“We must be quiet while horse eats,” whispered Rov.
Saga watched the horse minder walk slowly toward Havoc, speaking in soft, low tones. The horse’s white nostrils flared and he hoofed at the ground, but the stallion did not rear back as the minder approached. The man set down a shallow bucket of grain, then began backing away from the horse. But his heel caught on a rogue stone beneath the hay. Fear clutched at Saga’s chest as the man fell onto his rear, and Havoc screamed.
Saga’s shock held her immobilized, and Elisava cried out in fear. But Rov, thank the gods, leaped over the fence and into the pen. Hands hooking under the man’s armpits, Rov hauled him back. It was done without a heartbeat to spare—Havoc’s hooves slammed down where the man had just lain, gouging the packed-earth floor. The horse whinnied, shaking his head, and his dark, malevolent eyes glared at the humans watching him.
Elisava backed away, murmuring in distress, while Rov went to comfort her. But Saga only stared into the pen at the beautiful, caged creature. She felt a strange sort of kinship with the horse.
The horse minder retched into the straw to her left while Elisava directed a torrent of angry words at Havoc, no doubt cursing it fortrampling her brother and trying to do the same to this innocent horse minder.
But something fluttered deep in Saga’s chest. In that moment, she couldn’t help but remember the girl who’d locked herself away. Hadn’t she wanted to fly from her cage? A new sense of purpose burned deep inside her. The balcony door she’d ignored for days was now at the forefront of her mind.
Saga turned away and, after a word with Rov, returned to her chambers.
Saga’s heart beat riotously as her hand rested on the iron latch of her balcony door. The red-and-gold patterns painted on the door grew unfocused as she tried to slow her breathing, but it was impossible to forget what lay beyond it. Her balcony. Open skies. Her pulse leaped, but she reassured herself—it was only a few steps. She would leave the door open—an easy exit from the balcony.
Punished,rang Magnus Hansson’s voice in her skull.You deserve to be punished.The screaming bears branded into the backs of Saga’s hands throbbed, the smell of charred flesh vivid in her memories.
“You’re dead,” she spat. Magnus’s screams and wet gurgles rang in her ears, and Saga latched onto that sound. Pulled it to her. “You’re dead,” she repeated, the tightness in her chest loosening just a touch. “You don’t control me anymore.”
She forced her thoughts to that night in Askaborg’s gardens, when she’d felt rain on her skin for the first time in five years. For a moment, she’d felt hope. Saga would not lose the progress she’d made. Would not let her affliction rule her as it once had.
Before she could second-guess it, Saga lifted the latch. Pushed the door open. And stepped onto the balcony.
Her pulse was out of control, and she gasped for breath, but Saga reminded herself that she was safe. That Magnus was dead. That never again would she find herself trapped like she had that day in the stables when he’d branded her flesh.
She took another step forward. Breathed in the crisp wintery air.Saga stepped forward again. And then she was gripping the wooden banister, closing her eyes, and tilting her face to the sky. Saga drew in a deep breath. Paused at the warmth kissing her cheeks.
The sun.
Her eyes flew open, but she slammed them shut against the intense light. But Saga laughed, incredulous, fingertips skimming along her cheeks in disbelief. The feel of the sun filtering through a window did not compare to the raw warmth of it bathing her skin. Saga cracked one eye open at a time, then squinted until she’d adjusted to the brightness.
Bathed in Sunnvald’s light, she took in the sights before her. Saga’s balcony looked over the fortress grounds. She saw frosted gardens stretching toward a curious-looking temple with tall wooden statues. She saw fur-capped workers bustling about and warriors patrolling the defensive walls. Beyond the walls of the fortress, the Kovosk River cut through the city of Kovograd. Saga gazed at the sprawl of peaked roofs and cobbled streets, all dusted with snow.
But a cloud drifted across the sun, and a raven called out, stirring memories of that day.
The screams wrenching from her throat. The ravens screeching from beyond the stables. The inferno of pain as the brand seared the backs of her hands. “Punished,” rang Magnus’s voice, and no matter how many times Saga told herself he was dead, she could not drive him from her mind.
Her heartbeats were now too quick to count, every muscle in her body urging her to return to her chambers.
“Just a little longer,” she pleaded, fingers tapping rhythmically on her shoulder.
But the mystery of Zagadka, the strange beauty of Kovograd, could not make up for her air-starved lungs. Lights dotted her vision, and at last, Saga released her grip on the banister and stumbled back to her chambers.
After closing the door, she sagged against the wall and gasped for breath. Her entire body trembled, her heart racing as though herlife were in danger. But a smile spread across her lips as she touched her sun-warmed cheeks.
The sun. She’d felt the sun on her skin. Had looked upon the great wooden city surrounding her. Saga had gone outdoors.
It felt like the first step toward something great.
Skip Notes
*1Would you like to meet Havoc?
*2Keep me from your plans, woman.
Chapter 9
Kopa, Íseldur
