“Get the bow,” he says. His dangerous glare roots me to thespot. “Get the bow the women gave her and tell everyone to assemble at the Yule log.”
Jorvik nods and runs to my room where the bow from the offering lays on the end of my bed.
“Leave, Shaw. You’re already on a knife’s edge with Bjorn, and I don’t want to kill you,” Harald says, finally looking past me to Shaw. I hear the blacksmith’s boots, and I don’t have to turn around to know Shaw is in Harald’s face, ready to rip him apart for what’s gone on during the sacred week.
“She is the fucking Maiden of Yule. You might kneel to a useless King and think of yourself as a mighty Jarl, but there is nowhere in Valhalla you can run from the gods when you’re dead.” Shaw’s merciless statement excites me, but now is not the time to think about what other merciless things his hands can do. Walking away from Harald, he stops and takes my face in his hands like I am the last woman on earth.
“I’ll be right back,” he says. His kiss sears through my heart a split second before he lets me go and walks away. “See you at the fire,” he says to Harald on his way out of the double gates.
Harald comes to me and slaps me across the face so hard my mask falls off as I try to stabilize myself. He yanks me up by the collar of my dress, and I hold the ties together while pulling away from his grasp.
“You didn’t have to kill him. You have made a fucking mess of everything instead of waiting for me to get to you like I ordered,” he sneers into my ear and drags me to the gate.
“What if he got carried away and took my virtue? Would you have still wanted to marry me?” I retort.
“Be honest, you don’t want to marry me, and you never did. But your feelings on the matter are fucking irrelevant.” He continues dragging me out of the gate and down the road. Trying to keep my feet underneath me, I see all the clans staring at me while they try to sober up for what is about to happen.
“Kill me then!” I scream and swing against his body, landing a good punch to his chin. He drops me in the icy mud. The snowseeping through my dress instantly makes the thin fabric stick to my legs.
“Here.” Jorvik’s voice makes me turn my head. He holds out the bow for Harald to take over my body on the ground.
“Tie her up. We will teach her a lesson, and I will marry her before this night is over,” Harald says, and I force my legs to find footing. Taking two steps away from them gets me nowhere because Jorvik’s arms are around my waist.
“You’re such a coward,” I seethe, debating whether head butting him is a good idea or if Harald will cut my hands off if I try it.
“You killed a man. You kissed the blacksmith, who is useless. I drew the map and it’s locked away in my room. I told Harald you were with Shaw when he broke into Bjorn’s room. You did this to yourself, little sister.”
My body gives up at his admission and I sink to my knees. He betrayed me. Pulling me up by my armpits, Jorvik loosely pulls my arms around my back. I feel other hands binding me now as the rough edges of rope scratch my skin.
“You don’t care about me at all do you?” I ask Jorvik, even though there are other men around us.
“All you had to do tonight was let Harald catch you, and none of this would have happened. You’re stubborn, you’re selfish, and all you care about is being out there.” Jorvik waves to the tops of the mountains looming over us.
“Let me go then. Please, Jorvik, let me go, and you’ll never see me again,” I plead, hating every pathetic tear collecting in my eyes.I hate feeling helpless.
“Bring her here,” Harald yells, and I look over to see Ivan on one side of me, smelling like vomit, and Jorvik on my other. They walk me to the Yule log, and I look around at my clan members who are frightened. Some have their weapons and are whispering to each other.
Harald raises a closed fist, and a horn blows to quiet the crowd. Joanna and Katrine are side by side, holding hands, mixed in with the other women. I have to trust that Shaw will come for me, or that he is right, and the gods will protect me. Maybe he is retrievingSkadi’s bow from the tomb under the ice, and this is one big nightmare that will be over when the sun rises?
“Rasha admitted to killing Axsel. It has been brought to my attention that she was involved in releasing Katrine and Ingrid from Bjorn’s care. He was severely injured in the process.”
“Witnesses!” someone from the crowd yells and is shushed by Harald.
“I will finish her sentencing so we can carry on with Yule,” he replies, and tension reverberates through the throngs of nervous people. “This bow” –he raises the bow the women gave me– “is a symbol that she is something she is not. The rumors that Rasha will take Skadi’s place and lead the women, who I have protected, to freedom in the mountains is horseshit!”
He waves the bow around the circle like he’s showing off a badger he killed for stealing eggs in the chicken coop.
“Skadi was a whore, which is why her tomb is untouched, and we don’t pray to her. You will not disappoint me by exalting this heathen who is here to carry my children!” he screams. My body convulses, and I fight to stand up straight. Both Ivan and Jorvik grunt against my shoulders as they keep me still.
“Bring her to the fire,” Harald calls. Jorvik pauses, but Ivan, who apparently has never had free will in his life, starts to drag me, so Jorvik follows. Harald grabs me around the waist, ripping me away from my brother, and hits me so hard in the stomach my face falls forward, almost grazing the intense flames. Pulling me back up by my chin, he squeezes my jaw, bringing my face to his.
“Burn the bow.” His wet voice is a humiliating demand in my ear.
“No,” I reply. He pushes my face closer to the fire, and the edges of my red hair singe in the glowing, yellow flames. Letting me go, he holds the bow high for everyone to see and clears his throat.
“Burn the bow,” he says to me and me alone. Around us, I feel tension coming from the clans. Everyone I traveled with has a hand on their axe or knife, which will only lead to them being slaughtered. We are outnumbered three to one in every way.
I will not be the cause of innocent people losing their lives orlimbs tonight, but if I don’t do something, then who will fight for these women and their daughters? With so many women watching, my defiance ignites.
