Gus’s rendering was accurate. I try to do the same as I scratch the marks into my leg and let my new pants cover the evidence. The guide still doesn’t make much sense—and I have no idea how to get us to the Shredder. But I have a plan to get Gus the wind he needs.
I prop Gus up, pretending I’m checking his breathing, and when his eyes slit open, I whisper in his ear, “If you can hear me, I need you to act like you’re in as much pain as possible.”
I can’t tell if his grunt is a yes.
But the screams that follow are agonizing—horrible bloodcurdling screeches as Gus thrashes and writhes, smearing more red across the floor.
“He needs air,” I shout, letting my panic leak into my voice. “Please—you have to take him aboveground.”
“You heard Raiden’s orders,” Nalani tells me.
Gus vomits. His legs and arms thrash, and I honestly have no idea if he’s acting or finally admitting how much pain he’s in.
“Please—he’s dying!”
“I think that’s the point.”
“But you don’t understand.” I sweep the tears off my cheeks and new ones immediately replace them. “He’s the important one.”
“What’s going on down here?” a familiar voice shouts, and the Stormer with the scars runs to the bars of my cell.
I reach for his arm. “My friend is dying. Please—you have to get us to the tower. Raiden would want you to.”
“Then why did he order me to let you watch him die?” Nalani asks.
“Because he doesn’t realize how important Gus is!” I hesitate then, warring over my next words, debating if the risk is too great.
Gus heaves again, making the decision for me.
“Gus is the one who can teach Raiden Westerly,” I whisper. “I taught him a command before I broke my bond.”
Nalani snorts. “How convenient.”
“It’s also true,” I say, focusing on the scarred Stormer as he weighs my words. “I can’t teach Raiden anything,” I tell him. “All of my knowledge is gone. And Vane will die faithful like all the other Westerlies. So if Gus slips away now, he takes Raiden’s last chance at learning the language.”
“And you’ve just decided to tell us this now?” he asks. “Now that your friend’s taking his final breaths?”
“That’s why I’m telling you!” I turn to Gus, and a sob shakes my shoulders when I see the red oozing from his lips. “I thought I’d be strong enough. But I can’t let him die. Not like this—not for a language that’s not even mine. Or his. It’s not our job to protect it. I’d teach Raiden right now if I could. But I can’t. Only Gus can.”
I can practically hear their minds chewing the words, deciding whether or not to swallow them.
I focus on the scarred Stormer and push where I know he’s vulnerable.
“What do you think Raiden will do when he finds out that Gus knew Westerly? I’ll tell him after Gus is gone—and I’ll tell him I told you before it was too late. Do you think he’ll reward you for blindly following his orders—or make you face the Shredder?”
Nalani grabs my throat. “You dare to threaten us?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to save him,” I rasp.
The scarred Stormer pulls her hand away, letting me breathe.
“Raiden needs to know,” he mumbles. “If there’s even the slightest chance . . .”
Nalani sighs. “We better get him to the tower cell, then. The boy doesn’t have long without the wind.”
The scarred Stormer nods, and his eyes focus on me.
For the first time I can see him as one of Raiden’s trained killers. Especially when he says, “If this is a trick, I’ll end you myself.”
CHAPTER 13
VANE
The sky is dark by the time we reach the mountain that hides Raiden’s fortress—and I mean really dark.
No stars.
No moon.
Just storm clouds blacking out the world and showering us with snow . . . in the middle of summer.
“I’m g-g-guessing this isn’t n-n-normal,” I stutter as Aston sets us down in an ice-crusted forest. It looks like Mr. Freeze came through and blasted everything with his freeze gun.
“It means Raiden knows we’re coming,” Aston tells me, pulling his hood up to block the snow. “I’d figured as much. But I’d been hoping he wouldn’t be this prepared.”
I know it shouldn’t surprise me that Raiden can change the weather. But somehow the idea feels huge.
And the mountain itself is huge—way bigger than I’d imagined. We should’ve brought climbing gear—and about a million extra layers of clothes.
“Here,” Solana says, blanketing me in a Southerly.
She does the same to herself before turning to Aston.
“I’ll just absorb it,” he tells her.
“And it would dull my senses too much,” Arella adds.
I shiver just looking at them. The Southerly can’t keep all the freezing air away, but at least I’ll leave here with all ten of my toes.