“Well, I probably would have.Or at least tried to figure out what the fuck was going on.I mean, I didn’t know therewassuch a thing as a tree well.”Snow pressed against his face.Powder filling his mouth.Jem closed his eyes.Coughing.Choking.He opened them again.
“People die in tree wells every year,” Tean said softly.“It happens very quickly.Unless there’s someone nearby who sees you go in and can pull you out, there’s almost nothing you can do.”
“Yeah,” Jem said.His heart was pounding.He scratched his beard and stared at a section of the wall behind Tean.He cleared his throat and said, “You got me out?”
Tean nodded.
“How?”
“The rope barrier.I used it to keep from going in myself while I grabbed you.”
“No, I mean—okay, well, that’s actually pretty badass.”
“I was lying on my stomach in the snow with the rope around my ankle.”Tean’s smile was thin.“There was nothing particularly badass about it.”
“Are you kidding?That’s even more badass.But I meant, how did you know I was in there?”
“I saw you go in.Barely.I ran after you when you left the chalet, but I lost you in the snow.Then I heard the gunshot, and I thought Stephen—” Tean spread one hand on the bedding like he was holding himself up.“I had to see.”
“You followed the sound of the shot?”
“Tried to.Sounds are different in the mountains.The snow changes how sound waves travel, and the blizzard made it more difficult than it should have been.”
“But you found me.”
Tean gave a half shrug.“I saw two people.One of them came up behind the other.I wasn’t…sure what happened.But I saw someone go sliding through the snow.And then they disappeared under the tree.”
Jem didn’t say anything.Another minute down there, maybe less, and he’d be as dead as Tafton.Finally, he made himself say, “Thanks.”
“I never should have let you go out there.”
“This sounds like the start of another fight.”
Amusement, not quite a smile, ran across Tean’s face.He found Jem’s hand and held it.
“God,” Jem said.“I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
“You weren’t stupid.You did what you thought was best.”
“Yeah, well, it can be both things.”
This time, Tean did smile.A tired smile.But not that hard sliver from minutes before.
“So,” Jem said.“Stephen.”
“No one knows where he is.”
“Well, I’d be hiding too if I’d killed Tafton and planted evidence in his chalet.”
But Tean only frowned.
“What?”Jem asked.
“Nothing.”
Fortunately, they were still holding hands, so Jem could give him a shake.“I know that look.That look says you don’t believe the science behind the health benefits of Big Macs.”
“There’s so much sodium benzoate.”
