I was being cradled against something firm and warm, with pressure beneath my shoulders and knees. Slow, steady motion was swaying my body back and forth. Cold air was biting at my face. My hands were numb.

  Afraid of what I might see, but with no option but to look, I slid my eyes open.

  I was in Renner’s arms. I could make out the hard set of his jaw, shadowed with brown stubble, and the planes of one side of his face. He was looking ahead, lips pressed into a thin line and the muscles of his neck twitching. My pack was slung over his shoulder.

  The sky behind his head was a dim swirl of overcast clouds and hazy golden light. Most of it was obscured by the dark outlines of wooden cottages and slatted roofs. It appeared that he was carrying me through an alleyway.

  A gust of wintry air swept through the street, making shutters creak and dry plants rustle. I shuddered and pulled my arms tight across my chest. As soon as I started to move, Renner stopped walking.

  “You awake?”

  I swallowed tightly and I tipped my head back. He was staring straight ahead, face unreadable.

  “Yes.”

  The arm beneath my legs slid away. My boots tapped against the ground, icy water sliding to and fro within them. His other arm slowly withdrew, and I was left shivering on the dark cobblestones of one of Snowmelt’s alleyways.

  “Good.” Renner’s voice was clipped. “Let’s get one thing straight, ladyship.” He moved forward, cornering me against the rough wooden siding of a house.

  I kept my back ramrod straight and met his gaze evenly, trying not to shrink from the anger practically radiating from him.

  “You ever pull a stunt like that again, and I won’t hesitate. No more letting the Order have a look at you, no more benefit of the doubt. That’s it.”

  The blood drained from my face. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

  “Yeah? Well, you did.”

  The statement made me wince. I glanced down, dreading what I might see. His boots were blackened and singed, and some of the fabric of his lower trousers had been burned away. I bit my lip as more nausea welled up.

  “Don’t look so worried, I’ll live,” he snapped. “Maybe next time think before you-”

  “I’m sorry!” I cried. “I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just… I couldn’t just stand by and let you… let you…” my breath curled out between us as silvery fog. I could hear my heartbeat thrumming in my ears. “Gil?” I hardly dared murmur the poor man’s name, terrified of what the answer would be.

  His face darkened. “What do you think?”

  The world shone too brightly as fresh tears filled my eyes. “No. No.”

  “He’s not dead yet, if that makes you feel any better. I’d give it a few hours.”

  “Wh-what?” My heart skipped a beat. He left the stablemaster there- what, bleeding to death on his kitchen floor? That can’t be what he means. The image of a different kitchen, and a different pool of blood, flashed behind my eyes. I clenched my fists and tore my attention back to Renner.

  “Order says the monsters might be able to tell when someone they’re bound to dies. We need to be out of this place before that happens. Get a head start.”

  “Get a… what?” He wasn’t making sense. “Renner, we need to go back. We can take him to the Watch and ask for aid.”

  I took a step forward, the plan taking shape in my head.

  He moved, blocking my path. “No. He’s gonna bleed out, and we’re not gonna to do a damn thing about it.”

  I gaped at him. “Are you mad? How can you… look, even if you don’t care about Gil, he might be able to give us more information! Some kind of clue about where to start looking for Teela.” I tried moving past him again.

  Without pause, he shifted in front of me. His jaw was set. “No.”

  I tried to shove past. He didn’t budge. “Yes! Gods, Renner, what is wrong with you?!”

  He bared his teeth. “With me? You’re the one trying to save a murderer, ladyship.”

  “He isn’t-”

  “He may as well be! You heard the way he talked; the things he said. People are dead because of him.” He slammed one palm against the wood, punctuating the accusation.

  I sucked in a breath and looked around, abruptly aware that we were getting quite loud in the middle of this sleepy, silent backstreet. Renner drew back a bit, features cast in shadow, and his eyes darted to the shuttered windows of the nearby houses. We both stood still for a moment, waiting. There was no movement, no reaction. Snowmelt was silent.

  “He asked if I was alright.” I pressed cold fingers to my eyelids. “He was injured and scared, but he asked if I was alright.”

  There was an audible click as Renner’s jaw snapped shut.

  “He’s a person, Renner. We can’t just leave him! He made mistakes, and he deserves to pay for them, but that’s not your decision to make!”

