Page 83 of Trial of Thorns
“Then get moving,” I say, not bothering to hide the acid in my tone.
“I am.” He take another slow step. Annoyance stirs in my gut.
“The others may have seen the disturbance,” I say, voice still edged with stress. Presumably, the fae I knocked out yesterday will have revived and are out for blood more than ever before. “We don’t want them to find us.”
“I’m not an idiot,” he seethes, and I swallow.
“No, you’re just holding us back with your stubbornness.”
“I hold no one back.” His feet shuffle more quickly over the edge.
We finally reach the end of the narrow ledge and continue farther up the mountain side. Rev still grumbles beneath his breath.
I march past him and begin an all-out climb up the uneven mountain face. The path is long and winding, and I’m out of patience. Rev and Tyadin can meet me at the top.
Tyadin stops to watch me take the challenging climb, his hands on his hips. “I doubt that’s actually a good idea, Cae.”
“Why not? Rev thinks he can do anything I can, injured or not.”
I hear him grunt far below. I don’t know how much he’s healed himself already. His injury was potentially fatal without medical attention. The potion we gave him was a mere temporary fix. Some healers are able to heal even fatal injuries in moments but only the most talented and extensively trained. And I can tell is he doesn’t trust me. He’s saving as much magic as he can to fight me if necessary.
Based on the stiff way he’s moving, he’s only about halfway to healing his wound at this point.
More than a hundred feet up, I find a reunion with the walking path and I plop myself over the mini cliff side to watch them below me.
From this spot, I’m nearly three quarters up the mountain. We’d reach the summit quickly, if they can follow me.
Rev and Tyadin argue for a minute or two as I dangle my feet over the edge, watching Rev begin to climb after me like it’s my evening entertainment. Just missing the popcorn.
He’s steady for the first two dozen feet. He pulls his weight up seamlessly, no noticeable issues. But his pace slows once he’s halfway up the section. Still over fifty feet to go.
Tyadin patiently climbs behind him, watching closely. “He’s bleeding though his bandage,” he calls to me.
I shrug. What’s that to me?
“This is your fault, you know?” he says, eyes half annoyed, half amused.
Rev doesn’t respond, just continues to climb, getting more and more vocal with each pull of his arms. He groans with every move now. He’s close enough for me to see his clenched jaw, vein bulging over his temple, and sweat streaming down his face and neck.Stubborn fool.
Yet, I know I’d do the same thing.
“You can do it,” I say, watching his efforts with a new eagerness. “Only another ten feet to reach me.” His pain is obvious, but he keeps moving. Keeps pushing. The muscles in his back tense and bulge through his tunic. I bite my lip.
Yes, he’s a stubborn fool for even trying something this far beyond his current physical abilities. I am probably a fool for baiting him.
But watching him push beyond what should be outside his capabilities has me suddenly on my feet, hoping he makes it. Endurance and tenacity at its finest.
“Keep pushing,” I coach louder.
He grunts and growls, his fingers shaking. He has feet left. One more stretch and pull would have him at the top.
“Come on,” I whisper, stomach squirming with unexpected anticipation. I’m impressed. He’s stronger than I thought.
“Shut up,” he spits through ragged breaths.
I chuckle.
His foot finds a rock as a foothold, but as he places his weight onto it, the rock slips, crumbling all the way down the mountain face. I gasp as he roars in pain, holding all of his weight with his right arm, his back pulling through his injury. The back of his shirt now exposing a deep red stain.
