Forty minutes later, the four of us are hikingย downย a steep, snow-covered ridgeline to a cave only accessible by foot in the sector our group has been assigned to, and Lucky Me is in the lead, which leaves Cat at my back.
At least Andarnaโs there to protect it should the flier get any stabby ideas about how to get me out of Xadenโs bed.
โThis is not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to fly with you.โย Andarna huffs at the powdery snow, scattering a portion in a shimmering cloud of frozen misery.
โThis is what the mission called for, and you need your strength to fly back,โย I tell her, trudging forward through the knee-high layer of fresh hell and hoping I donโt fall through into any older strata.
The only one who isnโt struggling is Kiralair, Catโs silver-winged gryphon, who walks at Andarnaโs side. Only those two are light enough not to cause an avalanche on the nonexistent path.
โAnything?โย Tairn asks as he flies to the next peak, his voice tense.
โWe havenโt even made it to the cave you selected,โย I respond, spotting the mouth of the cave about twenty yards ahead only because Tairn pointed it out under the camouflage of the snowy outcropping above. The riot left us at the only fully stable section of terrain, an outcropping of rock left bare by the vicious wind.
โI still find this plan lacking,โย he lectures.ย โLeaving you on one peak to explore another for a possible energy signature leaves you in unacceptable danger.โ
โFrom whom?โย I tug my fur-lined hood closer to ward off the wind when it shifts, stinging the tips of my exposed ears.ย โDo you really think any wyvern couldโโ
โIโm coming back.โ
โItโs entirely too easy to rile you.โย I laugh, and the sound echoes off the snow-covered bowl, making us all take pause.
โFor fuckโs sake, Sorrengail,โ Cat hisses once itโs clear the snow around us is staying put. โAre you trying to get us buried in an avalanche?โ
โSorry,โ I whisper over my shoulder.
Her eyes widen. โDid you just apologize to me?โ
โI can admit when Iโm wrong.โ I shrug and continue forward.
โIโm fully present and capable of protecting her,โย Andarna snipes at Tairn.
โYou do not yet breathe fire.โ
โFire would only serve to melt the mountain,โย she reminds him, and I glance back to see her carefully picking her path, her scales reflecting the snow in an almost silvery sheen in places.ย โI still wield teeth and claw should the aristocrat bare her vitriol.โ
โAre you insinuating that I donโt?โ Cat asks.
โDo you even think youโre wrong? Ever?โ I ask, pushing forward. โI honestly think you might be worse than a dragon when it comes to confidence.โ
โArrogance,โย Andarna corrects me.ย โThe flier doesnโt have the skills to back up a word like โconfidence.โโ
I snort, but bite back the laugh before it can endanger us. Ten more feet and weโll be at the cave. If Tairn locates a second while weโre retrieving the first, weโll be ahead of Claw Section, who has already found three to our sectionโs two, according to Tairn.
Dragons are nothing if not competitive. โWhat?โ Cat asks.
โAndarna thinks youโre arrogant, not confident,โ I tell her. โShe is,โ Sloane agrees.
โJust because your brother didnโt like me doesnโt mean you know me,โ Cat whispers at Sloane.
โNo.โ I turn to face Cat, making her pause in the footsteps Iโve carved in the ridgeline. โYou want to pick a fight? You come atย me.โ
Cat cocks her head to the side and studies me. โBecause you feel guilty for her brotherโs death.โ Itโs not an accusation or even a dig. Just the truth.
โBecause I promised him Iโd take care of her. So, you can aim all that hatred right here.โ I tap my gloved hand to my chest.
โHe was wrong to ask that of you.โ Sloane catches up, Visia close behind.
โBecause Imogen would have been a more capable protector?โ I ask, only able to hold her too familiar blue gaze for a heartbeat before looking away.
โNo. Because you already carry the weight of protecting Xadenโs life. It was unfair of him to burden you with mine, too.โ She huffs a breath into her cupped, gloved hands to warm them.
I blink as my eyes sting from something other than the wind, then turn to continue trudging through the snow toward the cave, whose entrance is nothing but a narrow, icy ledge.ย โIt looks bigger than we thought from the air.โย But still not wide enough for any dragon bigger than Andarna to squeeze into.
