The Whitefire Crossing - By Courtney Schafer Page 0,173
be at a border gate, if you fear Ruslan’s attention—and we’ll be happy to provide whatever supplies you require for mountain travel.”
“Wait!” Cara shoved in front of me, glaring at the advancing Talmaddis. “Let me say goodbye to him first, can’t you?”
“The Council ordered Dev collared without delay, but after, I’ll gladly permit him a short span for farewells,” Martennan said. “Though I fear we cannot give you privacy.”
A short span. Better than none, but oh, gods...I breathed deep, seeking the calm clarity I used for climbs. Melly...there had to be some way left to save her. If I swallowed my distrust of Martennan, and begged him for help—no, damn it, I’d only give him another carrot to dangle.
Cara grudgingly gave way for Talmaddis. I refused to flinch from the cold sting of the torc as he locked it shut around my neck. He muttered a string of singsong gibberish, and tapped the torc. The metal warmed and contracted tight enough to wring a choked gasp from me.
“Hey!” Fury sparked in Cara’s eyes. “Leave him be, you—”
“My apologies.” Talmaddis flicked a ringed finger and the torc loosened again. “I had to test the spell.” He backed to stand beside Martennan. Not far enough away, for my taste. My fingers itched to claw at the torc, as if that would get it off.
Kiran approached, pale as chalk. “Dev...” He swallowed, and spoke low but firm. “I know you think I’m a fool to believe the Council will hold to any bargains. Maybe I am. But I meant what I said last night. After what you’ve risked, and lost, all to help me—I swear to you, I’ll find a way to gain your freedom.”
An ember of warmth lessened the chill of the torc against my skin. Despite everything, despite the cost, I couldn’t regret the choice to save him. And his mention of bargains had inspired one final glimmer of an idea for Melly.
“Don’t think I’m not grateful that you’ll try,” I said. “Just...don’t make any moves without thinking them through first. And watch who you trust, all right? Not all vipers show their fangs as readily as Ruslan.” I gripped his shoulder and held his gaze. “You’re not like him, you know. A man like you, I’m glad to call friend.”
Kiran’s eyes widened. A fleeting, shy smile touched his mouth, a hint of color returning to his face. “You were right, last night,” he said quietly. “Sometimes people do help.” He backed away, with a glance at Cara.
She threw her arms around me. “I won’t wait on the Council to free you,” she whispered.
Nerves set my heart racing. My plan for Melly depended on Cara—but mother of maidens, if she refused to listen...I kissed her hair, then her ear, and whispered, “No. Go to Ninavel. Find Pello and offer him the truth of Ruslan’s game, in exchange for Melly’s freedom.” A thin hope, but the only one I had.
I felt her hesitation in her muscles. “Please, Cara. You’ve got to try—I can’t bear this, else.”
Her grip tightened, but she moved her head in a minuscule nod. Relief dizzied me. I relaxed into her hold and murmured, “Gods, I’ll miss you. After Jylla—after all I’ve done—I hadn’t thought to find someone I could trust without fear.”
She drew back and took my face in her hands. “You’re a better man than you realize, Dev. Sethan was right to put his faith in you. Whatever comes of this, never doubt he’d be proud of you. Suliyya knows I am.”
My eyes grew hot. I traced the line of her cheek, my throat too tight for speech.
In answer, she kissed me. An ardent, fiery kiss that for a blessed interval swept all thought away. I lost myself in the sweet taste of her, the warmth of her lean body pressed against mine.
Martennan cleared his throat. Reluctantly, Cara released me.
“A proper goodbye this time, at least,” I told her.
“That wasn’t goodbye.” Her blue eyes held a fierce promise. Behind her, Kiran inclined his head to me, solemn and resolute.
The sight of their determination steadied my feet as Talmaddis drew me away. No matter how difficult the climb, a summit’s never beyond reach so long as a man has partners he can depend on, Sethan had once said. I meant to prove him right.
***
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Jeanne Atwell, Michelle Leisy, and Dustin Putnam for convincing me to try NaNoWriMo with them in 2007. Without them, The Whitefire Crossing would have remained an idea floating around in my head and never made it to the page. And special thanks to Jeanne, who not only beta-read countless drafts of the novel, but patiently listened to all my freakouts and kept me sane (more or less!) throughout the journey to publication. I hope every writer has a friend so steadfastly supportive.
Of course getting words down on the page is only a start; then you have to make the story good. Heartfelt thanks to Susan Smith, who invited me to join her critique group at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference in 2008 and has been a wonderful friend ever since, and to Carol Berg, Curt Craddock, Catherine Montrose, Brian Tobias, Laurey Patten, and the late but not forgotten Glenn Lewis Gilette. Their insightful, expert critique helped me take The Whitefire Crossing from a raw mess of words to a fully realized novel, and I’m grateful beyond the telling for the support and advice they have so generously provided.
Thanks also to Jim Atwell, Catherine Boone, Tim Leisy, Minda Suchan, Matt Hilliard, and especially Chris Boone for beta-reading early drafts; to Teresa Frohock, who provided a fresh set of eyes on my first few chapters when I needed it most; and to Jason Hollinger, for his mad web skills, his eager enthusiasm to read more of the story, and for first introducing me to the joy of the mountains in our Caltech days.
I don’t know what I’d do without my amazing agent, Becca Stumpf, who believed in me from our first meeting (even though Whitefire was far from ready!), and who has guided me through the wilds of publishing with patience and unflagging enthusiasm. And I’m indebted to my editor, Jeremy Lassen, for loving The Whitefire Crossing enough to buy it, and for helping me take the book to new heights. Thanks also to Ross Lockhart, Amy Popovich, Rebecca Silvers, Liz Upson, and the rest of the Night Shade crew for their hard work on the book; and to David Palumbo for his beautiful cover art.
Last but not least, my deepest thanks and love to my husband Robert. It’s not an easy thing to be the spouse of a writer, especially while parenting a severely colicky baby. Thanks for hanging in there, and may we share many more mountain adventures together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Courtney Schafer was born in Georgia, raised in Virginia, and spent her childhood dreaming of adventures in the jagged mountains and sweeping deserts of her favorite fantasy novels. She escaped the East Coast by attending Caltech for college, where she obtained a B.S. in electrical engineering, and also learned how to rock climb, backpack, ski, scuba dive, and stack her massive book collection so it wouldn’t crush anyone in an earthquake. After college she moved to the climber’s paradise of Boulder, Colorado, and somehow managed to get a masters degree in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado in between racking up ski days and peak climbs.
She now works in the aerospace industry and is married to an Australian scientist who shares her love for speculative fiction and mountain climbing. She’s had to slow down a little on the adrenaline sports since the birth of her son, but only until he’s old enough to join in. She writes every spare moment she's not working or adventuring with her family.