All or nothing. Always.
Brandt pulled heat again. He pulled the last of the heat from the dying stave, the warmth still stored in the cracked stone, and the heat from their own bodies. He began shivering uncontrollably, but he kept pulling from the air around them, scraping every last bit of heat together that he could.
He pulled the last of the heat from the lit torch, casting them into permanent darkness. At the same time, he could feel moisture pulled from his body. They were both at their limit.
He pushed the heat into the stone, focusing it. “Now.”
There was a splash, followed by a wave of steam.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the stone cracked, echoing loudly in the small chamber.
Light shone through.
Brandt whooped with joy, crawling forward as fast as his cold limbs would allow. He banged the hilt of his dagger against the stone, breaking it into pieces he then pulled into the cave. Warm air flowed in from the small passage on the other side of the rock. The wolfblades had revealed a small tunnel just large enough to slither through.
He returned to Anna. She was so cold she could barely move. Brandt had nothing to give, but he pushed her gently toward the passage. The air flowing in felt tropical compared to the frozen air of the cave.
Ana lay on her belly and crawled forward. Brandt followed suit, exhaling deeply to fit through the initial gap.
The farther they went, the faster Ana climbed, the tunnel angling upward. Like the opening that had led them here, the surface was unnaturally smooth. Occasional depressions in the stone served as holds. Her body was warming up again, and the passage opened up until they were standing in a vertical crack. They walked toward the light, coming out into a thickly wooded deciduous forest.
Ana laughed, her relief finally finding expression. Brandt laughed, too.
They had done it.
He’d never had a doubt.
They began their journey back to Landow, where they would meet the rest of the squad. Now that his survival was certain, at least for a while, his mind returned to his previous concerns.
They had escaped with their lives, but they still had a bandit to catch.
And he was impossibly strong.
Brandt looked forward to the challenge.
He would show the bandit what the wolfblades could do.
4
Alena left the academy before the last class of the day began. She studied history last, but the instructor was a doddering, absentminded fool who read from a book out loud to the class. He didn’t teach her anything she couldn’t learn on her own. So why waste precious time?
Wisdom also dictated that she leave early. She had crossed paths with Niles three times that day, and his glares were unmistakable. Throughout the day he’d gathered a following of students eager to ingratiate themselves with a named family. She guessed he planned on waiting for her outside the academy, this time with a more supportive entourage. She refused to grant him an easy opportunity.
The streets outside the academy were quiet as she walked out the gates. The city guard at the gate nodded as she passed. She was beyond the age of compulsory education. University-tracked students attended of their own choice, so the guard had no reason to stop her.
Alena chose streets more or less at random. Landow had been one of many cities redesigned by Emperor Anders I, so all the streets were set out on a grid. So long as Alena continued either north or east and paid some attention to her surroundings, she would eventually end up at her destination.
She glanced behind her periodically. She didn’t believe anyone would try to follow her, but one couldn’t be too cautious.
Her checks revealed nothing suspicious. A handful of wage earners cleaned the streets. A few merchants stood talking outside a shop. The sameness of it all bored her, much the same as her classes.
The walk to the shop didn’t take long. Landow’s academy was near the center of town, where most of the government buildings stood. Bayt’s shop was located among a small group of other shops, surrounded by nice houses.
From the outside, Bayt’s shop appeared pristine. Alena knew he paid more than was necessary on upkeep. He knew well the value of appearances. The shop inside was equally clean.
To most people, Bayt was a merchant who specialized in the spice trade.
And to be fair to him, Bayt was a successful spice trader. Caravans never passed through Landow without a visit to Bayt’s shop. Alena noticed a cart sitting outside as she approached. A young man, looking thoroughly bored, rested in the cart, a large brimmed hat pulled over his eyes.
Alena ignored him and stepped into the shop.
Bayt glanced at her, smiled, then returned to his conversation with the visitor. They spoke in a language Alena didn’t understand. It sounded like one of the southern dialects, but Alena didn’t have her master’s ear for tongues. He frequently criticized her lack of interest in language.
She was about to start cleaning when Bayt called out to her. “Alena, could you fetch the caraway and the fennel?”
Alena nodded and stepped into the back, where the stores of spices were collected. Bayt’s organization was impeccable, and she found the spices with ease. She brought them to the front, then cleaned until Bayt finished his meeting.
It wasn’t long before Bayt said his farewells with a smile and a wave. Alena noted that no small amount of coin had changed hands. Much more than the spices were worth.
He turned his attention to Alena. “You’re early today.”
She smiled. “I brought something.”
Bayt glanced around, then nodded for her to go into the back room. He ordered another apprentice to watch the shop, then followed Alena. He locked the door between the shop and the back room, then gestured toward the floor. Alena found a recessed button within the floor by memory
