Reaching out toward a holly bush beside them, she snapped a red berry off that was shrouded in ice and stared at it with a little frown twisting her lips.
Giles shrugged, sharing in her confusion. “I’m not sure, but this is most certainly where the chalice is held.”
“No.” She finally dropped the berry. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t trust you. But it all looks wrong. Where is the crater, the bubbling lava?”
Twisting his lips, he leaned back on one of his hands. Lilith stayed glued to his side, resting her weight against him.
There were still so many words that needed to be said between them. They’d not had a moment to really talk since the night at the shack. But that truth was tempered by the knowledge that Erualis’s time was even now ticking away. That every second was precious if they hoped to save the boy.
“I don’t like it, either,” he mumbled, staring at the looming mountainside, knowing in his heart that something was very wrong with this scenario.
He felt her gaze like a brand, and when he looked back down at her there was not only sadness, but something else he could not quite put his finger on.
“Can you handle the cold, Giles?” she asked, gripping his hand and threading her fingers through them. Clutching on to him with a death grip as though she feared to let him go.
It was on the tip of his tongue to sugarcoat the truth and make her believe that his situation wasn’t as dire as it was, but already he felt his energy slightly depleted.
Like a candle put out in a cold, raging wind it could remain lit for a while, but eventually a strong gust would come by and quench its fire.
Each gentle breeze that brushed against him felt like the icy curl of death’s finger caressing his soul.
“Not very well,” he finally admitted.
“Then you can’t go in.”
“No.” He shook his head and gave her a weak grin. “I absolutely will go in. You cannot go in alone. Who knows what dangers lay in store for us there?”
“Giles.” She sat up and jerked his wrist. “Listen to me for once.”
He frowned but bit his tongue at the sight of her earnest gaze.
“I’m a wolf, I run naturally warm. I barely even feel this cold. The sun is still up and I can see the shivers racing through you. If you cannot tolerate this, and we’re not yet inside of the mountain—”
Stealing her next words with a kiss, he smiled against her lips. “We will do this as we’ve done everything else. Together.”
Her gaze was dreamy when she looked back at him. “Gods, I wish I’d waited to use the dragon call until now. Sent the ladies in there to fetch it and you wouldn’t need to put yourself through this.”
Fingering the pendant around her neck, he tugged at it gently. “Maybe we could use the wish now?”
She wrapped her fingers around his. “But then we’re in the position of still being stuck here. Looking at you, I cannot imagine you could last longer than a day, if that. We should use the wish to get us back to Rumpel’s castle once we’ve acquired the chalice. I cannot ghost with you again.”
“No, I suppose you are right.” He gave her a chaste kiss to her forehead, wishing he could do so much more.
The understanding that this was a stolen moment they took now, that Lilith was right… Giles was unsure he could last more than a day out here, and it hit him like a blow to the gut. This was the end of their journey, no matter what it took to get the chalice he would have to do it. And once he had it he’d have no choice but to return to his prince. Lilith would be taken from his side forever.
His duty and place would be tending to the castle, a place Lilith could not follow because she was no supplicant, or even his mate. She’d be forced to roam as a nomad all her days, moving from one place to another to keep away from the grasp of those who’d use her for ill.
He would have taken her as his if she’d asked it, but she hadn’t and he couldn’t force it. Maybe the thought of never having children was enough to squelch whatever desire she’d felt for him at one time.
“Why did you make that vow, Lilith?” he asked as he framed her face and brought their foreheads together, his heart shattering at the knowledge that she could never be his.
“Because I had not met you.” Her words were soft and sounded broken and he couldn’t stand to hear it, not coming from her.
He kissed her again, but this one was final. This one was goodbye. The moment the chalice was in their hand everything would go back to the way it was.
Her eyes were sad as she said, “Let us finish this.”
They stood at the entrance that led straight into Fyre Mountain, staring at the powder-blue icicles that ripped jaggedly from the roof and floor of the cave.
The way the sunlight bounced off the face of the ice caused it to appear almost glass-like, tossing their reflection back at them from a million different angles.