The Magic of Hecate
Chapter 24 Chapter 24

Ella's point of view

A day later,

"This fucking piece of shit is losing signal!" Max said frustratedly as heimpatiently tapped the screen of the built-in satnav of the stolen car."Why does that surprise you? We are in the middle of now whereMaxybaby," I replied.

We'd been travelling for a day and he was beginning to get grouchy.Very grouchy.

"Jesus fucking Christ! Could you drive any slower?!" he asked me.

For the entire journey, we had been alternating drivers every few hours.It was currently my turn and, unlike him, I was driving cautiously on theicy road.

"I'd rather get home a day later than in a wooden box," I repliedlooking down the sheer steep drop of the mountain that was onlyseparated from us by about half a metre. "I'm not taking any chances.”"There's cautious and then there's cautious. You're like an old womanon her way back from bingo," he grumbled.

"I have the Praesidium Deae Astra in my bag and I will not hesitate touse it on you," I snapped.

After that, he was quiet for a bit. Something told me he didn't doubtmy threat. Not even for a second.

"At least we haven't run into the owner of this car yet,” Max said afterabout an hour.

"That's probably because they aren't insane enough to come up here,” Isaid looking at the ever steepening drop on the side of the ever-narrowing road.

"Do you want me to drive?" he offered.

"No fucking way. I have only been driving for three years but I trust myself behind this wheel more than you. No offence but you drive like alunatic, Max," I replied.

"Rude," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" I said bringing the car to a gradual halt.

"Ella, this is a new level of slow. I don't even feel like we are moving," hegrumbled.

"That's because we're not, Moron," I replied getting out the car. "Theroad has stopped. How can it just stop?”

The outside air was sharp and icy in comparison to the engine heatedtemperature in the car. It took a few breaths for my lungs to adjust to itas I stared in dismay at the sudden end of the road.

"Looks like we are walking,” he chirped joining me on the snowy road.

I continued to stare at the steep, pathless mountain ahead of us.

"Oh, look on the bright side, Ells. It's only just gone dawn and it lookslike its going to be a lovely day,” Max said optimistically as he thrust myrucksack into my arms. "The Mafia den is just behind that peak there,"he added pointing to a point in the distance that was barely in vieweven on a day as clear as this.

Our surroundings were beautiful and our journey gave me plenty oftime to appreciate that. The sun glistened perfectly on the pristinesnow which crunched underneath our feet as we walked and mountainsstretched for as far as the eye could wander. Each stood in its individualmassiveness on the landscape like a crowd of giants with snow-coveredslopes and daggering peaks.

It reminded me of a poem I once read: “the prelude’ by WilliamWordsworth. You never know the power and intimidation of natureuntil you are amongst it. Swallowed by it. Overcome by it.

"Must you walk so fast, Maximus?" I asked at around 3 pm thatafternoon.

We'd hardly stopped for a break at all and I was exhausted andstruggling to keep up.

"Do you see that cloud up there?" he questioned pointing to a charcoalgrey mist forming on the next mountain. "That is a storm and we aregoing to get caught up in it if we don't pick up the pace.”

"Well can you at least try to consider the length of your company’s legscompared to yours?" I asked. "I can't keep up.”

"Stop complaining.”

"How much farther?”

"We'll be there before 5," he replied.

I sighed. Two more gruelling hours to go.