Chapter Fourteen

The cold had settled into Ravi’s bones, and he wasn’t sure he would ever shake it off. They hadn’t even gotten very far into the mountains yet. Yasmin had warned him, but he hadn’t listened. They generated some heat sitting together beneath the blankets, but a fire would have been better.

His body was weary from pushing so hard to reach the summit before the storm. They were lucky she had noticed the snowstorm headed their way. The thought of being stuck out in it made him wince. It was uncomfortable in the tent. He couldn’t imagine being huddled for any bit of warmth in the midst of the snowstorm. And yet, that was likely to happen. When he got back to Rannora, he planned to get better gear for anyone venturing into the Dangerous Peaks. For now, this was all they had.

Ravi attempted to sleep. Yasmin had drifted off almost as soon as she lay back. He managed to doze in short bursts, but he kept waking when the wind buffeted the tent. Whether it was the cold or the stories about Shaldorn, his mind wouldn’t shut off long enough for him to rest. He was used to little or no sleep on missions, so he could push through, but nothing—not any kind of training or reading—could prepare anyone for the mountains.

Very few who called the plateau home ventured into the peaks. The cold and rough weather kept most everyone away. He was at a disadvantage, and that didn’t sit well. As soon as he got back, he would push Durga to begin training exercises on the slopes immediately.

He closed his eyes and listened to the soft whoosh of the wind while ignoring the pain of the headache that wouldn’t relent. Beside him, Yasmin rolled onto her side and scooted back against him. He shifted closer to her, seeking any warmth he could find.

When he next lifted his lids, he found his head listed to the side. He felt something against his shoulder and looked to see Yasmin’s cheek pressed against him. He was warm. Not completely, but more than he had been since first stepping foot onto the mountains.

Yasmin stirred and moved her head away. Almost immediately, she rolled onto her back. She turned her face away and yawned, then slid out from the blankets. He instantly missed her warmth. His eyes tracked her as she stretched before peeking out the opening.

“Well?” he asked.

Yasmin quickly shut the flap and crossed her arms over her chest to retain her warmth. “The snow stopped. Dawn is about an hour away.”

“How much time did we lose yesterday?”

“None.”

“Should we get an early start then?”

Her lips compressed briefly before she slipped beneath the covers again. “The snow reflects light and would help to illuminate the way, but it will be dangerous to venture out before sunrise.”

“What are the chances we’ll run into another storm?”

“Extremely likely.”

Ravi nodded at that. There was still a dull ache in his head, and he wanted to use whatever time he could to cover the distance. “Then we should take whatever opportunity we have.”

“Agreed.”

They rose and saw to their morning routines, made quicker by the fact that they shared the tent again. Ravi stretched his back and neck, working out the kinks. They ate while taking down the tent. When he finished getting it into his pack, he looked for Yasmin. She stood near the overhang with her hand on the stone and her eyes closed. Ravi quietly watched her. He was good at detecting when someone lied. He wasn’t as proficient at it as the Wood Elves were since that was their inherent magic, but anyone who studied others for a living learned to pick up on things.

Despite Yasmin’s issues about where they were headed, he hadn’t sensed any treachery or duplicity. That didn’t mean there wasn’t any, though. She had been pleasant since he had suggested they get along, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t planning something. He would keep an eye on her as he would anyone. He always hoped he wouldn’t be betrayed, but he expected it. After all, lies and betrayal were fundamental elements of his profession. He had spoken his fair share of fabrications to get away alive and complete missions.

Yasmin had escaped a terrifying life at Shaldorn. Nothing could make him return to such a place. Yasmin likely felt the same. She was only here because of Durga’s threat. The first agent sent had died, and no one would think twice if a second met the same fate. It’s what he would do for his freedom.

And then he’d get as far from Shecrish as he could. Yasmin had already spoken of doing exactly that.

Her hand dropped from the wall, and she opened her eyes. Taking a deep breath and turning to him, she jerked when she found him staring. “There are three routes we can take.”

“And they are?”

“The first will take roughly half a day longer, but it’s easier. And there are one or two places we could find shelter if we have need of it.”

Ravi widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest as he listened. “And the other two?”

“The second involves a good deal of climbing. It is a shorter course, but we could get stuck without anywhere to go for shelter against another storm.” She paused. “The third is the quickest route. We could cover a lot of ground and make up even more time.”

He could argue that she was getting them to Shaldorn quicker so they could return sooner, but the problem was that she didn’t ~want ~to get to Shaldorn. No matter the reason. “What’s the catch?”

She blew out a breath, a white cloud puffing from her lips. “First, there is a bit of climbing. I pushed us hard yesterday, and neither of us might be up for it. After the climb, we would head slightly west to bypass the second route. It would bring us to a frozen lake. With our hotter-than-usual summer, the ice could be thin.”

