Artem pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow before putting it back on. He didn’t wear a wrap on his head, like the other soldiers, but rather a helm that looked more decorative than functional. And like everything else in Kharav, the metal of his armor was dark, almost black, soaking in the sun. His head was likely baking in it. Good. She smiled to herself.
Norah looked up at the rocky overlook above, and her smile grew to a grin. She urged the mare to the water’s edge and dismounted, using her hand to block the sun as she looked upward at the rock face. “A nice day for a walk,” she called pleasantly. An even better day to require an overheated captain of the Crest to hike up a steep mountainside.
“You can’t be serious,” Artem scoffed.
She shrugged. “Stay here, then,” she replied, and started up the narrow path.
Artem’s annoyed grunt sang sweetly in her ears as he dismounted and followed with his guard. Petty pleasure, she scolded herself. And Artem would probably find a way to make her pay for it later. But for now, she’d give herself this small joy. It was all she had left.
It was a long climb, and despite leaving her jacket back with the mare, she found herself perspiring. Delight rippled through her as she thought of how Artem must be faring.
They were all breathless by the time they reached the top. Her legs burned, and a deep stitch clenched her side, but it was worth it. She closed her eyes, breathing in the sky and drawing life back into her body. This was exactly what she had needed. In a short while, she’d be back in the castle of shadows. She needed to remember this place—how the wind felt, how the sun hit her face. She needed it to endure the dark.
Everything was lost.
Yet something still pulled at her heart. Something small but strong.
Not everything, it said. Not yet.
Norah stood in the sun and looked down to the sparkling blue of the water below. The light danced across its surface. Its magic smiled at her. The wind swirled around her, whispering into her ears, breathing strength into her mind. It told her to remember—remember what she was here for.
And a new strength came.
She’d almost lost herself again. She had almost resigned herself. But she couldn’t. She owed it to her people. And those she loved. She owed it to herself.
Norah turned around to see Artem standing a distance away from her. He watched her with his dark and despicable eyes, no doubt thinking dark and despicable thoughts.
She raised her arms, feeling the wind underneath them. Artem’s mouth opened slightly, and he took a step toward her.
Her lips peeled back into a wry smile.
And she let herself fall backward, over the edge.
“No!” he bellowed as he charged forward. But he was too far away. He couldn’t catch her.
The fall was a fall into freedom.
Norah hit the water, and its chill sent a shock through her body. It took her a moment to recover, and she kicked feverishly back to the surface. She gasped for air as she battled the tangle of skirts around her legs, and her teeth chattered as she got her bearings. Looking up, she saw Artem at the top of the overlook, gaping at her but not daring to jump. She let out a triumphant laugh.
The lord commander would have jumped in after her.
But Kiran was right. This man was a coward.
Norah made her way to the bank and let out a low whistle, calling the mare. The horse found her quickly, and she sprang onto her back. Giving one last look to Artem, she urged the animal forward into a gallop.
North.
She rode until she was out of sight before she let the mare slow. It would take Artem some time to get back down to his horse, and she’d be well ahead of him. He’d never track her with Savantahla, a horse of the Wild. Norah brought the mare to a stop and looked around. Her teeth chattered in her wet dress under the wind, but she was thankful for alhilat—the break in winter. If Bremhad were there, perhaps he might not hate it so much now.
She shifted her mind to what she needed to do next. Artem had watched her ride north, toward the Canyonlands and Mercia. She smiled as she turned the mare east.
To Odepeth. And the seer.