As soon as the wind swirls with his power, the scravers sense it. They’re off the roof and soaring this way.
Tycho swears under his breath. “I’m sorry, Jax. I’m sorry. I’m sorry—”
“No sorry,” I say. “We’re together, remember?”
And then I can’t say anything else.
All I can do is shoot.
CHAPTER 32
CALLYN
When I hear the scravers shriek, my heart gives a little jump, and I almost make a sound. I press a hand over my mouth and hold my breath. Tycho warned us all that they have exceptional hearing, and I don’t want to be the one who gives us away.
How long has it been since Nora rode off with Sinna? Ten minutes? An hour? Somehow it seems like they just left while also feeling like I’ve been hiding in the bakery for hours. I hope they’re well away.
Would the scravers have noticed her running through the forest? Would they have paid attention? Nora has no magic of her own— but what about little Sinna? She’s the king’s child. What if they sensed it?
And what about this snow? How far does it stretch? How deep does it run? Could Nora get stuck with the princess somewhere?
I do know she’d be disappointed that she’s not seeing all this snow in thehouse.
Cally- cal, she’d be saying, her voice as bright as chimes.It’s snowing in mybedroom.
Well, itwassnowing in her bedroom. Now it’s melting, thoughsnowflakes began drifting through the air again the instant the scravers started shrieking. As I watch, ice forms on the door hinges, spreading along the steel. The next time a scraver shrieks, it sounds like it’s right on the other side of the shutters.
My heart skips, and I put a hand over my chest, feeling for Mother’s pendant— which isn’t there anymore.
I swallow. I should’ve given it to my sister. It protected me once. Maybe it could’ve protected her.
Then again, perhaps that’s selfish.
Or is it? Like Alek said, we have almost no hope of surviving any of this.
Another shriek cuts through my spiraling thoughts, and I check my weapons for the fifteenth time— though I force myself to leave them in their sheaths. I trained with Lord Jacob for months, and that was one of his first lessons.
Don’t draw a blade until you need it. Don’t waste your grip strength.
I barely knew him, but I wish Lord Jacob were here now. I wish the wholearmywas here.
But as soon as I have the thought, I feel like such a coward. I’ve trained with the recruits for months. I have a dagger edged with Iishellasan steel. I have a sword tipped with the same. I might not know how to shoot, but I know how tomove, and I know how tofight.
At the same time, I’m not an idiot. There’s a reason Alek and Malin are hiding in the bakery downstairs, while I’ve been told— ordered?— to take shelter in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
They don’t expect me to help.
I keep thinking of the disdain in Alek’s voice when he said,Ah, yes, the key to surviving the battle! Your sister.
He held me so tenderly in bed, but Alek is nothing if not practical. He might have praised my sister’s abilities in the arena, but he knowsexactly how far her skills would take her in arealfight. I’m sure he doesn’t feel all that different about me.
And he’s probably not wrong. My heart is so loud I can’t hear anything else. When I shiver, I can’t decide if it’s really cold or if I’m just afraid. The room is full of snow, but a bead of sweat trickles down my back.
Another scraver shrieks. Should we be moving? Should we be taking action? I can’t hear a sound from downstairs, so I hold my position.
But is that a mistake? I have no idea.
Automatically, I put a hand over my heart again, and I’m still surprised that the pendant is gone, even though I just did the same thing.
