Chapter 7 · The Scent of Traitors

His hand clamped around my wrist before I evenheard him move.

That was the part that stung. Not the crushing grip. Not the bite of the mountainair. It was the fact that my skin had already turned toward him—half a second before my brain caught up.Like a stray dog hearing its name.

"Let go."

"No."

Agale tore down the pass, shoving us both sideways. Sleet stung my cheek like gravel. My fingers had been numb sinceyesterday, but I’d stopped caring around noon.

Valerius stood there. Still in that blackcoat from the tribunal. Frost clung to his beard. He looked at me like I was a bad debt the mountain had sent him tocollect.

"How far did you think you’d get?"

"Further than this."

"You’re four miles off the border trail. There’s nothing out here but things with teeth."

"I know."

I lunged, driving my free hand into his knee with a dead branch. Hemoved. Of course he did. He had to drop my wrist to dodge, and I counted that as a win.

"I’ve been living with the teeth since you cut me loose."

Hecaught me before I took three steps. This time, he hauled me back against his chest.