Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 83205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
What if, what if, what if? I squeeze my eyes shut against the intrusive thoughts and turn to Valmir. "Do you think he'll be here today?"
"Do I look like an oracle of some kind?" He sits by the fire in the cave, reinforcing a boot with bone splints. His ankle was healing well, but after three days of slow travel to get to this cave, it's growing painful and weak, and we're nowhere near the beach.
"I'm just asking. Making conversation. Being friendly. You should try it sometime."
He just ignores me and pauses to rub his chest, tail flicking with annoyance.
I turn back to the entrance, watching the snow come down. If I close my eyes and breathe deep, I can still smell the eye-watering stink of the curled-leaf plant that we rubbed ourselves with four mornings ago. We'd waited for Corvak to lead his followers away, and it wasn't until the last straggler disappeared over the horizon that we grabbed our packs and left.
It took three days to get to this cave, three days to get to safety. Valmir and I moved as fast as we could, but the snow is deep and my legs are short, and his ankle has been bothering him the entire time. At the end of the first day, we hid at the base of a cliff, huddled in blankets because there was no shelter to sleep in. Not that I could have slept—I was on edge the entire time, expecting to hear hooting or to see round, glowing eyes watching us from the darkness.
The snow-people never came after us, though. They truly aren't interested in anyone but Corvak. It should make me happy that everything has gone to plan. Instead, I want to weep because I left Corvak behind and it's been days since I've heard from him. He's the only thing I've got left. I don't know what I'm going to do if he doesn't come back.
When we made it to the cave on day three, I should have been relieved. Instead, I spent the entire time waiting at the entrance, watching for either Corvak or for snow-people, some sign that something has happened, good or bad.
Since we got here the waiting has been horrible. I've barely eaten. Who can eat jerky at a time like this? And that's all the food there is—a few withered roots and lots and lots of fish jerky. I'll eat when Corvak arrives, I tell myself. "If he doesn't come today, should we go out looking for him? What if he's injured? What if he hurt his ankle in his fall like you hurt yours?"
Valmir just sighs heavily again, because he's heard all my worrying a dozen times already. "There's no point in scouting. He knows this location. We can see the entire valley easily. If he's around, he'll come here, injured or not."
"But what if—"
"What if nothing. We're sticking to the plan." He's lost his patience with me.
"For how long?" I ask. "I need numbers. At what point do we realize that something's gone wrong with our plan and we go after him?" Because I'm ready to go now. The thought of a two-day trek through the snow back to the cave doesn't scare me nearly as much as the thought of Corvak injured and unable to get to me. We can return, I reason, as I pace near the entrance. Fake his death some other time. We can try again—
There's a crunch of snow outside the cave.
My eyes widen and I look at Valmir. Did I hear that right? The cat-alien is grabbing a spear, trying to haul himself off the cave floor. His reach for a weapon makes me realize that this might not be Corvak. It might be one of the snow-people, who's noticed our scent underneath the herbs and has followed us all this way—
A tall humanoid figure in a puffy hat pulled down to the high collar of their fur cloak appears. A mittened hand waves and steps into the cave.
Immediately, Valmir begins to vibrate, the song in his chest insistent, heavy, and angry.
"Corvak?" I ask, confused. Why is Valmir suddenly resonating to him?
The hood is pulled off, revealing long, dark hair on a human woman with sharp, high cheekbones, bright khui-blue eyes, and a searching gaze. She sees Valmir first, and her lips form a snarl. "Where the fuck have you been, pussycat?"
"Greetings to you, too, April," he says in a bored tone. "Come on in."
The human woman notices me, and I instantly stiffen. Instead of accusation, though, a broad, relieved smile creases her wind-chapped face. She's tall, this woman, and built more strongly than I am. She steps into the cave, shaking off the snow and unloading layers of furs. "Did I take a wrong turn in Duluth? Hi stranger! You must be one of the missing people."