Night Spinner (Night Spinner #1) - Addie Thorley Page 0,82

you can visit him. Explain what’s going on. See if you can soften him to our cause.”

“Prolonging his imprisonment isn’t going to soften him.”

Temujin drags a hand down his face. “This is the best I can offer. I can’t cater to you and Serik at the detriment of the people.”

“What if I refuse to go on these missions?” I cross my arms and glare up at him.

Oyunna, Chanar, and the other Shoniin fall still, their expressions tight. Temujin stares me down with his glinting tiger eyes and steps away from the door, extending his arm to let me pass. “You’re free to choose, of course, but you won’t turn your back on our people. That’s not who you are.”

I curse and stomp past him, hating that I stumbled into another one of his traps.

And hating even more that he’s right.

Inkar escorts me to the prison shack. Chanar offered to do it, undoubtedly so he could goad Serik and cut my visit as short as possible, but Inkar arrived from the infirmary just in time.

“Temujin will release your friend soon,” she says as we skirt around the bonfire. “Try not to take it personally. He’s just cautious—and under an enormous amount of pressure.”

“Don’t you ever get tired of defending him?”

“Do you ever get tired of defending Serik?” Inkar shoots back. “They’re not so different. Brash and extreme, but fighting tirelessly for what they believe in.”

Except Serik doesn’t blackmail people and break promises to get his way, I’m tempted to say. But I don’t bother because, in Inkar’s eyes, Temujin is beyond reproach. And because I’m not entirely certain Serik wouldn’t resort to those things if backed into a corner.

When we reach the shack, Inkar plops down on the top stair. “I’m supposed to give you ten minutes, but I’ll let you stay until someone comes looking. You’ve earned that, at least.”

“Thank you.” I muster a thin smile. “Truly.”

Inkar flips her long ponytail over her shoulder and shrugs. “Don’t thank me yet. If the rumors I’ve heard from the people who feed Serik are true, you’re going to have your hands full.”

“And it’s only going to get worse. Pray for me.”

Inkar chuckles, even though I couldn’t be more serious.

Taking a deep breath, I let myself in and wind through the musty dark. The supply shack is fairly large, but still I expected to hear Serik grumbling and pacing as soon as I entered. Instead, an odd, high-pitched plinking, followed by the sound of something tearing, drifts from the back of the room.

“What in the skies are you up to now?” I mutter as I circumnavigate the mountain of mismatched armor. Exhaustion pulls at my aching muscles, making my bad leg drag even more than usual. The toe of my boot catches on a helmet, and I crash to my knees. The strange sounds stop abruptly. By the time I climb to my feet and wade through the clutter, Serik is scrambling away from the bars of his cell. He drops to the floor, tucks his goldwork cloak around himself, and yells, “How thoughtful of you to feed me more than once today.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but I didn’t bring anything to eat,” I say, holding out my empty hands.

“Enebish?” Serik spins around. His eyes narrow into slits instead of crinkling into the crescent moons I adore.

“You could at least pretend to be happy to see me.”

“Happy is the last thing I feel. You shouldn’t be here. You said—”

“I said I’d consider leaving, but we both knew I wouldn’t.”

“Why in the skies not?”

I groan and lean against the bars. I’m too tired to hash this out again. “Serik, please don’t be angry with me.”

“It’s not you I’m angry with. I can’t bear to be the shackle around your neck. I don’t want you aiding these traitors because of me.” He shuffles over to the bars, the guilt in his eyes as heavy as wet, trampled snow. I reach out and squeeze his hand, so he knows I don’t regret my decision. I’d save him a thousand times over.

“Would you feel better if it weren’t only for you?” I say carefully.

Serik’s freckled face crumples and he retracts his hand. “Who else could it possibly be for? Certainly not them?”

“I ferried a group of deserters last night,” I admit. Better to plunge straight into icy water than attempt to wade in slowly.

A colorful array of curses flies from Serik’s mouth and he slams a fist against the bars. Then immediately winces. “Why would you