  “No? You heard him, ladyship. ‘She has others.’ That’s what he said. That means there are other people in this salted town who are gonna get violent the moment you start asking questions. And your friend back there said he’d already tried going to the Watch. Nothing got done. The authorities you’re so keen on running to are compromised.”

  My mind raced. His observations changed nothing about Gil or what his fate should be, but they did cast our situation into a more sinister light. “So that means you get to decide his fate? You’re making assumptions, but we don’t know the whole story!”

  “I listened to what he said.”

  I bit down on a snarl. “Well, then… the town cleric. We can ask them for help. Surely a cleric-”

  “Ask for help? What exactly are you hoping we’ll get help with?”

  My jaw dropped. “Finding Teela, of course! And I still think we should go to the Watch. Maybe not to explain everything, but someone there could still shed some light. If this has been going on for years, if Teela wasn’t the first… then maybe there have been investigations done in the past.” He was shaking his head back and forth. My voice turned shrill with a fresh rise of panic. “Or… or trails that went cold, or, I don’t know, something!”

  “Ladyship. Brin.” He closed his eyes briefly, nostrils flaring. When he opened them again, I could see a flicker of that same softness from this morning.

  It made me want to turn and run.

  “Just… think for a moment. Think. When we woke up, it was past dawn. The room was cold. That means the window had been open for a while. It’s been hours since she was taken.”

  “That doesn’t mean-”

  “We are alone,” he drew closer, jaw clenched. “Do you understand? You and me, alone, in a place where anyone could be waiting for an opportunity to drag us off to whatever this thing is. It’s just us. I’ve got a crossbow and a sword, and you’ve got magic that knocks you on your ass half the time you use it.”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  My teeth began to chatter from more than just the cold. What he was saying was correct, logical, but was he really thinking about just… giving up? He couldn’t be.

  Renner pressed on, voice low and harsh. “There’s a Fae nearby that’s messing with people’s heads, has eyes and ears in the town, and managed to kidnap someone from a room with other people in it. I don’t like our odds.”

  “I don’t either, but we’re not giving up. We can’t. No one… Renner, no one even knows she’s missing! If we don’t find Teela, no one will!”

  “I don’t think-” His voice became too gentle again, too soft.

  I clapped my hands over my ears and shook my head, swallowing a scream. Gloved fingers wrapped around my wrists and pulled, dragging me closer. Forcing me to listen.

  “Ladyship. I don’t think there’s still a Teela to find.”

  “H-how can you say that?” Heat pricked behind my eyes. “How can you-”

  “Because you need to hear it!” My mouth went slack. His face twisted into a look of regret almost immediately. But only for a moment; in the next breath it had resumed that awful, flat coldness. He let go of my wrists and I slumped against the wall, knees shaking and blood roaring in my ears.

  When he spoke again, it was once again with that brutal, knifelike edge. “I don’t say it lightly. But it’s the truth. It’s been hours.” He leaned against the house beside us, tilted his head back, and gave a mirthless laugh. “And even if we find her, then… what? We kill a Fae? One that’s been preying on people for years, from the sound of things? Without any time to plan or set traps or scout things out?” He closed his eyes. “No. No, ladyship. We need to run.”

  That’s it, then. He’s giving up. Gods, how will I find her alone? I pictured myself alone in the cold town, running from house to house as a hazy sun sank slowly into the horizon and a new night of terrors crept ever closer. It was too much. I sank to the ground, arms wrapped around my middle, and cried. It was an ugly cry, with snot dripping from my nose and heavy, hitching gasps that wracked my whole body.

  Renner was silent. Some time later, when I had managed to catch my breath, I peered up. He had paced some distance away. His gloved hands were clenching and unclenching and his face was flushed red with cold.

  He’s wrong. Or he’s… he’s not, but he is. Gods, I can’t think. But we can’t run away. We can’t just leave her. It’s not right. She needs us.

  Renner was afraid. He was burying it beneath the anger, the calculations. But I could see it, clear as day. He was scared, perhaps rightfully so.

  I just have to say the right thing. Convince him, somehow. We are in danger, and we are outmatched, but… abandoning her is the wrong choice. I just have to make him see.

