“I’ll take first watch,” he says finally. There’s a rustle of clothing, then the crunch of gravel as he walks to the outskirts of our small camp.

The night falls silent and I shiver, suddenly lonely.

Is it possible to miss someone even when they’re right beside you? I’d ask the gods, if only there were any up there, listening.

Chapter Nineteen

We rise early—before the sun is truly up and the world is a hazy hue of russet red—and hike in silence. By late morning we’re out of the worst of the mountains and looking down at the foothills that stretch out into the wastes.

I flip up the collar of my jacket, protecting the tender skin on the back of my neck from the climbing sun. “What now?” I ask. The land ahead is flat and sprawling. If the General’s men show up in saddles, they’ll catch us in no time.

“Let me see those binos,” Asher says. I lift the strap over my head and drop the pair I stole from the Loyalists into his outstretched hand. He scans the open terrain. “If we head due west, we’ll hit the Serpent River. That’s the same river you call Dead River—Powder Town just has a different name for it. Once we hit the Serpent, we can follow it south into town.”

“But?” I say, sensing a catch.

“But that’s what the General will expect. And we’ll be an easy target on open ground.”

“I told you we should have taken the horse,” I grumble.

“It wouldn’t have fit through the tunnel and probably would have lamed itself climbing out of the mountains at the pace we were moving.” Asher hands back the binos. “We’ll take the most direct route. Go southwest.”

I peer through the binos. The land to the southwest is just as flat, just as open, and the air is rippling. It’s not a mirage, I realize. It’s steam. I catch movement in the corner of the eyepiece. Scalding water shoots toward the heavens, billowing and spouting.

“Through Burning Ground? Are you crazy?”

“They won’t expect it.”

“Because it’s a deathtrap.”

“Taking a horse through will be impossible. They won’t be able to follow in the saddle. That means we can keep our lead.”

The geyser stops erupting, and I lower the binos. “We’re going to die,” I grouse.

“I know you’ve got no faith in the gods, but what about me, Delta? An experienced guide.” He flashes me that boyish smile again, crooked and sly.

“You’ve been through this way before?”

“How else do you think I got to Powder Town without getting caught?”