Page 85 of Daughter of the Serpent

“You need to see past the identity they’ve forced upon you,” he pressed, taking a step closer, his shadow mingling with hers in the fading light. “Only you can decide who you are. Onlyyouhave that power.”

His words lodged themselves deep, unsettling something inside her. She swallowed hard, trying to push them away, but theylingered, refusing to be ignored. Her throat tightened, her mind scrambling to find a retort, but all she found was silence.

“It’s up to you, Sylvie,” Axel continued, his voice dropping lower, as if he could see the turmoil behind her eyes. “What you do with this, your life - it’s yours to claim. No one else’s.”

For a long moment, she just stared at him, the weight of his words pressing against the wall she had built around herself. Axel’s expression softened slightly, though the intensity never left his eyes. With a small gesture, he inclined his head toward the path that led away from the training grounds.

“Come on,” he said, his voice a touch gentler now, but still carrying that edge. “Let’s go somewhere.”

Sylvie hesitated, searching his face for the catch, the ulterior motive that always seemed to lurk beneath the surface with others. But there was nothing in his expression but an invitation. She felt the pull of his words tugging at her - dangerous, yet tempting. For a brief moment, she considered turning away, shutting him out before he could dig any deeper into the fractures within her. But something made her stay rooted in place, her heart pounding with a strange, conflicting ache.

With a small, unsteady breath, she nodded, letting him lead the way.

As they ventured into the forest's embrace it became clear that winter's grip had begun to loosen, giving way to the promise of spring. The air was alive with the scent of thawing earth and blossoming life, a tangible energy of renewal that permeated the woods. Despite the lingering chill, shafts of sunlight pierced through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. With each step, the soft earth yielded beneath their feet, leaving muddy imprints as they ventured deeper into the forest. Sylvie felt a sense of calm rising within her,buoyed by the magic of the trees and the gentle embrace of the spring goddess, who had slowly been making herself known. It was as if the weight that had burdened her shoulders moments ago was already being lifted, replaced by a warm sense of renewal that filled her lungs with each breath.

“Where are we going?” She asked, as she bypassed another wayward branch.

Axel fell into step beside her, the breeze ruffling his dark hair, strands escaping from his long braid to caress his shoulders. For a fleeting moment, Sylvie found herself enraptured by the way the strands swayed around his face, teasing his skin in their delicate dance. She wondered what it would be like to touch him. To trace her fingers over the blue tattoos that curled along his neck, or the jagged scar that crept up his jaw.

And his lips…what they might be like to taste.

Desire flickered, but with a shake of her head, she banished the wayward thoughts, refocusing her attention on the path ahead.

“You’ll see.” He said, revealing nothing.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” She replied, trying to lighten the energy that still seemed to flow between them. She was still embarrassed at her display of emotion, and how he had gutted her with his words, rendering a blow to her ego - that no matter how much she detested, was sorely needed.

As ruthless as he was, Axel had been right.

She needed to choose to believe in herself, and do whatever it took to survive. Otherwise she might as well give up now, and make her peace.

She cursed him for being so insightful, not that she would ever tell him that.

As they journeyed deeper into the woods together, Sylvie realized how little she truly knew about him. Despite their shared experiences, there was an air of mystery that shrouded him, leaving her to wonder what secrets lay hidden beneath his impenetrable wall.

"You’ve never mentioned what brought you to Mardova." She inquired, her curiosity genuine as she studied him.

"I am a wanderer," he replied simply, his jaw tightening. “I go where the gods lead me.”

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by the rustle of the waves in the distance and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot.

"Do you not yearn for a home? A hearth to call your own?" She asked.

Axel moved ahead of her, navigating through the underbrush with a certain ease. It was as if he knew the hidden path of the woods, his steps confident and sure footed, even though he had barely been there for more than a few weeks. Every sway of the trees, every sun - dappled branch, seemed to respond to his presence, as though the very essence of the forest bowed in recognition. There was a warmth in his energy suddenly, a richness that seemed to overflow and infuse the air around them. It was as if he belonged among the wind and the pine, moving like an animal prowling in the dark, with a certain innate knowledge.

The forest had begun to reveal to her a side of him that she had never seen, a certain piece of his armor unraveling. "My home was torn from me," Axel said shortly. “There is no hearth for me to return to.”

She flinched at his words, the undeniable pain he must feel at the loss of his people, his clan. She couldn’t imagine what he had endured. To be the only one left, felt unimaginable.

"Have you found solace here?" Sylvie asked, her gaze meeting him with curiosity.

Axel studied her, his eyes lingering on her lips before returning to meet her gaze. For a brief moment, Sylvie sensed an intensity that seemed to burn.

But just as quickly, he looked away.

"Perhaps."

"Where are you leading me?"