Page 12 of The Study of Storms and Magic
As the temperatures plummeted, she couldn’t help but speculate. What if they died? Zohav stopped. She’d be alone with her darkness. She wouldn’t survive. But she had survived Nell’s death. She had to be strong for Zethan, so she had clung to the good memories of Nell, during that awful time. Nell’s tender touch. Her sly smile. Her strong arms.
Zohav closed her eyes. Ah, there they were. Zohav thought they’d been worn away with repeated use. At least, she had those moments with Nell. If Heli died, all Zohav would have were a few significant glances.
It hit her like a slap to the face. She’d been trying to protect her heart by keeping her distance from Heli and it hadn’t worked. Not at all.
Morning took its sweet time in arriving. Zohav’s feet were frozen, but as soon as the sky lightened, she was in the stables, saddling Kitty.
Annika and Endre entered.
“We’re coming with you,” Endre said in a tone that implied arguing was futile.
“Thanks.” More people meant a higher chance of spotting Heli and Zethan.
They exchanged a surprised glance before getting their horses ready. Elley and Surren arrived and saddled Smoke and Thunder. An image of two bodies slung over the horses flashedin Zohav’s mind. No. She dismissed it with effort. Determined to focus on the task at hand.
Uncle Karter came in carrying breakfast and a burlap bag. He glanced around. By this point, Elley and Surren were prepping their own horses.
“Five people should be enough for your posse,” he said to Zohav. “Take this along, just in case.” He handed her the bag.
It was heavy. She peeked inside. It was filled with frozen meat. Another unwelcome image rose. This one with blood stained snow, mutilated corpses, and snow cats protecting their kill. This one terrified her. Unable to shake the image, Zohav tied the bag to her saddle with numb fingers, wishing her emotions could also freeze over.
When they were all ready, Zohav mounted Kitty and headed north. Smoke’s reins were tied to Kitty’s saddle, and Thunder was tied to Smoke.
Zohav leaned forward and Kitty’s ears swiveled back. She said, “Find Zee, please.” Kitty broke into a gallop.
On horseback, it didn’t take long to get to the NIP. Once there, the riders slowed and fanned out into a line, scanning the snow. In the end, it wasn’t hard to spot the bright red fabric of the tent in the distance. The other’s cheered, but she kept a tight hold on her relief and wouldn’t relax until she knew for sure Zee and Heli had survived the night.
About halfway to the tent, the horses shied away, stopping.
Elley blocked the sun with her hand. “Something is moving.”
“Looks like blowing snow,” Endre said.
“There’s no wind.” Surren cursed. “Snow cats. Four of them, looking right at us.”
The ball of ice in her chest grew, pressing on her ribs to a point that breathing became difficult.
“No blood,” Annika quickly said. “The tent looks intact.”
Zohav silently thanked Uncle Karter. She dismounted and untied the burlap bag. “Stay here,” she ordered everyone.
“You’ll be eaten,” Elley said.
“We should all stay together,” Endre said.
“No. Trust me. I know how these cats think.” Not quite true, but not an outright lie either. “Just stay here.”
Zohav trudged through the snow to the right of the group for a hundred feet. Then she headed slowly north until she was aligned with the tent. Two of the snow cats watched her, while the others kept their gazes on the horses.
Opening the bag, she removed the meat piece by piece, holding each one up before setting it down. Karter had been generous, but would it be enough? Once the bag was empty, she returned to the group.
“Amazing,” Elley whispered. “I thought they’d attack you as soon as you flashed that first steak.”
“Everyone, back up,” Zohav said as she mounted.
They retreated about twenty feet. The snow cats had shown an unusual restraint. Normally, it didn’t take them long to pounce on an easy meal. The cats kept an eye on them for a few unnerving minutes before they headed toward the offering.
What happened next almost sent Zohav toppling off her horse. Two smaller snow cats left the tent and followed their pack. She grabbed Kitty’s mane to keep her seat as a wave of horror swept through her, leaving her weak and nauseous.
