Chapter 18
E lla started to climb the steps first, Nicholas behind her. The steps were just wide enough for her foot and steep. It wasn’t long before her legs started to burn from the exertion. She kept her attention focused on the next stair in front of her and then the next and the next so she wouldn’t think about how far up they were going.
“How are you doing?” he asked, with a grunt.
“Great,” she said, trying to sound as if she meant it.
He chuckled.
“How about you?”
Here the steps widened and became more straight up than at an angle of a regular staircase. She reached up, looking for a handhold to hoist herself up.
“I’m great, too,” he said, though he didn’t sound like he believed it.
She made the grave error of looking up. Her stomach clenched at the sight above her. The staircase seemed to go on forever. She paused, her arms and legs shaking. The wind whipped through them the higher they went.
“I’m not sure about this, Nicholas,” she said, her voice strained with fear.
“You can do this,” he said, reassuring her.
For the moment, she was paralyzed with anxiety.
“Just take it one step at a time,” he said.
She reached for the next handhold, grabbed onto the edge of the stair, then pulled herself up.
“That’s it,” he said, cheering her on from below.
Then she made the mistake of looking down. The ground was far below, the wind whipping through them. She sucked in a sharp breath as she realized it was just as far to go down as it was to continue going up.
“Don’t look at the ground, Ella,” he said.
“I can’t do this.” Her voice was nothing but a roughened whisper.
“You can . Ella, look at me.” He moved upward a step, closing the short gap between them. His face was right on her heels. “Look at me, Ella.”
Her attention drifted from the ground to his upturned face and met his glittering blue, soulful eyes. There was comfort there.
“I’m right behind you.”
She knew he was, but he was trying to give her courage. “I’m scared.”
“I know you are, but you’re doing great,” he reassured.
“We’re almost to the top.”
“And then we find Ingrid,” he said. “And go home.”
“Home?” Her brows drew together in question.
“Yes, home. To Rovenheim,” he said. “And when we return, you can have a long hot bath and sleep for as long as you like.”
“In your castle?”
He nodded. “In my castle. In the room next to mine.”
It sounded like a permanent invitation but she knew better than to hope for such a thing. Rovenheim was his home, not hers.
She turned back to the rock in front of her, reached for the next step and pulled herself up. Her gloves were starting to wear from constantly grabbing the rockface. Her legs burned. Her arms throbbed. Her hands ached. But somehow, she managed to keep going. Step after step. Until at last, she could see the top. Hope rose in her breast. She wanted to hurry, but she knew if she did, she could make a fatal mistake. So, she took those steps slowly until finally she reached the top of the mountain.
When she made it to the final stair, she dragged her tired body across it. She scurried away from the edge and then leaned over on her hands and knees to see if he needed help. He reached up for her. She grasped his hand and though he didn’t need the help, he accepted her assistance. He practically crawled from the last stair and then rolled to his back, laying there a long moment to catch his breath as he looked up into the night sky. As his chest rose and fell with his deep breaths, white plumes fogged around his face.
It was colder up here than on the ground. She shivered even under the thick layers of clothing. And then she recalled the velvet bag. She pulled it out from under her cloak and opened the drawstring to peer inside it. The shoes were still there and fully intact.
Relief sputtered through her.
Nicholas was probably right in that she should have left them behind at the castle for safekeeping, but she felt as though it was the wrong thing to do. That she should keep them on her person at all times. Something about them pulled at her. Noella had entrusted her with them, after all. Leaving them behind seemed dangerous.
But then, bringing them to the queen’s fortress could prove even more dangerous.
“That was…quite a climb,” he puffed out.
She closed up the drawstring bag and slid it back under her cloak. “It was.”
Now, sitting on the cold mountaintop, she glanced around but saw nothing but the shadowy shapes of more rocks and patches of snow.
How long had it taken them to climb that steep staircase?
Finally, Nicholas sat up and ran a gloved hand through his hair. Though he was closer to her, she had a difficult time making out his features in the inky blackness.
“Now what?” she asked.
“The fortress can’t be far now,” he said. He got to his feet. “Stay here.”
“Where are you going?” Fear pounded through her at the thought of being left alone on the mountaintop.
