“The others are coming,” I said as I followed Darcke, climbing onto the railing.
I didn’t truly believe there wouldn’t be enough swords for everyone, but I wasn’t about to risk it.
Darcke reached for me, and I shouldn’t have savored his hands finding my waist, staying there a second too long before he set me down on the ground, but I did, and I drank in the smile he hid as he turned to the white landscape as well.
Kilia came next, the ice crumbling beneath his boots. While he helped Ilse down, making the girl’s cheeks even brighter crimson as he whispered something in her ear, Ottoh’s iron-bound made their way down on the other side of the ship.
Vero shook her head as she followed Darcke’s gaze. “I’m glad we decided to team up. If we need to break through all this thick ice, we’ll need your Sweengard strength. Precision probably won’t help out here.”
“Agreed.” Ottoh placed an arm around my shoulders, pretending to kiss my cheek. “Good thing we’re such great friends now.”
My blood stopped flowing in my veins at Vero’s hopeful expression, and when Kilia turned toward the ship swiftly approaching ours, it took everything in me not to let my face fall. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. It wasn’t like Ivren and Rakkel or any of the other heirs had that sort of power.
Something steely formed across Darcke’s features. “We should start walking,” he said. “Two heirs is all I can stomach today.”
While I rolled my eyes, Darcke and Ottoh took the lead, the former without looking back once as he stalked off on his stupidly long legs. Ilse and Vero fell in step on either side of me when I followed, and Kilia stalked a few steps behind us, with Ottoh’s third and fourth taking the flank.
“I didn’t think there was much that could make me miss home,” Vero said as we tried to keep up with the two men walkingbefore us, using our hands to shield our eyes from the snow that kept blowing into our faces. “But this place is definitely worse than Sjomarks.”
“Aaland isn’t much better,” Ilse replied.
I turned to the light-haired girl. “I didn’t realize you were from Geord’s island.”
“I wouldn’t say it’shisisland yet.” Ilse stared straight ahead. “And hopefully it never will be. Adrion might not have been strong enough for the gods, but he was at least kind. His parents have tried to do what they can to make life better for all of us.”
“What’s happening on Aaland?” Vero asked over the whistling wind.
“Same as for you, I’d assume.” Ilse jerked her head toward the water. “The sea keeps rising, and so our forests are shrinking and animals are leaving. We haven’t had enough to eat for a while because of the trade being cut off with most of the nations we used to barter with. Geord’s family has been pretty pissed about Adrion’s parents sharing their food with the people instead of keeping it for the jarls.”
More snow whipped at us, and it was impossible to keep up the conversation. We continued the walk with bent necks and our hands stuffed in our armpits to protect them.
My head rang by the time it became too white to see more than a glimpse of Darcke and Ottoh, and I was grateful when Darcke screamed over the storm, “There is shelter ahead.”
The snow reached my thighs by the time we made it to the cave Darcke had spotted. Ottoh had to pull Vero out when she nearly collapsed by the entrance, her twisted foot giving up after the exertion.
Ilse and I didn’t go far inside before we found a somewhat dry spot to sit. Pulling up my legs, I rested my chin against my knees while the rest of the group scrambled inside.
“Fuck, it’s so cold,” Ottoh cursed as he guided Vero to the spot beside Ilse and then sat himself down beside her. Kiliasqueezed his body between me and Ilse, although I had to shuffle to the side for him to fit.
“Should we try to light a fire?” Vero asked.
Apprehension ran through Darcke, even though he didn’t show it as he leaned against the cave wall by the entrance, peering out into the storm. At first I thought he had seen something, and my nerves began firing, but as Ottoh’s third and fourth joined us, making the space cramped and hard to navigate, the memory of our bonding overtook my thoughts.
He never went close to fires. Not once in the past weeks had he been around when they’d been lit, apart from when I forced him to at the choosing. My teeth chattered, but I still shook my head. “I don’t think that’s wise. There is a reason everything is frozen here.”
Darcke shot me a look, and I mouthed, “You’re welcome.”
His face only darkened.
Impossible. He was truly fucking impossible.
“I’ll go see if there is somewhere warmer farther in,” Darcke grumbled. “Or maybe there will be eight swords lying around and we can escape this Hel.”
“I’ll go with you,” I said.
His scowl made my blood boil. “I don’t need a guard.”
“Great, because I’m your heir,” I replied, irritated that we were back to this.
