31. Sapphire

Sapphire

I freeze, and Zoey groans at the sudden stop.

“What?” She scans the area, her good hand already gripping her dagger.

I release the whisper stone, not wanting Riven to hear. “It’s Riven,” I tell her. “I touched the stone, and he talked to me through it.”

“Well? What did he say?”

“He said my name. And asked if I was here.”

“And what did you say back?”

“I haven’t said anything back,” I tell her. “I’m talking to you.”

“Then talk to him,” she snaps. “We need his help.”

I hesitate, still not one hundred percent sure I can trust him. Far from it.

But things are looking desperate here. And it won’t hurt to hear him out. It’s not like he can track our location through the stone.

Or… can he track our location through the stone?

At the thought, part of me wants to throw it as far away from us as possible and run. But another part—probably the more logical part—knows that if he could use it to track us and that if he wanted to track us, he would have found us already.

So, I reach back into my pocket, wrap my fingers around the stone, and bring it out.

“I’m here,” I say to him, and Zoey nods in approval.

Listen carefully. His voice sharpens, straight to business. You can’t go to the tree. The king’s men are already there, waiting. You need to head northwest instead—toward the ravine that marks the end of the Winter Court’s territory. It’s narrower than ravine you crossed for the bridge trial, so while there’s no bridge, you’ll be able to jump to the other side.

“Jump?” I echo, and Zoey’s brows knit together in silent question. “Riven, that’s?—”

You can do it, he cuts me off, speaking quickly, apparently having no time to waste. I’ve seen you do it before. Lots of times. You can jump farther than any fae I’ve ever seen.

Memories flash by: jumping with Zoey over fallen trees to outrun that Wendigo, flying through the treetops and from that branch into Riven’s window, and then the impossible leap to the end of the collapsing bridge .

Each of those times were fueled by adrenaline. Desperation.

If I do this crazy thing Riven’s talking about, it will be different.

Planned.

Which means I’ll have time to overthink it. To overanalyze it.

To get scared about it.

“What’s he saying?” Zoey’s voice breaks through my hesitation.

Quickly, I catch her up.

She glances up at the night sky, then back to me. “Then it sounds like you need to lead us northwest, Star Navigator,” she says, as if she has no idea why I’m questioning the plan at all.

“Really?” I ask. “You want to try jumping a ravine? In your state?”

In what state? Riven’s voice echoes through my mind at the same time as Zoey tells me that I’ll be the one jumping us across the ravine—not her.

Crap. I forgot to release the stone while I was talking to Zoey. Which means Riven could hear what I said to her.

“I’m fine,” I say to Riven, ignoring Zoey’s comment for now.

And Zoey ?

“We had an incident with ice dragons. But she’s alive and walking.”

That’s more than either of you will be if you go to the silver tree, he says. But I can convince my knights that you wouldn’t be stupid enough to cross into the Wandering Wilds. I’ll divert them, while you get out of here.

Great.

I stare at the whisper stone in annoyance. Because he’s asking me to do something apparently so idiotic that he can easily convince his knights not to follow.

This isn’t promising.

But he’s made it clear he wants me alive.

Unless he’s wanted me off his territory this entire time? Could this have all been a scheme to convince us to trust him enough to make what would apparently be the dumbest decision we could make in the trials?

I’m the only person in this entire court who cares about keeping the two of you alive, Riven says, as if he can read my hesitation through the stone. And if you want to stay alive, you’ll head west after crossing the ravine until you see a grove of frost-tipped pines. Look for a cluster of stark white birch trees with twisted trunks and follow them until you reach a fallen tree shaped like an arch. Continue through the Snow Blossom Glade, and beyond that, the entrance to the cave is hidden by a wall of frost ivy. My mother and I used to go there when I was young so she could find… well, it’s not important now. Just go. I’ll see you soon .

Knowing I’ll never remember all of those instructions, I rattle them off to Zoey. Riven has to correct me once or twice, but eventually, we get it.

I have to go, Riven says abruptly. I’ll see you soon. And Sapphire?

“Yes?”

Good luck.

I stare at the whisper stone, the sound of Riven’s last words echoing through my mind like a drumbeat.

Good luck.

It feels like a farewell, a promise, and a warning all at once.

Doubt coils in my stomach like a living thing as I think through our options.

If we go to the silver tree, we’ll face the king’s men. If they’re anything like the king—or simply follow his orders, as I expect—then they’ll kill us. Violently.

I shove the stone back into my pocket and turn to Zoey. She’s pale and shivering, her breaths shallow and sharp, her blood staining the makeshift bandage that I’m not sure will hold for much longer.

There’s no saying how far we are from the border of these Wandering Wilds.

But what other option do we have?

“Looks like we’re going northwest,” I finally say.

Zoey’s lips twist into the shadow of a smile. “Lead the way, Navigator,” she says. “When did you learn how to navigate by the stars, by the way?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug and look up at the night sky, comforted by the blanket of sparkling little lights overhead. “I just know.”

“Must be a fae thing.” She winces again, reminding me time is of the essence. And there’s no way she can run like that…

“Hop on my back,” I tell her.

“What?” She balks. “No way. I’m light, but not that light. I can walk.”

“We don’t have time to walk. We need to run,” I insist. “And ever since getting here, I’ve been feeling stronger. At least let me try.”

“Fine,” she gives in, and then, after a few awkward tries, she’s situated on my back in a way that’s not totally uncomfortable for her arm.

“Hold tight,” I say, and I burst into a sprint, recalling Zoey’s advice from the bridge earlier.

If I think about what we’re doing too much, I’ll fall.

So, I force myself to feel instead of think.

The forest blurs around us, the snowy ground dipping and rising, roots tugging at my feet as if trying to hold us back. But I move with surprising speed, with strength that carries us over obstacles as if they’re nothing .

Zoey’s grip tightens with each leap and lunge, but she doesn’t complain.

Occasionally, I glance at the sky for guidance, letting the stars lead the way. They paint a picture of the forest in my mind, like a compass engraved into my soul. I don’t know how they’re doing it, and I don’t know how to control it, but I’m happy to let it happen.

Zoey’s blood continues to soak my clothes. It smells sweet, as blood always does. And it’s making me hungry. I’d stop to feast on some deer again if I wasn’t running for our lives.

Finally, the wind shifts, and the trees break open into a dark expanse.

The ravine ahead stretches like a gaping wound in the earth, and I skid to a stop at the edge, sending snow scattering into the deep, dark abyss that will surely mean our deaths.