The more I heard from the troll, the less I believed him. Perhaps I just had a sixth sense for treachery among magical creatures, but something was off. And unlike when I had the same feeling about Riona, I didn't sense that this troll had our best interests at heart.
This was the third full day, and if the troll was to be believed, we would reach the entrance to Gwyllion tomorrow. It was hard to believe, but I would've rather stayed on the mountain, even with the frigid temperatures. Once we crossed the threshold into troll country, we would be in enemy territory, and I liked my chances better in the elements.
As predicted, our journey became rockier and more difficult—especially as a light dusting of snow fell, causing us to slip and slide across an increasingly narrow path. Since Cade could do nothing to keep our cloaks dry, we had to endure the wetness seeping down to our skin. I kept a close watch on Ayla, though she rebuffed any questions from Elodia on how she was doing.
What started out as a thin layer accumulated, and my boots began sinking into the snow as we climbed. My hands were numb, and my toes frozen in my wet socks. Ayla's cheeks were bright red, her lips a little pale as her teeth chattered.
"How much longer until the next village?" I asked the troll.
"We should reach it before nightfall," he said without turning.
"We'll freeze to death before then."
"Just keep walking," Rutley said, blowing into his hands. "Just keep walking."
The wind had picked up, and gentle snowfall was now inching toward blizzard. We wouldn't last long in those conditions, but I couldn't see an alternative. The path had grown quite narrow now as we circled the mountain, and there wasn't much keeping the wind from buffeting us.
"Keep your eyes peeled for a cave," I told Elodia and Rutley. "We have to stop sometime."
I dropped back to walk closer to Ayla, whose gaze was steadfastly on the ground. Cade walked between her and the edge, blocking some of the blowing snow, but it wasn't helping that much.
"Now might be a good time to have that magical breakthrough," I said, my voice carrying over the wind.
"I'm starting to doubt the theory that it was the troll who got me past it," he said, his teeth chattering.
"Then who could it have been?" I asked, rubbing my hands together. "And can they hurry it up and give us some heat?"
He shrugged, staring ahead with a shake of his head. "Maybe we'll find shelter soon." He turned to Ayla. "How are you doing?"
"Fine," she said through clenched teeth.
But she was far from fine. Her face was bright red, and her hands were turning white as they gripped her wet cloak around her. She wasn't going to last much longer in these conditions, especially as they continued to worsen.
I shrugged off my cloak and handed it to her. "Here. You need this more than I do."
"No, I don't," she said, fire in her eyes as she rebuffed me. "I'm fine."
"Ayla—"
"Don't coddle me," she snapped.
"I'm not coddling you," I snapped back, the cold and my exhaustion finally breaking through my temper. "I'm trying to make sure you don't die out here."
"I won't die."
"Won't you?" I grabbed her hands, pulling them in front of her eyes to look at them. "You're getting frostbite." I began to pull my gloves off when she stuffed her hands into her cloak.
"Am not."
"Ayla," Cade began, but I shot him a dirty look.
"Can you give us a minute?" I barked. "Just one."
He seemed like he'd rather have stayed, but he kept pressing on.
"What?" Ayla snapped, moving from leg to leg. "Make it quick."
"Look, I don't know what I've done to make you mad, or if you still think I'm trying to control you like Eoghan did. But we are too far into this mess to turn around, so the only thing that matters is that I get you to the troll kingdom in one piece. So all I ask is that you just cooperate a little more so I can do that to the best of my ability."
She softened for just a moment, and I thought I might've gotten through to her. But a distant rumbling drew my attention upward. It sounded almost like thunder.
"What's that?" Ayla asked, squinting into the wind.
There was a cry from the group ahead that sounded like Lynton. Cold slipped down my stomach as the sound became louder, like something rushing toward us. I yanked Ayla forward to find the rest of the group, but the ground had started shaking, making the already difficult walk even more so.
"Ward, slow down—"
"No time!" I called, pulling her to me and throwing her over my shoulder.
I ran toward the group as the rumbling grew to a roar. I didn't know why—they were as exposed as we were. Luckily, the wind seemed to be at my back, pushing me to run faster.
Lynton was kneeling on the path, snow covering the hood of his cloak and matching the white of his hair. As we came within a few feet of him, the ground shimmered, like it was made of liquid. It splashed to one side then the other, like wine being swirled in a glass, until it crashed over our heads and met the other side—solidifying immediately into a rock tunnel.
"Wha—"
A deafening boom echoed through the tunnel, and I winced as my ears rang. The spot where Ayla and I'd been standing was now a wall of moving white snow. I watched it, mesmerized, my arm tight around my queen as I waited for the chaos to end.
"Put me down," Ayla said, elbowing me in the back of the head.
I gently placed her on the ground, making sure to keep a hand on her arm in case I needed to move her again. Her breath came in short puffs as she stared over my shoulder.
"What happened?" she whispered, her hand falling on top of mine.
"Avalanche," Lynton said. "We will give the snow time to settle before continuing."
"That's…all you have to say?" Elodia asked, gesturing to the tunnel. "After you just created this…this thing? What was that anyway?"
"Troll magic," Cade replied, his eyes wide as he touched the wall. "It was magnificent."
"Why is this the first we're seeing of it?" Rutley asked, a scowl on his face. "You could've made a better bridge a few days ago, eh?"
"Or made the mountain easier to climb?" Elodia asked.
