“Shh.” I place a finger over his lips. “What is done cannot be undone. All we can do is look toward the future and hope the sacrifices made are not in vain.”
“You’re incredible.” He presses his forehead to mine, and we bask in a moment that makes all this worthwhile.
“I hate to break up this happy reunion, but we have to go.”
With a sigh, I turn to look at Ulf.
Instantly, guilt overcomes me. I never want him to feel on the outside because he has risked so much for me.
Skarth doesn’t share the sentiment as he wraps his arm around my waist. “Yes, we must. But where?”
“My most faithful men wait for us with horses a mile down the hill,” Benedict says.
“How did you know we were here?”
“All of England is looking for you, and men cannot keep their mouths shut.”
“Perhaps Aedan comes after all,” Ulf says aloud.
“We need all the allies we can gather. But for now, we must ride back to Northumbria, for I fear it’s only a matter of time before our kingdom is overthrown. The threats are many.”
Riding away from here is the better option. What faces us, I do not know, but what I do know is that I must warn the other kingdoms of Aethelbald’s plans.
Ten
Skarth the Godless
I left Emeline to catch up with her nephew. She isn’t a fool, though, and asks questions to uncover his intentions. She believes him to be sincere.
I do not.
The whereabouts of our children is still in limbo. It feels as if a part of me is missing. The only saving grace is that Loki knows we come. But regardless of this fact, I can’t help but feel like the gods laugh in my face.
Angered, I decide to bathe in the lake close by.
It’s night, and the moon has also gone into hiding. The air feels heavy with what’s to come. I am utterly helpless and feel like a failure on all fronts. Watching helplessly as Emeline was defiled that way broke something inside me.
I don’t know how much more I can take.
We fight, and for what?
Long years lost, sacrificing what we thought was right has only given us pain. I am sick of hurting. But most of all, I am sick of watching those I love suffer.
Stripping off, I walk deep into the water and submerge myself, wishing I could wash away the heaviness that plagues my heart. For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do. My instinct is to fight, but fight who?
Enemies are plentiful, and the only people I can trust are Emeline and Ulf, much to my distaste. The fact that he loves her is the only reason I do not take his head, for I can’t blame him. Even though she is mine, she loves Ulf too.
She always has.
And I accept that.
Breaking the water, I inhale the cool night’s air but know that I’m not alone.
I always feel her.
Her presence has always been tethered to mine.
She doesn’t speak, but the few stars breaking across the universe provide light for me to see her disrobe. She walks into the water to where I am. I stand still, always calm with my hugrekki nearby. She gently runs her fingers through my shaggy beard.
