Page 171 of Heart of Frost and Scars

“Not interested.” I glance at Leo, who clenches the yoke tighter than necessary.

He can hear us through the headset but doesn’t look my way.

“So serious.” She pokes my bicep. “A little fun wouldn’t hurt.”

“What did I fucking say about touching me?”

“Sirena,” Leo cuts in, his voice a cold blade. “Focus on the mission.”

A huff bursts from her nostrils, and she shakes her head, leaning back in her seat.

James’s voice crackles over the headset. “Approaching the grid. Eyes open.”

I scan the horizon, searching for any sign of recognition. How will we identify anything from this angle? I know the hills by scent, the feel of the land beneath my boots, and the sounds of water and ice.

Ten minutes later, the rugged terrain begins to look familiar, a patchwork of memories stitched together with pain and hope.

A river gorge catches my eye, a serpentine scar in the earth. Something about it stirs dread deep within me.

“There.” I point at it. “That ridge looks familiar.”

Leo nods, handing off the controls to focus on the landscape.

James guides the plane lower, circling until we find a suitable spot to land.

The wheels touch down with a jolt, and we disembark into the crisp air.

August in the Arctic Circle offers a brief reprieve from the biting cold, the scenery awash in vibrant hues.

We spread out, methodically searching the area. The gorge’s rocky walls rise around us, imposing and silent, just like I remembered. The river snakes through it, the water clear and refreshing, reflecting the sky’s endless blue.

“Kody, look.” Leo crouches by the riverbank, his head cocked, staring at the primrose.

And the Arctic Blue butterflies.

They flit around his face, their delicate wings both beautiful and haunting, conjuring memories of Wolf.

“I’ve seen them all over the Brooks Range.” Sirena walks past, as oblivious to our pain as the butterflies. “Does anything look familiar?”

All of it.

None of it.

“Hard to tell.” I scrutinize the area, the bend in the river, the jut of the cliffs, my eyes narrowing as I try to piece together fragments of memories. “Everything looks different in the summer.”

“We need to cover as much ground as possible.” James stands a few feet away, his gaze on the horizon. “Let’s split up but stay within sight of each other.”

“Want to partner up?” Sirena sidles up to Leo. “Two sets of eyes are better than one.”

“Nope.” Leo doesn’t even look up.

She sighs dramatically, turning to me. “What about you, Kody?”

“Same answer.”

With a shrug, she heads downriver with her equipment.

I share a look with Leo.

---