โThere was a time my kind dwelled in every mountain of this range,โย Tairn tells me.ย โThat cave is undoubtedly part of the network of chambers that runs throughout this range for a wintering den. This entrance would have been inhospitable to any approach but direct flightโto protect the youngโฆand the adolescent.โ
โI heard that,โย Andarna quips.
โKiralair says our squad has another box in hand,โ Cat tells us as I finally reach the caveโs entrance, stepping out of the wind.
โWeโreย soย winning that pass.โ Visia grins, and Cat walks out of the snow and onto the rocky floor of the cave.
โDoes every gryphon haveย lairย in their name?โ I ask Cat, hoping the subject change might change the aim of her sharp tongue from Sloane.
โOf course not. Is every rider named Sorrengail?โ She folds her arms and bounces back on her heels like sheโs trying to stay warm.
โThat right there is why I donโt like you.โ Sloane crosses into the cave. โYouโreโโ
Visia slips and I lunge forward, catching her hand and tugging her into the cave as snow crumbles where sheโd just been standing.
โYou all right?โ I ask, pulling her farther into the cave and scanning her startled face.
โOf course she is. You never seem to have a problem savingย her,โ Cat mutters.
โIโm fine.โ Visia nods, dropping her hood and revealing the dragonfire burn scar down her hairline. โThatโs going to make it hard to leave.โ
I shoot Cat a withering look, but sheโs too busy watching her gryphon, Kira, stretch across the hole in the path, then safely squirm her way in to notice.
โReason number two.โ Sloane holds up two fingers and walks past Cat into the dark cave. โNeedless to say, there are no mage lights in here.โ
And Iโve never been that good at producing them. Anything I wield with lesser magic is going to be swallowed up in this darkness. I rest my hand over my stomach as if that will help the instant rise of nausea from the smell of earth around us. At least itโs missing that damp scent from the interrogation chamber, but itโs close enough to make me pause.
โYou ended the one who kept you prisoner,โย Andarna reminds me, following Kira in, tucking her wings tight to fit through the opening.
โFear isnโt always logical.โย I glance at the other riders. โAny chance either of you is a fire wielder? Because I donโt think you want me wielding in here.โ Keeping the energy strung between my hand and the conduit for fifteen feet puts me into a sweat every time, and I can only keep it going for a few seconds.,
โNo signet yet,โ Visia responds.
โMe, either,โ Sloane answers, peering into the darkness.
โYou brought aย dragon.โ Cat gestures wide, motioning toward Andarna. โShe canโt breathe fire yet.โ I offer Andarna a smile. โBut she will.โย โRemind her that I can sever her head with one bite,โย Andarna growls,
the sound higher than Tairnโs menacing rumble.
โI will not. What does Tairn tell us?โ
โWe donโt eat our allies,โย she mumbles, but thereโs a distinct tap of her talons against the rock floor.
โGreat. Why they stuck me with you three, Iโll never know. Youโd think one of us would have a good mage light down.โ Cat removes her bow, then swings her pack from her back and rummages past the full quiver to pull out a small, unlit torch.
โAre you kidding me?โ I gawk as she brings a piece of wood no larger than my palm from the bag, shakes her head, and reaches for another. โYou carry one of those around with you?โ
โObviously.โ Cat digs into her bag again. โThe fact that you donโt says that you havenโt been appropriately scared of the dark yet. Shit, I canโt find the fire rune Maren made.โ
โYou all trade runes?โ Visia stares in open shock.
โAnd you call yourselves aย family.ย Of course we share. Whoever can make it, does. Then we all trade so everyone is equally equipped.โ Cat shakes her head and stands, muttering a curse. โI canโt find it.โ
โThatโsโฆbrilliant,โ I admit. โWhy didnโt you tell us?โ
โYouโre used to hoarding power,โ she says with a dismissive shrug. โNot sharing it. Now, unless someone has an idea for fireโโ
โGot it.โ I yank off my gloves, then stuff them into one pocket and pull my conduit from the other, beckoning a trickle of my power to rise. It tingles, then burns as it flows down my hand, through my fingers, and into the conduit. The tendrils of energy light our immediate surroundings.
