Ciprian made his way on a stolen horse through the woods to Rowan's garden to retrieve the soul shard he and the Creature both wanted for different reasons.
His fear over Loma being in danger made him kick ruthlessly at the horse's flanks, as if it was somehow to blame for his slow progress.
The woods resisted his presence, fighting him every step of the way by reshaping itself so he rode in circles. He had to tear apart reality and reweave it as he went, shortening the distance between him and the garden as much as possible so that he could get this over with.
For the Creature, the soul was the key to merging with Sacha's body so it could live out its fantasies of being a god in human form and indulge in its twisted lust for the enemy.
For Ciprian, helping the Creature inhabit Sacha's body might be the key to eliminating it for good.
It would be much easier to kill if it was bound to something that could be destroyed.