"Or—"
"I use magic when it's necessary," Lynton replied, as if that were an answer. "Until now, it hasn't been necessary."
I could've begged to differ, considering how many times we'd collectively been in danger. Even if he could've used his magic to carry Ayla, it might've made this journey easier. I opened my mouth to add to the chorus, but Ayla tugged my hand and shook her head.
"Leave it be. He did just save our lives," she said, looking behind her at the wall of snow. "And hopefully, he's our way out of here."
⤖⤖⤖⤖
The minutes wore on, and I kept having to remind myself that despite his not lifting a finger to help until now, it didn't appear Lynton wanted us dead. But he didn't seem in any great hurry to get us out of the tunnel either. He was content to sit on the ground cross-legged, leaning up against the wall.
"What's he waiting for?" Riona asked, coming up next to me.
"No clue," I replied. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, glancing over to where Ayla and Cade were sitting. "That was a close call though. Why were you two so far from the group?"
"Trying to get your sister to listen to reason," I replied.
"How'd that work?"
I honestly wasn't sure.
Lynton drew everyone's attention as he rose to his feet. "The sun has set. We will sleep here tonight and continue to Gwyllion in the morning."
"Sleep…here?" Ayla blanched. "In this cave?"
"We'll freeze to death," Cade said. "And starve."
"You will survive the night," Lynton replied, walking to the wall of the cave. He put his hands on the rock, and it rippled again. A spot on the ceiling swirled, as if it were water going down a drain, except it was swirling upward. A little snow fell through the open hole, but a rush of fresh air came into the cave.
He kept his hands on the side of the cave, closing his eyes as he concentrated. Magic throbbed in the veins of the rock as it sped from his fingertips.
Cade took a step forward. "What are you—"
"Hush. I need to concentrate."
I crossed my arms over my chest, growing more irked by the moment by this new display of magic, but withholding judgment until I saw what the outcome was.
Directly beneath the hole in the ceiling, four pieces of firewood appeared, as if birthed by the floor itself. Ayla squeaked with surprise, and Cade was on his feet in an instant.
"You can summon things?" he bellowed.
"Certain things," he said. "I'm unable to make a fire. I assume one of you can handle that."
Elodia was the first to move, pulling her flint from her pocket and casting the troll a dirty look as she set to work on it. "I need kindling, too. Not just logs. Haven't you ever made a fire before?"
"It's been a long time." He put his hands on the wall again and sent the magic in search of it.
"So…why can't he bring us dinner, too?" I muttered as small twigs appeared beneath the four logs. The rest of the group seemed to have the same thought, watching the troll with wary, hungry eyes. Everyone except Ayla, who was bound and determined to keep a positive attitude.
Riona exhaled softly as Elodia got the fire going, and within minutes, it was a nice size. The annoyance at the troll was gone, in favor of relief as the group crowded the fire to warm their frozen fingers and toes. I kept to the side, letting the others get their fill, as I watched the troll. He'd retreated to the back of the cave, wrapped his cloak around himself, and closed his eyes.
"Nobody has any other magical tricks up their sleeve, do they?" Rutley asked, glancing around. "Your Majesty?"
Ayla jumped, as if the question were accusatory. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," he said, averting his gaze. "Just trying to make light of the situation."
"O-oh." She wore a weak smile. "Very funny."
But it didn't escape my notice that she clutched the stone around her neck. Curious.
One-by-one, the group peeled away from the fire to find a soft place to sleep for the night until it was just Cade and Ayla. He yawned and asked if she was ready, and she shook her head, holding her fingers to the fire. He caught my gaze and nodded.
"You'll take first shift?" he said with a small smirk.
I snorted, remembering the nights when we had to watch each other in the fae realm. "Sure. Get some sleep."
"Don't stay up too late," Cade said to Ayla.
She didn't meet my gaze as I sat down next to her, finally breathing in the warmth of the fire. It felt much warmer than it should've, but that was probably because I'd been freezing my butt off for five days. I rubbed my numb hands together and blew into them.
"Are you all right?" Ayla asked softly.
"Me? Never better." I shifted. "You?"
She didn't respond right away. "You… You saved my life today."
"It's my job." I'd almost forgotten about throwing her over my shoulder. "Besides that, I'm sure the troll's magic would've reached you. After all, you're the most important person on this trip." I snorted. "The rest of us? Not so sure."
She pulled the stone from beneath her dress. "Am I just a job to you?"
I released a breath, warmth creeping up my toes from the fire. "You know that's not true."
"Do I?" She rubbed her hands together. "It seems like…ever since you got this promotion—"
"I haven't gotten it yet."
"Well, since you were told about it…" She finally met my gaze. "You've been different. Overbearing. Demanding. Overprotective."
"I haven't changed a thing," I said. "This is who I am when my monarch is in constant danger. An anxious mess who's apparently a glutton for punishment." I turned to her, seeing a little hurt on her face, and I found myself reaching for her hand and squeezing it. "It's because I care so much about you that I'm so cautious."
She looked at me, her already large eyes going wider. "You care about me?"
"Of course I do. I didn't take nearly the same amount of caution with Cade," I said with a smile. "You can ask him how I treated him during the first leg of our trip."
She returned the squeeze. "I may just do that. Tomorrow, though."
"Get some rest," I said, a little sad when she released my hand. "Tomorrow, we reach the troll kingdom. We should be ready for anything."