Page 33 of Corvak's Challenge

I'm afraid to ask.Fire?

Fire, she agrees.We meet Great One near fire.Walls say fire, Great One. Yes fire. Yes Great One.

They must think the "fire" was the meteor. I guess it did look like it was trailing smoke.Great One?

Just then, Corvak returns. He's followed by several of the males, his expression crafty. "You'll never guess what we found."

Pinkie immediately drops into the "worship" pose and makes the gesture with her hand even as she presses her face to the rocks.Great one.

The others see her in repose and immediately sink to the snow, making the same pose.

Oh no.

These people think Corvak is some sort of god sent by the comet.

"We need to talk," I say to Corvak, getting to my feet. "Got a moment?"

He frowns as I move forward and grab his arm. "Is everything all right? Have you been threatened? Are you hurt?"

I shake my head, pulling him along with me. Some of the snow-people try to follow, but I give them the "no" gesture and point toward where Pinkie is still crouching, waiting. "Go and sit with her."

They drop to a hunch, and I could swear their expressions turn sulky, but they don't follow. I pull Corvak away with me to a safe distance, away from the precious hot spring and the fire and the food I've been handing out. It's probably a bad idea to leave it unattended, but we need to have a big conversation quickly, because I'm going to freak out. "We have a problem."

To my surprise, he breaks into a wide grin. "Not any longer. I have found our fortress." He gestures up the crumbling, rocky slope, covered in ice and rock detritus. "There is a cave up there, big enough for both of us. We can fortify the slope around it, ensure that no one can get up the path?—"

I shake my head. "That's not the problem. We have a bigger problem."

"What's that?"

How do I put this mildly? "I've been talking to some of them and…well, they think you're divine."

"I'm what?"

"That the comet and the Northern Lights are signs from…someone. The planet, some god, I don't know. That they followed them and now they found you. Corvak, they think you're a god. That you were sent to lead them." I try to keep the panic from my voice. "And I'd bet money that more are coming."

He rubs his hands together and a crafty look crosses his face. "Excellent."

What?! "No! This is bad!"

"Only if we let it be." The sly smile on his face worries me. "I have plans, Aidy."

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

CORVAK

"This seems like a bad idea,that's all I'm saying." Aidy holds onto my arm as I lead her up the steep, unwieldy path to the cave I have claimed for us. "It never ends well for the guy that lies to the locals about being a god. Never."

"You have run into this scenario before?" I put my hands on her waist when one of the boulders proves too large for her short legs to navigate and heft her onto it.

She anchors her hands to the sheer rocks as we climb even higher, her breath puffing in frosty clouds. "Well, no, but I've seen a lot of movies. Like, alotof them. I'm just not convinced this is smart."

"You worry too much. Let me handle things."

"Me big strong man, you stupid woman," she comments as she climbs.

I go still, fury blistering through me. "Did those creatures call you stupid? I'm going to snap their necks after all."

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