Page 60 of Frostforge: Passage Two

Kaine.Before Thalia could respond, Senna brushed past her, the contact brief but deliberately forceful.Thalia watched her walk away, back straight, head high, every step projecting the confidence of someone who believed absolutely in her own superiority.

Their rivalry wasn't over.Perhaps it never would be.Fighting side by side had changed nothing — Senna was too stubborn, too deeply invested in her hatred of Southerners in general and Thalia in particular.The connection Thalia shared with Kaine only made things worse, fueling Senna's conviction that Thalia was stealing something that rightfully belonged to her.

As the crowd thinned and Thalia made her way toward the main exit, she found herself wondering what awaited Nash and the others beyond the fjord's mouth.She wondered, too, what Senna would see out there on the edge of their known world.Would it change her, as Frostforge had changed Thalia?Or would she return more entrenched than ever in her beliefs?

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

The infirmary doors loomed before Thalia like the entrance to some ancient Northern tomb.She wiped her palms against her tunic, unsure why her heart hammered so violently against her ribs.It was just Kaine, after all.Kaine with his broken ribs and the memory of a kiss that still burned on her lips whenever she allowed herself to think of it — which was far too often.She inhaled deeply, tasting the sharp tang of medicinal herbs that wafted from beneath the heavy oak doors, and gathered her courage.

"You're being ridiculous," she muttered to herself, pushing open the door before she could reconsider.

The infirmary was a long, narrow room lined with beds on either side, most of them empty now that the term was nearing its end.Filtered sunlight spilled through high, narrow windows, casting geometric patterns across the stone floor.The air was thick with the scent of healing tinctures — pungent yarrow and sweet honey, earthy comfrey and the bright sharpness of willow bark.Thalia recognized these from her mother's shop, though here they mingled with unfamiliar Northern herbs that carried notes of winter pine and frost-bitten berries.She’d spent plenty of time in the infirmary last year, helping the academy’s healers when supply shortages had caused chaos.This year, she’d been too focused on building her golem to pay many visits.

Kaine occupied the bed farthest from the entrance, half-hidden behind a partially drawn curtain.His dark head was bent over a book, his profile etched sharply against the white linens.At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up, his ice-blue eyes finding hers across the room.

"You're alive, then," Thalia said, aiming for casual as she approached, though the slight wobble in her voice betrayed her.

"Disappointing many, I'm sure."His voice carried its usual edge, but his smile seemed genuine, if cautious.He shifted to sit up straighter and winced, one hand instinctively moving to his side.

"Careful," she said, quickening her steps to reach his bedside."Those ribs won't heal if you keep moving around."

"So I've been told.Repeatedly."Kaine marked his place in the book and set it aside."The healers here act like I've never had broken bones before."

Thalia pulled a wooden chair closer to the bed, its legs scraping against the stone floor."Have you?Had broken bones before, I mean?"

"More than I care to count."He adjusted his position with careful precision, each movement measured to minimize pain."But these ones are...inconvenient."

Thalia studied him, noting the pallor beneath his normally fair skin and the tightness around his mouth that spoke of pain he wasn't acknowledging."How bad is it, really?"

"Could be worse."Kaine shrugged with his good shoulder, then grimaced at even that small movement."Three broken ribs, apparently.One of them nearly punctured my lung, according to the very cheerful healer who woke me up at dawn to tell me so."

"That doesn't sound like 'could be worse.'That sounds like 'nearly died.'"Thalia frowned, the memory of him crumpling to the ground during the fight flashing unbidden through her mind.

"If I'd wanted to die, I would have done a more thorough job of it."His attempt at humor fell flat as Thalia's frown deepened."It's fine, Thalia.I'll be out of here in a week or so."

A heavy silence settled between them, filled with things unsaid.Thalia focused on smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her tunic."Maven gave a speech this morning."

"Did she now?Was it inspiring?Did it move you to tears?"Kaine's quiet voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It was...Maven."Thalia's mouth quirked up slightly."She announced the traitors' punishment.They're being cast out to sea.Banished."

Kaine's expression darkened."Better than what Nash deserves."

"That's what everyone's saying."Thalia picked at a loose thread on her sleeve.“Senna, in particular.”

At the mention of Senna, Kaine's attention sharpened."She hasn't been by.I thought that was strange.She never misses an opportunity to check on me, especially when I'm injured."

Thalia hesitated, unsure how to phrase her next words."She...left.For the rest of the term."

"Left?"Kaine's surprise seemed genuine."Why would she do that?"

"She volunteered to take the traitors to the fjord’s mouth."Thalia shifted uncomfortably, the memory of her last encounter with Senna rising to the surface."She did say one more thing before she left."The words felt heavy on her tongue."She told me to stay away from you."

Kaine's face went through a series of micro-expressions — surprise, frustration, resignation — before settling into a weary mask.He rubbed his face with one hand, exhaling slowly through his nose."Of course she did."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."He stared up at the ceiling, jaw tight."Senna and I have a history.I’m sure she’s told you all about it."

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