โThatโs so awesome.โ Visia smiles. โCan all of you do that?โ
โNo. It just hums for most of us. Glad to see youโll have all the lightย you
need.โ Sarcasm drips from Catโs voice. โTake it,โ I order Sloane.
โIโd rather live.โ She puts her hands up.
โIf I thought it was going to kill you, Iโd hand it to Cat.โ I hold the conduit out to her.
Cat snorts, but I think there was a note of laughter there.
โGood point.โ Sloane takes the conduit, and I concentrate on keeping the energy connected.
โBack up three steps. Good, another two,โ I tell her, and my fingers tremble as she does, stretching my signet.
โWow,โ Visia whispers.
โStick the torch into the energy, Cat.โ โYou think thatโs safe?โ she asks.
โI have no clue, but Iโm game to try if you are.โ I keep focused on the conduit, on the flow of energy, on the heat I keep checked by controlling the door to Tairnโs power.
Kira clicks her tongue in a series of sounds Iโve become accustomed to but have no hope of ever understanding.
โFine, Iโll do it,โ Cat mutters, then lowers the torch until it catches fire.
I immediately drop my hand, cutting off the power, and I send a prayer of thanks to Dunne that it worked. Felix is probably going to have my head on a pike tomorrow at lessons. โIโll take it. Thanks, Sloane.โ
Sloane hands the conduit back like it might explode.
โDamn,โ Cat says, glancing from the torch, to the conduit, to me. โI hate that youโre soโฆโ
โBadass?โ Sloane suggests, smiling in a way that reminds me of her brother.
โPowerful,โ Cat admits, looking away before slipping her pack back on, changing hands with the torch instead of passing it off.
โItโs not the power making that possible,โ I tell her, channeling into the conduit so it lights up again and marching into the darkness. โItโs the control.โ
โYeah, well, I kind of loathe that, too,โ she mutters, catching up to walk at my side.
โA rare moment of honesty. Iโll take it.โ We move into the cave, which seems to widen with every step we take. โThey paired us because Iโm
supposedly the most powerful rider in the squad,โ I tell her, ignoring her muttered response. โBut youโre better at runes. We might not compliment each other, but weย complementย each other.โ I smile despite the darkness weโre walking into. โGet it? With an E instead of the I.โ
Cat looks at me like Iโve just grown a third arm, and the torch starts to flicker.
Thereโs a breeze.
โAre you telling scribe jokes?โ Sloane asks, a couple of steps behind us, Visia at her side.
โJesinia would think itโs funny,โ Visia offers like sheโs trying to save me. โJesinia is a scribe,โ Sloane notes.
The cave opens up about twenty feet in, a vast tunnel forking to the left. โApparently thereโs a much easier way to get into this cave,โ Cat
mutters.
โItโs part of a network that runs through this range,โ I explain. โShould we split up?โ Visia asks.
โNo!โ All three of us respond at the same time.
โWhich way do we go?โ Sloane voices the question weโre all wondering.
No one answers.
โAny help?โย I ask Tairn, feeling our bond stretch. Heโs not far but definitely not close, either.
โThereโs an energy signature in that cave. Thatโs all I can tell.โ
โI vote right. If it doesnโt work, weโll come back and go left.โ I look to the others.
Cat nods, and we head farther in.
โSo do you think youโll get a second signet?โ Visia asks, breaking the silence. โTwo dragons, two signets, right?โ
โI donโt know,โ I answer, glancing back at Andarna. I actually figured because she bonded me so young and lost the ability to stop time, the signet of lightning wielding was all that I would be blessed with. But now I wonderโฆย โWill I?โ
โWhy are you asking me? Signets manifest according to the person wielding.โย Her eyes blink gold, her black scales blending in with the darkness.
