Game of Vampires: Winterball (Wicked Fae Games Book 1) by Donna Berdel

Author:Donna Berdel [Berdel, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary Stone Publishing
Published: 2023-05-14T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Morning came after a night of dreamless sleep, the kind of night that left me questioning if I’d truly slept at all. The moment my head hit the pillow, the alarm on my phone began to buzz…or at least, that’s what it felt like. The fact that the sky outside was still dark since it was too early for the sun to make an appearance yet didn’t help.

I peeled away the warm duvet, wincing at the ache in my muscles as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. If my quads hated me now, they’d probably disown me after today’s hike.

For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if I should try to find the bean-nighe or heed Cleo and Lacy’s warnings, but shook the uneasiness off in a matter of seconds. I didn’t want to wait another day.

I dragged my tired butt from the bed, showered, and scrounged around for the warmest clothes I could find. Digging through Sylvie’s garments, I discovered a snow-white coat and pants set. Camouflage in a place like this. Perfect.

I packed a few snacks and some water in a backpack and set out for the trail marked on Sylvie’s map.

The drive to the public hiking trail was midway between the lodge and Silvery Pines. But due to my paranoia over invisible stalkers, I took a circuitous route to ensure no one was tailing me, which took forever. I parked off the road and prepared for a grueling hike.

According to Sylvie’s map, the trail snaked through the forest and ran parallel to a small creek. A big, flat boulder drawn on the map indicated where Sylvie had veered off the hiking trail, and a dotted line led over to the creek.

As I set out, I expected the rocks, slush, and icy terrain, but nothing on the map prepared me for all the rock scrambling.

My poor quads. I’ll be lucky if they don’t wave a white flag partway up.

I hiked on, using my hands in spots to climb over rocks and crunching through snow along the trail in the flatter parts as it threaded between trees. The breeze came and went, whistling through the pines and slapping my cheeks with frigid air in random gusts.

How Sylvie had managed the terrain at her age was a miracle, but as difficult as I found it, knowing she’d walked and climbed these same icy paths kept me going. As the trail neared the creek, the water’s gentle babble spilled over icy rocks.

Every little noise made me jump. Tree branches snapping underfoot. Animals scurrying away as my boots crunched against snow and dirt. My heart pounded with each sound. If it knocked any harder against my chest, it just might punch a hole straight through my ribs.

My breathing turned ragged, forming little heat clouds with every step. Beneath my warm layers, sweat formed on my neck and chest. I unzipped my jacket and let the cold air seep through my clothing.

How much longer now?

By the time I came to

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