Chapter 6: I Am Coming With You!

Sylvia sat across the handsome stranger, keeping her eyes glued to the scenery passing by. She hadn't dared to steal a glance at the man, afraid he would catch her staring at him.

But she felt his eyes wandering to her every now and then. She kept her scarf close to her face to hide as much as possible of it.

The man took out a bottle of water from his bag and drank from it. Sylvia couldn't help but let her gaze betray her as it landed on the length of his throat.

She watched in awe as his Adam's apple moved up and down as he drank the water. A snapping sound of fingers made her blink.

He was staring right back at her with amused eyes. Sylvia's face turned hot, and she instantly looked away.

This was the second time he caught her gawking at him like that. And it was just embarrassing!

But why she found him so attractive? She had never found any man as attractive as Gerald, but this man... he was different and thus dangerous for her.

"Water?"

His deep husky voice sent a shiver running down her spine, and her toes curled. She shook her head slowly, not meeting his eyes.

"Are you sure? I don't think you are carrying water with you." He insisted.

Sylvia suddenly felt her throat running dry. She thought of accepting the water from him, but then her fears poked their heads up.

What if he had something mixed in water? What if he was one of the partners of the Larnwick? What if he was someone else as dangerous as the Deveras?

She remained silent with a deep scowl adorning her face. The man pulled back his hand, but her reservations only made him more intrigued by her.

"Corbin Addis!" He introduced himself.

Sylvia's eyes snapped to his face. She searched it for something before she heard him ask, "Aren't you going to introduce yourself? We are travelling the same road for hours. I should at least know who I am sharing my ride with."

For some reason, his words relaxed her a bit. Feeling a bit confident by his warmness, she said in a low voice.

"Sylvia"

"Sylvia" He tasted her name on his tongue, and it rolled off smoothly.

Sylvia felt little tingles when he said her name loudly.

"Is there any last name, Sylvia?" He asked.

Was there? Was she in a position to use her family's name anymore? They must know that the Deveras were looking for her to kill her. Yet none of them thought to intervene or at least help Sylvia find a safe place.

So why should she use their last name when they had cut all their ties with her?

She didn't need them!

Sylvia saw Corbin waiting for her response. She only shook her head to see confusion covering his face. When she thought he would pry more into the details, he surprised her by nodding his head in understanding.

After a minute of silence, he asked again. "Are you going there to meet your relative?"

She didn't understand why he was so interested in knowing about her.

"Why do you ask that?" She questioned.

"Don't mind me, Miss Sylvia. But you don't seem to belong here. So I was just wondering. It's okay if you don't want to answer that.

You don't come to me as a talkative person anyway."

His tone was not taunting or condescending. He was speaking with pure intentions. But Sylvia couldn't bring herself to continue that conversation.

Another hour passed in silence. Corbin didn't pressure Sylvia into speaking more.

The carriage slowed down its pace, which alerted Sylvia. She shook off the heaviness sitting on her eyelids before sitting straight.

The carriage came to a halt. Sylvia glanced at Corbin nervously, but he already wore a confused frown on his handsome face.

He turned his head and opened the small window that separated him and the coachman.

"Why we stopped brother? Is there any problem?"

Sylvia noticed how Corbin addressed the stranger as a brother. It left a good impression on her. Yet she refused to let her guard down around this man.

A pair of eyes appeared in the small window. "There is a fallen tree ahead. It is blocking the way. It must have fallen after the last night's heavy rain."

Sylvia pursed her lips. Why couldn't she get things done easily like others?

Corbin didn't say anything and opened the door. He jumped down the carriage to take a look at the obstacle. Sylvia quickly followed him, not wanting to sit alone in the carriage.

Her eyes widened to see a big tree laying on the road, blocking the way. She caught its roots bare and exposed in the air. The coachman's guess was right. The heavy rain caused this.

"We cannot move ahead until this tree moves from our way." She heard the coachman say.

"WHAT?!!!"

"Yes miss!" He turned his attention to Sylvia.

She wore a deep frown on her partially visible face as the lower half was hidden under her thick scarf.

"We can take an alternative route. There must be one right?" She asked hopefully, feeling conscious of the coachman's gaze on her while Corbin stood staring at that tree.

The coachman shook his head, rubbing his palms together to get some help against the cold.

"No miss. There is no alreaternative route."

Sylvia felt like all odds were aligned against her, making everything difficult for her. She was not yet safe from the Larnwick. She had to go to Greenfield to meet Roma's uncle and sought his help.

She couldn't get stuck here when she had found hope after all the struggle.

"But we have to move forward anyway! I have to reach Greenfield as soon as possible. I can't be stuck here!"

"I understand miss. But what can I do? If I could then I would have moved this tree and clear the path." The coachman told sincerely.

Sylvia had decided to not use her wand unless necessary. And it seemed like a necessary situation.

But how could she use her magic in front of two strangers? Humans to be specific? What if they inform Larnwick? What if they harm her after seeing her powers?

No! She couldn't risk it!

Sylvia wrapped her arms around her small frame and looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere and she couldn't guess the topography and their location as she had never been there before.

She had to rely on that coachman to take her out of there.

"Can't we do anything?" She asked in a low whisper.

The coachman thought for a moment before an idea occurred to him.

"I think there is a small settlement not far from here. We can ask for their help in cutting some parts of the tree if they can't move the entire tree.

We only need enough space for the carriage to move."

That sounded like a good idea though it would also mean that Sylvia had to face many people. It would raise the risk of getting caught. But she had to take that risk if she wanted to reach the safety of Greenfield as soon as possible.

Corbin suddenly turned around and said, "Okay, I will go and get the help. Just give me the directions."

"I don't think you can follow the directions sir. The way is little difficult. I don't remember it exactly either. But if I go myself then I will definitely remember where to go. So I should go myself."

Sylvia's eyes widened as she heard that. "No no no! You can't leave me here alone!"

Corbin's blue eyes settled on her. He tilted his head with a stoic face. "How will you be alone when I will stay here with you? You didn't think we will leave a woman alone at place like this, did you?"

Sylvia felt her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

'Not everyone is inconsiderate Sylvia!', she chided herself.

But then...

"No! I am not going to stay here with you!" She told Corbin stubbornly.

He stared back at her in confusion.

Sylvia weighed her options. She couldn't stay with Corbin not only because he was a stranger but also because his boldness and frankness unnerved her.

She feared if she stayed with him then he would manage to make her speak and spill the beans. She couldn't risk that.

Besides, Corbin was a tall and lean physiqued man. The way his veins were on display on his neck and the side of his face, she could imagine there were more hidden under those thick layers of clothes.

If used force against her, then she wouldn't be able to take him in a hand-to-hand fight. While on the other hand, the coachman was a middle-aged man with a lanky frame. It was easier to deal with him if he tried anything funny with her.

Going with the coachman felt much safer to her than staying back with Corbin.

"I am coming with you!" She declared, looking at the coachman.

Her decision took both men by surprise, but before any of them argued, she was already walking away, calling the coachman to lead the way.