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"Boost or build?" I ask, eyeing the gap between us and the first step.
"Definitely build something," Brenn decides after a moment. "It'll be easier to climb down after."
We get to work dragging tables across the room. The legs screech against the stone, the sound grating on my nerves and setting my teeth on edge. Little by little, we build a structure until a tower forms between the ground and the steps. It leans a bit, like a child's attempt at building a castle from blocks—doomed to collapse at the slightest breath.
"Are you sure it's safe?" I ask, doubt threading through my words.
"Nope," he says with a shrug. "I'm not an expert at defying gravity...obviously, but itshouldhold."
A smile pulls hard across my face. I'm not sure how he does it, how he can joke about freefalling off a mountain, but it seems to work for him.
"Right... Too bad you don't have wings, huh? We could just flutter up there."
"Yeah... Too bad," he shoots back, but there's no bite to it, only the shared adrenaline that comes with doing something questionably stupid. He tests the stability of our makeshift ladder before gesturing to me. "Ladies first."
"Yeah, no. That's all you." I take a step back and he huffs, then begins to climb. Once he's hoisted himself up, he looks down at me and I follow the path he took.
"Almost there," he encourages as I reach for his hand. Catching it, he pulls as I try to push my body up the last stretch until my fingers find the lip of the stairwell, cold stone biting into my skin. I haul myself onto it and my balance shifts as I get to my feet, making me wobble. My heart leaps into my throat, but Brenn grips one of the leather handholds hanging from the stone wall and fists the fabric of my dress to steady me.
"See?" he says, breathless from the effort. "No wings needed."
"Thanks," I mutter beneath my breath, but he just flexes his eyebrows and continues up the dark tunnel. I scramble behind him, unable to see anything at all, but I hear his steady footsteps against the stone steps, and I nearly crawl over them, not waiting to take the chance of a misstep and risk tumbling down. The higher we go the colder the air becomes, making my breath plume like smoke. My fingers stick ever so slightly to the stone and goosebumps cover my extremities, but I keep going.
Soon, light pours in from the entrance to the bar, though it's not completely open. The hutch only covers the entrance halfway, but it's a large enough hole for us to slip through the crack and into the bar that's been converted into a makeshift stable. Dusting off my skirts, I take in the horses. They shift and snort, their phantom forms glowing in the dim light, making their bones and what's left of their muscle and flesh become dark silhouettes. We weave between them, silent and careful not to spook them, but they don't pay us any mind. They barely look our way at all. Then finally, reach the door to the outside.
The cold bites at my flesh as I wrap my arms around myself, my teeth chattering. It's impossible to drag in a full breath and we haven't even opened the door yet.
"You alright?" Brenn asks, hand pausing on the doorknob.
I nod, knowing I won't be able to form the words to answer him. It wouldn't be understandable anyway with my chattering teeth.
He exhales, rolling his eyes, then releases the door and turns back to me. "Here." Brenn shrugs out of his leather jacket. The buckles that are meant to hold it closed were already undone anyway. "You probably should've grabbed Loric's cloak."
"He took it with him when he came to let me know they were leaving, or I would've." I pull the wool-lined sleeves over my dress, sighing in bliss. It's so warm. My teeth stop shuddering, but my cheeks are already burning, and my nose is numb.There's no way I would've made it had we not stayed in the cavern below the bar. I'd have been frozen solid by now.
Looking over Brenn, he stands with his hands on his hips, nothing more than a thin, linen shirt covering his torso. His leather pants and boots are hardly going to help him much, either.
As if sensing my silent question, he grumbles. "I'm fine. My teeth aren't rattling, are they?"
"N-No," I say, forcing the word out.
"Sure you want to do this? It'll be even colder on the other side of that door." I nod and he shakes his head, turning around to grip the knob once more. "Suit yourself."
The door opens and a deep, unrelenting cold slams into me as we step into the clearing. My breath is a cloud of silver, each exhale becoming a ghost that vanishes into the night. The darkness is absolute. Brenn steps back inside and a nauseating wave of pure fear roils through me. I whirl, throwing out a hand, hoping to catch the door before he can close it, but it hasn't moved. His face appears in the doorway, mage light in hand, emphasizing his pixie-like features with an eerie, amber glow.
"You thought I'd lock you out here?" He arches a dark brow. It's almost as dark as mine, matching the roots of the hair on his head. I don't answer and he steps into the clearing anyway. "Gods... Try to kill a girl once and she'll think you're out for blood at every turn." Shaking his head, he jousts the torch into the ground, taking a seat next to it so he can lean against the rocky cliffside. I start to tell him I'm sorry, but he holds up a hand and cuts me off. "Don't be. I deserve it. Now, go do whatever you want to do. Loric and the others will be back soon. I'd rather them not know about this little excursion."
I nod, then step into the clearing, moving far away from him. Flexing my fingers, my breath mists the air. "Okay... I'm ready."
"Our power comes from the things around you, what you siphon. However, it's controlled by pure emotion. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the magic."My beast flirts just beneath my skin as she speaks into my mind."Pick one, then think of the memories you have that made you feel that way."
I focus my mind, choosing anger. It's the easiest. All I have to do is visualize my father and it's like striking flint against steel. The spark ignites, the magic warming my blood as heat courses through me. A tendril of smoke coils around my fingers.
"Good. Now, open your eyes. Imagine where you want that energy to go."
Glancing around the clearing, I pick a tree along the forest's edge.
"Send it there. Direct it with your mind."
