And in this moment, Saga knew there was no going back to the girl she’d once been.
Boosting herself up on the backs of the fallen, she threw herself onto Havoc. Ivar screamed, his berserkers shaking off their surprise. A dozen warriors charged toward them at once, and Saga clutched the stallion’s mane, heart hammering with vicious strikes. They’d soon be in the air.
Fear is a thing to be felt, not obeyed,said Kassandr in her mind. So Saga took a deep breath and hung on with all her strength.
Havoc launched into the sky. And for the first time in her life, Saga was airborne.
Skip Notes
*If my queen demands it.
Chapter 37
Kopa, Íseldur
Rey’s nerves were on edge as his spoon scraped the bottom of his bowl. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the curly-haired woman seated across from him. Today they took the daymeal alone in her chambers as Silla conserved her strength for their upcoming meeting with the jarls.
She’d been uncharacteristically quiet all morning, a fact which made Rey want to punch the wall. It was clear the god was growing more active, twisting Silla’s thoughts and whispering inside her skull. It drove him mad that there was nothing he could do to lift the burden from her shoulders.
Silla buried a yawn in her sleeve, then met his eyes with annoyance. “Bother,” she muttered. “A queen doesn’t yawn, according to Lady Tala.”
Rey’s eyes narrowed. “And I suppose a queen doesn’t piss, either,” he grumbled. As far as he was concerned, Lady Tala could go and jump into the Hvíta River. What did a battle-hardened jarl care for rules and etiquette?
Silla’s eyes widened. “Absolutelynot!” But she propped her chin on her fist and cocked her head to the side. “According to Tala, I must never insinuate such bodily needs. But if it absolutely must be broached, I’m to say I mustpass water.”
Rey’s face pulled into a grimace, causing Silla to burst intolaughter. But suddenly she flinched, then fell silent. Immediately, Rey sat up a little straighter.
“What did He say?” he asked with cutting calm.
For the past few days, Rey had studied Silla’s every move—each small expression—and he’d learned the signs that the god of chaos was present. A flinch. A sharp word. And most chilling of all, the occasional dark flicker in her eye that hinted someone else peered out at him.
Silla reached across the table and slid her hand into his. Rey gasped—her palm was ice-cold. Instinctively, his thumb rubbed circles on the back of her hand.
“Dimples,” Silla muttered, and he knew she recited her hearthfire thoughts. “The ice crystals that form in the air when it’s really cold. The winterwing bird’s song.”
Her palm seemed to warm by the barest degree.
“The handaxes I picked up in Sunnavík,” Rey contributed. “The way you drool when you sleep.”
“At least I do not snore!” Silla shot back.
“But youdosteal all the blankets.”
The tension in Silla’s shoulders eased as her lips curved into the hint of a smile. “My thanks. It seems He’s rather…enthusiastic this morning.” She returned her focus to her half-eaten bowl of porridge.
Tension coiled in Rey’s gut. He knew their time to muster an army was tight, but his concern for Silla’s well-being was growing by the hour.
“Should we reschedule our meeting?” Rey asked cautiously.
“No!” Silla snapped, in a way that told Rey it was not all her. “We’ve rescheduled once already. Too long have we waited. It must happen today.”
Unease crept across Rey’s skin as he watched her eat. They had to free her from this gods damned bargain, but how? The Weaver Silla had visited was still bedridden, and Fallgerd was dead. All that remained were the piles of books they combed through day afterday. It was like searching for a single snowflake in an enormous snowdrift. How would they find answers? How would they cure her?
He dragged his hands across his thick curls, before folding them behind his head. Rey was used to being a leader. To having complete control. But when it came to the bargain living inside Silla, he felt completely helpless.
“After we meet with the jarls—” he began.
“We must practice drawing out my bloodline gift,” Silla finished for him.
