“He’s hurt.” She eyed the peak again. From the shadows, she could tell it was steep, and the rocks were slick with rain. You can’t fly. But can you walk?

«All the way to school? I don’t know.»

All we have to do is cross the peak. If we’re on the right side of the border we’ll be fine.

«Yes! Or at least I can try.»

“By the time you get help, Pixit and I will be across the border.” She tried to sound much more confident than she felt.

Jyx and Chauda circled them again. “It’s dark, it’s steep, and it’s wet. You’ll never make it!”

Mina hated arguing. It made her feel like her insides were squishing together. But she didn’t have a better idea. “Please, Jyx! You don’t have to tell them you fell too. Just say you saw us fall. Be vague about where.”

“I don’t know, Mina.”

“Remember with lightning relay? You said you’d listen to me.”

Jyx opened her mouth, shut it, then glared at Mina before she said, “Fine. But you’d better be alive when I get back, not buried at the bottom of an avalanche. Spark extra so I can find you again, okay?” With a final snort from Chauda, they flapped away.

Mina watched as the smudge of their shadow flew up toward the clouds and then over the peak. She tried not to feel abandoned, especially since this was her idea.

Pixit’s voice quivered in her mind. «Avalanche?»

She wrapped her arm—​the one that didn’t ache—​around his neck. Come on. Let’s climb a mountain. Together, slowly, they started up the slope.

The rocks were slippery, and she had to be careful with every footstep. She kept a tight grip on Pixit. Beside her, he was concentrating too. She felt his thoughts: «One, two—​easy, there. Steady, steady. Don’t step there. Careful. Three, four. Right, left, back right, back left.»

It continued to drizzle, as if the clouds were crying.

Higher, it became steeper, with sheer vertical rocks they had to go around. Mina wondered what they’d do if it became too steep to climb. But she couldn’t think about that. She had to focus on one step at a time.

Behind her, she heard a voice: “Up there!”

A man’s voice. A stranger’s.

Mina had managed to stay calm when they fell, when Pixit was hurt, when Jyx was panicking, and when Jyx and Chauda left them alone to climb in the dark and rain. But hearing the sound of a stranger . . .

Mina panicked.

Pixit, climb faster!

«It’s Jyx! She found help!»

It was too soon. And the voice was below them—​help would come from above, from storm beasts. That’s not help! Mina reached for the next handhold, but her fingers felt only slick, flat rock. Pixit!