Chapter 136- Ella’s dilemma
Ella
I gaze around at the icy mountains, squinting up at the sky. The sun is high overhead, only halfway through its daily journey from East to West. That means it’s about noon… three hours from when I found the passage, according to the bedroom clock. The Prince’s deadline isn’t until dusk, which means there’s still time to get word to Sincalir, assuming I can figure out how to get back to the city.
Suddenly I’m kicking myself for leaving my go-bag behind. My coat wasn’t there because it had been stained and damaged, but I had other clothes inside, things I could layer onto my body to try and provide myself some warmth. I might move faster without the weight, but lightness won’t help me if I drop dead from hypothermia.
Just keep your blood moving. My wolf advises, as long as your heart is pumping it will keep you warm.
Not if I’m sweating. I counter, the liquid will just freeze and kill me faster.
Then stay active, but not so active that you’re sweating. You don’t want to stress the baby anyway. She advises,
Alright. I agree. How far do you think the valley is?
in sight, so we must be on the wrong slope of the mountain.
it would certainly take more time than
up on the idea of reaching Sinclair before he can come after us… we need him to come after us. All we can do is try
any more danger than he already has, but beggars can’t be choosers, and right now I’m certainly a beggar. So do I stay put and walk in circles, or try to descend? I wonder. I don’t want to stay out in the open like this, in case the Prince figures out that I’ve escaped before Sinclair comes for
light bulb bursting on in my head. It’s a risk, but the tunnel had been warmer at least, surely I’d have a better chance if… My thoughts trail off as I turn and see that the rock wall
pushing at it the way I’d seen my guards to at the safe house. I try and try to open it again, looking around for anything that might trigger the internal mechanism and finding nothing. In the end I’m throwing my body into the rock, tears of frustration streaming down my cheeks. “No!” I cry out angrily. “No, no, no! It isn’t
soak your clothes and then we’ll really be screwed. Knowing she’s right, I jump back onto my feet. The tears from frost on my cheeks, and I rub away the crystalline particles, trying to keep my wits about me
the mountain. The treeline starts about a mile below me, and though I know the sun will keep me warmer than the shaded forest, it’s also lower elevation and I might find shelter for
wake me fully we’ll be able to handle the elements. Wolves are made for the wilderness… you’ll be ten times harder
belly. Not unless we have no other choice. Those herbs are
do. She remarks sorrowfully, but this is life and death. If you don’t make
before it’s too late. Maybe there’s a cabin somewhere in that forest… in fact, I bet there is! If the Royal Family uses this tunnels in emergencies I bet there’s some sort of emergency shelter nearby! It would be crazy not to when things get like
keep
my belly and give a word of comfort to my growing pup. “It’s okay, angel. Daddy’s going to come for us, and until then I’m going to
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!