  I hiccoughed and lifted numb fingers to wipe at my face. That accomplished very little. A fresh, frosty breeze bit my skin and I lifted the hem of my tunic to help get clean.

  Renner approached me cautiously, like one would a wounded animal. “Need a hand up?”

  I sniffled and gave a nod. He swung my pack to the ground and then reached down, helped pull me to my feet… and frowned.

  “Where’s your cloak?”

  My blood turned to ice. I dragged a hand up to feel for the clasp at my throat… gone.

  An entire world away.

  He scanned the flat gray stones around our feet, brows knotting together, then looked back up the alleyway. I followed his gaze.

  “It m-must have fallen.” It’s not as though that could mean anything to him. Things go missing. It happens all the time.

  He turned and stared at me. I tried to keep my face neutral, but something in my demeanor must have put him on edge. His frown deepened.

  I swept damp hair back from my throat, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. “It’s f-fine. I don’t need it. We don’t need to w-worry about it.”

  Stillness crawled like frost across the cobblestones. My breath puffed in the air between us, misty and gray and too fast, and that flat expression returned.

  “You had it when I picked you up.” He stepped closer and his voice dropped to a murmur. “Where’s your cloak, ladyship?”

  I swallowed, unable to find my voice. The silence loomed, hanging like a noose. Just like during our walk beneath the silvery dawn, Snowmelt was too quiet; there were no birds, no insects, no chattering townsfolk. Just the rustle of wind through brittle plants.

  “Do you know,” he crowded me against the wall, eyes holding mine and glinting with a dangerous light, “That you’re a really bad liar?”

  I couldn’t seem to answer.

  “Every thought you have is just written on your face. And you know, it’s funny; there’s this look you get, sometimes.”

  I started to turn away, but his fingers grasped my chin. “When I ask what’s on your mind. When we talk about making deals with Fae.” His breath was warm against my face, and my heart hammered in a wild panic. “It’s the same look you’ve got right now.”

  I tore out of his grip. “So? Maybe it’s discomfort you’re seeing. Or… or annoyance.” His lips pressed together, and the light in his eyes didn’t wane. “We’re wasting time, s-standing here.”

  Silence reigned again, and I hardly dared to breathe. He’s suspicious. That’s all. Nothing’s changed; he’s always been suspicious of me. He doesn’t know anything for sure, no matter what he says about me being a poor liar.

  The next thought hit like a blow. He was only suspicious of Gil at first, too.

  And the uncertainty hadn’t stopped him. He’d hit Gil. He’d smashed Gil’s head into a countertop.

  Because he suspected.

  I trembled, heart pounding, as Renner continued to study my face. Would he draw another blade? Throw me against the rough wood and demand the truth? I wasn’t sure I had the stomach to fight back, not after earlier. Not after I’d nearly killed us both.

  “We need to go,” I whispered, hands wringing at my tunic. “It’s… it’s just a cloak.”

  His breath curled out between us in a small cloud of gray. “Just a cloak. Yeah.” His eyes glinted, copper that was too bright and saw too much, and he nodded towards the far end of the alley. “Come on, then. We’re almost at the gate.”

  He turned, and I sagged against the fence in relief. He made it a few steps before he paused and turned back to face me, one eyebrow cocked.

  “I’m not going to the gate,” I managed, trying to calm my racing heart. His expression darkened. Before he could argue I straightened, squaring my shoulders. “I’m not leaving Teela. We’re going to find her, and-” he was shaking his head, mouth twisting into a scowl, and I forged on, “And it’s okay if you’re scared, I am, too, but she needs us. We just… we can’t give up.”

  He was still shaking his head. “No, ladyship. We’re leaving.”

  “We’re not!”

  “We’re. Leaving.”

  “No.”

  Renner stalked towards me, cloak lashing at his singed boots. I kept my chin up, refusing to back down. “Ladyship-”

  “I’m not changing my mind!” I snapped, bristling. “If you want to run, fine, run. But I’m not leaving this place without her!”

  He stopped an inch away, glaring at me. For a moment I dared to hope he might relent, might change his mind and admit it was at least worth trying for a bit longer. And then he ground out, low and grim, “We had a deal.”

  I swallowed tightly, drawing back against the cold wood. “Well… I’m sorry. But it’s your choice to leave, and I’m not going with you.”