“I’m going over there.” He pointed ahead of him. “It looks like there might be a small cave on the side of the mountain. Or at least an opening. I’ll be right back.”
She drew her knees up to her chest and watched him walk away, his form turning into a shadow and blending in with the rest of the gloom. She stared in the space he had occupied only moments ago, straining her eyes as she watched for his shape to return to her. Long, cold moments passed and he didn’t return.
Her heart plummeted to her stomach. She pushed to her feet, her tired body protesting.
“Nicholas?” she called.
There was no answer.
She moved away from the edge of the mountaintop trying to ignore it and her fear of tumbling over it to her death.
“Where are you?” she called again.
Again, the only answer was that of the wind whipping through her and whistling over the rock. She took a tentative step and then another toward the place he had seemingly disappeared into with her heart in her throat. She envisioned all sorts of terrible things happening to him. Like being captured by the queen’s men or attacked by some silent, shadowy creature.
“Nicholas?” she called again, this time louder as she made her way closer to what he suggested was a small cave.
Indeed, it did look to be a narrow opening in the rock. But did she dare go inside there? She clutched her elbows, hugging herself tight. Her legs trembled as she forced herself to take another tentative step. The darkness seemed to close in around her like a suffocating shroud, amplifying the sense of impending danger. A cold sweat broke out across her brow as a chill ran down her spine, sending shivers through her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from that foreboding spot ahead.
Suddenly, a form burst from the small opening. She cried out, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. Her heart thundered in her ears. Then she realized it was Nicholas and blew out a breath. It plumed around her frozen face. He skidded to a halt when he saw her.
“Ella!” He hurried to her gripping her by the shoulders. “You won’t believe it. Come.”
“What is it? What did you find?”
He wrapped an arm around her. “Watch your step. The ground is uneven at first, but then smooths out.”
He clutched her to him, helping her navigate the rocky terrain. She stared down at her feet as they walked. She stumbled once, but his strong form was there to keep her steady. He was also right that the ground smoothed out, as though someone had spent an inordinate amount of time on their hands and knees polishing the ground until it was perfect.
“Ella, look.” His voice was nothing but a whisper.
She looked ahead and saw the path had indeed smoothed out and was as though it were man-made leading to an opening. He led her to it and they paused, remaining in the shadows as she looked out to see a winding path around the cliff, down onto a what appeared to be a stone bridge leading to the dark and terrible fortress on the other side. The only catch was there didn’t appear to be a door there. A walkway with a high wall encircled the base of the fortress.
The fortress itself looked as though it had been carved from the mountaintop. It was difficult to make out where the fortress stopped and the mountain started. There were numerous windows up and down it and all of them were lit with a pale-yellow glow as if the inhabitants never slept. The one turret reached high into the night sky. If there were archers on the first mountain pass, she was certain there were others waiting for them along the walls of the fortress.
“I don’t believe it,” she whispered.
“We wind our way down the cliff and to that bridge, then follow the walkway until we find a way in,” he said.
“What about guards?” she asked. “Won’t there be some guarding along the walls?”
“Possibly,” he said. “That’s why you’re going to stay here while I find out.”
“You’re going to leave me here?” Her heart soared into her throat.
“You’ll be safe here and I’ll be right back.” He started to go, but she grabbed him by the arm.
“What if you don’t? What do I do?” she asked.
He gave her a half grin, the corner of his mouth lifting. Then he brushed the back of his gloved hand over her cheek, the cold leather leaving a trail. “Don’t worry. I will return.”
“But what if you don’t?” she demanded, trying to ignore the worry gnawing at her.
“Then you’ll go back the way we came and find Gustav.”
The thought of descending that steep staircase all alone made her gut clench into a tight knot. She gripped his arm tighter, pulling him a little closer, their noses nearly touching.
“You better come back for me.”
With his face so close to hers, she saw his features soften despite the shadows. “I’ll come for you. I promise.”
Then he sealed his promise with a kiss. It surprised her so much she wasn’t sure how to react. Despite the cold, his mouth was warm and wonderful against hers. His lips soft and gentle and sweet. A wild swirl of emotions whirled through her.
When he pulled away, he whispered. “Stay right here.”
And then he was gone into the night.