“Arlanson was right.” The words tasted bitter in his mouth. “She may not be the link to the mortals we’ve been seeking, but she knows more than she lets on. I’m trying to get close to her.” Why did saying it feel like a betrayal? He owed her nothing.
“I knew it,” Maddock said triumphantly. “I’ve always hated that bitch.”
“I’m fairly certain the feeling is mutual,” Westley told him.
He wouldn’t let this drop so easily. “So what? She let you into her tent and you just ... talked?” Noren asked skeptically.
Westley fought the urge to run his hand down his face. “She didn’t exactly ‘let’ me in.”
Maddock whistled low and clasped his shoulder. “I didn’t know you Fae snobs had it in you to take what you want from a female! Good on you, brother!”
Westley gripped Maddock’s hand and squeezed until a bone snapped. He waited for Maddock’s grunt of pain before removing it from his shoulder.
“Let me make two things very clear.” Another snap of bone, another cry of pain. “First, we are not brothers.”Snap. “Second, I would never force myself on anyone.”Snap, snap. “Just because our kingdoms are currently allied does not mean I would sink to the lowest level of the scum you are.”Snap. The forest seemed to lean in to inhale Maddock’s pained cries.
He released Maddock’s hand, and the sorry excuse for a Giant stumbled to the ground, clutching his broken bones to his chest.
“You’ll pay for this,Prince.” Maddock spat on the ground at Westley’s feet.
“You had fun without me again.”
All three males jerked their heads towards Solveig. She stood casually by the training ring, twirling a dagger in her hand like she hadn’t a carein the world. Maddock’s screams must have covered the sound of her approach.
Westley’s heart lurched in his chest, his magic flowing like ice through his veins. How much had she heard?
She pushed herself off the tree, striding with purpose towards them. She knelt in front of Maddock and used her dagger to tilt his face up to meet hers. His grimace of pain mixed with a hatred so pure it contorted his face into the ugliest expression Westley had ever seen.
“I heard something interesting today, Maddock, and it got me thinking.” The dagger moved slowly up the side of his cheek, tracing a line that mirrored the scar on her face. “If I was a rat, scurrying around looking for crumbs and morsels, I would not bite the hand that fed me.”
“What are you blathering on about, witch?”
An alarmingly cold smile touched her lips, the air charging with tension, and Maddock had the good sense to shrink away from her. She didn’t let him go far. A bead of blood rolled down Maddock’s temple, bubbling from beneath the tip of Solveig’s blade.
“It would be so easy to end you right here,” she whispered cruelly. “But what fun would that be? Plus, then I’d make an enemy out of Idavoll,” she said meaningfully. She stood abruptly and aimed that cold smile onto Westley. “But I suppose I already have.”
Noren took a step closer to Westley, hand on his sword. Solveig laughed without humour.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt your precious prince ... yet.” She bent down to face Maddock. “I’ll be in touch. We have unfinished business,” she promised. He tried to stand, but she kicked his side, sending him into a crumpled heap on the ground with a hard thump. “Now get out of my camp.”
She didn’t wait for him to retort that it wasn’t hers anymore. He rolled onto his side and stood, still clutching his hand, and raced away.
“So, are we training or what?” she asked Westley like nothing had happened. She let her cold mask of indifference fall away. He and Noren gaped at her.
“It’s scary when you do that,” Noren muttered.
She stepped right into his personal space and whispered, “You have no idea how scary I can be.”
“Oh, I have a little inkling,” Noren retorted, not backing down. She just smirked.
“Are you joining us for training today, Noren? You probably need the practice. It might help if you removed the stick from your ass. I could assist,” she said with a wicked grin.
Westley snickered and Noren glared at him.
“Fortunately, I can’t subject myself to that today. Laeknir requested my help in the infirmary.”
This time it was Solveig’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, Laeknir askedyoufor help. Very believable.”
Noren walked over, grabbed his bag, and leaned in to whisper in Westley’s ear, “Be careful, West,” before taking his leave.
