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  Kade’s shoulders crept back a notch as he realised Cester was telling them of his intent to retire.

  “After the wedding, Kade will officially become your new Captain,” Cester said.

  Brute only nodded, accepting the change as though Cester was announcing a change in the menu, but as Kade’s gaze slid to his cousin, he knew Carl was going to be a problem.

  Carl’s jaw worked, and the slightest of pouts pushed his lip forward. “Why’d you pick Kade? I’m nearly two years older.”

  Cester sat back a little in his chair and pressed his fingertips together. “You may be older, but I needed someone who isn’t prone to distraction when a pretty girl walks by.”

  Brute snorted, and Carl shot him a warning glare. “I’m not the one who took Hadley to Amaria.”

  Kade froze, his heart rate speeding at the accusation he was sick of hearing. He moved to argue when Cester held a steadying hand. “That he did so, and kept his integrity, is further testimony to Kade being the right man to Captain you all. According to Hadley, he did the best he could in a difficult situation.”

  Brute’s eyebrows raised a little, his lips twitching as if warning Kade there would be questions to follow. Carl only stared blankly at Cester as though too annoyed to even speak further.

  Cester switched the subject, though Carl’s stance wasn’t likely to change anytime soon; at least all the Stormers now knew things were going to change.

  “Which brings us to the next order of business. Kade needs to leave shortly to search for the man who hired Jax, and since there is also now the matter of investigating the disappearances, Duke will be accompanying him.”

  Carl shifted in his chair. “The rest of the Stormers stay here then?”

  Cester nodded and looked to Brute then to Carl. “You may stay for the rest of winter and then on for the wedding in spring. It’s going to take some time to work out how the Stormers will function now; first priority will be finding out about the boys.”

  Carl nodded vaguely. The slightest of smiles crept over his face, making Kade’s jaw tighten. “Hadley will be staying here to help Meg with the wedding celebrations, I expect?”

  Kade’s stomach plummeted to his toes at the question. He nearly groaned aloud. Of course Meg would want Hadley to stay, and of course she couldn’t possibly travel again after only just arriving back. What had he been thinking? She’d happily jump back in the saddle to travel with a pair of Stormers again? With me.

  Cester didn’t answer for a moment before he sent a pointed look in Kade’s direction. “I think Hadley is the only one who can answer that question.”

  Carl’s lips twitched as he fought to keep a straight face. “I’d be happy to go find her to ask”

  Cester cut him off before Kade could, sounding angrier than Kade had ever heard him. “You will do no such thing: you will go directly to your cabin, and if I hear you even attempted to approach Meg and Hadley while they bathe, I will terminate your employment with the Northern Stormers. Is that clear?”

  Carl’s jaw slackened, and all traces of bravado disappeared at the force of Cester’s reprimand. “Yes, Sir,” he muttered.

  Brute’s face contorted slightly as he struggled to contain his laughter. “Maybe we should leave you bigwigs to talk over the details? I need to take a kip.”

  Cester nodded, his temper settling as he looked at Brute. “Take a few hours to rest; we’ll see you all for the evening meal.”

  Carl’s face remained passive as he pulled himself to standing. As Cester topped up his tea once more, and Brute was almost at the doors, Carl sent him a look, his expression so laced with venom that Kade flinched.

  Why was his cousin so riled up? What had happened in Kingsport to make him stare daggers at Kade any time Cester wasn’t looking?

  Carl shut the door behind them a little too forcefully, his footsteps overly noisy as he and Brute left the sitting room.

  His thoughts on his cousin and how he could mend the growing rift between them, he missed the change in Cester’s tone. His cheeks blazed as he caught the meaning behind the question he’d only half heard. “My what?”

  Cester’s lip curled slightly, his eyebrow raising. “Your intentions regarding Hadley. You said nothing happened between you in Amaria, and I believe you. The question is, would it if she accompanied you to find her brother?”

  Kade’s stomach knotted as he considered the question. “I’m not following?”

