Rakel mulled over his words as she waved farewell to the soldiers.He is right. Tenebris could simply recruit more through the same slimy means he used to recruit Farrin and the others. But how to defeat him personally?
“Ahh, yes, good point.” Phile frowned and put Foedus away as they followed the trail of churned snow back to Kiby. “If he’s still around in summer, perhaps I should go back to Baris and consult the oracle who gave me Foedus.”
Rakel raised an eyebrow. “Is that your newest origins story?”
“I’ve always said Foedus has royal bearings,” Phile said.
“You daily complain of its ugliness,” Farrin said.
Phile opened her mouth to reply, but a blue fireball exploded over the city, followed by two crimson ones. The roar and flashing lights of the fire made the horses spook. Phile’s horse pranced a few steps and reared, but Farrin and Rakel’s mount wheeled around and tried to flee.
Rakel grabbed fistfuls of the horse’s mane, and Farrin snaked an arm around her waist, anchoring her.
“The city is clear!” Phile chirped when the horses stopped panicking and blew out big puffs of air.
“I remember the signal,” Rakel said, a little shaken.
Farrin’s arm was still around her waist, but his grip was gentle. “Shall we head for the front gates?”
“Sounds good,” Phile said. “We can go back to Tana with the messenger to let Halvor know how it went.”
“If he’s back from his assault on Dovre,” Rakel said, recalling the general’s other plans. Attacking Kiby was part of a two-pronged assault.
“He will have returned to Tana,” Farrin said. “His attack was to take place earlier in the day.”
“Excellent. Let’s get to the front gates, shall we? Though before we leave, I expect they’ll want you to thaw the gates and forge a block of ice to temporarily patch that hole in the wall, Little Wolf.” Phile rode off without waiting for a response, nudging her horse into a trot.
Farrin didn’t push their mount after hers. “Will you be able to make the patch without tapping enough of your magic to activate your price?”
“Yes. As Pordis and Phile let us in, I didn’t use much when we entered the city—which is usually when I expel a hefty bit of magic. I’ll be fine.”
Farrin shifted behind her, but his arm remained on her waist, and his hand clasped her side. Unused to the close contact—hugging her by the waist was something neither Phile nor Gerta and Kai often did—Rakel stifled the desire to shift and wiggle. Though Farrin’s hand and arm were covered with sleeves and a glove, she could feel his heat, and whenever he spoke, his breath caressed her right ear.
He’s very warm.
“Can you ride Frigid back to Tana, or should we ask Pordis if we can borrow one of her sleighs?” Farrin asked.
Disappointment stabbed her through the ribs. Rakel tapped her magic, sweeping away the ridiculous sensation and returning her clarity. “I would like to try patching the hole first and then see how late it is, though I suspect I will be able to ride.”
“We won’t reach Tana until late in the night,” Farrin said.
“I am aware of this, but whenever I sit in a sleigh and everyone else walks or rides, I feel…coddled.” Rakel frowned.
“You cannot help it,” Farrin said.
“I know, but it still bothers me.”
“Oi—are you two love birds coming? Or should I ride ahead to give you a moment of privacy—’cause you certainly won’t get that when we return to Tana,” Phile called far ahead of them.
Rakel scowled at her, but Farrin chuckled. “We’re coming,” he assured the Robber Maiden, though his lips lingered close to Rakel’s ear, and his arm didn’t leave her waist.
“I’m not saying you have to, I was just asking. As fond as I am of both of you, I’d rather avoid witnessing your tender moments.”
“Phile.” Rakel growled.
“Ohh, good job, Little Wolf! That was a decent impression of Handsome Halvor!”
Rakel held in a groan, but she did rub her forehead. “I am embarrassed to expose public proof of my questionable taste in friends.”
