He pushed a damp lock of hair away from my face with a comforting smile and his fingers left a tingle of electricity in their wake. I took his hand, placing a kiss on each of his knuckles in turn and he watched me closely.

“How hungry are you?” he asked in a low whisper so only I could hear.

“I’m alright,” I promised, rubbing my throat. “It’s not terrible.”

“Not terrible isn’t alright,” he said with an edge to his voice.

I turned to look at Callie across the clearing as she took shelter under a tree, pulling off her coat and swapping the damp sweater beneath it for a new one from her pack. I spotted the bandages on her arms from where she’d cut herself to feed everyone and my heart went out to her.

We have to break this damn curse.

“I’m fine, Erik,” I pressed, leaning against his shoulder and drinking in the small moment of peace.

He placed a kiss on my head and I sighed, happy that we’d worked through our issues at last. His demeanour had vastly improved since we’d talked about his feelings and I felt closer to him than I ever had.

Julius returned from collecting water, dropping down in front of us and Clarice moved to join him. His eyes slid over her and a burning intensity filled his gaze. I shot a glance at Magnar as he headed over to Callie then gave Julius and Clarice a bemused look.

“So Magnar still doesn’t know about the two of you kissing, right?” I teased, wanting to focus on something good for a change. Both of their expressions in response to my words told me they didn’t think there was anything good about it.

“No,” Julius hissed. “And he’s not going to find out.”

“You’re admitting it now at least,” Erik said with a smirk.

Clarice rolled her eyes. “It was just a kiss, not a fucking marriage proposal. We were drunk.”

Julius nodded his agreement, the two of them working hard not to look at each other.

“Magnar couldn’t exactly blame you now, considering he’s one of us,” Erik said with a shrug. “I don’t see why you’re so uptight about it. Anyone can see you’re obsessed with each other.”

Julius’s mouth fell open and Clarice folded her arms, shaking her head.

“Obsessed?” Julius balked. “I don’t get obsessed with any girl. Especially not a parasite.”

Clarice shifted away from him, a flicker of hurt passing through her eyes then vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.

Julius pressed his lips together and I sensed he felt guilty over the remark but he was too proud to apologise.

“Slayers are repulsive,” Clarice said blandly and Julius’s frown deepened.

“We could die out here,” I said, looking between the two of them. “I just don’t see the point in having regrets.”

“There’s nothing to regret, Montana,” Julius said with a scowl. “And I’ll ask you to stay out of my business.”

“Oh but you had plenty to say on the matter when you first learned I was with Erik. You even told my sister about it before I was ready,” I said, trying not to let too much anger into my voice. I didn’t want an argument; I’d only meant to let them know they shouldn’t have to hide it if they cared about one another. What was the point in it? Magnar was a vampire now anyway, he could hardly object if Julius declared his feelings for Clarice.

Julius’s brow furrowed heavily. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Silence fell and Clarice got up and walked away, joining Fabian and Chickoa who stood at the edge of the trees.

Julius fiddled with a pebble on the ground, looking sullen.

“Love doesn’t come around very often in life,” Erik said and I turned to him, my heart softening at his words. “If you think there’s even a chance of having that with my sister, take it, Julius. You’ll only hate yourself if you don’t.”

Julius glanced up, a vulnerability glowing in his gaze. “I’m a slayer,” he said, his voice broken.

“We’re all just people,” I said gently. “You must have realised that by now.”

Julius glanced past us towards Clarice, a decision growing in his eyes. “You really think she might...that she...” He gave us an intense look, not finding the words.

“Yes,” Erik and I answered together.

Julius rose to his feet, patting down his jeans, clearly deciding what to do.

“Do you think we should pitch the tents here for the night?” I asked Erik.

A howl sliced through the air and Erik sprang upright so fast that a wind gusted around me. I jumped up after him, my gut constricting as I turned my eyes to the shadows between the trees.

“Familiars!” Callie called, racing toward our group with Fury in her hand.

“Into the trees!” Magnar bellowed. “Don’t let them catch us in this clearing!”