The shower wheezed off some time later and he pulled himself out of bed to get dressed. He was packing his bag into the car when she appeared in the doorway. She’d already buttoned herself into her coat and was simply looking at him from the doorway. “Are you ready to go? “He asked her as she stepped down into the snow. “The streets are safe to drive on and we can still make the halfway point before dark if we leave now.”

“It is as you will it.” Ardala stepped ...