Aiden flailed his arms, expression a bit helpless. “Grateful as I am for you healing my wound, Ngala, I swear to the Guardians, if you speak one more word about Falcrest’s performance in the bedroom, I’ll freeze your tongue over.”
That earned him a wicked chuckle from the most dangerous matter manipulation wielder Ashthorn had to offer, her grin a sharp line of shimmering white in the night, and Tabi’s voice dropped into a low, seductive register that made the hair stand up even on Lory’s neck. “I bet a frozen tongue feels amazing on your favorite parts, Frost.”
The look on Aiden’s face was priceless, and for a moment, Lory forgot the dangers lurking in the darkness and that death would be waiting for her before the forty-eight hours were over. Only for a heartbeat.
“No one warned us that we’d have to hurt you if we helped you,” Tabi finally said, grin fading as she glanced out into the night.
Trees were swaying in the soft wind, a morning tapestry around the sharp rocks defining their surroundings.
“I guess they’ll never know we did, and if anyone asks, it was you who saved us, not the other way around.”
The warmth entering Tabi’s tone made the fear in Lory’s stomach melt. She wasn’t alone out here, despite everything Khayrivven and Lenya had said.
Perhaps neither of them had taken into account that being Flame-born didn’t automatically mean she couldn’t havefriends among the ashlings who stood by her. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be the end ofthem.
“Come on, let’s find somewhere to rest before Nyla alerts the Guardians-know-whom and comes after us all over again.” Aiden straightened, picking up Lory’s bag in the process.
Lory noticed only then, neither of them was carrying a pack.
“Thal took our things to a small cave half a mile northeast,” Aiden responded to her silent question. “It’s got a stream and enough protection from the elements without needing to go in deep.”
A cave—Khayrivven had warned her of those. And how Aiden had known about the cave to begin with was a discussion for another day.
“We ate before heading out, so we won’t need anything before morning. Think of it as a base camp for team Lory.” Tabi gestured in the general direction of the cave. “Thal should be nearby there, too. The plan was to check the perimeter for you in teams—two would search while one stayed. Odds are he’s devoured our supplies and gone to sleep.”
Aiden shot her a sharp glance. “We’ve talked about this, Tabitha. Thal is the only one who can use the water near that cave as an actual weapon. He’ll watch over our things until we get back.”
With a shrug, Tabi stood beside Aiden, picking up the bag of berries and the cheese Lory had spilled from her bag while searching for the antiseptic. “I doubt Nyla will go back to the cave. She has no qualms withperfect Thal.” Her tone dripped with artificial sweetness. “She probably didn’t even notice himdisappearing from our group when we split in the thicket. Or she purposefully let him get away. She only attackedmebecause I got in the way when she snuck up on Frost.”
Aiden patted her shoulder, the calming gesture of an unlikely companion, and guided her back onto the road, handing Lory her bag with the other hand. “I don’t care howperfecthe is, as long as he’s alive. Would be a shame to find him dead now that we’ve worked out the splash and freeze maneuver.”
“Splash and freeze?” Lory prompted, slinging her bag over her shoulder in a swing that should have been effortless, but her body was still tired and her muscles still sore.
Aiden shrugged, already moving in the direction the cave supposedly was located. “Water and ice complement each other.”
Surprisingly, it was Tabi who praised Aiden with more than an appreciative nod. “Thal throws a thin wave, Frost ices it over. Trust me, you’ve never seen a blade as sharp as what they create together. It’s mesmerizing.”
Surprisingly, Lory didn’t find any stars in Tabi’s eyes as the ashling marveled at her fellow students’ skills.
“Let’s hope we won’t need a demonstration tonight.”
A faint smile on his lips, Aiden inclined his head at both of them. “Let’s hope.”
The cave entrancewas small enough to fit a desert wolf at the most, even when Lory wasn’t certain, in this part of Sen Dunai, such animals existed. No one had lurked in thedarkness when they’d hiked in a winding line between the rocks peeling from the mountains’ greenery, and when they’d stepped off the beaten paths, Lory had drawn her sword, once more grateful to have a blade to defend herself.
And there, by the edge of a narrow cave mouth, curled up on his side, lay Thal, his soft snores keeping a curious night owl on a low-hanging branch at bay, its head cocked as it assessed him like he could present a particularly tasty meal.
“Damn it, Thal.” Tabi was there in a heartbeat, toeing his side with her boot and snorting a laugh as he darted upright, fumbling for his sword.
“Can’t leave you alone even a minute.” Bending over a row of small bushes, Aiden shook his head, retrieving one of the packs Lory had seen in the provisioner’s building and digging out a canteen of water. Wordlessly, he shoved it into Lory’s hands while Thal gathered his bearings, sheathing his blade at his hip, a miserable expression on his moon-kissed face.
“You look better than I’d expected,” he eventually noted with a quick, assessing glance up and down Lory’s form. “No injuries, no knives sticking out of your back.” He paused, chuckling at his joke. “Judging by the number of people signing up for this hunt, I would have expected to find you with at least five.”
“Not funny.” Tabi nudged him aside with a grumble, reaching for her own pack and pulling out a fresh shirt before gesturing at the boys to turn around while she changed. None of them informed Thal of the injuries Tabi had healed after taking care of herself and Aiden. Now, ahandful of bruises on Lory’s legs and ribs were the only proof of Nyla’s assault.
Sitting down in the wind-shielded corner where Thal had slept, Lory uncorked the canteen and drank deeply. “Good to see you, too, Thal. Thanks for coming.”
Thal merely sat down next to her, holding out his hand for her bag. “Any canteens in here? I can fill them up for you.” He waited for Lory to hand him the bundle, then flicked his fingers and listened as the sound of churning water emerged from between folds of fabric—apparently,splash and freezewasn’t the only thing he’d been working on. “Ah, there it is.” With quick fingers, he extracted her canteen, opened it, and gestured behind him with his hand, where a soft gurgling announced the presence of running water.
