Page 174 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

Yes, I reassure him softly as I fly a little higher to get a better look. I can see the wall of the dome and frown. It’s people.

Ours or…?

Jayce leaves his sentence open as I peer through the blizzard, taking in the black armour, the insignia on their chests, and my stomach twists.

The Indomitable. It’s them, without a doubt…

I frown as I try to sense the magic seeping beneath their feet and into the ground. I frown. Wait, is that magic coming from the dome, or entering it?

How many? Jayce asks.

A few dozen. I can’t tell what they’re doing, but it looks like they have a purpose; it’s not just a scouting round.

Let’s try to head to the outpost; we’re not far from it. We might find something there, Jayce says.

How he knows we’re close to the base in this storm is beyond me, but I trust his skills as I begin following him.

Got it, I reply as I push away the unease.

We travel swiftly and silently, keeping our auras reigned in despite the concealment magic. We’re close to the dome, and I can feel it messing with my magic, but I keep focused, keeping it strong.

We finally reach the outpost we were stationed at, and I still, staring at the destroyed barracks and the empty ruins of the Dauntless base.

Prince Mikhail would never abandon this place willingly, so what happened?

Jayce shifts back, and I land on the ground, looking around. “We stay hidden, but let’s see if we can find anything,” he says quietly.

I nod before strengthening the concealment spell around us again. Magic flickers through my veins weakly, exhaustion pulling at me harder now. It’s eating up my magic faster.

Jayce notices instantly as he moves closer and places a hand on my lower back. “Are you alright?”

I nod. “I’m fine.”

His eyes narrow slightly.

I sigh softly. “I have plenty of magic sealed,” I reassure him honestly.

He studies me for a second before his gaze briefly lowers towards my stomach. The protectiveness that surges through the bond almost makes my chest hurt.

“You need rest.” He glances at his Schattensicht. “We’ve been travelling for over three hours.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the Indomitable; we can’t rest now.”

His jaw tightens, and he looks at me with that firm expression which means he isn’t budging on this one. “You are not risking yourself out here. You need rest,” he says firmly.

I look down. “Then it’s best we keep moving, because it’s the magic that’s draining me.

I see his expression drop, the worry and concern seeping into his eyes.

I step closer to him and place a hand on his chest. “You know,” I whisper softly, trying to calm him, “For someone who spent such a long time pretending not to love me, you’re very intense about it now.”

He looks at me, conflicted, before he smirks faintly.

As much as he wants me to take a break, if I lower my shield, we’ll instantly be discovered. If the Indomitable have witches here, the only reason we haven’t been caught is because of the power of the dome that messes with everything else.

“And for that I am sorry. I should’ve told you sooner,” he says quietly.

“Told me what?”