Chapter Twenty
Calista
I was weightless for a minute, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth to stifle a scream.
I caught one breath mid-air before slamming into packed dirt six body lengths below.
Pain flashed bright in my left ankle when I landed.
“Moons curses,” I hissed out through clenched teeth. I rolled and swallowed down a cry.
The pit was wide and deep, walls braced with woven willow and lined with jagged stakes.
It was a clever cage, one that must have taken hours to excavate.
Likely a relic from the past. And I’d been an idiot to fall for it.
Above, the hole’s lid lay tilted on its ropes.
Footsteps thudded along the edge, matching the pounding timbre beneath my chest.
“Everest?” I called out.
Rhosyn Briar peered over the rim, red hair braided tight to her head and eyes bright with triumph. “Even wolfless Hollows can be caught like prey,” she sang out.
Frost take me.
Myra Bolt’s face appeared next beside hers, pale hair stuck to her cheek and smile thin. “I’ll be sure to send your regards to the king when I claim the throne.”
“Or better yet, when we claim him.” A feral giggle parted Rhosyn’s lips. “I’ve heard he’s quite a beast in the bedroom.”
Pressing my lips into a thin line, I refused to take the bait, despite the unexpected twinge of jealousy.
“It’s probably for the best, Hollowcrest,” Myra added. “You could never tame the Savage King. Only a real Wolvryn female could.”
“Could you imagine what he would do to her?” The Thornwild female laughed. “He’d break her the moment she spread her legs for him.”
“Oh, Rhosyn, stop. You’re so wicked.” She tugged at her friend’s arm, and they disappeared over the lip.
It took all my restraint to keep from crying out after them. But I would never beg for their mercy. I had my rope, and a twisted ankle, but I would find a way out. Just like I always did.
“Where are you Black Wolf?” Rhosyn’s sing-song echoed above. “Come out and save your bride.”
Gods’ dammit, where was Everest? An odd tangle of relief and panic battled in my chest. Relief that he hadn’t heard the embarrassing things the ladies had said and panic because… he wasn’t here.
“That’s a shame.” Rhosyn reappeared above, peering over the edge to get a better look at my misery. “It seems as though your precious guard has abandoned you.”
A whisper of dread curled low in my gut. As much as I’d despised the idea of my guard when we first set out, I couldn’t deny I’d begun to soften toward him. He was my only ally in this deadly game.
Myra was back now too, smile sharpening. “Surrender now, and we’ll give you a gentler bind than the hunters.”
“Bind this,” I suggested, voice sweet as I flicked her my first two fingers, showing fangs.
“What do you know, the Hollow does have teeth.”
I pushed myself up off the ground and gave the girls my brightest smile. “Rhosyn. Myra. Both of you after the same crown? That is brave, or very stupid. Which is it today?”
Rhosyn flushed. “You will not talk your way out of this one, Hollowcrest.”
“No,” I replied. “I’ll climb.”
“Not with that ankle.” Myra clucked her tongue. “What a shame…”
I wiggled the foot I’d landed on and only felt a slight twinge. Thank the goddess. “Perfectly fine as you can see.” I hopped from one foot to the other just for show. “Now, tell me will you two share Sav—the king too?”
The two females eyed each other uneasily.
Both Thornwild and Stormhallow were powerful courts, the ones to be feared according to Everest. Either would make a good match for the king.
But how long would their partnership last?
There could be after all, only one queen.
Pitting them against each other would be my best bet.
“Let’s go,” said Rhosyn. “We’re wasting our time.”
Myra nodded and the two females darted off. Hopefully for good this time.
Once their footfalls fell away, a flicker of unease attempted to rise. Shoving the dread down, I unhooked the ring at my hip and unraveled the rope. It was a fairly easy climb as long as I managed to avoid the stakes.
The biggest problem was that if a hunter came along, I’d be an easy target, pinned and vulnerable. Thank Selraya, neither the Thornwild or Stormhallow hunters seemed to be nearby. For now.
I tipped my head back, eyeing the ropes that were looped through crude pulleys, holding the lid overhead. If I hooked one with my ring, and heaved, I could turn the lid itself into a ladder of sorts.
Taking a step back, I threw the ring and it struck true. Then I yanked on the rope, and it held. Not very solid, but the best I could hope for now.
Gripping the rope, I tested one of the thick spikes with my boot. It held too. Using it as a foothold, I only felt a slight twinge in my ankle as I rose. I drew in a breath and kicked my good foot against the wall and started to climb.
A dark head of hair appeared over the opening, and a gasp escaped through my clenched teeth.
“Moons, Everest!” I hissed. “Where have you been?”
“I was hoping to go unnoticed by your female friends.” He ticked his head to the side before turning his attention back to me. “Are you hurt?”
“No, just a twist to my ankle when I landed, but it’s holding.”
“Good. Can you climb?”
“I was trying to before you scared the Wolvryn out of me.”
A chuckle. Then he dropped down at the opening and reached for the rope. “Need help?”
Ignoring the surprisingly warm sound of his laughter, I climbed, hand over hand. “No, I’ve got it.”
What felt like an eternity later, I slapped both palms to the rim, fingers digging into a lip of frozen dirt.
Everest was already there, hand closing over mine to haul me up and over the ledge.
I rolled onto the earth, chest heaving, and an unexpected laugh tumbled out, warming the air between us.
We lay there for a long second, shoulder to shoulder, our breaths fogging in the same cold. Alive and still free.
Everest sat up, propping the mask atop his head of wild hair. “Well done.”
“You needn’t look so smug.”
“I could have gotten you back up here in half the time.”
“I’m more than capable of handling myself.” I pushed myself up, brushing the dirt from my cloak. “I didn’t need Savage to send me out here with a babysitter.”
“I see that.” He crouched at my feet, glancing up at me. “May I?”
Before I could answer, he set his hand on my calf. Then he unbuckled my boot and eased it off with a care that made my throat tight. His calloused fingers moved carefully across my ankle. Testing. “You’re right, it’s not hurt. Just angry.”
“Told you.”
A rueful smile. “Ready then?” He pointed across the terrain.
“Just give me a minute.” I gently rolled my ankle to the left then the right. Barely a twinge.
“Catch your breath, then we must move. If Thornwild and Stormhallow sent Rhosyn and Myra, those females were chosen for a reason.”
I snorted on a laugh. “You don’t believe Savage would approve of either beauty as his bride?”
He huffed out a quiet chuckle. “Beauty is the least useful thing a queen can bring to Frostcrag. Savage would rather a steady mind, a fierce heart, and a spine that won’t bend in a storm.”
Everest seemed oddly certain of what his king would and wouldn’t desire.
I nearly asked him how he knew the taciturn male so well.
“And for what it’s worth, I don’t think the king is hunting for a pretty face.
” His gaze lifted to mine, steady and close.
“Looks to me like his choice had already been made.”
Heat flickered through me, low and unwanted.
“He’s a male who knows what he wants.” His voice was low, almost an afterthought. As if he’d said nothing at all, he ticked his head across the fields, signaling the end of the conversation. “Let’s move before the hunters appear. We’ve already wasted too much time.”