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He shakes his head. “Dead end in this direction. It’s all steep cliffs that would kill us if we dared climb it.”

“Yep, nothing on my end either.” I clench my jaw, and he notices the blood on my arm but says nothing.

My thoughts turn to Lian and if he’d been more fortunate than us. At the same moment, he emerges from the other end of the woods, carrying something bulky over his shoulder.

Kazak and I study his approach, and what I first assume to be an animal in his arms is a man dressed in all black.

“Look what I found creeping through the woods, coming in our direction?” He leans forward and dumps the lifeless body onto the ground at our feet. The man flops onto his back, not moving or breathing, especially with the blade in his throat. I don’t recognize him. “He’s dressed just like the ass I got rid of at Glimhall. And good news—there’s a narrow track back that way.” He hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “It’s a damn long way down, though, but it’s our way out.”

“You killed this one too?” I state.

“Fuck, he didn’t give me an option.” He leans over and yanks the blade out of his throat before wiping it clean on the man’s pants. “Leaped down at me from a tree, missing my face by inches with his knife. I reacted, as he landed badly, and I stabbed him with his own knife before I could make sense of it.”

I grunt under my breath. “Would have been good to learn who sent him, and maybe he’d know what else is coming for us.”

“Like I fucking said,” Lian barks, “I reacted to an attack. But you know, I found a path out of this mess, which you seem to be forgetting.”

Kazak exhales loudly enough to draw both of our attention. “It’s not too late. I can still grill him.” He stares down at the dead man with way too much calm.

“What are you fucking talking about?” Lian demands, his brow pinching at the bridge of his nose.

Kazak reaches up to his shirt and drags open his collar over his chest, where, in moments, the mark of a skull appears over his heart along with Dawn’s name. “Among the Ash Clan, a few of us who carry the skull mark have rare abilities. Such as speaking to the recently departed. Well, for a short period of time, but it should be sufficient time for us.”

“Damn,” Lian says, rubbing his chin. “That kind of skill could come in super handy.”

My mouth might have dropped open. I’ve heard rumors that the Ash Clan carry unique abilities, but I assumed they were lies. “You’ve piqued my curiosity, as I had no clue.”

Kazak cocks his head, an eyebrow arching as he grins proudly. “We kept some of our secrets to ourselves. Now, let’s get him inside, as we only have a small window of opportunity to get him to respond.”

I shake my head, still shocked but impressed. “Then what are we waiting for?” I call out. “Lian, grab the man’s feet.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

KAZAK

“Don’t panic, Dawn,” Lian calls out as he and Corvin carry the dead man through the door of the cabin.

The assassin is only human; otherwise, he would have transformed into his monster form at death, which would make reaching him after death more complicated. A monster’s underworld is more layered and requires ritual sacrifices.

Lian gives Dawn the rundown of what happened outside, and she stares incredulously at the assassin. Her face pales to the color of snow.

It kills me to see her so terrified, but I rush ahead and grab a chair. “Put him here,” I command while I scan the room for anything to tie him up with.

When the dead return, they have a tendency to freak out, so I want him held in place. I spot the cords hanging near the window curtains. In seconds, I cross the room, grab them, and secure him to the chair.

“Something we should be worried about?” Lian asks, lifting his chin to the now-tied man.

“All good,” I answer. “They sometimes wander in panic when they return, so I want him in one place.”

“Then do your magic,” Corvin says. “Find out who’s after us, why, and what their plan is so we can get the upper hand.”

“And fuck them up,” Lian barks.

I glance over at Dawn, who’s just staring at me as if seeing me for the first time. “Is this real? You can talk to the dead?”

“On rare occasions,” I tease, but she doesn’t smile. “I haven’t done it in a while, but I promise it’ll be fine. Just stay back.”