  Cester shook his head. “Please don’t take me for a fool, Stormer Kade. If you have feelings for Hadley, you know it wouldn’t be right for me to allow you to take her with you, even with Duke, and even with your obvious restraint. It wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  Kade’s cheeks continued to heat before he shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Cester narrowed his gaze. “Stormer Kade, did I make a mistake giving you this position? I just endorsed you in front of your peers: are you going to make me a liar?”

  Kade’s throat closed over, and a cold chill ran the length of his spine. If he was honest, Cester would never allow Hadley to travel with him, but he’d still take over the captaincy, and Meg would be safe to live here in the valley retreat.

  But if he lied and said he had no feelings towards Hadley, he could use the time to keep his promise to Meg and to Hadley, but he’d lose all the faith Cester had placed in him.

  Kade kept his face as calm as he could manage and slowly exhaled, stalling as he scrambled to make the right decision. Cester’s gaze narrowed even further, his finger tapping on the side of the cup as he waited.

  His heart racing, his palms growing slick, Kade had never felt more trapped than right at that moment. Either way, he was between a rock and hard place.

  He knew what Cester wanted to hear. But could he bring himself to utter the words?

  Chapter Two

  Hadley eased herself into the steaming waters, releasing a deep sigh as the water washed over her aching body. Meg giggled alongside her. “I told you it’s magical.”

  Hadley returned the smile, allowing the warmth to soothe the weariness as she reclined her head back to take in the trees surrounding them. Steam swirled into the frigid air, as she looked sidelong to Meg. “Are you sure no one else will come?”

  Placing a hastily signed note on a rock between the two hedges of the secluded pools seemed too little to protect their modesty.

  Meg’s smile was sure. “Would you chance the wrath of Kade and Cester?”

  Hadley frowned and shook her head. “No one ever tried it?”

  Meg shrugged and cocked her head to where their clothes and large towelling sheets were neatly folded. “They wouldn’t dare. Plus, I have a whistle, one blow and Kade and Cester would come running.”

  Hadley’s eyes widened as Meg reached under the clothes and dragged out a tin whistle. She eyed it for a moment before handing it to Hadley.

  “Kade gave it to me when he and Carl joined the Stormers; he said to blow it any time I needed him. Why don’t you borrow it while you’re here?”

  Hadley held the whistle closer to examine it, water dripping off her fingers. The light caught the metal, and Hadley squinted to make out the engraving on the side. “What does this say?”

  Meg closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “‘No broken promises.’ He scratched it on when our parents died; he was fifteen.”

  Hadley’s stomach flipped. She blinked the moisture away, unwilling to share her thoughts with Meg. “Do you think he’ll ever give Storming up?”

  Meg’s eyes opened slowly, and she angled her neck to smile at Hadley, her cheeks pinking from the heat. “He won’t have to for much longer. Well, he’ll still be a Stormer, but he won’t be retrieving anymore.”

  Hadley frowned at the wording, easing the whistle behind her, careful not to scratch it against the schist rock surrounding the pools. “What do you mean?”

  Meg lifted her hand, sending rivulets of water flying off. She extended her arm to hover in
front of Hadley’s face. The diamond sending patterns of light bouncing off the sun, as if catching all the colours of a hidden rainbow.

  “When Cester and I marry next month, Kade will take over as Captain of the Northern Stormers.”

  Hadley sucked in a breath, relief swirling through her. At the happiness lacing Meg’s words, it was apparent Kade would be in far less danger when Meg married Cester.

  Her lips twitched into a smile. Maybe now Kade could keep healer Ben happy and stop getting injured?

  “He’ll still be travelling and sleeping rough. But he won’t be putting himself in danger for my sake.”

  Meg’s eyes filled, and her chin quivered as she dropped her arm under the water with a splash. “I’m going to miss him so much, not seeing him every day. When he was with you that six weeks, I nearly went mad worrying about him.”

  Hadley’s own emotions flooded through her, Meg’s words echoing her own feeling for Thomas. Until a few months ago, they’d never spent a day away from each other.

