“Right,” I mumbled.
Gods. My mother would come to Helheim herself and beat me into carrion if Kilia and Ilse somehow ended up becoming chief and second.
“Sounds good enough.” Ottoh waved for his two iron-bound brothers. “You’re with them. Vero and I are with the angry ones. See you on the other side.”
“Darcke,” I hissed when he tried to go for Ottoh again. “Calm down.”
“You calling me by my name won’t accomplish that,” he said against my ear as Kilia and the others started rushing down the left passage. “But fine. I don’t wish to die here, impaled by these fucking stalactites.”
“Speaking of stalactites,” Ottoh said. “We were only able to save you in the last trial because we had weapons. These look sharp enough to do some damage to a human at least.”
“But not to the hrimthursar,” Vero mumbled. “I doubt anything we do will have an impact on them.”
“Real swords should,” I said distractedly as I studied the stalactites. There was something strange about them, and my eyes narrowed as Ottoh reached for one close to him.
Ice. There was no ice on them. Not a single drop of water frozen along them, even though the entire cave was encased in it.
“Wait,” I cried.
But it was too late. Ottoh’s hands had already clasped around the stalactite, and as soon as his fingers curled, the cave roared.
Darcke threw himself at me and slammed me against the wall, using his body to protect mine as the stalactites came down. Screams rang around us, the sound of stone breaking hammeringagainst my ears, but it wasn’t until everything went dark and quiet that my heart stuttered.
Thirty-Nine
“Are you all right?” Darcke still shielded me with his body, and while his voice rumbled through me like it always did, making my body react before my mind did, he couldn’t hide the tremor of pain that whirred along the bond.
“How hurt are you?” I demanded as I slipped my hands up his chest, cautiously trailing along his body until I reached his back. It was wet, and even though I couldn’t see it in the dark, I knew my hands were covered in blood.
“Darcke,” I said softly when he only jerked his head.
“You saying my name like that makes it all worth it,” he drawled.
“You shouldn’t?—”
“Just thank me, heir.”
My hands fell from his back when his straightened, and I wiped them on my trousers before clearing my throat. “Thank you.”
He was quiet for long seconds, and something like frustration rolled off him. “I would have asked you for something else if I knew you were going to oblige.”
I rolled my eyes. He couldn’t be that hurt then.
“I can feel you doing that,” he said. “Makes me want to do bad things to you.Reallybad things.”
Perhaps my cheeks could light up the space if we didn’t find another way.
I groaned to myself when Darcke chuckled.
“We should find the others,” I said as I shoved him back a step.
My voice was too loud for the stillness. Even the echoes that had resounded as we walked through the cave had died, and the air, which had been stale and smelling of wet stone, seemed to seep more slowly through the space. My heart leaped at the thought, but I forced myself to breathe normally, filling my lungs with whatever was left.
“Briggens,” Darcke called. “Are you alive, or can we leave you behind?”
“Darcke!” I snapped.
“What?” he asked. “It’s a valid question.”