  Something flickered across his face; something dark and dangerous and directed solely at me. I was suddenly very aware that, just minutes ago, he had tried to kill someone. And now I was alone with him. In a dark, empty alleyway.

  One of his hands flexed. He glanced around. Slowly. Deliberately. As if confirming that no one was around. My heart began to race.

  “I’m not leaving, Renner,” I whispered again. My lips were trembling. He didn’t move. The air between us grew taut and electric, and in an even voice I ground out, “You can’t make me.”

  His jaw clenched and he stared down, eyes narrowed, as if actually considering the idea.

  Surely he wouldn’t… surely he won’t try to…

  I could see it written across his face.

  He would.

  I fought to keep my teeth from chattering. “I… don’t want to use a rune. N-not on you.” His eyes flashed. “But I’ll… I’ll scream every step of the way. I’ll wake up everyone in this whole town. I’ll t-tell them what you… what you did to Gil.”

  His body went taut, and I could see the muscles in his jaw working. “I don’t think this is a road you want to go down.”

  I blinked, not quite understanding his meaning.

  It became abundantly clear a moment later when he leaned in, breath hot on my face, and promised, “It ends with you tied up and gagged. Not fighting me. Not calling for help.” My eyes went wide, heart hammering. Nervous heat curled through my stomach as he added, almost gently, “But safe.”

  My breath came in ragged, hitching gasps as frustration and anger and stark fear all welled up, too heavy for me to breathe beneath.

  Teela was gone. Taken by a monster who was going to devour her. And her only hope was me, standing here half-frozen and spent after nearly setting myself on fire and failing to save Gil.

  And Renner. Renner, who wasn’t going to save her. Renner, who was threatening to drag me out of this place.

  He meant it. His face was darkened by that ruthless expression again; the look when he’d tried to stop me from running out of that cave, the look when he’d stabbed Gil. Like the choice in front of him was ugly and brutal, but he wasn’t going to hesitate.

  He would drag me out of this awful town, kicking and screaming, and Teela…

  Teela would die. Alone and afraid and without anyone fighting for her.

  Something snapped.

  “You’re a coward.” His eyes widened. I blinked back hot, angry tears, and hissed it again. “You’re a coward, Renner. You were going to just sit and watch when those men tried to hurt Teela back at the inn. And that night in the cave; you hid. You didn’t try to save anyone. And you only helped me in the first place because you thought you could get something out of it, and now… now…”

  His face had gone white. I couldn’t tell if it was from anger or something else.

  I dropped to my knees and yanked open my pack. He stood deathly still as I tore through my belongings, frozen fingers clawing past my runebook and spare clothes and packs of food until…

  “Here.” I stood. The shard was hot and bright in my hand. His eyes flickered as I thrust it forwards. “Here. This was all because you wanted a favor from the Order, right? Well, take it. Get out of town and go north and get your reward. Give this to them and tell them about Fellbrook, and this place, and, salt, tell them everything!”

  He didn’t move. I swiped at my eyes with my free hand. I could feel fat, warm tears sliding down my cheeks. I shoved the shard at him again.

  “Take it! It’s a… a good trade, right? For me?” He flinched back as though I’d hit him. “Maybe they won’t be as grateful as if you’d delivered a runekeeper, but it’s still got to count for something. And you’ll probably keep it safe better than me, anyhow.”

  He still didn’t move. I snarled and pressed the steel into his hand. “And you can threaten to drag me out of this awful town, but you know what? I’ll fight you every step of the way. Every step. I swear it. And when we get to the Order, I’ll tell them you’re a coward and a murderer and I’ll tell them you left Teela to die and… and…” my voice broke. More tears spilled out, blurring my vision. I pressed a hand to my face.

  His fingers wrapped around the metal. For a moment they began to close around mine, too, and I wasn’t sure if the touch would be gentle… or one intending to carry out his threat. My heart stuttered and I flinched back.

  “You’re going to get yourself killed,” he murmured.

  I choked out a bitter, exhausted laugh. “So? It’s not as though you care.”

  He swallowed. Opened his mouth. My chest tightened. For a moment, I thought he might argue.

  But he didn’t. His jaw snapped shut and his eyes grew hard, and his gloved hand clenched around the shard.

  And without another word, he walked away.