Page 81 of Of Sword & Silver

“How did you even see me?” I sputter. He grabs my horse’s reins with one hand, and his other arm wraps around my waist. “I can’t see anything in this.”

“There’s nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t find you,” he says.

With that, he heaves me over one shoulder.

For once in my life, I’m rendered utterly speechless.

28

THE SWORD

Morrow’s proven useful, I’ll give him that.

The abandoned cabin is tucked in the thicket of evergreen trees at the very start of the ancient forest that bleeds into the Hiirek Mountains. Dust coats the interior in thick layers, and cold air seeps through the uneven door, but it is out of the storm, and for that, I am immensely grateful.

“Thank Lojad for steering you here,” I tell the knight. I set Kyrie down on the planks. It takes great effort, though, for I’d rather keep holding her, ensuring she’s warm.

He inclines his head, humble enough to avoid looking too pleased with himself.

Caedia’s singing softly to the horses, who we’ve managed to coax inside, and Lara’s taking their tack off. Kyrie shoots me a strange look, then scurries off to help them.

“How far back was she?” Morrow asks quietly. “It’s odd she fell behind.”

“Far enough to make me worry,” I tell him.

It isn’t odd though, not to me.

It’s to be expected. Sola may not have the same immediate reach as I do, or that of Nakush or Lojad, but she has a hand in this all the same.

All too easily could she have thwarted us. All too easily could she set the storm in motion that could have undone all our efforts.

“We should take care of our mounts,” is all the knight says, though his eyes are narrowed as he scrutinizes my face.

A sigh tries to escape from my throat, but I swallow it down.

Being around these humans nonstop has caused me to pick up some of their mannerisms, I fear.

My own horse seems well off compared to the others, and Mushroom is as easy-going as ever, so it’s almost natural that I find myself beside Kyrie again, helping her tend to her mare.

“She’s pulled up lame,” Kyrie says, and when I glance at her from the corner of my eye, I see a tear roll down her cheek. “It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention, and?—”

“Hush, Kyrie,” I tell her fiercely. “Did you call down the blizzard? Do you have some elemental powers you were hiding this whole time?”

Comforting her is as strange as it suddenly seems second nature.

A reluctant chuckle follows my questioning and she spares me a slow, grateful smile. “Of course not.” The smile fades just as quickly as it graced her lips, a hint of warmth in winter. “But if I hadn’t drank from the chalice, she wouldn’t be hurt. None of you would have to do this with me.”

“Is that… guilt I hear?” Lara pipes up, and I clamp down on the urge to snarl at her to shut the hells up.

Kyrie doesn’t respond with her usual devil-may-care repartee.

Instead, she crumples, flinging her arms around me.

“I shouldn’t have done it. What have I done? I don’t want any of you to get hurt because of me.”

I freeze.

She’s so cold, the tip of her nose ice where it meets the fabric of my shirt.

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