“Would betray my kin to speak of it,” he added, a strained note in his voice. “Is a thing taken that must be returned.”
“Have you searched the old armory?” asked Saga. “I drew it on your map.”
He nodded. “It would not be there, but I looked all the same. Nothing. Have looked in all your places. Has vanished, it seems.” As he ushered her into the safety of her chambers, Rurik said softly. “I will watch your chambers, Saga. No more troublesome ideas.”
And with that, the door clicked shut.
Numbly, Saga stripped off her clothing and went to the washstand. Dipping a cloth into the basin, she tried to scrub the rotten scent from her skin. But she could not scrub that woman’s face from her mind.
She was being harvested—sliced into time and time again, until Alfson had taken all she had to give. Saga pulled on her nightdress and slipped between the covers.
Her stomach was in knots, her mind spinning in circles. Rurik watched her door—would prevent her from leaving tonight. But he could not stay forever. Sooner or later, he’d have duties to attend.
And so, as sleep gradually crept in, Saga made plans. That room was all the evidence she needed to damn Signe. At the first opportunity, she’d go straight to King Ivar and expose the queen’s lies.
Chapter Forty-Four
KOPA
“Describe the tattoos once more,” commanded Kaptein Ulfar.
Jonas gripped the arms of his chair, trying to quell his rising temper. Days, they’d been at this. A dozen times, he’d tried to explain. But these fool Klaernar were content to lounge in the comforts of the kaptein’s private quarters, dining on a constant flow of ale and food.
It seemed the kaptein had inherited the decor from his predecessor, the infamous Kommandor Valf. In the days he’d spent in this room, Jonas had grown used to the obsidian busts lining the shelves, but something about the strange tapestries above the hearth unsettled him.
“Dragon,” Jonas forced out. “Across his chest. Tail down one arm. Smoke along the other.”
Ulfar stroked his long gray beard, his sigil ring glinting in the torchlight. Rumor had it the Klaernar kept a dose of berskium powder inside their rings for times they’d need a quick boost of strength. “And you claim you did not know he?—”
“Was burning people alive along the Road of Bones?” A brittle laugh escaped him. “No.”
The kaptein grabbed a jug from the table and poured himself a fresh cup of ale. “It is true you know details we’ve not made public. But others have as well?—”
“They were deliberately misdirecting you,” Jonas shot back.
Hagbard shuffled into the room, glaring at Jonas with clear dislike. “Anotherfalcon from Sunnavík,” he said, handing a scroll to Ulfar. “She’s…oof!” The kaptein’s elbow landed hard in Hagbard’s stomach, and ale sloshed from his cup. “He’sdemanding new information.”
Jonas rolled his neck, trying for patience. “I know it’s the queen,” he said blandly. “And if she thinks she can command this search all the way from Sunnavík, then she’s either being pandered to, or she’s a fool.”
Kaptein Ulfar’s gaze snapped to Jonas. “Do not speak such?—”
“She’snota fool.” Jonas regarded Ulfar with cool calculation. “What have you told her? You’ve got it under control?” As the kaptein paled, Jonas knew he’d met his mark. He leaned in. Went for the jugular. “How much longer will she tolerate your failures?”
Ulfar and Hagbard shared a tense look.
“This entire search is a mess,” Jonas continued. “You’re collecting information on Axe Eyes while warriors comb through the arse end of Nordur and the queen tries to control it all from the south.” He shook his head.
Incompetent fools, he wanted to lash out. “I know them,” Jonas said instead. “Know how they think. Know how they fight. They’re clever, Ulfar, and if you think this mess of a hunt will prove successful, then you’re poised for yet more failure.”
“Enough!” Ulfar’s fist slammed onto the table, sending an apple wobbling. “What do you propose, Svik?”
Hagbard protested, but Jonas cut him off. “First, you need to stop pandering to the queen. Tell her you must control the search from the north. That you’ll send her daily updates.” Gods above, but their ineptitude was exhausting. “Sending a warband after the pair will not be enough, Ulfar. You’ll need to be cunning. You need a plan.” Jonas reclined in his chair, resting an ankle on his knee.
“Perhapsyoushould go,” sneered Hagbard. “See what you’re made of.”
Jonas’s gaze landed on the brute. Hardened. “I saidcunning, you shite beetle. I’m not foolhardy enough to face Axe Eyes alone. I’ve fought beside him for years; I know how he wields a blade. And now that I know he’s had galdur all this time…” Rage burned inside him, red hot and ceaseless. Jonas leaned into the anger. Let it fuel him. “You’ll need to match his wits with your own.”
Ulfar stood and began pacing the room, muttering under his breath. Jonas waited for the man to come to the inevitable conclusion. Ulfar paused. Turned. “What do you propose, Svik?”
