This is a trick. It has to be. “Why?”
Kaidren makes a noise of exasperation. He straightens and faces me again, moving closer so we share breath. “So I can get you out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing.”
My eyes narrow. “What are you going to do?”
“Carry you.”
“And then what? Climb out? Don’t know if you noticed, but the walls are ice.”
“Don’t know ifyounoticed, but I have a pickax. Your brother is going to hand it back to me, and then I’m going to use it to get out of here. Whether or not you’re on my back when that happens is up to you.”
I fold my arms. “If you think I’m touching you, you’re delusional. You’re tall. You can just boost me up; then Luc can pull you out after.”
Kaidren laughs in my face. “I’m not half the fool you take me for. Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn’t leave me here the moment I helped you get out.”
That’s exactly what I was planning.
I round my eyes. “I wouldnever.”
He shakes his head, looking amused. “I told you, Remira, I’m not going to make the mistake of underestimating you. Not again. Either we get out of here at the same time, or we stay trapped here forever.” His gloved hand cups my face so suddenly, I don’t have a chance to jerk away. His eyes are startlingly soft as he swipes a thumb over my cheek, wiping away the lingering frozen tears. “What do you say, shadow skulker? Are you on or off?”
My eyes search his. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because we’re friends, of course.”
He’s clearly teasing me, and clearly has no intention of answering me seriously. I take a breath. “Fine. Turn around.”
His gaze trails over my face for another moment before he turns and bends. Hesitantly, I place my hands on his shoulders. I’m wearing gloves and he’s bundled up, but there’s a sliver of skin peeking through at the base of his neck that’s making me nervous.
I’m still eyeing the exposed skin when Kaidren grabs me by the backs of my thighs. I yelp as he tugs them up, hitching my legs around his hips. “This feels familiar,” he murmurs. I can hear the smirk in his voice.
I ignore him and wrap my arms around his chest, tethering myself to him.
Kaidren reaches up. “Honored Praeceptor, can you hand me the pickax?”
Luc tosses the pickax into the pit. Kaidren catches it. He rears it back before swinging it into the ice.
The force of it makes me jump. I’m clinging to his back like a child, arms wrapped around his torso, legs coiled around his waist. Touching him like this is disorienting, but I force my brain to stutter back to life. There’s no need for me to stay on his back while he carves grooves into the ice. I try and unlatchmy legs, but Kaidren gives my thigh a squeeze. “You’re not going anywhere. For all I know, if I let you down, you’ll take the ax, knock me over the head, and use it to escape without me.”
I roll my eyes but don’t let go of him. “I’m very violent in your imagination.”
“I’m not taking any risks with you. I want your hands on me at all times. Where they can’t get up to mischief.” He lowers his voice, so only I can hear. “Besides, I like your warmth.”
I don’t fight him. For reasons I can’t comprehend, he dropped into a frozen cave to rescue me. Even though I’m sure he has an ulterior motive, it doesn’t cool the warm glow of gratitude in my chest.
I hang on to Kaidren as he swings the pickax, carving jagged holes up the wall in uneven intervals. When he’s finished, he passes it back to Luc. “You ready?” he says to me.
I tighten my arms and legs around him. “Ready.”
As I speak, my breath skims the back of Kaidren’s neck. He shudders and adjusts his grip on me, shifting his hands beneath my thighs and tightening. Kaidren shoves a boot into the lowest foothold and reaches out to Luc.
My brother takes his arm and, with a grunt, tugs.
With the foothold, Kaidren has the leverage to push himself up, and Luc only has to pull him to the next one.
Kaidren places his foot into the second groove and pauses for Luc to pull him again.
They continue. It’s a conjoined effort. Luc pulls, Kaidren pushes. We keep going, slowly but steadily, one foothold at a time, until Kaidren reaches the top.
