Page 97 (1/2)

Questions hovered on my lips I wanted to know et my hopes up There was the possibility that I wasn’t a Zaltana I guess I would find out when I reached Sitia Irys wanted to start ht away

Uneasiness hovered in ed the subject "How’s the Commander?"

Irys confessed her frustration "He’s different fro in their minds, but he’s retreated to a white place If I can only find where he is, then Ihiht back to a time in the war room when I had fallen asleep "May I try?"

"Why not?"

Ihe desired Irys accompanied me to the Commander’s room The bodies had been removed and soe of the Co Irys’s instructions, I closedmy mental awareness toward him

My feet crunched on ice A cold wind stabbedwhite surrounded me Diamond dust or snowflakes, it was hard to tell I walked for a while and was i through the storht to remain calm and to remind myself that I was not lost Whenever I took a step forward, the icy wind drove me back

I was about to adht I could find the Co over a slain snow cat caused the wind to stop and the blizzard to clear I stood next to A furs that resembled the skin of the cat

"Co into the distance

Thin black bars surrounded us on all sides A birdcage was my first impression, but upon closer scrutiny I could see that the bars were soldiers armed with swords

"Every time I tried to leave, they pushedinto weary

"But you’re the Commander"

"Not here Here I am just Ambrosia trapped inside my mistake of a body The soldiers know about uards didn’t belong to Mogkan, they belonged to her My eyes were drawn to the snow cat’s carcass "How did you kill the cat?"

Her face came alive as she recounted how she had bathed in snow-cat scent and spent weeks cloaked in snow-cat furs, pretending to be one of the animals until they allowed her to be part of their pack In the end it was only a matter of time and the perfect opportunity to make the kill