Swallowing, I nodded at Rune. He unhooked the burlap pouch attached to his belt and dropped it on the desk. We’d used most of it, but there was enough left for Louisa to communicate with her beloved hawk a few times. It seemed like something she’d like.
Louisa pinned her gaze on the pouch. “Is that some sand?”
Instead of answering, I said, “I want you to tell Erik I died trying to cross the magical barrier that protects the island. In exchange, you can have that. Our only request is that you be careful with it. And never tell anyone else what it is.”
She sniffed the air. “What kind is it, then? With the way you’re acting, I’d think it was Fildur, but it doesn’t smell like fire.”
“It’s called Hugur sand,” Rune said, his gaze turning dark. “And I’ll only tell you what it does if you agree to our requests.”
Louisa laughed, poking the pouch. “You know, if I hadn’t spent a couple weeks with Frida on my ship, I’d think you two were trying to scam me. I didn’t get to where I am today by being a fool.”
“You can look at it if you want,” I said.
For a moment, Louisa didn’t make a move for the pouch. Long moments of silence stretched between us, putting pressure on the hope in my chest. I wanted to believe she’d come around, but it had always been a long shot. Anyone who knew anything about the guild would never dream of double-crossing them, especially not for some unnamed sand.
But eventually, she sighed and pried open the pouch. She took a closer sniff.
“All right. You’re not lying about it being magic, but it doesn’t smell like any of the four elements. What is this stuff?” She looked from me to Rune.
“I’ll tell you if you agree to our requests,” he said, steepling his hands beneath his chin.
Louisa cracked a smile. “I can see why you like him, Frida.” She tapped her chin. “If I tell Erik you’re dead, you can never again step foot on the mainland. He can never find out I lied…” She winced, dragging her nail across her throat. “And while I’m willing to lie for you, I’m not willing to die.”
Pain lanced through my heart. Taking a deep breath, I ignored it, reached across the table, and took her hand in mine. “The last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt. That’s partly why I’m doing this. I hope it’ll stop Erik from sending someone else to the Isles.”
She patted our joined hands. “It’s a good idea. But what about your family?”
I looked away. “It was wrong of them to ask me to become something I’m not. And as much as I hate that they’ll never know the truth about what happened to me, there’s no other way.”
“Well, all right, then. I guess we’ve got a deal,” Louisa said, her eyes snapping down to the pouch. “Now tell me what’s in there.”
I let Rune take over from there. While he explained the Hugur sand’s magic to Louisa, I stood and trailed across the room to peer out the porthole. A breeze blew across the sky, sweeping away the dark clouds that had plagued the night. Silvery light now illuminated the rippling water and the tiny island in the distance.
Convincing Louisa had been easier than I’d expected, and soon Rune and I could board our little boat and return home. A bright future lay before me, the kind I’d always wanted. Butbeneath the hope, the victory felt almost hollow, which was ridiculous.
I supposed that was just how life was. You won some things and lost so many others. In time, I knew the pain would fade. I would never forget the family I’d once had, but I could build a new one, full of people who loved me for who I was instead of people who wanted me to be someone else entirely.
So when Louisa stood and shook hands with Rune, I let the joy fill my heart. Everything was going to be just fine. Together, we’d solved the impossible.
27
FRIDA
The next morning, I awoke in Rune’s arms, safely tucked into the crook of his shoulder. We’d spent all night ‘celebrating’ the true start of our new life together, and while I’d hardly slept, I felt as fresh as a purple lily. Smiling, I unwound myself from his embrace and padded out of the bedroom to get ready for the day.
“I love you, Frida,” he said sleepily when I reached the door.
I paused and cast a smile over my shoulder at him. “I love you, too.”
The next few weeks passed in a haze of happiness and hard work. Now that Arvid’s fence was done, I joined Rune on his builds. With the help of the villagers, we finished up Helga’s house and moved on to Lilia’s new place. On some afternoons, I trained Eydis. On others, I made the trek to Eldi’s cave, where we practiced flying. With every day, he grew bolder and flew further.
And after two full weeks of shorter trips, we made it all the way to Oakwater. When we landed on the outskirts of town, a crowd awaited us. Arvid and his entire family had come outfor support, along with Lilia, Ragnar, Helga, and Valdar. They clapped and cheered, throwing their fisted hands in the air with an exuberance that reminded me all too well of my brother back home.
I still missed him terribly, and as I swung off my dragon’s back, a pang went through my heart. Deep down, I knew it hadn’t been long, and it would take time for the pain to heal. It didn’t mean it hurt any less than it did right now, though.
Rune crossed the distance between us and swept me up into his arms, spinning me around in a slow circle. When he stopped and drew back to look at me, he beamed. “I knew you could do it, you brilliant ray of sunshine.”
“It was all Eldi. I was just there to help him remember what he could do,” I said.
