Page 16 of A Sky of Emerald Stars

Sadie

We rode through the night before finally stopping at dawn in a little snowy town just outside the capital of Taigoska. We wouldn’t be traveling to the capital this visit—too much attention, too much danger. Navin had spent most of the trip in the driver’s seat despite the oxen being able to guide themselves, with us two Wolves staying out of sight. Maez and I took turns sleeping in the narrow bunks scattered throughout the upper shelves of Galen den’ Mora. There was no reason to sleep in shifts, but our soldierly instincts got the better of us. Still, I had one of the best sleeps I’d had in months.

By the time I woke up, we’d passed the spires of the Ice Wolf castle and turned toward the Firestorm Peaks that bordered Valta. I’d never ridden that way, never been to the kingdom of Valta even. Everything in me told me we should be heading west toward Damrienn, not east toward Valta. It hit me anew that I may never see the pine forests of my homeland again.

We stopped in a little human town that popped up in the middle of the frozen tundra. After Navin found a stable for the oxen—whichtechnicallythey didn’t need being magical oxen—he announced a little too cavalierly that he was venturing into town to buy some supplies.

Maez and I exchanged glances.

“Might want to bring back some food,” Maez called from where she stirred a pot of blackened goo.

I grimaced at the bubbling pot. I nearly chipped my tooth on her attempt at baking the night before. There was no apparent reason why Maez had decided to take up the culinary arts on this trip, but I suspected it was her way of missing Briar. Her mate—and kitchen goddess—was sorely missed by me as well. I could certainly go for some of Briar’s beef stew right now.

Navin gave a salute. “I think that’s for the best.” He waved us a hearty farewell, which was normal for his overly friendly disposition, butstillever so slightly exaggerated.

Maez chucked the pot into the metal basin with a scowl, waiting a beat to make sure Navin was well and truly gone, before turning to me and asking, “We’re following him, aren’t we?”

I grabbed my cloak from the back of the kitchen chair. “Yep.”

“Good,” she said, throwing her tea towel on the bench. “I think this place is going to stink of burnt sallaneva for a while.”

“Will youpleasefind a less disgusting way to miss your mate,” I said with a mock gag.

She threw her apron on the bench, too, the sight of her comical, standing there caked in flour and armed to the teeth in her battle leathers. “Maybe knitting?”

I rolled my eyes and snatched my fur hat. Maez bundled up beside me.

“Be quick,” I said.

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “He won’t have gotten far on those human legs,” she said with a chuckle.

“His human legs are very long.”

“And”—she looked at me pointedly—“there is a thick layer of snow on the ground that will make it incredibly easy to follow his footsteps.” I reached for my knife belt in annoyance, needing something to do with my hands. “Okay, okay,” she said, walking to the grating at the back of the wagon and yanking on her snow boots. “No need to get the blades out. Jumping juvlecks, this human has your fur all ruffled, huh?”

I debated for a split second about socking her in the jaw, but then thought better of it. She’d have to shift to hide the inevitable welt and then that would create more questions. No, I’d save the maiming for another time.

It didn’t dawn on me that hitting my friend was the wrong thing to do, period.

I hastily tied my laces and stomped out into the snow, walking the easy-to-follow trail of Navin’s large boot prints. My gait was wobbly at first, already so used to the rocking motion of Galen den’ Mora that it felt strange to be back on solid ground. The air was so cold that steaming whorls of breath clouded around our faces as we walked. At least the biting gales had died down and now there was only a gentle dusting of snow falling from the skies. I pulled the cloak tighter around me, wishing I was wearing my fur instead of a coat. My skin was so unprotected and delicate, the cold easily seeping into my bones as we trudged through the snow.

How did humans do it?

We slowed our pace as we wandered into the little village. Pulling our hoods up, we linked arms, looking for all intents and purposes like a couple out for a midmorning stroll about town. We zigzagged down two more streets before we turned another corner and I halted abruptly, yanking Maez back. We’d caught up to Navin. He wandered down the silent street, humming to himself all the while.

“What is he doing at this end of town?” Maez asked, nodding to the streets in the opposite direction. “All the taverns and markets smell like they’re that way.”

I bobbed my chin in agreement, unlinking our arms. “This part of town seems dead.”

“Perhaps he deals in some nefarious trades on the side,” Maez whispered. “Maybe that’s his secret. A person constantly traveling from one kingdom to the next would be the perfect smuggler.”

I considered it for a second before shaking my head. “Thatcan’t be it,” I said. “Smuggling goods isn’t enough toset the whole world on fireas he put it.”

Maez shrugged. I peeked around the corner again as Navin turned down an alleyway up ahead. As soon as he disappeared, we followed, tailing him to the next corner. When we reached the alley and peeked down, Navin’s humming abruptly halted.

“Shit,” I whispered, yanking my head back.

My heart pounded in my ears, waiting, waiting. But then Navin’s humming resumed and he carried on. We continued our pursuit. At the other end of the alley was an old town square. A bell tolled and the square erupted into applause and laughter as a wedding party poured out of the human love temple. As the crowd entered the square, Navin strolled casually into the throng.

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