“How far do you think we are from Grey Spit?”I asked.
“A few hours,” Jask said simply.“More if we avoid the East Road.”
“That’s probably for the best,” I said.
The ascent was steep, and more than a few times we had to reach uncomfortably far for handholds and toeholds.I was still trying my best to suppress my Ember, and the difference in my climbing ability was stark.Where I would typically scamper up the rocks like they were nothing, now I found myself second-guessing every move, once even misjudging a handhold that gave way as I reached for it.Only when I didn’t have it did I realize just how blind I felt without my Ember.Before, I could sense the cracks in the rocks like they were canyons.My fingers and toes clung to them easily.Now my limbs felt like hammers banging against solid rock.
So I worked on allowing a bit of my Ember to flow, just enough to be competent.I hated the feeling of being restricted.
“I don’t understand how you can do this all the time,” I said to Darion.“Turning off your Ember, I mean.”
“It is tough,” he agreed.“But every person is connected to their Ember differently.For me, when I let it flow, I have a greater awareness of and connection to time.You know how people say time flies, or that they wonder where the time went, or that some days seem to drag on?”
“Yes,” I said.“That happens to me all the time.”
“Well, itneverused to happen to me.Time was constant and ever-present.I really didn’t understand those expressions until I learned to mute my Ember, and then suddenly they made sense.But you, Cas…I’ve never met someone with so many Embers.They must flow through you like a massive river, and I can understand why it would be so hard for you to turn them off.”
“Why am I different?”I asked, not really expecting an answer.
“I don’t know.But maybe you can find the answers you’re looking for when you get to your family’s old farm.”
That comment reminded me just how much of myself I had shared with Darion, how deeply I had trusted him, and how dangerous that trust had been.Putting faith in him now felt like standing on the edge of a steep drop, like the time with Bren when I was a child.Back then, I’d fallen so far that I’d barely made it out.
We soon got to the top of the cliffs.The Jagged Coast was a beautiful and treacherous sight to behold, with dramatic rock formations stretching in both directions.The ocean in front of us stretched to infinity, churning away at the hillside.Seagulls soared on the gusts of wind that blew past us.
Far off to the east, along the coast, the harbor of Grey Spit was just visible.
Predictably, Zephyra found us shortly after we ascended the cliff.She flew like the wind and dove dramatically, landing hard on my shoulder.It took me a moment to remember to let my Ember flow so I could hear her thoughts.
Hurry, little Cas!Elena and the Straw Man are almost to the people place!
Chapter thirty-nine
Grey Spit
Wesetarelentlesspace.
Having Jask along proved invaluable.This was not the first time she’d had to make an emergency stop at Knifejaw Cove.Because of its proximity to Grey Spit, smugglers often used it as an alternate docking location when the loot they were carrying was too hot or when local officials hadn’t been adequately paid off and were cracking down.
“You guys doing good?”Jask asked a couple of hours into our march.We had paused only twice for water and a short rest.
Darion gave a thumbs-up.
“Doing fine,” I said between labored breaths.
Getting to Grey Spit was all I could think about, and her punishing pace was exactly what I needed.Even without taking the East Road, we were making great time.The terrain was varied enough to provide natural cover, and what time we lost in navigating around the cliffs and boulders, we made up for in not having to worry about being seen.
It wasn’t long before rooftops dotted the horizon.From a distance, Grey Spit appeared to be a typical coastal town, similar to Brackmar but a little smaller and more run down.Most of the buildings were one or two stories tall, with only a handful of larger stone structures in the center.
Zephyra had followed us the whole time, circling above and providing the occasional update.According to her, we had made it to Grey Spit just before Elena and Kael, so we took cover in a rocky glade that had a clear view of the road as it entered the town.
I turned to Jask.“I can’t thank you enough for guiding us here,” I said to her.“But this isn’t your fight.Feel free to do whatever you need to help out Rook.”
Jask smirked.“Rook was being dramatic back on the boat.We’ve moored there a hundred times, and he can wait a bit.I know Grey Spit better than either of you and like being where I can be the most helpful.”
“We certainly welcome the help,” I said.I liked Jask.I got the impression that she’d grown up on the streets like me.I recognized the ruthless pragmatism in her eyes—the way she was always watching the horizon, calculating, assessing.
“Okay,” I said.“Here’s the plan when we see Kael and Elena.If she’s in immediate danger, we go right in.Otherwise, let’s just watch.I’d rather not confront Kael right away.The situation is too unpredictable.Let’s see what he does.”
