“What?” the word was half a gasp. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Many wouldn’t blame you.” Daniel put his palm over her cheek. It wasn’t chance his thumb ran over her bruise. “Not after how he is.”
“It’s not like that.” Vhalla was still defensive from Fritz, but once that immediate reaction wore off, she was stilled by a realization. “Wait, how do you know?”
“Where do you think we all were—are?” Daniel frowned. Vhalla didn’t understand, and that much he picked up on, continuing, “It takes a bit of strength to subdue one of the fiercest warriors and greatest sorcerers in the world.”
“What?” Vhalla whispered in horror.
“Baldair called for help. The guard answered,” Daniel began.
“Aldrik, is Aldrik all right?” Vhalla was asking before she could stop herself.
Daniel sighed; the noise was disappointment incarnate. Vhalla didn’t know if the sound made her feel worse than her own realization of what her immediate reaction had been. It reaffirmed everything for her.She had to go. The longer she stayed, the sooner she’d fall back into Aldrik’s gravity.
“The prince is subdued. He’ll be fine—if Baldair doesn’t decide kill him. He doesn’t take kindly to people who mistreat women.”
Vhalla stared at her feet as if daring them to move. They didn’t. They managed to keep her in one place, resisting running to Aldrik. Not taking a step was the first step.
“They’ll be fine.” She tried to shrug it off, to put it behind her. “The axe.”
Daniel squinted, assessing her actions. “Why do you want it?”
“I just do.”
“Tell me,” he pressed.
“I’m leaving.”
Daniel paused, absorbing this news. His hazel eyes seemed to almost glow with interest. “Where are you going?”
Vhalla noticed he didn’t ask why she was leaving. “You don’t need to know that.”
“Can I go with you?”
That was a question she hadn’t been expecting, and Vhalla didn’t know how to answer it. “Why?”
“Because it’s safer to not travel alone. Because I want to leave, too.” Daniel paused. “Because I want to leavewith you.”
“Daniel.” Vhalla shook her head firmly. “Don’t you know how it is? Didn’t you see it? I love-loved-love him. I’m not someone you want to be with. I’m not healthy right now.”
Daniel snorted with easy laughter. “And who is?” He gave her a smile that Vhalla had to fixate on, otherwise she wouldn’t have believed it was real. “I thought I tried to explain it. My feelings aren’t dictated by yours.”
Vhalla opened and closed her mouth, unable to come up with a retort.
“When I returned from my last tour, I returned to a letter, a letter from the woman whom I loved, who I thought loved me, saying that she was gone.” Vhalla remembered the history Daniel had told her before, but he’d never continued. “Then I met someone new. I met someone curious, charming, strong,magical. I watched her persevere when the world had written her off—and I thought that if she could do that, I could keep waking up each morning and summoning the strength to get out of bed.”
She felt tears burning behind her eyes, her throat gummy. Vhalla wasn’t overcome with emotion at his words. She felt the tears burning with the knowledge of what she needed to say to him despite his well-intended kindness.
“Daniel—”
“Hear me out,” he said, hastily scooping up her hands. “We don’t have to be alone, don’t you see? And I don’t need your love to help you.”
Vhalla shook her head. “Daniel,” she sighed. “Saving me isn’t going to fill that hole in your heart.”
He stared at her in shock.
“I have to go,alone.” Vhalla withdrew her hands slowly from his. She wasn’t going to use Daniel as a comfort any longer. Vhalla rested a palm on his rough cheek, smiling tiredly. “Please understand.”
