I look for Rexon. I have to talk with him before I leave. It's the least I can do after everything he has done for me. He took me in with all my baggage, risked his reputation, and nearly went to war for me.

I will forever be grateful to him, but I know I can't have both him and Dramon in my life. The two are nuclear.

I'm torn. It feels like I'm choosing Dramon over Rexon, when in reality, I've chosen neither. All I want is to find this woman and bring her to safety, but neither King will let me go on my own. I suppose it makes sense to talk with Dramon along the way. Maybe I'll heal that way. Maybe he'll give up on me after accepting that there's nothing between us but sexual tension.

"Rexon!" I jog to him, and he passes the map he held to the elderly woman beside him.

There's something different in his gaze. It seems harder.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"You will go with him. I know. I do not disdain you for it."

I raise a hand to stop him. "I'm not running into his arms. I just want to separate you two before you kill each other and find the human. I will talk to him and compromise. This cat-and-mouse game needs to stop."

He nodded. "You do not owe me any explanations."

But I do. I feel so guilty for leaving him behind. Although I never promised him anything, it feels like I've wronged him.

"I'm sorry, Rexon. I brought you all this turmoil while knowing deep inside me that Dramon wouldn't give up on me."

"Just don't let him bend you to his will. He doesn't own you. Be the master of your own fate. Goodbye, Queen Venus."

I watch him go, and my knees feel weaker than ever.

On my way back to my tent, I stop by Tej's place. He's grumpy that I wake him up and becomes downright cold when I tell him I'm leaving. The old man harrumphs, but I know that he'll miss me.

I thank him for his friendship with a big smile. He closes the entrance in my face, and I walk away with laughter.

After cleaning up in my tent, I lay down and stare at the pointy, tanned roof of my tent. I'm nervous about the stress, anger, and infuriating lust that's coming.

Lust is the emotion tying Dramon and I together. I suspect it's why he refuses to let me go, and it's further proof of why we will never work. I want love, not his obsession.

The twisted thing with obsession is that Dramon is truly obsessed with himself. His needs come first. That's why rejection is unacceptable to him. It's why he fights it with tooth and nail. He needs to have me to be truly happy, so he'd even give up his Clan for me.

He will never admit it.

I fall asleep with that disturbing thought. My dreams aren't peaceful. There's a whisper in my ears. I can't decipher the words, so I run from the unknown.

I'm running down a dark tunnel. Running. I'm doing something I lost the ability to do, but I don't sprint in joy.

A woman appears, and I stumble to my knees. It's the Seer. Why is she here? How is she doing this?

"I will show you the way."

"What?"

She smiles. "Enjoy the journey."

I gasp and sit up. I'm alone in my tent, but I remember the dream lividly. It was so odd. I never thought I'd come across that Seer again.

I rub my eyes and slide off the bed. It's time to get going, so I rinse my mouth, slip into my clean tank top and trousers, and tie my sandals. I grab my cane and pocket my daggers. I don't have much to take with me; I never do.

With Treysa on my heels, I look for Dramon. I find him on the edge of the territory with his Camp. He still has dried blood and dust on his chest. He hasn't bathed yet. Judging by the huskiness of his voice, he didn't sleep, either.

I'm hesitant to approach his Clan. Last time I was among them, they ripped my heart out with their irises.

I don't get those looks today. I don't get many, actually. Most Clan members keep their heads low, and only a few brave ones examine me.

"I'm ready."

Dramon smiles at me with his cracked lip, not even wincing from the pain. It startles me. His white teeth and the single dimple that appears on his right cheek are a rare sight. They're suffocated by his scowl most of the time.

"Did you sleep well?"

I ignore the question and gesture to his exposed chest. "You need to take care of those injuries. You'll be no good to anyone if they get infected."

"Only you can heal them or let them rot. The choice is my gift to you."

I shake my head. "I will not touch you."

His fingers twitch beside his low-hanging trousers. "Do I disgust you?"

I open my lips and hesitate. "That depends. Why did you marry me when you still loved Salina?"

He frowned. "I never loved Salina. I chose you because you are beautiful."

Beautiful.

Hearing that word makes me feel like the very opposite. I hate how the answer came to him so easily. He admits that there was nothing about my character that interested him. It was all superficial.

"Right," I nod. "We should get going."

"And you?" he pushes.

"What?"

"Why did you marry me?"

Because I was desperate for love.

My eyes widen, and I leave like a coward.

Within the hour, we are marching through the canyon. Dramon and I lead like old times, but this time, I'm riding Treysa. The sound of pounding hooves echoes through the canyon like nails striking a coffin.

"Halt," Dramon calls out.

I stop Treysa, and the rest of the Clan does the same.

"Venus."

I blink. "Yes?"

"Are you cold?" He nods toward my arms, and I realize I'm covered in goosebumps.

Did he stop for this?

"No. I'm fine."

He nods and continues leading the Clan. We ride for six hours before settling down. We see no hints of the human or Wenches. I doubt we will for a long time. This canyon is too vast. Even with birds in the sky, it will take us a while to make progress.

Although Dramon argued that it's below me, I take a patrol shift. I eat by myself as I keep an eye out. Clan members still don't dare to approach me. I don't mind their space.

We continue the pattern for another day. By now, I know Dramon is ill. He tries to hide it, but I can tell he's not mentally there. There were small give-aways like his slurring words and his sweat. Dramon is so fit that he rarely sweats. Another hint was when he tossed a towel over a shoulder. He only used it to wipe his forehead, and it was on him for about five minutes, but Rider Kings can't to cover their arm rings. He knows this, but the fever is distressing him.

Still, he refuses to see the healer. Although he's the size of the damn canyon, he's as stubborn as a child.

After dinner, he asks me if I want to join him for training. I reject the offer as usual.

His shoulders drop. He kept his head up throughout the day as the fever tore him apart, but it's my rejection that weakens him.

I watch him train his men from a distance. He's slower and sloppier than usual.

With a sigh, I look for the healer. I ask him to prepare a drink for the King. The healer knows what power I have over Dramon, so he's more than happy to get to work.

When I have the medicine, I make my way to a staggering Dramon.

The truth. Enjoy the journey.

I stop walking when I hear the Seer. She's playing her games again.

"Hello?" I call out. As expected, there's no reply.

A single flake of snow falls from the sky. How odd. It doesn't snow in this region.

I continue to Dramon. He's talking with one of the younger men, positioning a spear in his hands.

"Here," I interject.

When he faces me, he looks cured. That damned smile is back.

"This is from the healer. It should help you break that fever," I explain lamely.

"Thank you," he accepts it.

"Don't forget to bandage yourself," I tell him.

He watches me leave. The snow is falling more heavily now, so I stop by the utilities district of the Camp. I'm given two blankets by a shy younger female. I thank her and go to my tent.

Unlike Treysa and Dramon's race, I have wimpy human skin. The cold can be debilitating.

It's not too bad that night, but the entire Camp realizes that there's a problem in the morning. We're sitting right under a storm, and it's too late to pack up and move.

I see little of Dramon that day. He's busy running around securing the Camp. I can see that he's more energized. His skin is clear, his hair is trimmed, and his injuries are bandaged.

I keep Treysa company for some time, but it soon becomes so cold that I have to duck indoors. I'm under five blankets and a ridiculously long dress, but my teeth still clatter.

"My King!" I hear over the howling of wind.

"What?" Dramon replies.

"None of the fires are staying on."

"How can that be?" Dramon asks, his voice becoming more distant with every step.

I connect the dots then. It's the Seer! She's behind this!

"W-why?" I ask, hoping that she can hear me.

The wind howls.