Cassia had never been so drenched in her entire life. The water seemed to seep into her skin, bloating her fingers, soaking her hair until it felt like the strands would slip from her scalp. Her clothes were glued to her skin, chaffing her raw in several very uncomfortable places.

The cold would never leave her. Of this, she was certain. Her bare, numbed feet slipped on the rocky path, threatening to send her and the Sorveti woman crashing to the ground with each step. Her lungs burned, every breath agony against her cracked ribs.

Behind them, she could hear Askari swearing as he struggled with the unconscious weight of the pirate captain. Cassia imagined she could feel his angry gaze burning into her, but when she looked back, his eyes were always trained on the ground, making sure he didn't trip.

"How much farther?" she called above the deafening pound of rain.

Soo-jin didn't so much as glance sideways, her eyes fixed doggedly forward as she all but dragged Cassia toward the sea cliffs rearing up ahead of them. They had been walking for what felt like miles, moving steadily inland and to the west, searching for shelter. 

When Cassia dared to look down, she found her feet bloodied, cut and scraped by the rocks and bits of shell they walked over. Her knees were weak, her vision blurring and an ache was pounding at her temples and behind her eyes. She needed to rest. So did Askari.

"How much farther?" she repeated, throwing every ounce of command she had left into her voice.

Now Soo-jin looked at her. "If we stay in the rain, we will die. We travel as far as we must."

How practical. Cassia narrowed her eyes at the woman. "If we pass out from exhaustion, we'll freeze to death." She tilted her head toward their destination. "You're sure there will be shelter there?"

Soo-jin heaved Cassia's arm farther up onto her slender shoulders, sending sparks of pain shooting through Cassia's chest. "Yes," she said. "The cliffs have caves. Dry caves with driftwood piled in them."

The thought of a fire was so delicious, Cassia nearly whimpered with longing. She attempted to lengthen her stride. The pain didn't matter. It wouldn't matter to Calix. He would tell her to accept the pain. To do what needed doing in order for her to stay alive.

Soo-jin matched her stride for stride, Askari breathing hard behind them. When she glanced back, she found he had fallen too far behind, slowed by the captain's dead weight. Unsteady as she felt, she pulled away from Soo-jin. "Go help carry him," she said, one arm gripping her throbbing ribs. "I'll keep us headed for the cliffs."

With a bow of her head, Soo-jin turned and rushed back to her captain, sliding under his other arm. Askari's head jerked up and he stared a question at Cassia. She waved a hand and kept walking, knowing if she stopped it would be near impossible to start again.

Swallowing against the metallic taste in her mouth, she stared doggedly at the white cliffs, squinting against the sheeting rain. One step. One more step. Another step. She chanted these words in her head, straining her ears for the sound of someone else's voice.

It probably wasn't a good thing, to want to hear his voice when he so clearly wasn't beside her. But just as it had driven her toward the shore, she knew it would keep her walking. It would keep her alive.

Cassia's brow wrinkled in a frown. That wasn't quite right. That wasn't what he would want. He had taught her how to keep herself alive. He had wanted her to be strong enough to do that. She couldn't disappoint him. A sharp piece of shell stabbed into her foot, drawing blood. Cassia watched as it seeped between her pale, wrinkled toes with each step. It was bright red. That meant she was alive.

She would stay that way. Not just for the hope of one day seeing his proud smile, but for herself. For her empire and her crown and her people.

Cassia stumbled and nearly fell, but caught herself. The cliffs were getting nearer.

They were getting nearer.

"There!"

Cassia turned back, confused. What was there?

Soo-jin was pointing past Cassia, her dark eyes alight with relief. She swung back around, trying to look past the gloom and downpour, but couldn't see what the Sorveti had.

Then, she did.

The cave was a dark slash of a mouth carved into the rock where the cliffs began to fade into the mountains that traveled like a scar down the island's center. Her eyes stung with tears that she only allowed to fall because her companions wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her tears and the rain.

"Thank Corlana," she whispered, just to nearly be knocked over by a vicious gust of wind that turned the rain to tiny needles meant to pierce her skin. "And Niseera."

The rain just poured down harder. The ocean goddess was a fickle bitch.

Cassia raised a hand, trying to shield her eyes so she could stumble forward in the right direction. She didn't let herself measure the distance. Every now and then—when she found the presence of mind to do so—she would look back over her shoulder to make sure her companions were keeping up.

Askari would meet her eyes each time with a glare and a meaningful glance at the unconscious Brunian. This is your fault. Cassia would turn around, knowing he was right. 

