Sticks and Stones

Chapter Forty-Three

With her gear at the ready, Sofia bounded into the living room around five minutes later, ready for whatever came next. In the living room, Caspian paced behind the sofa. He too carried his weapons, with a portal jumper waiting for them just off to the side.

When he saw her, there was no disguising his dissatisfaction.

"Are you going to glare at me this whole time?" Sofia asked, kissing her teeth.

Cas glared some more, answering, "I don't want to look at you."

"Then stop looking genius."

He tore his gaze away. Still, she saw his stress. His shoulders were tight, his body rigid. When his gaze found her once more, his visage was desperate.

"Please don't do this."

She swallowed, keeping her distance. "Would you say yes if I asked the same thing of you?"

"I have a duty to my people."

She nodded understandingly but still not willing to quit. "And I have a duty to you. I'm coming with you Caspian. That's the end of it."

She made to move past him, closer to the portal jumper. He grabbed her forearm before she could get anywhere near.

"You could get hurt."

Their eyes met.

"I know that."

"And you're okay with that?"

She'd had time to think all of this through. Sofia knew what had to be done. And she knew what she could be sacrificing.

"Yes, I'm okay with it."

Caspian let her go, taking a step back. "Anything happens to you, it's on your own head."

"I know."

"Good. Then let's go."

When he picked up the portal jumper, she placed her hand in the crook of his arm. The world around them blurred into a billion different shapes and colours until a new land took form in its place.

"Last chance to go back Sofia."

"We're here now. It's too late."

"It's not too late."

"It is too late." They couldn't go back from this place. Both of them knew it. "I made up my mind. I'm staying here with you."

"And you're sure about it?"

"As sure as I'll ever be."

In silence, they took in their surroundings.

Around them was nothing but wasteland. The ruins of what might have once been buildings stretched far ahead of them. It looked like some sort of natural disaster had occurred.

The sky was murky with a dusky colour. Ashy with a taste of long-gone fires.

Something was inherently wrong about the place. Something neither of them could put their finger on.

Electricity hummed through the space between them. A bad feeling, like the zip of dark magic.

"Warlocks."

Sofia knew what they were dealing with. Caspian's promise of it still sent shivers down her back.

"We're in the right place?"

Caspian nodded. "That's the feeling I get anytime a warlock appears."

"Does it go away?"

That uncomfortable zing of electricity was suffocating. It was like a beacon daring them to come closer, testing the strength of their stomach the closer they came.