Solveig leapt over the bodies towards Ragnvald, who stood by the door cleaning his fingernails.
Without looking, Ragnvald waved a hand, blasting Solveig back.
Westley shoved a dagger into the Giant attacking him and launched himself across the room. Solveig collided with him instead of with the deadly throne that would’ve impaled her.
Ragnvald smirked and casually reached behind him to unsheathe his sword. Westley leaned down to grab two swords from fallen guards, tossing one to Solveig without looking.
Westley twirled the sword in his hand, and with his other, he tried to force as much magic into a blast as possible. The strength of it surprised Ragnvald, forcing him back a few steps as Westley and Solveig advanced together, drawing strength from each other.
They struck down anyone who dared stand in their way until they reached their target. Ragnvald’s brows furrowed as he fended off theirbrutal advances, their awareness of each other working in their favour, until an evil smile curled his lips.
All it took was one flicker of his gaze behind him and that bead of dread in Westley’s stomach erupted a second before a scream pierced his ears.
Solveig turned first with a gasp, abandoning their fight with Ragnvald to sprint over to Koa, who lay flat on her back. Westley glared at his grandfather before following his mate, right on her heels.
Ragnvald did not chase after them—he seemed content to let his soldiers do all his dirty work.
Maddock stood on the other side of the room, a bow pulled taut with three arrows, aiming right for Koa.
Westley watched in horror as Koa tried to get up only to be flattened again, this time by the Queen of Alfheim.
“Mother!” Steffen called a moment too late.
Queen Eir was draped over Koa, three black arrows jutting from her back as Vali and Steffen ran to kneel beside their mother.
“Mother!” Vali parroted his brother as they worked together to lift her off Koa.
Eir struggled to take in breaths as her sons attended to her. The tips of the arrows protruded from her chest.
“Koa?” Eir asked weakly.
“I’m here,” Koa grunted. “You shouldn’t have done that, my friend.”
A gurgling chuckle came from the Queen of Alfheim’s lips. “You would’ve done the same for me.”
Westley helped Solveig get Koa to the nearest wall. She leaned her back against it with heaving breaths. He could see no fatal wounds, thankfully. Aelfsi quickly appeared to take over for them so Solveig could attend to the Elven queen.
I need you to help me heal her,Solveig said.
Do you think that’s going to work?
We have to try,she insisted.
“Solveig, please,” Steffen begged, cradling his mother’s head in his lap, her ragged breaths drowning out the sounds of battle still raging around them. Vali brushed the hair back from her face.
“I’ll do what I can,” she swore. “On the count of three, we’re going to remove the arrows.”
Eir screamed as Vali, Steffen, and Solveig each grabbed an arrow and tugged. Blood gushed from the wounds before Steffen and Vali could cover them, applying as much pressure as possible to staunch the flow.
Steffen stared at Solveig with desperate hope.
She placed her hand in Westley’s and he gripped it firmly, giving her the strength she needed. She called on his power, and he let it entwine with hers as she tried to push her magic into Eir.
Their combined power slammed into a brick wall.
“Mother,” Vali cried.
Solveig furrowed her brow in concentration as she sent pulse after pulse of magic, trying to get it into Eir, but it only returned to them like a wave returning to the ocean.