The rain suddenly ceased. Cassia looked up just in time to avoid cracking her head on a low ledge of rock. Judging by the grunt of pain and the snarl of Sorian curses, Askari hadn't been as lucky. She managed to stumble a few more steps into the cave and collapsed to her hands and knees. 

Every muscle in her body shook, cold wracking her with violent shivers. Behind her, there was a heavy thud and a yelp. Then there were hands on her shoulders. "You're bleeding," Askari said in her ear.

She rolled to the side so she was sitting up and stared at the mangled soles of her feet. It was worse than she'd realized. Cassia plucked at what was left of his soaked shirt, peering down the neck to see blood that had been turned black in the cave's low light smearing his skin.

Just as she had suspected.

"So are you," she managed to get out between chattering teeth. When his hands reached for her ankle, she swatted at his fingers. "First things first." She began to wring out her hair, adding to the puddle growing beneath her. "Fire."

"Cassia..."

"Askari." Her voice came out weaker than she meant, betraying her exhaustion. She met his dark eyes. "A fire."

She swept her gaze around the cave, heart sinking when she found nothing but sand and rocks.

The wind howled outside, some of its fury swirling into the cave mouth. Askari heaved a sigh and stood, hobbling back toward the entrance. Soo-jin let out a startled huff when he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her up. He thrust his head forward, so close he could have kissed her. "If anything happens to her—"

"She won't," Cassia cut in. "She won't do anything to me."

Askari threw her back down to the ground, where she landed on the captain's supine form. "It's not her I'm concerned about." 

Lightning lashed the world outside, throwing a sickly light over them all. Soo-jin had her hands resting on the pirate's chest, which was still steadily rising and falling much to Cassia's disgust. Her midnight eyes stared up at Askari. "I have sworn to her," the Sorveti said, voice low and intense. "I will not betray that oath."

"You won't betray your oath." Askari turned toward her, finger jabbing toward the captain. "He will be awake soon."

Soo-jin opened her mouth, then closed it, obviously without a ready answer.

"He will try to kill you." Askari stepped over the captain and lingered at the mouth of the cave. He stared at Cassia, waiting.

Shivers rattled her bones and all she wanted to do was lay down. Her head ached so badly she could feel every one of her teeth, and each breath was like trying to inhale fire. The bruises and cuts on her face courtesy of the captain throbbed in time with her ragged heartbeat.

"I can look after myself," she murmured, knowing it was a bald-faced lie even as she spoke. "Go see if you can find anything that will burn in this wet."

Askari didn't move. Cassia sighed and closed her eyes. Fog was creeping in on the edges of her thoughts, making it hard to think. When she opened them, her gaze landed on where Soo-jin was wiping away blood from a cut on the pirate's eyebrow.

"She'll protect me," Cassia whispered.

Askari snorted, but Soo-jin tensed, not daring to meet Cassia's eyes.

"She'll protect me, or her own life will be forfeit." Cassia gave a grim smile. "If I die, and there is something you could have done to prevent my death, I order you to do what honor demands."

Even the rain seemed to shush itself as Cassia's order came down. The Sorveti woman gave her a glare of such loathing, Cassia imagined she could warm herself with the fire of it.

The moment was broken when Askari shoved his foot into the small of her back, nearly sending her sprawling. "Well?"

Soo-jin's mouth pressed into a thin, white line as she righted herself. Then, she gave a single nod before returning her attention to the captain.

"Askari," Cassia said. When she had his attention, she nodded. "Please."

Surprise, then disgust washed over his face and he stomped out into the storm without a backward glance. A sigh gusted from her and Cassia finally allowed herself to keel over, sure she'd never lain on anything more delightful than the cold, solid earth beneath her. Curling into a ball, she closed her eyes and shivered, remembering what Calix had told her: when she stopped shivering was when she should start to worry.

The steady drum of rain outside lulled her. Sleeping would be a bad idea. She pushed back up to a sitting position and began to prod at the cuts on her feet, searching for any bits of rock or debris while the feeling in them was still diminished from the cold.

The blood oozed sluggishly from her feet, the skin white and clammy. When she was satisfied that the wounds were as clean as could be, she began to tear at the hem of her shirt. The wet fabric only twisted beneath her cold-clumsy fingers, refusing to rip.

It startled her when something tapped against her shoulder. Looking up, she found Soo-jin standing over her, offering a knife. The blade was gently curved and almost as long as her forearm, the handle simple—hardwood wrapped in stiff cloth. Cassia took it with a nod of thanks.

As she worked, cutting strips of cloth from her shirt and binding her feet, she watched the Sorveti from the corner of her eye. She pulled the pirate's head into her lap, gently dabbing at the cuts on his face. Cassia curled her lip, knotting the strips of cloth around her feet with more force than necessary.

