Page 56 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

Outside the stall, Griffon pushed his wings out behind him and squatted to run his hand along the floor. “Look here.” Where most of the surface was covered in chopped straw, there were two parallel lines about four inches wide that were bare. “This is a ramp. Kivi must be underground.” He straightened and pointed to the far wall. “Look for some sort of pully.”

Bain searched while I tried again and again to wake my dragon. “Here,” he hissed, then rested his hand on a lever and waited for Griffon’s nod before he pulled it.

Somewhere, chains rattled against cogs and a large portion of the floor fell away, lowering like a heavy steel drawbridge until the end landed on the level below. Standing at the top of the ramp, Bain watched our backs. Griffon and I pulled out the glow stones Tearloch had given us and started down. At the bottom, I couldn’t hear Kivi, but she was there. My nearness roused her, but only barely.

I’m here, baby. I’m right here.

A gentle stroke of a thought and she was gone again.

In the corner stall, we found her. Griffon struck off the lock on the door so we could get to her. The space reeked of chemicals. Heavily drugged, she wouldn’t be walking, let alone flying.

I went to the ramp and whispered loudly to Bain. “Go tell the others that Kivi’s been drugged. You have to leave without us. Get out while you can.”

“Uh, Lennon?”

“No arguments. Just go!”

“Lennon, we’re not alone.”

27

LET’S PLAY A GAME

Asper…

Kneeling in the snow, trying to hide from searching eyes, I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard steps behind me. Before I could turn, someone grabbed my shoulders.

"Asper! What are you doing?"

Tearloch picked me up and with my legs dangling, he carried me the rest of the distance to the wall where our other friends were clustered to stay warm. I wanted to explain, but I was too cold. My cheeks and lips were frozen. All I could manage was to tug at the shoulder of my robes.

"You little fool. You could have hidden behind the others." He turned my back against the wall and covered me, wrapping his arms around my arms and pinning me to him. "You’re frozen.”

"I th…thought two layers would be enough.” The truth was that no one else had complained of the cold and I hadn't wanted to look weak.

I breathed against him, letting the steam of my breath warm my face. My legs were frozen from the knees down, but at least my boots were doing their job.

"You'll be all right. We're almost through it. Kivi's coming. Just think warm thoughts." He pressed his heated lips to my forehead. I glanced up and he pressed them against my mouth.

Sweetie chuckled quietly. "Like that, is it?" The big man had his own arms full of Minkin, doing his best to keep her warm as well. The rest of the men huddled in tight circles pretending the cold didn't bother them. But every now and then, one would shiver and rub his arms. All of us watched the sky, watched the east end of the wall, searching for hope...where there was little.

Dower grumbled. "They should have been here by now." He was worried for his brother. We all were. It just wasn't possible for our luck to hold out.

Sweetie checked the east wall again and cursed.

We all looked and silently did the same. Three familiar figures marched our way, followed by a fourth in long robes. No dragon in sight.

It was selfish of me to think it, but I was devastated we would have to escape on foot. My first thought should have been for Kivi and why she'd been left behind, but I was so cold I couldn’t think of anything but getting far away from all that snow and getting warm again.

As they came closer, I realized the fourth figure was one of theArd Draoi, one of the servants who had delivered food to our apartments. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the courtyard, either freezing or terrified, maybe both.

Griffon and Lennon clung to each other as they came. Bain followed behind them, and the servant brought up the rear. Twenty yards away, the latter stopped short and waited. Our friends took their time closing the distance—as if they were in no hurry.

Tearloch gestured over Lennon's shoulder at the servant. "What's going on?"

She shook her head. "They've drugged Kivi. She can't fly, can't even wake up. I didn't want to leave her?—"

"We weren't given a choice." Griffon indicated the druid. “Can't get a word out of him, obviously, but he insisted we all had to come. Seemed to know just where we’d planned to meet."

---