Fire Breather

83.

   FORTY minutes later, the five of us were hiking down a steep, snow-covered ridgeline to a cave only accessible by foot. Following behind Cat, I rubbed my gloved hands together, using my signet to heat up my blood enough to keep me just warm.

At the back of us, Andarna huffed at the powdery snow, scattering a portion in a shimmering cloud of misery.

"Is Goldie fighting with Tairn again?" I asked Nim, trudging forward through the knee-high layer of fresh snow.

The only one who wasn't struggling was Kiralair, Cat's silver-winged gryphon, who walked at Andarna's side.

"When are they not fighting?" I could practically feel her eye roll as she flew to the next peak with Tairn. "Just focus on finding that damn box so we can leave."

"So grouchy," I muttered, rolling my eyes this time. "We haven't even reached the cave Tairn picked."

The mouth of the cave was about twenty yards ahead and camouflaged by the snowy outcropping above. The riot had left us at the only fully stable section of terrain, an outcropping of rock left bare by vicious wind.

"You should hurry along then," she suggested with a tight tone. "I don't like not being close to you."

"Oh, trust me, I can tell," I muttered, pulling Sloane closer to my body heat while tugging her fur-lined hood closer to her face when the wind shifted, stinging the tip of my own nose. "If I knew how to heat up your blood, then I would've by now," I whispered, linking my arm with hers.

"I know, Blizzy." She sent me a small smile, twitching her nose.

At the front of the line, Violet laughed, and the sound echoed off the snow-covered bowl, making us all take a pause.

"For fuck's sake, Sorrengail," Cat hissed once it was clear the snow around us wasn't going to move. "Are you trying to get us buried in an avalanche?"

"Sorry," Violet whispered over her shoulder.

Cat's eyes widened. "Did you just apologize to me?"

"I can admit when I'm wrong." Violet shrugged and continued forward.

"It's called maturity," I remarked to Cat, giving her a light push to follow.

"Are you insinuating that I don't?" Cat asked Violet.

"Do you even think you're wrong? Ever?" Violet asked, pushing forward. "I honestly think you might be worse than a dragon when it comes to confidence."

Then she snorted and I raised a brow, looking from her to the ten more feet until we would be at the cave. If Tairn and Nim located the second while we were retrieving the first, we would be ahead of Claw Section, who had already found three to our section's two.

"What?" Cat asked.

"Andarna thinks you're arrogant, not confident," Violet told her.

"She is," Sloane agreed.

"Just because your brother didn't like me doesn't mean you know me," Cat whispered to her.

Within seconds, I unlinked my arm with Sloane's and shoved Cat down into the snow with my booted foot pressed against her throat as she let out a small cry, grasping my ankle. Behind me, her bird growled and Andarna snapped her jaws in warning, standing at my back and ready to take it on.

"Never fucking talk to my sister with that tone when it comes to our brother," I snarled, and the others shared various looks around us. When Cat's eyes widened, I pressed even harder, making her gasp. "Or I'll break your windpipe next time," I promised her before removing my foot, taking a step back.