The observation room was small and warm, with windows overlooking the rear of the resort. The view was not the dramatic sweep down the valley at the front of the resort, but the harsh beauty of the ice-covered mountains. She stood at the window, staring up at the jagged white peaks etched against the sky.
“Oh.”
He went to join her, and she leaned into him so naturally that his heart skipped a beat. Whatever was developing between them hadn’t taken this away.
“I thought you might like it.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“It is.”
He wasn’t looking at the mountains. She caught him and rolled her eyes again, but he only pulled her closer.
Across the room, Tess stood with her arms wrapped around herself, staring through another window.
“I forgot,” she said quietly, and Polly turned to her.
“Forgot what?”
“What it looks like when something is just pretty.” Tess swallowed. “Without it meaning something bad is about to happen.”
Polly went still beside him.
“It gets easier,” she said.
Tess looked at her. “Does it?”
“I promise that it does.”
The refreshments arrived and he left the females and went to meet with Gralar, the manager of the resort. Gralar wanted more patrols, while he wanted to expel any guests who ignored the safety rules.
“Our guests won’t appreciate being threatened like that,” Gralar protested.
“Dead guests will appreciate it even less,” he said dryly.
They eventually hammered out an agreement that provided for increased patrols, but also included an immediate expulsion for any guest who violated the wilderness restrictions, along with a hefty penalty.
When he returned to the observation room, Polly and Tess were talking quietly and he pretended to inspect something that didn’t need inspecting in order to avoid interrupting them.
Behind him, Tess said, “I’ve been thinking about Sherae some more.”
“Do you still want to go?” Polly asked.
“I do. I think.” Tess gave a humorless laugh. “It’s easy to say you want something when it’s far away.”
He understood that better than he cared to admit.
“What if I get there and hate it?” Tess continued. “What if I can’t find work? What if I get on a ship and spend the whole journey losing my mind?”
“Then you deal with those things when they happen.”
“That’s your advice?”
“It’s the best I’ve got.”
Tess snorted, but Polly put a gentle hand on her arm. For once, the other woman didn’t flinch away from the touch.
“You don’t have to go tomorrow.”
