Chapter 10 · Rust and Relic - Chapter 10: Graycrow Names Her Price

"Get in."

I stared at the wagon. Crow bones hung from the frame like wind chimes. The woman holding the reins had gray streaks in her black hair and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Liv asked. Her hand was already on her knife.

"Greta Graycrow." The woman didn't move. "Merchant. Sometimes guide. Right now, your only way out of this valley before Bonewalker's riders find you."

I looked back. The ice field stretched empty behind us, but I could still hear the echo of horns in the distance. My chest was tight. The shard pulsed against my ribs like a second heartbeat.

"We don't have money," I said.

"I didn't ask for money." Greta tilted her head. "I asked you to get in."

Liv stepped between us. "Why?"

"Because you're walking meat right now. And I don't like waste."

"Try again," Liv said.

Greta's smile widened. "Fine. You're worth more alive. The shard-bearer everyone's hunting? That's a story. Stories pay well. And if you die in the next hour, I lose the ending."

"So you want to sell us," I said.

"I want to sell your story.