“We’d be crossing the lake?”

“We would. It’s a large body of water. If we can get across it without mishap, we’d gain almost half a day.”

Ravi considered that. “I gather most go around?”

“Most stick to the road,” she replied.

Did he trust her enough to take them to a frozen lake where he could slip through the broken ice and freeze to death? Durga didn’t think Yasmin would turn against him after giving her word, but Ravi knew she would the instant she saw a way out. And he didn’t blame her.

But this was about more than what either of them wanted. It was about the future of Shecrish.

“I like the idea of reaching Shaldorn early to scout around before we sneak inside.”

Yasmin tugged on her gloves. “Then the lake is the course to take.”

“You think it’s safe?” he asked to hear her response.

She made a sound in the back of her throat. “I cannot and will not guarantee safety for any part of this journey. Every path has its perils and drawbacks.”

“Say we take the third route. What happens after the lake?”

“We climb. It won’t be as grueling as yesterday, but it will have to be done regardless of which course we take. If we cross the lake, the section we climb will be a tad easier than elsewhere on that peak. After that, we’ll descend into a shallow valley.”

Ravi watched her carefully. “Before we ascend again.”

“That’s right. We have this mountain and one more before we reach Shaldorn.”

“Then we should get moving.”

The moment he stepped out from the overhang, he was met with a world of white so bright he had to blink to adjust his eyes. The snow reflected the fading light of the two moons, making it bright enough that it momentarily blinded him. Yasmin made a path in the ankle-deep snow—not deep enough to slow them, but enough to be an irritation. She didn’t seem to care. Maybe because this was nothing compared to what she had tolerated during her escape.

He had so many questions. Had she stashed food away? Was someone waiting for her with supplies? Did she have a direction planned, or did she just head out into the wild? She’d said she hadn’t been allowed to leave Shaldorn on her own, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been taken from the stronghold. Perhaps she had set her own course. Yasmin had admitted that she’d planned for a long time.

She’d spent eleven summers in that place. Given the things he had learned about Shaldorn, he was astonished she had survived that long. But perhaps he shouldn’t be. Yasmin was nothing if not a survivor. She took whatever was thrown at her and turned it to her advantage however she could.

Snow crunched beneath their feet, breaking the silence of the morning. Their breaths puffed around them. Yasmin trudged onward as if on her own. There was no conversation. She didn’t pepper him with questions or try to get him to promise anything. In fact, she had asked very little.

The fact was, he was more curious about her than she was of him. Who were the people who’d raised her? How had she ended up in Shaldorn? What had she been forced to do at the stronghold?

He may not want to know the latter. Wickedness was a part of the realm. Corruption, fraud, and immorality were things he dealt with on each assignment. Some people courted such vices willingly, while others were drawn to them by a dark side they attempted to hide. Still more found themselves involved without realizing it until it was too late.

And then there were those, like him, who fought against such crimes.

Everyone knew the truly wicked were out there. He’d run across a few himself. But now he would come face to face with many of them. Ravi wished he had more agents waiting to take them down. He might not be there to do that this time, but he would remember faces and names. And he would go after them.

“Who runs Shaldorn?” he asked.

Silence stretched between them. He was about to repeat the question when Yasmin stopped before a cliff. She gazed up at the wall of stone and sighed. “I never spoke to or met the person in charge. That’s who the Trinity answers to. I only ever dealt with the trio of male elves. One, Two, or Three oversaw everything. They’re the ones we’re brought before if there’s an issue.” Yasmin’s dark blue gaze turned to him. “And we didn’t want there to ever be an issue.”

“They were strict, then?”

“There are many rules. And there was no bending them. If we stepped out of line even a little, we were punished.”

Ravi told himself it didn’t matter, that he didn’t need to know. Yet he heard himself ask, “How?”

“They had various ways. Each of them had a favorite. Two’s was withholding food. Three loved beatings. He had special whips made.”

“And One?”

“Confining us.”

“Why are they called One, Two, and Three?”

She shrugged. “That isn’t a question anyone dared to ask.”

Ravi didn’t get a chance to say more as she began her climb. The rocks were jagged and rough, but at least it wasn’t a sheer cliff like before. Yet somehow, the climb was just as difficult.

“After everything I’ve told you about Shaldorn, you still think you can complete your mission?” Yasmin asked from above him.

He lifted his gaze to find a handhold before glancing at her. She was a faster climber and already near the top. “Lives are at stake. I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it.”

“You could’ve brought others with you to help.”

“The more of us there are, the more likely it is we’ll be seen.”

“I hope you have a way to contact your people in case you need it.”

He frowned at her choice of words. “Don’t you mean in case ~we~ need it?”

“That’s what I meant.”

But he knew it for the lie it was.