A deep silence hung between us as we sat down, leaning against a tree. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I knew there was no turning back now.
"Where are we?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"We haven't gone that far," he replied, and then fell silent again.
We hadn't traveled a great distance. We were still within the empire, surrounded by woods and towering trees. It was exactly like the scene from my nightmare. Fear started to grip me tightly. I imagined Ellena's father arriving with his men, capturing Regan for escaping. He would be executed, leaving me alone in a world where anything could happen to me.
A gasp threatened to escape my lips as I tried to push away those thoughts. But they felt all too real, especially since we were still within the empire, slowing down and stopping because of me. They would catch up with us very soon.
