A frustrated noise escapes his throat. “Fine. I’ll open a portal to Hunter’s Marsh.” He shoots Isera a hard look. “But when I report this later, you were wearing proper clothes when you came in here and you never touched me. Agreed?”
Her eyes gleam with amusement, but she flicks her hand and says, “Agreed.”
Drawing in a steadying breath, he seems to compose himself again. Then he starts moving his hands in the air as he summons a portal. I check that my dagger is secure in its sheath while I watch that glittering blue rectangle rise up from the floor.
Once it’s in place, I can see a dark field through it.
“If you die over there, Ryat is going to try to kill me, which means that I will be forced to kill him,” Isera begins while giving me a pointed stare. “And you don’t want that, do you?”
I shoot her a flat stare back.
“So come back alive.” She flashes me a sharp smile. “Or things will start to get messy.”
I’m rapidly losing the ability to care about consequences, so I just give her a nod.
And then I step through the portal and into Hunter’s Marsh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Crickets are buzzing in the grass when I step out onto a darkened field just outside a small village. I sweep my gaze across the cluster of buildings up ahead. There is a barn and a stable to my right, but the rest of the houses look like normal homes. Nothing that appears grander, like a city hall or something, which would be the most likely place for Jessina to be staying.
As promised, the portal remains open behind me while I start sneaking across the damp grass and towards the closest buildings up ahead. I don’t have time to search through them all. Not to mention that I’m unlikely to succeed without getting spotted if I go through every single house in this village.
Soft clouds drift over the dark sky above and temporarily obscure the moon while I close the final distance to the nearest house. If Jessina and an entire host of silver dragons landed here and took temporary possession of a house, everyone in this village must know exactly which house it is. There is no way something like that would escape notice. Not in a village this small.
Sliding out my lockpicks again, I walk up to the door in front of me and then drop down on one knee. Somewhere across the village, a sheep bleats. I cast a glance over my shoulder, but the dirt road behind me is empty.
After about a minute, I finally manage to get the finnicky lock open.
Impatience pulses inside my chest like thrumming lightning. Every second I waste here is another second that Draven is at the mercy of Jessina fucking Iceheart. I need to get him out. Now.
A darkened hallway becomes visible before me as I sneak across the threshold and into the house. Several open doorways branch off from that one hallway. I glance through them as I move quietly across the worn wooden floorboards.
The doorway to my left holds a small kitchen while the one on my right leads into a tidy but well-used living room. I scan the frayed yellow couch and scratched wooden table before continuing deeper into the house. Staying close to the wall, I try to prevent any of the floorboards from creaking underneath my feet.
Another open doorway on my right shows what looks like a workshop. Carpentry tools litter the wooden bench by the wall, and unfinished pieces of furniture are scattered across the floor.
I continue on to the final door, which is thankfully also open.
Remaining in the hallway, I glance through the door and into the dark room beyond. Satisfaction courses through me when I find a bedroom. Two people are sleeping on the bed in the middle of the room. One man and one woman. Humans, by the looks of it.
While sliding the dagger from my thigh holster, I approach the man’s side of the bed. Since he is physically stronger, he is the biggest threat. Once I reach the bed, I position myself so that I’m standing right next to him and summon my magic. Then I place the dagger across his throat.
A jolt shoots through him, and he starts blinking his eyes open.
“If you move, I will slit your throat,” I say.
All traces of sleep disappear from his features in a flash as fear instead pulses across his face. “Eva!”
The woman next to him jerks awake. I grind my teeth in annoyance and press the dagger harder against the man’s throat while Eva’s panicked eyes land on me.
“Scream and I’ll kill him,” I warn her.
Fear flickers in her eyes as she scrambles out of bed, sending sheets flying and tumbling down on the floor in her haste. But she wisely keeps her mouth shut.
“Eva, don’t—” the man begins.
“Shut up,” I growl. “Tell me where Jessina Iceheart is keeping Draven Ryat.”
