I nearly gasp aloud. Kheirall. He's speaking directly into my thoughts.
I open my mental shield and let Kheirall in.
You don't call, you don't visit,his voice echoes in my head, tinged with amusement.I was starting to think you've forgotten me.
I've been busy,I think back at him, my mental voice sharp.
Ah yes. A pause.How's the vampire?
He's still adjusting but he's doing great,I keep my voice light, careful not to reveal that Svenn is chained in a cave right now fighting the bond's worst impulses during the eclipse.
Is your husband treating you well?
Svenn is wonderful,I reply immediately.
Ah.Understanding in that single syllable.And yet here you are, walking into the lion's den without him.
He's tied up with something at the moment. I needed the intelligence,I think back.Why are you helping me?
The silence that follows is heavy.
When Kheirall finally answers, his voice is quiet.This will be an annihilation, Rhianelle. Aelfheim doesn't stand a chance against the combined might of Avalon, Myrkheim, Darvan, and Hel.
My chest tightens.Then join us. Help us fight them.
My allegiance remains with Eirik. The other three demon lords have already agreed to this war. We are bound.
Kheirall—
Run.His voice cuts through my protest.Take what you've learned and run. Save those you love, get them out, because when this war comes, your kingdom will fall.
The weight of his words crushes down on me. He's helping me knowing it won't change anything. Aelfheim is doomed.
Thank you,I think at him.
Don't thank me yet. You still need to get out of here alive.His presence withdraws slightly from my mind.
"I shall get us more refreshments," Ragnar says suddenly, his voice cutting through the discussion. The berserker's hand grips the trolley's handle.
I tense, every muscle locked. The trolley shifts as he pulls it away from the wall. I'm moving now, being wheeled out of the chamber while the other commanders continue their discussion. The wheels creak softly. Ragnar moves at a steady pace, careful not to draw suspicion. He finally stops when we're well away.
A deep, weary sound leaves his chest.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way," he says to no one. His voice is quiet, almost sad. "The kitchen is to the left on the second door. The ballroom is right up the stairs."
Then his footsteps fade, moving away down the corridor. I extract myself from the trolley on shaking legs. My muscles are cramped from being held in that position for so long. I have to grip the trolley's edge to keep from falling.
I can hear the distant clatter of kitchen work just as Ragnar said. The music from the ballroom drifts down from above, still in full celebration.
Kheirall and Ragnar protected me. When the battle comes, I'll be standing against them. But I don't have the luxury of grief right now. I need to find a way out of this tree and deliver this information.
13
Chapter 12 Rhianelle
War is coming.
I need to get this information home. But every time I approach a door, it seems to shift. The corridors loop back on themselves and the passages lead nowhere. I'm led to the endless sea of revelry in the ballroom once again.
