“Yes.” Wren clenched her hands into loose fists. Her joints were swollen and her fingers numb from healing. “Lowry lured both of us here, and I want to find out why.”

“Working with me is treason.”

“Healing you was, too. What’s another betrayal for my growing list?” Wren drew her legs onto the bed and tucked them beneath her. “Besides, this isn’t about you or me. It’s about Danu and Vesria.”

“And suppose I don’t want your help.” It was entirely unconvincing when she could practically hear his hopefulness in every word.

“You’re not exactly in a position to deny me, Cavendish. Physically speaking, you’re useless.” His expression soured into indignation. “And I can’t do it myself. I have no investigative training. And no combat skills should anything go wrong.”

Conflict tightened his jaw. “Why’re you doing this?”

Because I’m not sure I’m strong enough to go through with my plan. Because Byers still might be here. Because if you’re right, maybe I can finally prove myself to Isabel and Una.

“Because we want the same things.”

“Do we?”

“Justice for our comrades,” she said. “Peace for our countries.”

The look Hal gave her was lingering, searching. Wren still worried that he could see right to the heart of her anxieties, her disgrace. But if he saw anything there, all he said was, “Very well.”

“Her relief was immediate. “Then we should go to the east wing now.”

“Now?”

Wren bristled at the surprise on his face. “Yes, now. If what I sensed was real, our friends still might be alive. If there’s any chance we can save them, we can’t let it slip away. We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

“Even if we do find them alive, what then? We’ve no plan and no escape from this place. Neither of us is in any state to run—or fight, should the need arise. I doubt they will be, either.”

Wren wanted to argue, but as exhaustion and the cool evenness of his voice settled over her, she couldn’t deny that he was right. Again. They couldn’t exactly flee into a blizzard. Hal wouldn’t survive it in his condition. Worse, that damnable contract she’d signed forbade her from going into the east wing. There was no telling what Lowry would do if he found her there, and the prospect of facing him alone—and confronting whatever horrors lurked in that cold, crumbling place—terrified her more than she cared to admit.

All she could think about was the sinister curve of Lowry’s smile when he said, Then it sounds like you ought to tread very carefully indeed.

“If you’re right and they’ve survived this long already, surely the danger isn’t imminent,” Hal added gently. “We’ll be of no use to anyone right now.”