Chapter 87: Burying the Dead

—Emilio--

It was folly to pursue anyone past the Teeth into a blizzard. And yet, here Emilio stood, the bitter wind cutting through his coat. He had argued this was a suicidal idea—to Josephine's wrathful defiance and the Ordinary's calm dismissal. Now, all that remained was Emilio, the survivors, and the grim task of burning the dead.

Emilio tightened his scarf against the wind as he heaved the last body onto the pyre. The frozen earth made burial impossible, and time was a luxury they didn't have. Around him, the remaining hunters—grim and shivering—stacked wood, their movements mechanical from exhaustion.

"Just a little longer," Emilio called, his voice muffled by the wind. The knights around him were dark shapes against the endless white, moving sluggishly. "We'll be done soon, Aleksandr."