“Who here knows how to drive a sled?” I called out, the knot in my stomach I tried so hard to ignore tightening painfully. “Show of hands.”
Out of the hundred warriors gathered in the night, less than half raised their hands; most with their weapons clutched tightly, as if that helped.
I swallowed my groan.
It would have to be enough.
“Get in position,” I said, wondering which one of them–if any–would offer to drive my sled.
Vylkor, as much as he was annoying me right now, was right.
Orders, I knew.
Facing this land was still a skill I had to perfect.
As I weaved through the sleds, the wolves began barking. I flinched, before I noticed they didn’t so much as sniff my way. I turned, only to see Nadya racing down the steps, giddy of all things.
“You’re staying home,” I called out.
Her face fell. Ever since Geryll and Ryker had left, whatever shaky control she had over her emotions was slipping. “But–”
I snapped my fingers and pointed at the fortress. “Now!”
As soon as she stomped off, the wolves quieted. It seemed that without Ryker here, they were back to their fanged ways.
Perhaps the wolves had accepted me as a leader when their humans refused to.
I sat down in the front sled. Dax squeezed next to me, face set in stone. No jokes, no mask, just armed and ready.
Or so I thought.
He grimaced. “Are we going to blow this thing to get it to move or–”
The reins tightened and snapped between us. I looked up, only to see Vylkor’s scowling face above me.
He didn’t like that I was leading in his stead–but he still respected the chain of command. And I could respect that.
I also wouldn’t say it out loud, but I was glad he was coming with us.
As I stared into the darkness waiting for us, I swallowed past the tightness in my throat.
What if Vylkor was right and–
I shook my head.
This wasn’t a time for wavering and hoping gods of old would protect us–or that the crater was as impenetrable as he was raised to believe his whole life.
Don’t doubt yourself.
As the last warriors settled into and on their own sleds, cramped and still unsure, I yanked my gloves out, my power already flaming inside of me. It flickered with uncertainty once more.
The crater could always yank them away or snap them, like it tried to before.
I had to take that risk.
“You shouldn’t,” Dax whispered. “You’ll be exhausted by the time we get there.”
“We have no choice,” I whispered back.
