Thread of Ash and Fire

Ch. 43: I Will Never Forgive You

Ryne's boots struck frozen grass.

He stumbled on impact. Dried blood matted his gear, and his arms ached from swinging a sword. His frozen breath hung in clouds. A cottage loomed ahead of him; it seemed to sprout from the ground, a squat building with a mossy roof and toadstools, and Ryne half-staggered towards it. He pounded on the wood.

The door opened a crack.

Sophie Holloway stood on the threshold. Her dark hair was scraped back in a ponytail, and she was dressed in a hoodie and pajama bottoms, which were decorated with pink sheep. Twin knives glittered in her hands.

"Delafort." She didn't lower her knives. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ryne exhaled. "It's Anna."

Sophie's expression changed. She stuffed her weapons away, pulling on her shoes with surprising speed. "Show me."

Ryne rubbed his face. "Question."

She locked the door. "What?"

Ryne dropped his hand. "How well can you ride a dragon?"

He stepped aside. Hellart was twined around a stone fence, happily munching on what Ryne hoped was a bird and not some farmer's stray lamb. A young blond man was adjusting his rigging, and Sophie strode forward.

"Kane," Sophie said, embracing him.

Kane patted her back. "Hullo, Sophie. Nice pajamas." He gestured to his dragon. "You remember Hellart. He was bullied by a sheep as a hatchling, so he might try to set your clothes on fire at some point. Try to avoid his mouth."

They swung onto the dragon. Ryne braced himself as they took off at dizzying pace, hurtling towards the frozen stars. Even after his months in the Gongo Islands, he would never be used to this: the way your teeth rattled and your neck snapped back, the crushing, brutal force of flying at impossible speed.

Ryne clung to the dragon's back. It wasn't a long journey to Stillwater Castle, but it felt like hours. Ryne gritted his teeth. He'd debating bringing June — she'd worked for many years as a healer, after all — but Hellart could only carry so much weight. Anyway, Sophie was the better option. She'd do anything for Anna.

And that, Ryne thought, was the only thing they had in common.

"What happened?" Sophie demanded.

She leaned in close to be heard over the howling wind. Ryne rolled up his sleeves, trying to ignore the silver blood flaking off.

"Lucia's back," he said.

The words still felt odd in his mouth. To her credit, Sophie absorbed the information with a blank expression. Just as Anna would have done.

"She's corporeal?" Sophie asked.

Ryne's voice was wry. "Well, she hit me across the face with a wooden bench. So, yes. I'd say fairly corporeal."

Sophie's mouth tightened. "She's in another body?"

"Unfortunately," Ryne said. "And she's made friends." They took a sharp dive, and Ryne dug his thighs into Hellart's side. "The faeries."

Sophie's lips were bloodless. "Owain?"

Ryne shrugged. "I have no idea." The spires of Stillwater Castle loomed before them, piercing the night sky like fangs. "But if he's been reporting back to his father, I'll kill him myself."

They landed on a tower. Ryne slid from Hellart's back, his muscles groaning in protest. He led them through a maze of twisting corridors. Sophie and Kane hurried behind, their faces twin grim masks.