Page 93 of Throne of Ice and Blood
“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” I mutter.
He casts a sideways glance at me, and the smirk on his mouth is answer enough.
“Bastard,” I huff.
A thud sounds as Draven’s boots connect with the rocky ground. He flares his wings and rustles them once before tucking them in tighter by his back. Then he carefully sets me down on the ground as well.
My heart still patters against my ribs after the sharp dive through the air, so I draw in a deep breath to remind my body that I’m on solid ground again while I rake my fingers through my windblown hair to smooth it down.
But right before I can take a step back, Draven’s hand shoots out and wraps around my throat. I start, blinking at him insurprise. And for one insane second, I think he’s going to pull me close and kiss me. But he does something even more surprising.
The feeling of cold ice around my throat disappears, and magic and strength floods back into my body, as Draven removes the iron collar from around my throat. A sigh of relief escapes my mouth.
Lost for words, I just raise my eyebrows at him in silent question while running a hand over my throat to rub off the last of the coldness.
Draven just slips the collar into one of his belt pouches while giving me a look that I can’t read. “Wearing an iron collar that drains your energy right after you’ve had a panic attack is… not ideal.” He casts a glance over his shoulder towards the Ice Palace in the distance before returning his gaze to me. “You had to wear it when we left. But out here, no one can see it.” He nods towards my throat. “Especially not underneath the cloak.”
I pull the black cloak tighter around me and adjust the clasp at the front so that it truly covers the parts of my throat where the collar is supposed to be.
“Just don’t… wander off,” Draven finishes, and gives me a pointed look.
“Wander off?” Spreading my arms, I shoot him an exasperated look back. “How am I supposed to manage that? The only ones who can wander anywhere out here are mountain goats.”
As if they actually heard me talking about them, two mountain goats let out a smug bleat and then practically skip away across the uneven mountain slope. Gray clouds cover the heavens, painting the sharp rocks and steep inclines in bleak hues, and strong winds rush over the almost barren landscape. How the goats can be so happy in this kind of environment is beyond me.
I’m exaggerating about the inability to wander, but not by much. As I sweep a glance over the mountain side around us, I realize that the only way to get here without flying requires quite a bit of climbing. The human rebels have climbing gear, but it’s still going to be dangerous and time consuming for them to get to the entrance out here. If I can find it, that is.
“You’re the one who tried to escape literallylast night,” Draven replies while arching an eyebrow at me.
I return my gaze to him and tilt my head to the side before nodding, conceding the point.
“Well, would you look at that?” A smirk full of mischief and challenge blows across Draven’s lips as he reaches out and draws two fingers along my jaw before giving my chin a little push upwards. “You really are learning to obey my commands without question.”
With a huff, I shove his hand away and mutter, “Arrogant asshole.”
His smirk only widens.
Then he takes a step back and motions at the mountainside around us while a serious expression descends on his features. “There are a few parts I need to check out. Stay here.”
His wings rustle as he spreads them wide again, as if preparing to take off.
“Do you really think he’s here?” I blurt out before he can fly off. “The Red Hand, I mean.”
“No.” Draven lets out something between an annoyed huff and a chuckle. “But I need to check it anyway.”
Before I can ask why, he launches into the air. Tilting my head back, I watch him as he flies towards a spot a little higher up on the slope. In his black armor and with his massive black wings, he truly looks like the Shadow of Death as he flies over the gray landscape.
Narrowing my eyes, I study him as he examines something up there.
Part of me had hoped that he would fly so far that I would be out of sight, because then I could begin searching for the entrance to the emergency tunnel without him seeing it. But the other part of me has already come to the conclusion that it wouldn’t have mattered. There is no way that I would have been able to find a hidden door out here before he came back anyway. I can barely move over this terrain, and I have no idea where to even start searching.
My mind churns as I sweep my gaze over the unforgiving landscape. How in Mabona’s name am I supposed to find the door?
Another cold wind whirls around the mountain, making the branches on the few brittle and barren bushes rattle over the rocks. A short distance below, a group of mountain goats skip past while bleating happily. I shake my head at them before sliding my gaze back to Draven.
A sudden idea hits me.
There are a few parts I need to check out. That’s what he said. A few parts.
