I’d spared her in a moment of weakness. Now, she had to be housed and fed at a time when we barely had enough to survive. Life was hard, and it was now harder than it’d ever been. “I understand, Mother.”
“The babies will be here soon. The mothers will need to eat to nurse their children. You must find a solution quickly.”
“I know.” I pulled my hands away from hers, feeling the weight of the responsibility that I’d taken before I was ready. Now, it felt like a burden, to rule people in the worst of times, rather than the best like in generations past. Everyone turned to me to avenge our people, to defeat the enemy that had decimated us to a fraction of our population, to undo the decades of suffering inflicted upon us. “I will.”
She grabbed my hands again, and this time, she squeezed hard. “We always do. We always will.”
When I returned to the Gathering, Hanne was still there, at the edge of the campfire like she wanted to disappear from view butnot step fully into the dark. A petite woman at least five years younger than me, she had hair that was almost blond, a mess around her face because of the way it had dried after falling into the lake, a fall that should have broken her neck, if not every bone in her body.
But her most distinctive feature was her eyes—a color I’d never seen.
They were more than just blue, deep in color and brilliance, a color I could barely describe. She was blessed with a royal appearance, high cheekbones and fair cheeks, a collarbone sharp like the curve of a knife. I didn’t ask her many questions because the details of her past were irrelevant now. And to be honest, I just didn’t care.
My mind was full of my own concerns. Concerns that plagued me day and night. Concerns that haunted me in my sleep and jolted me awake. The respect and admiration I received from my people was suffocating and undeserved.
Caius was nearby with his back to her, like he was trying to keep an eye on her in my stead without making it obvious she was being watched.
I approached him. “Prepare one of the cabins for her.”
“So, she’s staying?” he asked, his disappointment clear.
I glanced at her, where she tried to hide in the shadows. Her eyes found mine, like she knew I’d come for her. “You know what they’ll do to her.” I looked at Caius again. “She said she didn’t have a sword, like she’s used to having one. Perhaps she’ll be of use to us.”
“Her only use will be to bear sons, but she’s not one of us.” He only spoke to me so candidly because we were alone together, out of earshot of the others. I wasn’t the type of leader that demanded unflinching loyalty and ironclad obedience. We were too vulnerable to have such an ego.
“Prepare the cabin, Caius.”
This time, there was no disagreement. He walked off to follow my orders.
I approached her, releasing a heavy sigh when I drew near.
Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she took a step back when I came too close, like she didn’t trust me even though I’d guaranteed her safety. But her eyes told a different story—that if I lunged at her, she would lunge right back. The contradiction between her stare and her body language was prominent.
“Caius is preparing your cabin.”
“Will I stay there alone?”
“Yes.”
“Does the door lock?—”
“No one will hurt you here.”
“Really? Because I don’t feel welcome.”
“It’s not personal.”
“Does the door lock or not?”
“Yes.”
Her arms remained crossed over her chest. “May I have a sword?”
“You don’t need one right now.”
“I disagree.”
“I said, no one will hurt you.”
