“I guess we’ll just have to show them then, won’t we?”
“Damn right we will.”
Energybuzzedthroughthecamp as the first group of Fae were set to arrive the following morning.
Unsure of what time they would show up, Latham would be out at dawn, ready to greet them. But Solveig’s focus wasn’t solely on keeping her title—she had more pressing fears to deal with.
With the approach of the Fae imminent, her magic coursed through her. A panic attack had woken her in the middle of the night, and she slipped outside the tent before her screams could wake Gerrie.
It was dark and only the Nightwatch moved about the camp. They nodded to her as she passed, which she returned as best she could. She tamped her panic and fear down until she could be alone.
She made her way through one of the side gates and ran as hard as she could deep into the forest. When she was far enough away, she curled into a ball and let out sob after sob, terrified of what was to come.
Would her little party of five—or hopefully just four if Booth had died where she left him—be in this group? Maybe they’d arrive with thenext one. Her fear lingered, snaking through her body from the roots firmly planted in her soul.
She knew how they moved and their general shapes, but would she be able to pick them out in a crowd?
Her head spun with the increase in her breaths. Her magic was going haywire under her skin, the frantic energy doing nothing to calm her. She had to get control of it somehow, but without the ability to wield it, she didn’t know how. There was no way to siphon off the excess energy building with her extreme emotions.
She hadn’t spoken of her magic to anyone, not even Gerrie or Laeknir. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words, to plant the hope that their magic was alive too.
So she hyperventilated alone as the panic worked its way through her body. Each sound and movement in the forest spiked her heart rate, her senses on high alert for any danger.
Solveig gritted her teeth and counted to three, needing to get control over herself once more. She counted to three again and again and again, counting until her breathing finally slowed. Still curled in a ball on her side, she forced herself to sit up.
That was the last time she would break.
She rose on steady, albeit sore, legs and ran back to camp to prepare, not realizing most of the morning had passed, and still, the Fae had not arrived.
With a flash of an idea, Solveig switched course, heading for the tents of her shieldmaidens with a new ploy, one that might help aid her to find the ones who had caused her so much pain.
Her shieldmaidens were tucked at the end of one of the long rows, near the back of the camp. She quietly knocked on the post outside one entrance. Two slow, soft knocks followed by three harder ones in quick succession. She heard Veda mumble something to her husband. Satisfiedshe was awake, Solveig proceeded to knock the same pattern on Signe and Idunn’s tent.
Her three shieldmaidens silently followed her to the back wall, behind the towering dungeon building.
Their figures were tall and lean and they moved in unison, as silently as the wind. Solveig had trained them well.
Idunn quickly braided her blond hair back, readying herself for a command, her blue eyes alight with spirit. Signe, her partner, stood a head shorter, her warm skin complementing her bone-straight black hair and dark eyes. Veda brought up the rear, face framed by tight braids already twisted into a knot at the back of her head. Unlike Gerrie, Veda’s dark brown skin was not covered in tattoos, only the sigil on her upper arm that marked her as Solveig’s shieldmaiden.
“I need your help,” Solveig whispered.
“Of course, General. What can we do for you?” Idunn asked, mirroring Solveig’s quiet tone.
There was no pity on their faces, only fierce loyalty. Solveig looked each of them in the eye and her mask slipped to reveal the vulnerability she tried to keep hidden. Veda rested her hand on Solveig’s shoulder and the touch gave her the strength she needed.
“The Idavoll Fae are responsible for my capture,” Solveig started, not wasting any time.
Veda’s hand dropped in surprise. Signe and Idunn traded a look of disbelief.
“They are coming here,” Veda stated.
Solveig nodded once. “I know. I’m not sure if ... if I’ll be able to recognize them.”
“Did you see any of their faces?” Idunn asked.
Solveig shook her head. “I wasn’t able to learn much about them, unfortunately. Only that they were under orders from Idavoll. One ofthem let slip Queen Alvida’s name when they thought I was unconscious.”
“How can we help?” Signe asked, taking a step closer to Solveig.
