Cassie stared at it.
“Please tell me we don’t have to climb that.”
“We have to climb that,”Severinsaid.
“I saidplease,”Cassiesaid plaintively.
He shrugged.
“I heard you.ButIcannot change reality for you, as much asIwishIcould.”
Ravik grunted.
“I’ll climb first.”
“No,”Severinsaid at once.“You’retoo large.Theladder may not hold your weight if the structural supports are compromised.”
Ravik gave him an incredulous look.
“Are you sayingI’mtoo heavy?”
“I am saying the tower is damaged and you weigh considerably more thanCassandra.”
Both males turned to look at her.
Cassie immediately shook her head.
“Oh no.No, no, no.Idonotlike where you’re going with this.”
“You’re the lightest,”Severinsaid carefully.
“I am also the only one who’s not a big, scaryKindredwarrior,” she pointed out.
“You wouldn’t have to fight,” he said.“Justclimb to the first platform and attach the signal relay.Ican talk you through it from below.”
Ravik growled.
“No.Cassiedoesn’t climb alone.”
“She has to if the ladder won’t hold both of us,”Severinsaid.
“She is not going up there withInfectednearby.”
Cassie looked from one male to the other and felt annoyance spark through her fear.
“I’m standing right here, you know.”
Both of them stopped talking and looked at her.
“Thank you.”
She looked up at the tower and swallowed hard.Theclimb looked awful and the platform looked worse.Thewhole thing looked like something from a nightmare about falling.
“I don’t want to climb that thing.Justso we’re clear.ButifI’mthe only one light enough to do it, thenI’llclimb it,” she said.
Ravik’s face went thunderous.
“No.Idon’t like putting you at risk!”