When that was done, she stood and hobbled toward Soo-jin. The woman's braid had been demolished by the storm and sea, the obsidian locks hiding her face and the pirate's as she bent over him.

"Here." She extended the knife, fingers itching to bury it in the pirate's chest.

Soo-jin didn't look up. "Keep it," she whispered.

"What?" Cassia glanced at the shining metal. It was of fine make. 

"Keep it. Protect yourself." Soo-jin looked up. "Relinquish me of the oath you forced to soothe your lover's paranoia."

All Cassia could do was stare. Then, all she could do was huff a laugh. She shook her head, not bothering to correct her. She drew her finger along the spine of the knife. "I'll keep this, but I won't relinquish the oath." Cassia extended a hand. "You see, I need every advantage I can manage. And I don't trust your captain not to slit my throat as soon as he wakes."

"Well, she's not entirely daft."

A rough hand wrapped around Cassia's wrist and jerked her off-balance. Her bloodied feet skidded on the smooth rocks of the cave's floor, sending her crashing to the ground. A heavy weight crushed her already broken ribs, fingers wrapping around her neck.

"But I wouldna do somethin' so kind as cuttin' your throat." His blue eyes bulged madly as he squeezed, choking off her breath.

Cassia had the briefest moment to realize Askari would never allow her to live this down. Then, there was a dark blur and the captain was torn off of her. She shoved herself to her feet, throat sore and swollen. Fetching up against a wall of the cave, she watched as Soo-jin wrestled with the pirate, her arms locking around his neck in a chokehold.

The shock on his face was almost worth the new bruises.

"Stop," Soo-jin begged as the pirate's face began to redden. "Stop, oreobi."

Cassia stayed silent, meeting his glare.

"She saved us," Soo-jin said, still with her body locked around his. "She saved me."

"You kill me," Cassia rasped, "she has to kill herself."

With that the fight went right out of the pirate, freezing him in place. "What?"

"Saeng-un-dok," Cassia said. "Her life belongs to me."

He slumped to the ground, panting as Soo-jin immediately released her hold. Her arms slid down to his chest as she held him, her forehead resting on his shoulder as she muttered apology after apology.

Cassia didn't blink when his wolf-eyes found hers.

"Wretched bitch," he said, sitting up. He shook his head and shrugged Soo-jin off before gaining his feet. Cassia's fingers tightened around the knife where it was held at her side. "She was nearly the death of us."

The ludicrousness of that burst a laugh from her. "I'm sorry?"

"I should have killed you as soon as I knew what you were. I should have known the gods wouldn't want another Metian rat on their sacred land." The captain ran a hand over his hair, the white-blond strands darkened to silver. "Her being here caused that storm. She killed our crew. Destroyed my ship."

He took a step forward and Cassia raised the blade. "You come one step nearer, and I'll gut you," she promised, voice and hand steady.

The captain eyed the knife before turning to look at Soo-jin. She was kneeling, sitting back on her heels, her hands folded in her lap. Cassia could imagine the accusation in his eyes, never minding the fact that he had been the reason Soo-jin had sworn her life in order to save him.

"How ridiculous."

He cocked his head at her, eyes brightening with fury.

"The coast of Brunia is notoriously treacherous," Cassia said. She pointed her knife at him. "You were simply too prideful to steer clear of the rocks. That's what happened, wasn't it?" She remembered the sound of the ship hitting something, of the hull splintering. "You drove us aground."

The pirate snarled and lunged forward, just to be struck by an armful of wood. The pieces clattered to the ground around him, where he stood stiff as a statue.

"Start a fire," Askari said, wiping the rainwater from his face. "I tried to keep it as dry as I could."

When the Brunian didn't move, Askari waved a hand. "Or I suppose we can all freeze to death. Or perhaps your spite can keep you warm?"

With that, he collapsed to the ground beside Cassia, groaning as he stretched out his legs. She leaned against his shoulder, exhaustion threatening to send her tumbling into darkness.

"I warned you," Askari murmured, watching as the pirate bent to collect the wood, Soo-jin surging to her feet to help him. Askari's fingers grazed her throat, and she wondered how he had seen the newest bruises in the dim light.

"Yes," she agreed, closing her eyes. "And it won't be the last time. His hatred runs deep and cold."

Askari grunted an agreement. The sharp sound of a flint being struck ricocheted off the stone walls. Then, light bloomed. Cassia sighed in relief, one arm clutching her broken ribs. "But that is a problem for another day."

He let out a soft hum. "Rest, Cassia. Prepare for another day."