Hearts of Wrath and Ruin | Throne of Glass | Fenrys

Chapter 22

The jagged rocks covering the Dead Islands appeared before her, as the sun was slowly dipping beyond the horizon, painting the sky in orange hues.

Ramiel's anger had simmered down hours ago, but her mind never stopped racing. She had been airborne the entire day, taking only short breaks when necessary. By now, her back muscles were screaming in agony from exhaustion, her still healing shoulder burning with pain. But she kept going, pushing her body to it's limits.

And while she had been flying, she calculated the best course of action for the upcoming confrontation. She knew she couldn't just slit his throat and be done with it. Even though she really wanted to.

So by the time she landed on one of the rocky cliffs, she had a perfect plan.

Ramiel let out a sigh of relief as she finally willed her wings to disappear, her body instantly feeling lighter. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, hoping that she had remembered this place correctly. Truth be told, the Dead Islands looked all the same. Sharp rocks, cliffs, caves, and more rocks. Except for the Skull's Bay, the rest of the islands were desolated, as they were hardly accessible from a ship. And that made them the perfect place for a hideout for someone with wings. Or an avian form.

Ramiel's eyes finally snagged on a narrow passage between the rocky mountains. Bingo.

That was the path she had to take to get to the cave on the other side. She had landed quite far away from it on purpose, not wanting to alert Vaughan of her presence. That is, if the bastard was actually here.

She really fucking hoped so.

With that thought in mind, she started towards the passage, choosing her steps carefully on the uneven terrain. As she walked, she tuned into her senses, making sure that nothing escaped her attention. But the islands were silent as a tomb, and the only sound reaching her ears were the waves crashing on the rocks.

She made it into the passage in a few minutes, and her steps slowed down, as she walked between the sharp rocks jutting out from both sides. The light barely reached her here, especially that the sun had already set, making her task even harder. Right now, she was really grateful for her unusually sharp senses. Without them, she would've probably impaled herself on a piece of that damned rock.

A sharp cry of a bird reverberated through the air, making her freeze in her spot. Ramiel tipped her head back, hoping to see where the sound had came from. And just a moment later, a winged shadow flitted above the passage.

She knew that shadow. She would've recognized the shape of that massive osprey anywhere.

Vaughan was indeed here.

Good.

As soon as she couldn't hear the rustle of his wings anymore, she moved again, speeding up her steps. She wanted to get to that cave before he did.

Just minutes later, she finally got to the egde of the passage and, after making sure she was alone, stepped out into the open space. A few feet to her right, loomed a steep slope of a mountain. And above it, hidden from sight, was an entrance to the cave. Ramiel looked around again, before she started climbing. The sharp rocks sliced her fingers, the blood flowing from the cuts making it harder to grab onto their surface. But she barely felt it, as determination and adrenaline flowed through her veins, pushing her forward.

Ramiel let out a groan, as she finally heaved her body onto a platform that slightly jutted out from the face of the mountain. She was exhausted, but she knew there was no time to waste. So she turned to face the cave ahead and the flickering light within it.

She didn't think twice as she stepped inside and steered her steps towards that light, probably coming from a fire. The narrow path that she took, turned wider the further she went, until she finally stepped into the main cave. It was smaller than she remembered.