The bush was scratching her and cutting her skin as Aria huddled in it, in an attempt to get away from the cold. The light she had been following was now directly in front of her, coming from the burning embers of a campfire. A boy, about her age, was kneeling down by the fire. It had sparked a sensation of deja vu inside her, and she slowly realised where she had seen him before. When she had been trekking across the moors a few days ago, trying to get away from The Mountain Queen, she had sped past the boy without a second glance. But now her eyes raved hungrily over him, desperate as she was for some sign of civilisation. He was tall, with sleek dark hair, pale skin and deep blue eyes. Well, it couldn't hurt to go and talk to him, could it? thought Aria. She slipped out of the spiky gorse bush and made her way over to him. As her feet padded slowly over the thick, springy moss, the boy looked up, and their eyes met. As she looked into his endless blue eyes, a searing sensation went through her body, and her stomach felt like it was filled with hyperactive butterflies. They both stepped closer, and a spark of chemistry sprang up between them...
Sienna raced out of the cave, her breath coming in huge, ragged gasps. It was all getting too much. Aria was here, she could feel it, but was she harmed? Sienna had no way of knowing. But she knew one thing. There was absolutely no way that she was leaving her sister now. Sienna would find her, however long it took.
She vaulted on to Inky, steadying herself as he shifted his weight. inky was exhausted, and there would be no more galloping for him today. They were going to take it at a nice steady walk, in the direction of the light that Sienna could see, flickering slightly in the distance.
As they trundled along, Inky's feet clomping out a steady rhythm in the cold, still night air, Sienna thought about her parents. They had been gone four days now, and Sienna hadn't told them where she was going. But the main thing that worried her was this: how would they get back? It was obvious the Mountain Queen had chosen this location for its barren and desolate landscape. There was no civilisation, and they must be miles from the nearest town.
As Sienna thought all of this through, a wave of emotion welled up inside her, crushing her body. She was flooded with an overwhelming desire to see her mum and dad again, to hug them and be comforted. But who knew how long it would be before she saw them again?.....
