“We won’t need to run today,” he said. “We’re a short walk to the bridge.”
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, the horses stopped. I didn’t see anything, though, besides the snow-dusted road we’d been riding on. Leaning forward, I rubbed North Wind’s back. “Am I supposed to get off now?”
The horse made a very positive sound, so I wrestled my legs onto the same side of the saddle and hopped down. A blast of cold hit me as I walked away from the horse. I rubbed my arms and tried to distract myself with a joke. “Is the footbridge invisible?” I asked Ivodar. I tried to force a laugh, but it came out half strangled.
He didn’t laugh back. He waved his hand in front of us, and a flurry of snowflakes ran from his hand into an invisible wall.
What?
I reached out and leaned in the direction where his snow flurries had disappeared. And then I touched it. A solid, icy, invisible wall. “What is this?”
Ivodar rapped it with his knuckles, and an echoing tap reverberated in the air around us. “Kerebos is separated from Kalshana with an ice wall that only winter fae can see. The footbridge starts just ahead.” He pointed down the road. “It’s a set of stairs that goes up and over the wall. You’ll want to go slow because you won’t see it, but you’ll feel it. I could send a stream of snow at it, but that would make it more slippery.”
But if I had Bylur’s magic, I would be like a winter fae. Would I be able to see it then?
Ivodar walked ten feet forward and pointed at the ground in front of him. “It goes up like stairs for twenty feet and then back down. When your head is lower than the wall on the other side, you won’t be able to see me anymore, but I’ll wait here until you tell me you’re safely on the ground.”
He scowled. “Lord Dedalus thinks it would ruin your chances at rescuing Lord Bylur if I crossed with you, but if you need any help, call out, and I’ll come anyway.”
I smiled at Ivodar. “Thank you. I’m really glad you came this far.”
He nodded. “Dedalus said the palace is east of the sun and west of the moon. If you stand in front of it at sunset, you should see the sun on one horizon and the moon on the opposite horizon. Follow this road to get there. You should be walking toward the sun all morning and away from it all afternoon. He expects you to get there by sunset if you leave here within an hour of sunrise.”
“Ah.” I smiled again. Those pastries had done wonders for my mood. “That’s why you woke me up.”
“Yes, Lady Auria.” He bowed his head and passed me a small pack. “Go in safety.”
“Thanks, Ivodar. You too.” I turned to my horse. “And you North Wind. Thank you for helping too.” He bent his face low again, and rubbed his nose in my throat. “Ah, thanks. That’s the sweetest. I want to see you again after I get Bylur.” He made another cute horse noise, and then nudged me toward the invisible staircase.
Thefootbridge.
I tugged my key out from my bodice and wrapped my fingers around it. I really wanted to see this footbridge. I closed my eyes and imagined Bylur was holding me. I replayed the feeling of sinking into his armswhile I gripped the key. If I could be with him again, I would welcome his magic into my heart. I’d let it touch any feelings, see any emotions, hear any secrets. He already knew the worst of me, and he’d loved me anyway.
The key heated against my palm and fingers, and then spread. Within moments, I was warm enough that I didn’t even miss North Wind’s body heat. Was this what it felt like to be a winter fae in a wintry world?
I opened my eyes and grinned. A truly genuine grin, like the first time I’d picked a lock. Isawthe invisible wall and the footbridge. And it was a good thing too—that footbridge was barely wide enough for both my feet to stand on at the same time. I set my right foot on the bottom step, and then my left on the next. They were tall steps, and I counted each one. When I hit twenty, they started going back down.
Just before I descended below the wall, I turned back and waved at Ivodar and the horses. Then I turned my attention to Kerebos.
* * *
It wasn’t easy to see the ground directly beneath me, but as I neared the icy floor, two soldiers pointed swords at my chest.
They didn’t say anything, so I opened my mouth. “Hi there. I’m just going to finish walking down to the ground so I don’t accidentally fall off this narrow bridge and land on your swords.” I set both feet on theground and took a deep breath. “Whew! Landed safely!” I called out to Ivodar.
These two soldiers, with all their armor and sharp swords, would have scared me speechless a few months ago. But I’d just spent a full day traveling with a soldier who stayed up all night to make sure no strangers knocked on my door. I couldn’t be afraid of everyone dressed to protect anymore.
“State your name and purpose in Kerebos,” one of them bit out. If they kept growling at me, I’d either end up laughing at them or shaking in my boots. Ivodar must have heard them too, because he didn’t respond to me.
I answered the question. “Auria Stonesetter.” Dearan had suggested I not share Bylur’s name with anyone, and it seemed like a smart move. “I’m hoping to find work here, and maybe even send some money back to my family.” It was a truth, sort of, if you were really creative.
“Is that who you were waving at?” the other soldier asked.
I nodded. It was true too, sort of. Ivodar was like a big brother.
Why was I trying to justify lying? I almost laughed out loud when I realized it was because Bylur didn’t like lies. I’d come to feel guilty for any lie, even if it was necessary to keep us both alive. Dedalus didn’t like lies either, but he’d told me to tell stories. And if there was ever a time for a story, this was it.
“Why didn’t you work in Kalshana?” the first soldier asked.
