Her voice rose, her eyes frantically darting around the small room, and Raye used the opportunity to shove herself between Sybil and the door, blocking her escape. “I’m Kalfr’s mate,” shesaid, in a voice that didn’t sound like her own. “And Kalfr isn’t here.”
Sybil was still staggering, groping at her hair, but Raye could see her eyes sharpening, her awareness returning. “What do you mean, Kalfr isn’t here?” she demanded. “Our best outriders and dogs tracked him here. And those loutssawhim coming in!”
She waved a furious hand toward the door, toward the men who had been her trusted guard only moments before, and who were still loudly banging at the door, demanding to be allowed in. But Raye shifted closer before the door, facing Sybil, gripping at her sword hilt, preparing for whatever would come next.
“Your men were mistaken,” she replied, clipped. “They were too far away to see clearly. It was a trick, all this time. It wasme.”
It came out utterly certain, and Raye didn’t miss the way Sybil flinched, her lovely face pinching. “It couldn’t have been you,” she shot back, though it was less confident than before. “We followed Kalfr’sscent.”
“Yes, because I dragged around his clothes with me,” Raye countered. “You should know how that works, shouldn’t you? Seeing how you’ve been using his clothes to hunt him, all this time?”
Sybil’s mouth opened and closed, while Raye’s lips pulled into something like a smile. “Also, as my mate, he’s been fucking me foryears,” she continued flatly. “That definitely helps with the scent, too.”
Something stark and furious flashed across Sybil’s eyes, but it cooled as she shook her head. “You’re lying,” she said. “Iknewhe was coming here. The realtrick” — her mouth thinned — “was him pretending he was going to stay put, where he might finally need to face the consequences of his actions, and keep the promises he made to me! He’s been running and hiding formonths, avoiding me like a fucking coward, pretending he feelsnothingfor me, and now —”
Her breath heaved, her eyes blinking, while the cool distance again spread across her face. “Iknewhe was coming here,” she insisted, her voice carefully neutral again. “Hehasto be close. This is a trick. It has to be.”
Raye stared at Sybil for a long, bewildered moment, ignoring the ever-increasing banging and barking at the door behind her. “No, he’s not here,” she snapped. “And this morning, he went straight out to meet you, just like you’ve been wanting him to! He wanted to face you, and come to terms with you, and try to find a peaceful resolution to — to whatever the hell this is!”
She waved irritably toward Sybil, toward the men still banging behind them. “You’vebeen the one hunting Kalfr,” she continued. “You’vebeen the one taunting him and mocking him all this time. You’ve been the one refusing to face the consequences of your own actions! You tried to kill him and his people, and you still fucking are! Why the hell would he ever want to see you again? Especially when he did nothing to deserve this!”
The fury again flared across Sybil’s face, narrowing her eyes, contorting her mouth. “He didnothing?!” she echoed. “That sick bastard made promises to me. He made love to me. He swore he would do his best for me, and try to help me! He made me believe his shit, and then hebetrayedme!”
Her voice rang through the air, her face flushed and blotchy, her mouth trembling. “He pretended like he was better,” she spat. “He pretended to be so sweet and generous and trustworthy, so different than all the rest. But deep down, he’s really just watching and plotting and testing you, manipulating you into trusting him, so he can control you, andruinyou!”
The words struck at something in Raye’s chest, hard enough to crush the breath from her lungs. And for an instant, she could only stare at Sybil, while those claims rattled around in her skull.Deep down, he’s really just watching and plotting and testingyou, manipulating you into trusting him, so he can control you…
Because… Sybil was right. Wasn’t she? She was right that Kalfr was always watching and plotting, testing those around him. She was right that he wanted control. Maybe he even needed it.
But instead of the alarm and condemnation Raye perhaps should have felt, there was only commiseration, and a quiet, startling affection. Yes, Kalfr was all those things — but maybe she was, too. And maybe Gaelfr was right there beside them. Watchful, careful, jealous, controlling. Demanding fealty and sacrifice from those closest to you.
But also… generous. Faithful. Brave. Freely offering fealty and sacrifice in return. Making vows you would raze the realm to keep. Giving whatever it took to keep your loved ones safe, no matter the cost.
They were… Bautul.
Sybil was watching Raye closely, as if sensing her hesitation, her weakness, and she came a step closer. “You know it’s true,” she said, her voice rising. “You know I’m right about him!”
Raye couldn’t deny it, and twitched a shrug, and a small smile. “I know,” she said simply. “But I love him anyway. I… I trust him.”
It should have been a ridiculous thing to say, utterly indefensible — but it was true. Wasn’t it? Raye loved Kalfr, and she was choosing to trust him — and Gaelfr, too. Even in this moment, she was keeping their enemies here, focused on her, knowing her mates would come, and save their son.
Sybil scoffed, and the rage flashed across her eyes again, this time tinged with cold mockery. “Well, you shouldn’t trust him,” she snarled back. “Because he’s still attached tome. He’s still bound to me,forever!”
Bound to me, forever. Something cold and slimy crept up Raye’s spine, her eyes searching Sybil’s face. What the hell did she mean, Kalfr was bound to her? Forever?
“Because how do you think I knew he was coming here?” Sybil demanded, bitter and triumphant. “How do you think I’ve been tracking him, all this time, no matter where he goes? Do you really think my dogs are that good? Or these bands of fools?”
She jerked her head toward the door, where the men were still uselessly yelling and banging, but Raye scarcely heard them now, over the erratic thumping in her chest. No. Sybil couldn’t mean, she couldn’t…
“I canfeelhim,” Sybil spat. “I can feel that lying bastard, no matter where he goes. He did some kind of” — she flailed her hand at her body — “some kind of fucked-up orc magic on me! So I’ll never stop feeling him, or wanting him! As if I haven’t already suffered enough?!”
Raye couldn’t stop staring at Sybil, feeling her heartbeat rage and wail against her ribs. Kalfr had — he’d built amate-bondwith Sybil. Just the same as the bond he’d built with her and Gaelfr.
And had Kalfr… told them that? He hadn’t, had he? And goddess, what had he said, when Gaelfr had asked if he’d built a bond with Sybil? He’d said… no. He’d denied it. He’d said that it took more time and effort to build a bond when you already had one, let alone two.
Had Kalfr… lied? Lied to Raye, and to Gaelfr?
Surely Sybil had caught Raye’s uncertainty, her eyes again flaring with triumph, with glee, with stark vicious fury. “Fun, isn’t it?” she hissed. “Knowing that lying bastard is fucking his way across the realm, infecting other women with his fucked-up magic? Wanting us all to throw over all our plans, all our goals, so we can slink around after him, and beg him to notice us?!”
