Page 16 of Shadows of Winter

Kaylina opened her eyes. Was she better? She didn’t know.

She felt woozy and like her mind wasn’t entirely hers. The thought of more juice appealed, and she nodded and licked her lips.

Vlerion’s gaze shifted to watch her mouth as he tipped the flask back. Had his eyes not continued to be impassive, she might have thought him a little interested in her.

A great boom erupted outside, close enough that it rattled the iron bars in the window and shook the floor.

Vlerion sprang away so fast that Kaylina almost fell. He dropped the flask and, not glancing back, grabbed his sword and ran out of the cell. Targon had already disappeared into the corridor and was shouting orders at someone.

Kaylina had barely recovered her balance when the door slammed shut. A scream sounded, a woman this time, and it came from outside the jail. Bangs and thumps followed.

“Terrorists!” someone cried.

“Are you okay?” Frayvar, who rarely touched and never hugged, gripped Kaylina’s wrist.

“No.” Memories of all she’d uttered flooded her with embarrassment. Embarrassment and anger. She resented the rangers for making her drop her defenses and share everything. She hadn’t meant to consent to that. When she noticed her brother’s worried face, she made herself change her answer. “Yes.”

She grabbed the flask off the floor. Some of the juice had dribbled out, but she swallowed the rest.

Outside, clangs rang out. A sword fight?

“This would be a good time to leave.” Frayvar pointed to the door. “They didn’t pardon us, but we were never formally charged of a crime either.”

Nodding, Kaylina dropped the empty flask and headed toward the door, wobbly but determined. She tried the latch, then groaned. She didn’t know if the rangers had done it or some guard had hurried down the corridor to check all the doors, but it was locked, and there was no other way out.

5

Only a beast may win a battle against a beast.

~ Kar’ruk proverb

“They locked us in?” Frayvar asked as more shouts came from outside, punctuated by the clangs of swords. “It sounded like they were on the verge of letting us go. That’s the only reason I didn’t leap in and save you when that brute had you pinned.”

“That’s the reason?” Kaylina walked toward the window, struggling to push aside the lingering effects of the root. “Not that he’s twice your weight, has muscles harder than steel pillars, and wears armor instead of a rumpled taybarri shirt?”

“My shirt doesn’t affect my fighting prowess.”

Kaylina wasn’t tall enough to see out the window. She gripped the bars with thoughts of pulling herself up, but the wall offered no footholds. Even when she felt perky, she didn’t have the strength to hold her body weight up for long.

“His muscles might have been a consideration,” Frayvar added. “And his sword.”

“All of him.” Even if she hadn’t been in control of her tongue, and her thoughts had been addled, she had no trouble remembering that Vlerion hadn’t budged during all her struggles.

“Yeah.”

A boom less substantial than the last thundered. It sounded like Grandpa’s blunderbuss and brought memories of pirate raids and defending the Gull from the wooden decks surrounding the elevated eating house. Vlerion wasn’t the first man that Kaylina had cracked in the head with a sling round.

“Can you boost me up?” She would have asked her taller brother to look out the window, but curiosity made her want to see for herself what was going on.

“My muscles aren’t harder than steel pillars,” Frayvar grumbled, but he did come to assist her.

“Oh, I know. I’ve helped you carry the stock pot to keep you from dumping boiling water on your sandals often.”

“When it’s full, that pot is heavy for everyone.” Frayvar lifted his hands in the air as he considered where to grab her, then tried her waist, as if he might heft her like a vase.

Feet not raising an inch, Kaylina rolled her eyes. “This from the mind of a mathematical genius. Squat down so I can stand on your back.”

Grumbling again, he did, making a stool. The grumbles turned into grunts as she stepped up. Even through her boots, she could feel the frailness of his build and vowed not to stay up for long.

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