Traveling through the rest of the Veil was a blur. Her jacket hood in front of him, River’s hand refusing to let go of him, as if she feared he’d be lost if she did. Her instincts were sound, because Easton wasn’t able to see any better than anyone else in this mess.

“Clip on!” she kept yelling at him, but Easton wasn’t going to do that. One slip and a compromised anchor was all it would take to leave her at the bottom of this mountain. One fall today was enough for both of them.

Ignoring River’s repeated requests, Easton pushed them on until finally, the brutal winds changed direction, signaling the fixed line had shifted direction. They emerged from the Veil, stumbling and exhausted. River dropped to her knees, either a fall or because her energy had finally run out. Without thinking, Easton hooked her around the waist, staggering several more meters until they were out of the down sweep of wind coming from the summit.

The others had clustered together out of the wind, but upon seeing them, Bree and Jessie started to rush to their sides.

“No, give them space,” Ben barked, holding up a hand. “Stay back. They might be hurt.”

Which was exactly what Easton was worried about.

“River, are you okay?” His hands pushed at her clothing, checking for wounds from her fall. The ice could cut someone like glass, and the cold could keep them from knowing until it was too late.

There was no saving someone with severe blood loss up here.

Following his own advice, Ben gave them space even as he crouched a few feet away, ready to help if Easton needed him.

She gripped his jacket. “I thought you were going to fall.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Easton told her, pulling her into a crushing embrace. He twisted so his body was in between her and the others, safe in the privacy of his arms. If someone was filming her right now, he’d throw that camera right off the cliff.

“What happened?” Holding her closer, Easton closed his eyes, trying to fill his lungs with the air that wouldn’t come. “Why did you tie something to the line?”

“I dropped the handheld,” River admitted. “I unclipped to get it.”

“You unclipped for a camera.”

“Yes.” And she’d almost died in the process.

It didn’t matter how far up they were or how cold the rest of him was. Easton’s blood burned like fire in his veins.

• • •

At Ben’s insistence, Easton let the other guide go back into the Veil and resecure the stakes they’d loosened. No one knew how long it would take, but Ben was quick and competent. Within an hour, he was back.