Page 80 of Winter’s Teeth

“I’m really counting on you guys for once I find my sister,” I murmured. “I’m sorry to keep using you, but I—”

“Don’t even bother finishing that thought,” my hostile roommate interrupted. She jerked me into a rough hug, breathing heavily. “We’ve got this. You just do your thing. Kick ass. Find Everly.”

I buried my face in her shoulder, squeezing back hard. “Thank you.”

“It’s been eleven minutes,” Corbin announced. “Come on, let’s go let’s go let’s go!”

As we filed out of the cabin, leaving behind most of our things that we brought for the trip, Ben stopped me with a small tug on my sleeve. “Here.” He pressed the smaller, handheld gun into my palm. “It’s loaded and ready. I should have made you take this the first time you left.”

“Thanks, Ben.”

“Be careful, okay?”

It was a stupid thing to say. Did I tell him that though? Of course not. I gave him a hug, and I made sure he knew I appreciated his care and concern for me even when I didn’t deserve it.

Angie interrupted with a gift of her own. “Here, Rae! I found this earlier.”

To my surprise and delight, she put a hatchet in my other hand.

“Ange, this is perfect!”

She beamed, rocking up on her toes. “You were incredible that one time we all went out for ax throwing. I figured you’d be lethal with this against any threats.”

I must have been taking too long, because Fox swooped in, lifting me off my swollen feet to carry me down the porch steps while I clutched my weapons in one fist each. He raised his brow at the ax, muttering, “Do I even want to know?”

“I have a lot of rage that doesn’t get released properly at school, and ax throwing is a good outlet,” I said with a simple shrug. Duh.

“Good to know.”

I was dying to know what he meant by that, but as per usual, there was no time to linger. We parted ways in the driveway, sending my friends with Corbin and Shira back to their cars. I kissed Maple’s soft head, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time I saw her and her floppy ears. Then after collecting more winter gear, Fox and I made our way to the forest with fresh skis and a snowboard for round two.

This time at least, I knew what to expect. Could I very well die on the right-of-way the next time? Very possibly. Would I full send down the steep slope to get to Everly before nightfall?

Absolutely.

My stiff gait plowed ahead into the woods, beating Fox to the path. In the distance, mist blanketed the hills, only just beginning to break up in pre-dawn’s light.

“Take it easy,” Fox called.

“I can’t.”

He grabbed my arm to slow me down. “Pace yourself, Rae. We’ve got time. Arthur won’t marry her till he’s dealt with the disturbance on the land first.”

As soon as I slowed, my knee pulsed in agony, warning me that he was right. I did need to slow down. If I had any hope of making it down the slope in one piece, I needed to store up my energy and not strain myself further.

“You say that, but what if he does the opposite? What if he does something to her to prove a point?”

“That’s not Arthur.”

I shot him a withering glare. Were we seriously talking about the same person? The guy who tied up his relatives in the woods or threw them into frozen creeks half dead. That Arthur?

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, “but that wasn’t always what he was like. Like I said... We used to be closer.”

He was leaving out a lot. Pain rippled behind his eyes, swimming with ghosts and memories I couldn’t ask about until we had the time.

“Okay, I’ll trust you, but I’m not going any slower than this.”

“Weather’s not too bad today at least.” He tipped his head back to the sky, still mostly overcast, but a little orange color peeked through the clouds as the sun rose higher. Adjusting the straps of the backpack he gathered just before we left, Fox blew out a resigned breath that puffed in a white cloud in front of him. “Can you eat and walk?”