“We’re flying,” he said, not allowing Dave to argue.
Mounting, Trevan secured them both, a little trick with a rope when it was windy. Vahn could handle any wind. His riders? Not as much.
When they landed, Trevan was hit with a wave of exhaustion.
“Have you slept at all recently?” Dave asked, sounding worried.
“Not really, but I never have much,” Trevan reminded him. “Stress makes me more tired, and the cold? Terrible.”
“Want to have a drink before bed?” Dave asked, lifting the bottle that Learen had given him.
Trevan chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
They went inside. Dave poured glasses for both of them while Trevan threw wood on the fire that nearly died while they were gone. It was an art to keep a fire going all the time as the Andinna could. Trevan was only just getting the hang of it.
Sitting next to it, Dave held out a drink.
They went back to that companionable silence and drank together. When Trevan was done, he yawned.
“Thank you. That was nice. Compliments to Learen on his choice. Now, I really do need to get some sleep.”
“All right,” Dave said, chuckling. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
Trevan went into his room, stripped off his leather armor as quickly as he could. Before giving in to his state, he turned and locked his door, a new feature that Luykas had installed. Dave also had a lock on his private bedroom now. With that secure, he felt safe to fall into the pile of things people here liked to call a bed. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion and alcohol take him away.
Someone knocked on his door, but he mumbled for them to go away, rolling around in his furs and blankets. Some of those furs were now ones he caught, and he intended to enjoy them until it was time to leave. Dave knew what to say to get him up.
Another knock, this one louder.
“Get the fuck up, Trevan!” Luykas roared on the other side.
Trevan was up, his eyes wide.
What? I just laid down.
He didn’t bother getting dressed. He flung his door open and glared at Luykas.
“What happened?” he demanded. His stomach growled.
“How long have you been in there?” Luykas asked, his eyes narrow.
“Um…I just went to sleep?” Trevan was incredibly confused. Luykas grabbed his arm and pulled him through a strangely crowded main room to his front door. The front door was flung open, and it was bright outside, and there was fresh snow.
Trevan felt his chest go tight.
“How long?” he asked softly. He turned to Luykas, feeling dread. “What’s going on?”
“It’s midmorning. Yesterday, we left you and Dave in the war room working. We came here to get you. Been trying to wake you up for what feels like forever. Dave is nowhere to be found. The snow was unbroken when we got here, meaning wherever he went or was taken happened before the snow right before dawn. He…You were asleep and didn’t hear anything, did you?”
“We…” Trevan tried to remember. He’d been so tired, and there was… “We worked late in the war room. Learen stopped by and said he was feeling better. He also brought a gift to Dave for letting him take most of the day off. When Dave and I got home, I was so fucking tired, but Dave asked if I wanted to have a drink. We sat by the fire, and when I was done, I went to bed. Dave knows how to wake me up. We have a signal. One for just every day and another for emergencies.”
“I know, but Dave is missing, and we don’t know where he is.” Luykas pulled Trevan back inside. “Get dressed. You’re going to move in with me at my old place until we figure this out.”
“I can’t get to your private home. It’s…up a cliff.”
“Exactly. If anyone comes after you, we’ll know it’s Andinna.”
“And if I’m the spy, I’m locked away in a tower,” Trevan whispered, understanding but still hurt.
“Yes,” Luykas said softly. “There’s one more thing, Trevan. It’s the only saving grace you have.”
“What?”
“Get dressed,” the Andinna ordered. Trevan looked around the room. Nevyn and Varon were there. Senri was there. Seanev. Learen.
Dave is missing.
He went into his room and dressed quickly, trying to move past the shock and just get to work. When he came back out, Luykas led him outside and down the steps. They went to the stable, and Luykas pointed.
Trevan only saw a mound of snow, and that in and of itself was a problem. He walked closer and