Iker and his seven children.
Gritting my teeth, I reply, “Or.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Thyra
My stomach turns at the sight ahead of us.
I count eight bodies and ask, “Which one is Iker?”
“The one on the far left,” Stellen replies. “The other seven are his children.”
My dread builds as figures finally appear within the distant gate.
Dozens of men and women spill from the opening and take up position on the snowy expanse in front of the wall. They’re all wearing fur coats, their hair matted and skin leathery.
Those must be the nearly forty heartbeats Stellen said he could hear. Which means that every other Frost Fae who was living here is now dead.
I don’t second-guess my ability to see the details of the shapeshifters’ features across the distance. Or how I sensed that the compound was overly quiet before.
My eyesight is heightened and so is my hearing. Abilities that have been brought sharply to my attention now that I know what the blood bind is doing.
I need to tell Stellen about it.
I want…more than anything…to trust that he won’t hurt me.
I promise myself I’ll overcome my fear and give him that chance when Lilis is safe and I can breathe again.
As the shapeshifters form ragged lines a hundred paces away, I look for Fable among them, but I don’t see her. Neither do I see Brunkil.
Stellen’s calm voice breaks through the storm building within my mind, making me grateful for his cold nature. “Remember how I told you a single minute can be a lifetime?”
He slips from Nara’s back and reaches up for me. “This next minute can stretch as long as we need.”
I take deep breaths, steadying myself as my feet find the ground.
“Nara,” he says to her, “stay near Thyra at all times. Do not leave her.” Then he turns to me. “Thyra, I need only for you to stay alive. I will get Lilis. If anything goes wrong, head due west for the Alak-Teah and take shelter within it. The palace would be closer, but you can’t risk drawing the Northerners there.”
I immediately think of Juniper. As well as the city-dwellers. “I understand, but I won’t leave you behind.”
Stellen’s lips soften. “The Northerners could have waited for us to enter the compound. They’ve come out to us, which indicates they don’t want to fight where they’re confined. If I can, I will draw them inside, where I can use the buildings to my advantage, blocking them with ice walls and such. If I go in, I don’t want either of you to follow me, do you understand?”
Again, I nod, but slower this time.
Stellen reaches for my hand, pressing it to his heart. “I expended a lot of energy this morning. I expected to face Frost Fae here who would seek to play political games, not shapeshifters who are more likely to seek a bloodbath than negotiate. I need to be smart about how muchpower I use.”
“What about your Lethian power?”
“It affects everyone who hears it, not only my intended target.” Shadows cloud his expression as he speaks. “I won’t use it for harm as long as you’re within earshot.”
He reaches for my braid, running it through his fingertips. “That’s why, as soon as I have Lilis, I need you to run.” His voice becomes more intense and I detect strains of power in it. “You must run, Thyra. Can you promise me that?”
“But—”
“Once you’re all out of earshot, I can do what I need to do.”
“I understand.” I take a deep breath, not liking that it might mean leaving him behind but trusting it won’t come to that. “I’m ready.”
