Page 89 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
I swore the hum was hissing at me.
Stay.
Stay.
STAY!
“NO!” I bellowed. “My Clan needs me!”
Instantly, the hum vanished.
I slowly lowered my hands, ears still ringing, and looked around.
No hum, no purple light, no screech.
Only the cold and cats, looking down at me like I was going insane.
Perhaps I was.
Maybe I’d imagined the light and the noise.
Maybe it was The Commander’s way to track me. He had left to deal with the Serpents, but maybe his warriors would descend from his mighty fortress, thunder down the streets, and drag me back kicking and screaming.
I didn’t have time to fear that option.
The rickety carriage creaked to a halt.
If I didn’t act now, I’d never get to.
All I could hope was that nobody heard my scream–or maybe I’d imagined that, too.
I crouched next to the left, shadowy corner of the sweets shop.
I didn’t breathe.
I didn’t blink.
I just hoped.
The embers in my satchel were starting to cool.
The horse neighed as the man jumped off and headed to the wagon in the back. My heart leaped in my throat as he opened the flap in the back and took out the first batch of honey jars.
I had three minutes–and I reserved three seconds of them for a deep exhale.
I can do this.
Ihaveto do this.
My Clan would crumble under Silas.
Dria Vegheara had not changed the entirety of Malhaven through sheer grit for the Protectorate to be destroyed.
I would die before I let that happen.
As soon as the man stepped into the sweets shop, the crystalline door bell ring beating against my chest, my fingers delved inside my satchel. The heated metal dish seared my skin and I almost dropped it in my haste.
The yellow cracks inside the embers now barely flickered.
