Gavriel fell into step beside me.
Ashren followed reluctantly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kai, there are about two hundred soldiers from the Night Court fleeing to the border to get beyond the elder tree barrier before this monstrous storm hits. We don’t know if they have reserves?—”
“This is my kingdom, and I know its terrain and the traps, including the beast paths and yeti dens. Gather a group of fifteen warriors and send them after us. And take Olen into custody as soon as you find him. He helped her hide.” The stable doors banged open under my hand, and the scent of hay and leather rushed out to meet the cold. Lanterns shook on their hooks as the wind shoved inside. There weren’t any horses kept in the courier stable during the winter, only elk and caribou that werekept saddled and prepped at all times in case messages had to go out or a rescue was needed. Though the elk were faster, given how bad the storm was likely to be, tonight called for caribou.
The urge to get to Hannah had me hurrying for the grey and black courier caribou nearest the door. It was saddled with packs strapped tight along its flanks and ready for travel. The saddle bags included one bag of emergency rations, limited medical supplies, blankets, liquor, a cloak, tether lines, and enchanted flares. I feared one emergency bag might not be enough, so I snagged another and attached it. Hannah wasn’t prepared for this weather. “Make sure those who come are properly outfitted. This storm will bring at least another foot of snow, and there’s about a foot and a half already.”
Moving alongside another caribou, Gavriel pressed a hand to its hazel-brown muzzle and then climbed into the broad saddle.
Ashren set his hands on his belt and released a slow breath through his teeth. I knew he wanted to go with me, but one of us had to remain behind to see to the castle and ensure this hadn’t been a diversionary attack. The Night General’s presence suggested it wasn’t only a diversion, but that wasn’t a risk we could take. I had to get to Hannah, and Ashren was the best option to handle things here.
He went to one of the large bins in the back of the stable and returned with a pair of boots and a small bundle of clothing. “She’s wearing those strange shoes and trousers with holes in them. There’s little chance any of that is properly insulated, even with the coat and gloves. She’ll need these, or she’ll lose her toes. There’s a hood and scarf in there, too. They’re not pretty, and they smell like caribou, but they’ll do.”
Annoyance flared because I should’ve thought of that. I buried it since Ashren had helped. I clapped my hand on his shoulder, then took the boots and nodded, grateful he understood. I strapped them to the back of the caribou with theadditional bag, grabbed a spare scarf for myself as well as one of the thick wool hoods, while Gavriel did the same.
Time to move.
Ashren continued to hover as we made final preparations. “All the way points and restoration huts have been fully stocked. Don’t risk coming back in the storm after you get her if it becomes as bad as it looks. We’ll have search parties ready. If they’re heading west, watch for the yetis. The cubs are just now learning to hunt. If they’re heading south, the howlers have been gathering en masse near the river.”
Grunting in acknowledgement, I checked my gear once more. This land was wild and dangerous with numerous predators, even in stormy weather. Ice imps, rime weasels, and frost adders were all opportunistic hunters, drawn to heat and immune to storms like this. Ice imps in particular loved metal. They were more than happy to attack a large group if they felt they had the advantage.
My mind rapidly sifted through all the things that Hannah might need once she was free from those wretched bastards. My gut told me she’d get free somehow. She was infuriatingly resourceful and unwaveringly independent. But that put her in even more danger. She wasn’t prepared for the cold, the storm, or the wilds. I knew the Night General wouldn’t be cruel to her. He’d appeared more than once in battles and attacks over the past decades, though neither my spies nor my court’s magic had been able to unmask him. He was a holdover from when the Night Court had been honorable, but that didn’t make me trust him with Hannah.
I unfastened the tether binding the caribou to the wall and then swung into the saddle.
Ashren’s voice carried after me. “If you lose the trail?—”
“I won’t.” I took the reins and directed the caribou out the double doors and into the storm.
My mount surged forward, its muscles bunching beneath me and its breath steaming in thick bursts. Gavriel appeared mounted beside me a heartbeat later. We tore out of the yard, around the broken booths, and straight toward the Eastern Wall Gate, hooves striking sparks from ice-glazed stone.
The wards recognized us, and silver light unwound in spirals ahead. They parted without resistance, the sensation of passing through them cold and sharp against my skin. The wall fell away, and the empty, dark land opened before us. The winds were blowing snow so hard that the attackers would at least have a hard time navigating it.
Wind slammed into my chest, stole the breath from my lungs, and tore at my coat until the fabric snapped and strained. Snow drove sideways, needling into every bit of exposed skin and stinging my eyes until they burned. The caribou didn’t falter, its legs eating up ground with relentless precision.
Very little sentient life lived out here, especially this close to the city. Only scrub, frozen earth, and the vast, white-dark stretch beyond.
I scanned the area around us, and my heart skipped a beat.
Fresh tracks, cut deep.
The Night Forces weren’t even trying to mask their departure, all of their magic likely focused on getting them out and safely back to their own lands. I leaned forward and urged the caribou on faster.
Already the storm was worsening, the winds picking up. I leaned low over the caribou’s neck, every muscle locked and every thought stripped down to one brutal line.
Hannah.
The caribou stretched into a longer stride, its hooves striking against packed snow and racking through my bones. Cold slid through the seams of my coat and settled along my spine,numbing everything except the tight, burning focus pulling me forward.
I was used to the cold, but Hannah wasn’t. She had to be freezing, and I had to get her before the cold took her life.
The snow thickened as the terrain turned rougher. Rocks jutted through the white in dark, broken lines. The wind shifted direction without warning, hammering down the slope and forcing the caribou to lean into it with its shoulders angled and legs driving harder. My thighs screamed with the effort of staying balanced, but I welcomed the pain. It anchored me and kept my mind from splintering.
Gavriel kept pace alongside me, his head down and his focus on what lay ahead. If we were separated, his caribou would take him home.
I pushed my magic outward, allowing my vision to focus as the storm resisted me. It took effort to separate shadow from snow and to force shape out of chaos. Pressure built behind my eyes, and a dull throb developed in my temple, increasing as the mountains loomed closer.
There.
