8
I held my hand up to one of the scratch marks in the stone. The gouge cut three inches deep and was longer than my forearm. “Do you think he’ll know what it was?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say Liam’s name, even if he was the person I wished were standing beside me as I ran my fingers through the gouges.
“We can hope.” Finn passed me my pack. “I don’t want to sound as though I’m a Black Blood who fears the mountains, but I’d rather not have that beast come sneaking up on me in the forest.”
“Narek might steal you away,” I said in a hushed voice. “Keep you in his cave forever.”
“Don’t test the gods.” Finn started climbing the rock face.
I checked the knife tucked in my boot before following him.
In the daylight, all fears began to seem foolish.
Birds soared overhead, taunting us wi
