Page 44 of Ivy & Bone

Or maybe, with their bond and Polina’s strange pomegranate brew, he would’ve died, too. It must have been some innate sense of self-preservation that had urged him to save her. That was all, surely.

When they reached the first mountain peak, Prue paused to catch her breath and then exhaled sharply. “Wow.”

Cyrus followed her gaze and turned, his own mouth opening in awe. Past an expanse of plains and trees, he could just make out the skyline of Voula City against a backdrop of a sunset. The rays winked at him from behind the buildings, which were small shapes in the distance. So feeble compared to the magnificence of the city itself.

Atop here, everything seemed smaller. So much smaller.

“Beautiful,” Prue whispered, wiping sweat from her brow. Her eyes were filled with joy and wonder as she beheld the scene below. Cyrus stared at her for a long moment, admiring the way the stray curls clung to her face and her pink cheeks added warmth to her expression. Her eyes were alight with exertion, her nose red from the chill.

“Beautiful indeed,” Cyrus murmured, but his gaze never strayed from her.

Prue blinked and looked at him. He could’ve sworn her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, but she looked away quickly. “We should find shelter for the night. We won’t want to be out here after sunset. The cold will be brutal.”

Cyrus nodded quickly. “Yes. I spotted several caves during our climb. Perhaps we can find one nearby.”

They set off with purpose and determination, knowing their time was limited. Cyrus’s stomach growled louder with each step, and he gritted his teeth against the mind-numbing cold and the rippling pain of hunger. He could make it a few more steps. Just a few more . . .

“There!” Prue’s voice sounded as weak as Cyrus felt as she pointed, using her other hand to clutch her shawl more firmly around herself.

Cyrus followed her gaze, his teeth chattering, and found the mouth of a small cave just ahead. “How d-do we know there’s not an animal inside?” he asked between shivers.

“We won’t know if we don’t check,” Prue said, continuing forward.

“Prue!”

She ignored him and pressed onward before disappearing inside the cave.

Cursing, Cyrus staggered after her, his limbs stiff and frozen. When he crept inside, he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the darkness. He was so accustomed to the blindingly white snow burning against his eyes.

“Detego,” Prue muttered, waving her hand in the air.

Nothing happened.

“Damn it,” she hissed, removing her glove and gesturing more insistently toward the dark abyss in front of them. More firmly, she said, “Detego!”

Gold sparks emerged from her fingertips, swirling in the air and illuminating the space before them. The cave was much smaller than Cyrus anticipated. It extended for a few paces before it disappeared into a wall of rock. Certainly too small for a large creature to take shelter. He exhaled in relief.

But Prue wasn’t finished. She curled her fingers together, and the gold dust shimmered and swirled together before shooting toward the opposite end of the cave. It circled around the perimeter and then returned to Prue’s outstretched hand. The sparks hovered in front of her for a moment before she nodded and dropped her hand. The magic vanished.

“What was that?” Cyrus asked.

“Witch dust. It reveals truth and identifies any threats lurking nearby. The cave is safe.”

“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or offended that I’m not considered a threat.”

Prue smirked. “Of course you aren’t. I own you, remember?”

Ordinarily, her words would’ve ignited his anger and indignation, but for some reason, they sent a thrill shooting up his bones.

Careful, he warned himself, trying to school his features into apathy. You cared about a witch once before and it didn’t end well for you.

Instead of returning Prue’s smile, he turned away from her, facing the cave opening where the wind still howled. “If you would be so kind as to return my magic to me, I can get a fire going.”

“With what kindling?”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow at her.

“Ah. Magic. Right.” Prue gestured nonsensically at him. “I, uh, grant you your powers back. Temporarily,” she added, widening her eyes in warning.

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