HANNE
Morco needed days of rest, so I let him recover in peace.
I expected our time apart to be spent in loneliness, but once the tribe knew that I’d ventured to the Knives to save Morco, I was no longer an outsider. People looked me in the eye and greeted me when they passed. When I finished my stew, someone would bring me another that I didn’t ask for.
And I didn’t sit alone. Caius and Liam were always there, and sometimes others would join too. They didn’t hit me with questions about where I was from, how I ended up here, how I knew so much about the crops or the flower that saved Morco. Caius or Liam seemed to have told them not to ask.
I didn’t know anything about woodwork in order to finish the bow, so I focused on the string that would fire the arrows. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the island without Morco to accompany me, so I harvested all the brush I could find and returned with them to the Gathering to understand my resources.
I dissected leaves, stems, and branches, looking for something with enough stretch to launch an arrow with speed and distance. The leaves that felt waxy to the touch seemed to be the best candidates, and I harvested everything I could and braided the fibers into a single strand.
“That was brave, what you did.”
I stilled when I recognized his voice, the voice that said one thing but meant something completely different. My eyes lifted from my project, and I spotted him in front of me, wearing that same smirk.
“I like that.”
My eyes dropped back to my work. “I don’t like you.” I tried to focus on what I was doing and ignore him in the hope he would lose interest and walk away. He was probably courageous, but Morco was still recovering in his cabin and wouldn’t catch him in the act.
“Get to know me, and I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”
I stayed quiet, not giving him a response to react to.
“That’s the kind of woman I want having my baby.”
My eyes flicked up against their will, disgusted by the threat in his voice.
He smiled like he’d gotten what he wanted.
“Leave me alone, or I’ll kill you.”
He chuckled. “Blue, you’re just making it worse.”
I jumped to my feet and gripped the dagger tightly in my fist.
His smile slowly faded once the situation took a dire turn.
“Watch me stab you in the fucking face.”
He’d always hid behind his obnoxious smirks, but this was the first time he looked at me that way—like he actually wanted to kill me. The look of a predator, the same look those wolves gave me before they lunged with their sharp teeth.
I stood my ground. Showed no fear.
“Krull.” Caius emerged from the background, his body a blurred silhouette because my eyes were so sharply focused on my enemy.
Krull kept his eyes locked on mine, like the hatred was mutual.
Caius stepped closer. “Krull?—”
“I was just leaving.” He turned and walked past Caius, never once looking at him, but not before he gave me the most ferocious stare I’d ever seen. As if nothing had happened, he walked off.
I watched his back until he left the Gathering. Only when he was gone did I loosen my grip on the dagger and toss it onto the table.
Caius’s gaze softened when he looked at me. “I’ll tell Morco.”
“Don’t.” I returned to my seat. “He’s got enough on his mind right now.”
Caius stared at me for a while. “I think you’re the only thing on his mind, Hanne.”
