ra

Frostbite Creek-another desperate exile slipping on the treacherous ice. I stared at our empty water

on and Finn. "

gging into the frozen earth for it was considered impossible, even blasphemous. But Mason didn't question me. He grabbed the new iron shovel and attacked the permafrost with brutal,

ered around our muddy pit i

d," a gaunt woman muttered, her vo

or scoffed. "The whole Va

n had cleared. At the edge of the crowd, Beta Alistair Knox stood with his arms crossed. He looked

g, skeletal shadows over the snow, t

with anticipation and ready mockery. I stepped up to the makeshif

eak

hollow groan of wood

ker of disappointment in Finn's eyes. Gritting my teeth, I threw my ent

ough the log. A wet, sucking gasp e

ploded from the spout, splashing violen

ed into a deafening, stunned silence. Jaws dropped. Eyes widened

ned in sheer awe before he threw his head back and let out a reso

ed on worship. "She did it!" Alistair roared to the stunned c

*. Though I couldn't hear the psychic connection, his lips moved in a breathless, ecstatic whisper before he fully cl

ng her hands in prayer. Mason and Finn beame

's muddy now," I said, my voice steady and clear. "But if we layer crushed

filled with a desperate, burning gratitude. In the span of a single da

first tomorrow morning, my gaze caught a few hardened warriors at the back of the crowd. Their eyes we