โSecond signets only happen when a dragon bonds a rider in the direct familial line as its previous,โ Sloane says, misunderstanding Visiaโs question. โBut thereโs an equal chance of it causing madness. From what Thoirt told me, thatโs why Cruth wasnโt punished for bonding Quinn. Sheโs only the great-niece of her previous rider. Her signetโs more powerful but not entirely different.โ
โThoirt shouldnโt be telling you matters resolved within the Empyrean,โ Visia lectures, then does a double take when she glances my way.
Gravity shifts.ย That canโt be right. That would meanโ โViolet, are you okay?โ Visia asks.
I shake my head but say, โYes.โ How do you explain your heart is sinking past the rock floor of the cave? I take a deep breath, flex and unflex my hand as I grip the brightly glowing conduit. Andarna growls to my right, and I quickly assure her, โIโm fine.โ But we both know Iโm anything but fineโIโm also equally certain now isnโt the time to let my mind wander down that path.
โHoly shit, there it is,โ Sloane says, forcing me to pay attention as she walks past us to pick up the plain metal chest thatโs locked into an open position by the rune on the front.
โItโsโฆplain,โ Visia notes.
โAre you going to counter the summoning rune?โ I ask Cat. When she raises one brow, I add, โYouโre better at runes, remember?โ
โI am.โ She nods, a genuine smile curving her mouth for the first time since I met her. โI just wanted to see if youโd say it again.โ
Kiralairโs wing brushes my shoulder as she walks past us into the darkness, as if Cat needs to be guarded from the unseen.
Cat glances between the three of us with an uncertainโand unhappyโ tense set to her mouth, then hands the torch to Visia in what looks like a painful sacrifice.
No, not a sacrifice: a gesture of trust.
She weaves the unlocking rune with a speed I envy, her hands moving quickly, confidently, as Andarna shifts her weight behind me.
โWhatโs wrong?โ
โThe scent of others grows stronger.โ
โWyvern?โย Every muscle in my body clenches.
โNo. They smell of stolen magic when you get close enough.โย She lifts her head, taking up three-quarters of the tunnel.ย โThis smells ofโฆdragons.โย โGot it!โ Cat says, and I turn at the sound of metal clicking shut. The
chest is closed and latched.
โWeโd better hurry,โ I tell them. โAndarna smells other dragons, which means the other sections might be closing in on us.โ
โIโm not losing this pass.โ Visia trades Cat, taking the chest and returning the torch. โIt will give me time to fly home and convince my cousins to leave the border if my aunt and uncle wonโt.โ
โYouโre going to fly into Navarre?โ Sloane damn near shouts.
โItโs right on the border. They wonโt even know.โ Visia adjusts her grip on the chest and hurries past Andarna. โSo letโs get out of here.โ
โBold choice to go back to Navarre.โ Cat jogs to catch up to Visia, lighting the way. โI respect it.โ
The effort, the consideration for Visia, thaws a small chunk of my heart toward Cat. Maybe sheโs not horrible to everyoneโฆjust me.
โItโs the only thing to do,โ Visia starts as we approach the fork in the tunnel.
A low growl vibrates the very ground beneath our feet, making all four of us halt, and the hair rises on the back of my neck.
โWhat theโโ Cat starts.
Another growl makes the pebbles around my feet bounce, and a full-grown orange dragon comes around the corner, its back scraping the top of the cave as it snaps its head our direction, glaring at us through its only remaining eye.
Oh.ย Fuck. Visia shrieks.
โTairn!โย I mentally scream, forcing my body past the shock, the fear, the nauseating hopelessness of our situation. The orb falls from my hand, shattering on the ground at the same moment I reach for the women in front of me, but my hand only grasps the leather of Catโs pack.
I yank her backward with all my strength just as Visia is swatted out of the way by a sharp, jagged claw. Catโs body collides with mine, knocking us both to the ground, and the torch falls from her hand as Visia hits the side of the cave with a cracking sound that sickens my stomach.
The angle, the impactโฆgodsโฆsheโsโฆsheโs dead.
โSilver One?โย Tairnโs voice roars in my head as the dragon blocking our way out focuses his narrowed eye on me and opens his jaw wide.
Fetid breath fills the air a second before he curls his tongue, and his throat glows orange with rising fire.
โSolas found us!โ