It was hard work, killing nightmares. By the end of the day, the grounds were littered with new, grisly dead, and the army had lost half a dozen men for their trouble. Lord Fox, covered in blood not his own, ordered his men to burn the corpses, to see to the wounded, and then to push on with the march.

“Still eager to come with us, Bard?” he asked wryly.

I was trembling, the fish creature’s gaping gullet still burned into my mind. “I must, milord.”

“I cannot promise you there will be no more of these abominations. I can’t promise you your life.”

“I must, milord. Even the dead have their stories.”

“Yes.” He smiled then. “And if we both survive this, we might have more to tell you.”

16

A small cave lay tucked against the base of the mountain, barely noticeable amid the sleet and snow. The half-hour journey to reach the entrance did little to improve Kalen’s mood. “At least let me go with you,” he rasped in my ear.

“Agnarr promised that my life wouldn’t be in danger, Kalen. They’re a very peaceful people, and I don’t think they would stand for bloodshed, custom or not.”

“Just because none of the other Dark asha have ever been injured doesn’t mean it’s impossible. How many Dark asha have entered here throughout the years?”

“Forty-eight over the centuries,” said a helpful Gorvekai woman. Lady Solveiga, I remembered.

“That’s not an impressive statistic.”

“Many Gorvekai travel the kingdoms, searching for suitable candidates. These are forty-eight Dark asha over thousands we have assessed and ultimately rejected long before they knew of any trials.”

“And what of me?” I asked. “Would I have been rejected, if I hadn’t come?”

The woman shrugged. In many ways, she reminded me of Zoya. “You’re here now, aren’t you? The point appears to be moot.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Kalen repeated for the eleventh time that day.

I grinned and kissed him. “You’re just mad you have to stay out here in the cold while I’ll be warm and cozy inside. Trust me. If this is what I have to do, then this is what I’ll do.”

“Are you sure, Tea? Are you sure the only reason you want to find out if you’re capable of shadowglass is so you can keep it away from the elders?”

I hesitated and sighed. “What if I succeed?”

Kalen shook his head. “I trust you, but that is dangerous. There’s no telling how the magic could change you.”

“I know. But if there’s a chance I could change the world, why not bring Fox back for good and then rid the world of magic? I could bring back Polaire and Daisy while I’m at it! It would solve so many of our problems—”