Page 26 of Throne of Ice and Blood
I can barely hear him over the ringing in my head.
Go back? I can’t go back. If I do, there is no guarantee that I will be able to escape again after the heist. Then I will be stuck there with a collar around my neck. Forever.
“You might be free, but the rest of us aren’t,” Kyler continues. “And those other fae in the palace, are you really willing to leave them there?”
Guilt explodes inside me. Isera. And Alistair. They’re still trapped in there.
“Kyler,” Kath admonishes.
“What?” he replies. “Weneedher.”
“Yes, but…”
They continue to argue about his cutthroat persuasion tactics, but I can barely hear them, because my own mind is so loud. And the worst part is that Kyler might be right.
I thought I would just help the human resistance from the outside. Maybe even get them in contact with our own resistance back in the Seelie Court. But Kyler is right. Having a spy inside the Ice Palace is invaluable. Haven’t I always said that I wanted to be more important? That I want to play a bigger part in the resistance? That I want to do something that actually makes a difference instead of just working as a lookout? This is it. This is my chance to actually do something of value. To actually prove that I am worthy. And besides, I can’t leave Isera in there. Even Alistair. He might be a bully but he’s still one of us. I can’t just abandon them to torture and despair while I go free.
“I’ll do it.”
All voices cut off abruptly.
And before I can change my mind, I repeat, “I’ll do it.”
Relief washes over them all.
“Thank you,” Kath whispers.
“But I’m going to need…”
I trail off as a jolt spikes through me. Draven. Mabona’s tits, if I’m going to do this, I have to get back before Draven realizes that I’m missing.
Peter sucks in a gasp as I jump to my feet so fast that the chair topples backwards and clatters down on the floor.
“I need to hurry,” I press out, flicking frantic eyes between them. “I need to make it back before they realize that I’m missing. Do you have any climbing gear?”
All four of them scramble to their feet as well.
“Climbing gear?” Kath asks, staring at me in confusion.
“I had to climb down the side of the castle to get out. I will have to climb back up it again.”
“Oh.” She blinks, and then whips her head to Peter. “Get a set of gloves and shoe covers for her.”
He lurches into motion and sprints out of the room while Ami hurries around the table. Paper flutters as she yanks out a sheet and begins explaining how I can pass along information. Apparently, they have a drop-off location on the grounds of the castle. While Ami is still drawing a map and explaining procedures, Peter returns and shoves a pair of gloves and something else into my hands. I just grab them and the paper without looking at them before hurrying to the door.
I’m just about to throw it open when someone opens it from the outside instead. A tall and muscular man with brown hair and brown eyes steps through the door, and then stops when he almost slams right into me.
“Hector,” Kath blurts out from behind me.
All four of them straighten and lower their chins slightly the way that people do when faced with authority. My gaze shiftsback to the man before me. Based on the way the others are acting, this Hector guy must be the leader of this resistance.
His eyes widen when he sees my pointed ears.
But I don’t have time to stop, so I just meet his eyes and deliver the warning that I set out to deliver from the beginning.
“Be careful. Draven Ryat is coming for the Red Hand.”
Hector starts in surprise, but I just slip around him and dart out the door.
