He leveled an icy glare at me before he grabbed the rope and almost ran up the wall. I watched with my mouth open, before seizing it and doing my level best to copy him.
I wasn’t successful.
He stood balanced on the top board and watched me climb. The last bit was tricky—I had to get my feet hooked over the top and pivot myself onto it. It was a bit of a scramble, and the entire time, he observed my struggle.
“I thought team members helped each other,” I protested as I finally managed it.
His eyes gleamed at me. “You need the practice,” he said in a tone that did not invite further comment. Before he spun on one foot and jumped straight down, breaking his fall with an expert somersault at the bottom and rolling back to his feet.
Judging by the large dent in the ground, Mari must have done much of the same, although perhaps not quite so gracefully. I sighed and gathered the rope, preparing to fling it over the other side.
“Unhook the grapple,” Sebastian called up to me. “Use the support post to sling the rope around and throw Mari the ends.”
I did as he suggested, realizing that it would allow us to collect the rope. The ogress braced the ends while I climbed down, and then we pulled it free, and she threw the coil back over her shoulder.
As we jogged on, I contemplated the Bellati’s rigid back. He may be with us, but was he really a team member, or just with us to watch and criticize?
The second obstacle was a deep pond, with platforms like stepping stones placed at irregular intervals. Some of the distances between them would be a challenge even for Mari, who had a long stride but wasn’t much of a leaper.
“Can you swim?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “I sink rather well. But I can hold my breath. We do it all the time back home—we fill our lungs, and then walk along the bottom to spear fish.”
I grimaced, but it was the only way to get her across. The platforms looked challenging for me, too. I might have to swim between them.
“Do Dires swim?” I asked Matt.
“We prefer noot to,” he answered. “But I can carry yoou. I’ll jump between the platfoorms.”
My brows rose, but it was a feasible suggestion. “You want me to ride you?”
Too late, I realized how it sounded. His long Dire lips twisted as he panted a laugh. “Doon’t think I shoould answer that.”
Face flaming, I glanced at Sebastian—he looked pissed off.
“Do you have an issue with my strategy?” I challenged him.
His brows dropped lower. “No.”
“Can you do the platforms?” I asked.
“Of course.”
Arrogant sonofa—I squelched the thought and turned to Matt. “So how do I do this?”
“Climb oon,” he said. “Put yoour arms aroound my neck.”
I wasn’t sure this was a good idea. I had my gloves on, and a sweatshirt, but what if my sleeves slid up?
“I have fur, Angel,” he said.
“Get out of my head, you bloody Aussie,” I protested, resolving to develop a better poker face.
He snorted a laugh and crouched so I could climb onto his back. His neck was so thick with muscle that I couldn’t link my hands around it.
“Hold on to my fur,” he coached. “Don’t worry about pulling.”
As soon as he moved, I tightened my fingers into his thick coat. It wasn’t anything like riding the Unicorn—Matt’s spine flexed when he moved, which made it a very unstable seat.
