Patrik and I shared an indigo stallion again as we all headed back to Azure Heights. It was somewhere close to five in the evening, and the sky was darkening above, while shadows stretched from every tree, stone, and shrub scattered through the gorge. The wind rustled through the leaves, carrying echoes of screams from several miles away.

More daemons were coming out, tormenting their victims and further consolidating the name of this wretched area. The Valley of Screams held many secrets, but we’d been able to uncover a handful since last night. We knew more now than we had when we left the infirmary.

I was getting a little too comfortable in the saddle, with my back virtually dissolving into Patrik. After the night and day we’d had, however, I decided to not overthink this, and just enjoy the feeling of being so close to him. It soothed me in ways I’d never thought possible. My muscles were relaxed, and my head was incredibly clear, putting the pieces of our entire Nerakian puzzle together in new combinations that made more sense.

His breath tickled my ear, while I gazed ahead, my focus sharp on the several miles left until we reached the eastern plain.

“I want to thank you for everything you did today,” Patrik murmured.

His voice rumbled through me, setting off vibrations in my stomach and tingles along my spine.

“It’s okay,” I replied, my voice barely audible. “It’s my job, after all…”

“That’s true, but you’re incredibly good at it, and I imagine I owe you my life, Scarlett.”

Several seconds passed while I tried to think of a decent response. Funnily enough, the clarity I’d experienced earlier was gone, replaced by the fuzziness that his deep voice generated inside me.

“You showed exceptional critical thinking, as well,” he added, and brought an arm around my waist. He pulled me closer to him, and only then did I realize that I’d been slowly sliding forward a few inches. “The way you handled the pit wolves was, by far, a noteworthy highlight of your performance.”

I’m practically melting… Sheesh…

“You sound a little too stuffy for what we’ve just been through,” I murmured. “Why don’t you just go ahead and say that I royally kicked ass back there? It sounds more… realistic.”

I had to defuse some of the tension building inside me because of his hold on me. I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Okay then, Scarlett, you royally kicked ass today,” he replied gently, making me giggle.

I exhaled in an attempt to relax, but all I managed to do was further sink into his body. His heart was thumping against my back. I glanced around, looking for something to talk about—anything that would keep my mind off my position. I needed to resist what I was feeling because Patrik was still in mourning and in no shape or mood to even consider a rookie like me for another relationship.

I caught a glimpse of movement somewhere to my right. I turned my head and saw two bright red eyes. My muscles instantly tensed, my senses flaring. I gripped the handle of my sword. I then saw the full form of what I’d noticed and stilled, holding my breath.

It was the pit wolf I’d accidentally freed earlier, huddled behind a large slab of limestone. It looked wary and curious, its nostrils flaring when its gaze found mine. I straightened my back, but Patrik didn’t let go. Instead, his forearm dug into my stomach as he reaffirmed his hold on me.

“I think it’s best if we leave that creature be,” Patrik whispered in my ear.

I immediately looked up at him, and noticed him watching the pit wolf. He’d seen the beast, too.

“Why? It tried to kill us, do you think it’s wise?” I replied slowly, then glanced at the creature again. I hadn’t had a chance to test my theory regarding the collars on another pit wolf earlier, so I was a bit wary about its presence there. My brow furrowed as I tried to understand what it was doing here. It was perfectly quiet and hidden, just watching us as we moved past it through the gorge.

“I’ve already taken the broken collar with me,” Patrik breathed, careful not to make himself heard by anyone other than me. “I’ll study it back in the city, but, from what I can tell at first glance, it acted as a behavior modifier. I mean, look at the pit wolf now… It looks genuinely harmless and scared. It knows not to charge us; it’s already seen what the dragon can do, and we clearly outnumber it. Its body language speaks of fear.”

I nodded, then looked at the road ahead once more, leaving the pit wolf behind. Patrik had a point, and, if my musings about the collar proved to be true, then I certainly didn’t want the blood of an innocent animal on my hands.

A couple of minutes slipped by, and I felt myself relax again.

“You know, you were pretty darn awesome back there, too,” I said. “I mean… The way you jumped between spells while blocking attacks… The speed with which you cast your magic was truly a sight to behold… I’ve never seen such prowess, not with so many hostiles at once, while dodging attacks from giant pit wolves and avoiding getting stomped by a dragon. I have to say, it takes seriously mad skills to do what you did.”

I held my breath, realizing I’d just droned on about how cool he was. I glanced up and found his gaze settled on my face, warmth exuding from his steely blue eyes. His lips stretched slowly into a self-assured smirk that was both cute and incredibly sensual—though I was pretty sure he wasn’t aiming for the latter.

“Scarlett, are you giving me a compliment?” he said, playfulness twinkling beneath his long black eyelashes.

“I… I guess so, yeah,” I croaked. “Why, is that a problem? Do you function better with negative feedback? Because I can tell you the exact opposite, too. I can express dismay at your two left feet, your inability to coordinate between fire and water spells, or whatever else I can come up with, and… I should stop talking now.”

I pressed my lips together, once again amazed at how my mouth functioned ahead of my brain. He chuckled, his gaze softening as he studied every feature of my face—from my eyes all the way down to my lips. A little ball of liquid heat got itself stuck in my throat, and I was unable to look away.

“I appreciate both positive and negative critiques.” His smile filled me with sunshine, and it was a feeling I never wanted to let go of. “So please, by all means, if there’s ever something you feel I might be faltering with, do tell me. Your opinion matters to me.”

“Why… Why does it matter?”

“Because you are, by far, one of the brightest creatures I’ve ever come across. It isn’t just your physical speed that stands out, but also the velocity of your mind, the way you process and interpret everything you learn. It’s always a pleasure to watch.”

His forehead smoothed as he shut his mouth. The look on his face suddenly changed, from bright and amused to blank and just too serious for the lighthearted tone of our conversation. He sighed, then peered somewhere in the distance, breaking eye contact and allowing an invisible wall to fall back between us.

It hit me then what had just happened. Patrik had just told me he’d been watching me.

He’d mentioned observing my physical speed and mental processes. All this time I’d thought I’d been invisible to him, and yet he was actually studying me. Analyzing me. Drawing conclusions about my intelligence and athleticism.

He’s been watching me. He’s been listening to me. He’s been forming opinions… thoughts about me…

The idea was completely unexpected. I’d convinced myself that Patrik wasn’t looking my way at all, not even for a basic assessment. And I had a feeling he’d just said more than he’d intended, judging by how quickly he went silent and looked away.

“Thank you,” I murmured, then leaned back into him.

There were only a few miles left between us and the eastern plain, and I wanted to spend them in the warm safety of his arms. I wanted to go over everything he’d just said, and figure out what was happening in his head.

I then remembered the dream he’d mentioned after Minah’s death. A dream that involved me. We’d yet to talk about it. This wasn’t the right time, but I needed to find a good moment to get him alone and ask him about the dream and my presence in it.

Why was he dreaming about me? Why was he watching me? Why was he paying attention to me?

I’d hoped I’d come out of the Valley of Screams with fewer questions about everything. Leave it to Neraka to double down and give me more to think about on my way out.