The Whitefire Crossing - By Courtney Schafer Page 0,39
owes me a favor. I’ll get Gaven to claim Pello for rocksplitting duty—that should keep him away from the convoy long enough for me to flash and break his wards.”
“Two days...” Kiran’s fingers dug into the wool of his cap. “Isn’t there a way you can search sooner?”
“Not a good way,” I said.
Kiran’s head tilted. “But there is another way.”
Yeah, there was. One I’d considered during my sleepless night, and rejected as too dangerous. “Trust me, safest to wait for his next work shift.”
Kiran gave me an urgent, pleading look. “Two days is too long! If you have another option, at least tell me what it is.”
No question he was scared shitless of that enemy of his in Ninavel. I sighed. “Fine. What’s the one thing guaranteed to pry Pello away from his wagon and hold his attention?” I poked Kiran’s shoulder. “You. If he saw you wander off alone, he’d slink right after you, in hopes of cornering you into a conversation.”
Kiran brightened. “So I would draw him away, while you disabled the charm...what’s wrong with that idea?”
I scowled at him. “Shadow men are clever bastards. The moment you open your mouth, Pello will mark you for a highsider. And the longer you talk, the more he’ll learn. He’ll twist the conversation on you, make you reveal things without even realizing it. It’s too risky.”
“I’ll answer him with nods and shrugs. He can’t learn much from that.” Eager determination shone in Kiran’s eyes. “If he can’t send any messages, and he’s wary of Alathian interest...then even if he does realize I’m not from a lower district, the harm should be minimal.”
Yeah, right. Kiran had no idea of a shadow man’s wiles. Then again, a full inventory of Pello’s contraband in my hands would go far towards ensuring his silence. And if Kiran’s fear of his mystery enemy back in Ninavel was so strong he jumped at the chance to play bait, that was a warning I shouldn’t ignore.
I’d scouted Pello’s wagon already, which saved me time. Assuming the carcabon could boost the look-away enough, I figured on twenty minutes to flash and break his wards, disable the charm, and cover my tracks. Pello could find out far too much in twenty minutes. Unless...maybe I could arrange it so he’d waste time chasing Kiran down, first. Make sure the conversation was so short Kiran might have a chance of keeping his mouth shut. I thought for a moment, then fixed Kiran with a forbidding stare.
“You want me to disable that charm so bad, then listen close. If we cross the pass today, we’ll camp at Ice Lake tonight. Nobody’ll think it odd for a city boy like you to run straight to the lake the instant you’re done with chores. If you go alone, Pello’s sure to follow. You keep moving around the lake, and stay ahead of him best as you can. When he does catch up, no matter what he says, you keep your mouth shut, hear me?”
Kiran nodded, emphatically. “That won’t be a problem.”
“I’ll come interrupt the moment I’m done with his wagon. If he starts pushing you too hard before then, then you leave, straight off. Don’t worry about holding him there.” Even if Kiran never said a word, Pello would read in his body language that he had something to hide—but he’d surely guessed that already.
“If you can disable that charm tonight, the risk is worthwhile,” Kiran said softly.
“I hope so,” I muttered. If he was wrong, I knew who’d have to handle the mess.
Cara and Jerik had left the snow pit and begun kicking their way up the snow slope, toward the broken rock tower resembling a man’s upright hand that gave the pass its name. The summit of the Hand would give us an excellent view of the avalanche chutes beyond the pass. If we ever reached it.
“We gotta get moving,” I told Kiran. “Snow climbing’s easy to learn, but it’s exhausting work.”
A hint of the same fascination he’d shown at the stream joined the determination in his eyes. “Snow...does it truly freeze your skin if you touch it barehanded, like the stories say?
“You’re about to find out.”
***
Cara clapped when I helped Kiran onto the tilted blocks of stone forming the Hand’s broad summit. “Congratulations, kid.” She gave him a companionable whack on the back that nearly knocked him to his knees. “Wasn’t sure you’d make it, after all your hollering last night. Did you decide the mountains were too quiet?”