  Was it better not knowing whether he was injured? It must be agony for Meg, watching Kade leave to face numerous threats only to wonder if he’d make it back.

  Maybe it was better not to know what Thomas was going through? How would she feel if it were Thomas returning home bloodied and bruised just because he was protecting her? But would he protect me this way?

  Hadley’s doubts resurfaced again as Meg’s voice grew softer, almost wistful in tone, pulling her back to their conversation. “That was when I really started to want to pray with Cester; I think I always knew there was a logical order to the world. I just didn’t understand The Ancient was the creator of everything. It made so much sense to talk to Him and ask for His help.”

  For the sake of not appearing rude, Hadley forced her frown away. She suppressed a yawn as Meg began speaking of the High God, or the one she called Ancient. “I still don’t understand it all: Cester says that comes the more you trust, and that in turn produces faith.”

  Hadley couldn’t stop the question. “How can you trust in something you can’t see?”

  Meg shrugged. “Why did we place our trust in wooden statues and stones before? Just because our parents and their parents did? Everyone places their faith in something, don’t they?”

  Hadley’s forehead creased, but she held her tongue and allowed Meg to carry on speaking about the Ancient who her parents had shunned. Whichever way she looked at it, if the gods or a single High God existed, they still allowed pain and suffering to continue.

  Meg released a long sigh. “I believe we all have a purpose and a destiny.”

  Hadley nodded limply. What was Meg talking about? What kind of purpose could they possibly have? It all sounded wonderful in theory, but so did the idea of gods, and when she’d asked them for assistance, her parents had still died. What was she supposed to do? Try every god until one answered her? Was that how it worked?

  She cleared her throat and hoped to direct Meg’s thoughts to a less confusing subject. “Where will you live when you marry?”

  Meg’s smile was weak as if she’d noticed Hadley wasn’t interested. “Here. And I’ll see Kade for three months of the year, and any time they’re nearby, Cester agreed we could meet as often as possible.”

  A twinge of jealousy passed through Hadley before she shook it off. She shouldn’t begrudge Meg for having so much to look forward to just because her own future was so uncertain.

  Hadley dropped her gaze and feigned a smile as Meg began to talk about the wedding plans. Hadley smiled and nodded in all the right places, but her heart wasn’t in it.

  Her heart was currently aching for someone who recoiled when she hugged him and for a brother still lost amongst hundreds.

  For her only friend’s sake, Hadley pasted on a smile and agreed to everything Meg asked of her until slowly, exhaustion began to smother her, and she found her thoughts wandering to the soft bed she had waiting.

  Meg took the hint after the second yawn and poked her exposed shoulder. “Come on, the others will be resting too.”

  Hadley nodded vaguely, feeling the pull of guilt at her lack of enthusiasm for Meg’s happiness. A better friend would be giddy with the idea of a wedding and all that entailed.

  But as Hadley wrapped herself in the enormous towel, all she could think of was the last time she’d been here, dressed up and hoping a certain Stormer would ask her to dance.

  Hadley pulled her underclothes on, wrenching on the clean dress Meg had altered to fit her petite frame over her head and left her boots unlaced as she trudged away from the pools.

  Her energy dissipated along with the sun, letting her know how much time had passed since she’d first entered the Retreat. Her fingers were water wrinkled, she scrunched up her nose at how long they’d soaked. No wonder she was so tired.

  Her footsteps were heavy on the powdery snow, her thoughts muddling as they often did when she was too full of emotions and ready for sleep.

  Meg chatted away, but it was all Hadley could do to nod at the right spots, her head so heavy, her limbs stiff, she barely managed a goodbye as Meg closed the cabin door.

  Hadley clomped across the cabin and released a contented sigh at the sight of Kade’s bed. She kicked off her boots, and slid under the covers, trying not to breathe in the scent of him as she sunk into a dreamless sleep.

  The pressure building in his chest, Kade continued to stare at Cester in the desperate hopes he’d take pity on him and realise what he was asking of him. Either way he answered, he would be wrong in someone’s eyes. No matter what he said, no matter what he did, he’d break a promise.

