Beneath it was another pack, with my cleaver lying atop.
The hand of Endu tapped my shoulder, reminding me that I owed her my life for the time she’d cared for me. I do not take debts lightly.
Even though I’d grabbed the things, I had run out of the city with the hope of bringing her back, but her explanation for leaving touched me. She was right—if she was out of options in the city, she needed to seek elsewhere.
It was not an easy choice for me to make, as it meant leaving the others to pick up my duties. But it wasn’t as if I’d planned this. It simply happened because I owed her.
The woman standing at my side is not a small consolation, though. It was uncomfortable to admit, but I liked being alone with her.
I tighten my fists and recall how it felt to have of her hand trapped in my grip and pinned near her head. The image flickers behind my eyes.
She’s beautiful. I’ve always known that. But now, alone in the wilderness with her, I am confronted with it in ways that are difficult to ignore.
When I glance down, she swallows hard. That throat—gods.
“All right, I will talk, then. You listen. The plan is to find the Sisterhood’s Enclave, get information about thebrujas, and then go find them, yes?” Arlet breaks the silence, discussing the plan we had made the night before.
A grunt escapes me, and I shove the thoughts away to the sound of snow crunching beneath my boots. But then she stops walking, and I let out a low groan before turning to face her. My vision shifts,and momentarily, I see her sprawled on the ice again—vulnerable, enticing.
“Yes, that is what we agreed upon,” I respond, irritation bleeding into my voice as I haul myself over a large chunk of rock. Then I feel bad, knowing that it comes from my own traitorous thoughts and not her. Before the night the curse killed Diego, we were starting to be friends.
I promised I would be better.
“I’m afraid I might not be the most pleasant to travel with,” I say. “I slip into an intense focus while hiking, which makes me quiet. It is not easy for me to strike up a meaningful conversation.”
Arlet crests the same rock, and then puts her hands on her hips.
“That is good to know,” she says. “I… like reassurance. Sometimes it makes me irksome, I think.”
I soften. “Just remember that the terrain will not ease, and we are still many days from the Sisterhood’s Enclave. I will try to manage my tone.”
She glances at the rugged rocks scattered between trees, uncertainty flickering across her face.
“I like… reassurance,”she had said.
I bite my lip.Very well.
“Arlet, you are doing very well. You move quickly for someone who isn’t used to this,” I thrust my hand toward her, waiting.
Her mouth parts, and she looks up at me with dilated pupils. She liked the compliment. Her fingers wrap around mine without hesitation—strong and sure despite their smallness. My chest tightens at the contact.
I feel as if I have won a prize. Learned a bit about her. I will remember this reaction.
“Are you sure it is a good idea for you to be here?” she says as she straightens, brushing ice from her clothes.
“Why? You don’t think you need me?”
She shakes her head. “Vann, I would love nothing more than a companion, but we can’t forget I killed someone.”
“I won’t sleep,” I grumble.
“That’s insanity.”
“I’ll sleep lightly. We can keep you tied up.”
A shadow flickers across her face. “I—” She stops, her gaze flicking toward the rocky mountain path stretching endlessly ahead. Then, she exhales sharply. “Is there any hope I can persuade you to leave?”
I shake my head.