Page 30 of Frostforge: Passage Four
"They didn't get in," he confirmed, straightening."But they were using something to try."He pointed to fresh scratches around the keyhole, barely visible in the moonlight.
Thalia frowned, staring at the marks."If Senna's right about the Northern extremists targeting the race tomorrow..."
"Then they'll try again," Kaine finished for her, his expression hardening."I'll stay.Keep watch through the night."
"We both can," Thalia offered, though the thought of hours more in the biting cold made her suppress a shiver.
Kaine shook his head."You need rest.You're racing tomorrow."His eyes met hers, and something in their blue depths made her breath catch."I've got this."
"You'll be up all night," she protested weakly."You need sleep too."
A half-smile curved his lips, softening his stern features."If it meant keeping you safe, I'd never sleep again."
The words hung between them, simple and profound.Thalia felt heat rise to her cheeks again, a strange fluttering sensation in her chest that had nothing to do with their recent chase.She didn't know how to respond – wasn't sure what response he wanted.Guilt tugged at her; how could she have thought he was trying to investigate Roran?He wasn’t suspicious—he was worried.About her.
"I'll...see you tomorrow, then," she managed finally, drawing her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
Kaine nodded, already turning his attention back to the boathouse."Be careful on your way back.Whoever that was could still be out there."
"I will."
Thalia began the climb back toward the pass that would lead her to Frostforge proper.The path was steep, winding between jagged outcroppings and patches of stubborn, hardy brush.Halfway up, she paused to catch her breath and looked back.
Far below, Kaine stood like a sentinel, a solitary figure against the vast stillness of the fjord.Moonlight silvered the water around him, and beyond, the glacier's face glowed with an inner luminescence.He looked both part of the landscape and apart from it – solid and steadfast, yet somehow alone.
A complicated ache bloomed in Thalia's chest.There was Roran, with his storm-bright eyes and the electricity that seemed to spark between them whenever they touched.And there was Kaine, steady as the mountains, protective and present in ways that made her feel both seen and sheltered.Roran’s reckless, wild magic, the thrill she felt in their moments of connection, the way he made her laugh with abandon.Kaine’s quiet strength, his hands scarred from the forge yet gentle when they rested on her shoulder, as unwavering as iron.
They were so different—storm and ice-metal, chaos and calm, freedom and safety—and yet both drew her with equal force, leaving her heart unmoored.She couldn’t imagine choosing one without breaking the other, and the thought of hurting either made her chest tighten painfully.
With a final glance at Kaine's distant figure, Thalia turned and continued her climb, each step taking her closer to the academy and the uncertain day that waited beyond this long, cold night.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Dawn light spilled across the fjord's glassy surface, fracturing into a thousand gleaming points like scattered diamonds.Thalia stood at the shoreline, boots sinking slightly into the damp, pebbly sand as she surveyed the row of skiffs lined up along the water's edge.The air tasted clean, crisp with morning chill and salt spray on a light breeze, carrying none of yesterday's foreboding.A perfect day for sailing — almost ironically so, given what she and Kaine suspected about sabotage and Northern plots.Her gaze swept across the gathering students, searching for any hint of malice beneath their excited chatter.After the previous night’s vigilance, her eyes burned with fatigue, but her mind remained sharp, alert to any threat that might endanger her team or derail the race.
"Checking for traps?"The voice, thick with Northern accent and derision, belonged to a fourth-year she recognized but couldn't name.He sneered as he passed, deliberately knocking against her shoulder.
Thalia didn't dignify him with a response, just straightened her spine and continued her inspection.Her fingers trailed along the hull of her assigned skiff, probing for hidden weaknesses or sabotage.Nothing.The wood felt solid beneath her touch, unmarred by drill holes or weakening magic.
She ducked beneath the gunwale, checking the interior.The mast was secure, the rigging intact.No frayed ropes, no compromised metal fittings.Her current-sensing ability — the same skill that served her so well in metallurgy — told her that the metal components hadn't been tampered with.Unlike Felah's blade or Daniel’s shield, this skiff seemed untouched.
Perhaps their stakeout had deterred the saboteurs.Or perhaps the targets lay elsewhere today.
"All clear?"Kaine's voice startled her.He looked more rested than she felt, though shadows still lingered beneath his eyes.
"Nothing I can find."Thalia straightened, brushing sand from her knees."Either they got spooked by our watch, or they're planning something else entirely."
Kaine's expression darkened."Stay alert.I don't trust this calm."He glanced toward the instructors gathering near the water's edge."I'll keep an eye on things from shore.Good luck out there."
As he walked away, Thalia spotted her team approaching.Daniel and Felah huddled together, the Southern pair clearly nervous about the trial ahead.Rasmus and Sigrid moved behind them.The Northern pair kept their distance, as always, their disdain evident in the set of their shoulders.
"Morning," Thalia greeted them, keeping her tone brisk and professional.No point in pretending they were friends — they weren't, and likely never would be.But they were her responsibility, and she would see them safely through this trial."Let's go through the rigging check one more time."
She led them through each step methodically, noting with approval that Daniel seemed to have improved his knot-tying since their last practice.Felah still struggled with the heavier ropes, her thin arms straining, but her determination never wavered.Rasmus performed each task with sullen efficiency, while Sigrid displayed surprising skill with the rigging, her fingers working nimbly despite her perpetual scowl.
"The mast seems solid," Thalia noted, rapping her knuckles against the wooden pole."Remember, if the wind picks up too much, we reef the sail — better to lose speed than capsize."
"We know how sailing works," Sigrid muttered, rolling her eyes.