  Cester dropped his chin slightly and slowly released a breath. “Your silence is answer enough, Stormer Kade.”

  Kade flinched. What did that mean? Cester had figured him out? “Sorry? You’re condemning me for not saying anything?”

  Cester frowned. “Interesting word choice. Why would you think I was condemning you? You haven’t done anything.”

  Kade near growled a response. “I made Hadley a promise to help her find her brother; it makes sense she comes with me and Duke when we look. How else can we find him?”

  Cester looked less than pleased with his response, but he nodded slowly, his words cryptic. “If it were anyone else but you, I wouldn’t agree, but you understand my hesitance? I’m looking for assurances here.”

  Kade’s throat closed over. Assurances? Did Cester mean to make him promise? “Assurances that what? I continue to treat Hadley with respect and do my job?”

  Cester raised an eyebrow. “I know you don’t make promises lightly, Stormer Kade, so I won’t ask that of you.”

  Kade’s relief was short-lived with the next words from Cester’s mouth. “I would advise you to tread lightly where Hadley is concerned. Now isn’t the time to be starting something you can’t finish.”

  Kade cocked his head, despite his embarrassment at the veiled conversation. “What do you mean, start something?”

  Cester picked up his tea and drained the cup before replying. “What I mean is, the life of a Stormer Captain is a solitary one.”

  Ice crept down his back as he realised what Cester was trying to say. Even if he worked up the courage to talk to Hadley, what could possibly come of it?

  Even if she found Thomas, and he agreed to become a Stormer, they couldn’t just all live happily ever after? Hadley wouldn’t want that life, and if Thomas had any brains, he wouldn’t either. Azetaria was on the brink of war. They’d be lucky if they made it through to next winter without the combustible spark that would ignite the overthrow.

  A knot began to swell in his stomach as Cester’s words sunk in. By accepting Cester’s job offer, Cester had gotten an out, Meg would be safe, but Kade would be locked into the single life for as long as he was in charge.

  Cester had been living rough for almost ten years now. Meeting Meg had given him reason to quit. A bitter seed planted in Kade’s belly, and he swallowed back the resentment growing towards Cester
.

  No wonder Cester had been so invested in testing him in Amaria. Without someone he could trust, Cester couldn’t retire early enough to still get married and have a family—all things he was effectively taking from Kade’s future.

  Again, he was trapped, his desire for Meg’s safety effectively wedging him in, making sure he couldn’t live a life apart from the one Cester had granted him.

  The more Kade thought on it, the more he saw the hopelessness. At seventeen years of age, half of his life had been mapped out for him.

  The fear he’d felt slowly fizzled out, replaced by despair that curled around him and squeezed at his throat. He might live a quiet life as captain, but he’d also be alone. Without Meg and, if Carl continued with his rotten attitude, without his cousin.

  In the space of half a day, Kade had gone from anticipation, to dread, to relief only to end on hopelessness that filled his entire being.

  Kade’s shoulders slackened, but he kept his tone as light as he could. “You’re right. Good thing I wasn’t interested in Hadley then.”

  Everything in Cester’s gaze told him his captain wasn’t fooled. But what difference did it make now? Kade pulled himself from the chair and made sure his posture didn’t give away the torrents of emotions screaming to escape.

  As he descended the stairs, he caught sight of Meg, a wide smile on her face as she chatted with Cole and stroked one of the dogs between the ears. “Hadley’s taking a nap,” she called.

  Great. She’s in my bed again.

  Meg waved him over, but he shook his head, a scowl growing as he plunged his hands into his coat pockets and stalked in the other direction.

  It would be worth it. To know Meg was here. Safe, with a family like she deserved.

  Kade kept on walking until he reached the perimeter of the Retreat and, without a backwards glance, carried on walking towards the treeline, hoping if he walked long enough, he might just walk off the twisting feeling in his gut.

  No longer exhausted, but with her mind on anything but the steaming bowl of stew before her, Hadley’s appetite dissolved when she’d not seen any sign of the one Stormer she wanted to see.