I hated him for being honest at that moment. I wished he could have lied—that he could have promised me we’d survive this—that I’d claim the same rune as my father and that I could save him and that we could justlive.
But that wasn’t Darcke.
Darcke was the man who picked up Ottoh as if he was made from the most sacred of metals, carrying him in his arms the entire way to the beach. Darcke was the man who sent me courage and strength when the king’s ship floated by his own. Darcke was the man who whispered “You can do this. I know you can do this” when Vero came running.
“Is that? No! Please, Odin, no!” The new Briggen heir fell to her knees before I could catch her. “No!”
I didn’t have any more words when Vero sobbed into my shoulder, her cries splitting my head like the worst of headaches.
I held on to her as the king strode down the bow of his ship, as always in his stupid fucking fur with the thick gold chain lying across his chest, coming to a halt before the row of heirs and seconds. They bowed their heads, but even from where I was kneeling in the sand, my arms around Vero, the rage on Ivren’s, Viljan’s, Geord’s, and even Rakkel’s face was as clear as the sea spreading out before them.
“We lost another one?” The king clicked his tongue. “He must have dishonored the gods.” His eyes briefly touched mine before landing on Darcke. “The sister will have to do.”
I was on my feet before Vero or Darcke could stop me.
Sand flew around me as I ran for the king, and I was able to shake off Rakkel’s grip first, then Ivren’s. The pain from the wound in my side made my vision blurry, but I refused to stop. Refused to acknowledge the warmth running down my leg.
I was only seven steps away. Six. Five. Then strong arms wrapped around my stomach, and Viljan swung me around, hiding from the king as he hissed in my ear, “Calm down. Calm the fuck down now, or you will not be able to do anything about this.”
My thoughts were a jumbled mess as I glared at him, but when I read the sorrow and disgust in his eyes, my anger melted away as quickly as it had come about, excruciating, exhausting pain from both my injuries and our reality replacing it.
I wanted to run to my second—I only wanted Darcke at that moment—to feel his hands on me, his hard body pressed against mine, his deep accented voice whispering into my ear—distracting me, making all of this go away. But I couldn’t do that. So I hid my face against Viljan’s shoulder, trying to ignore the frustration rolling off the man behind me.
“Someone is eager to meet their gods,” the king drawled.
I didn’t dare look up when Viljan gasped, and even Darcke’s heart stuttered. It was only when I remained alive for the next thirty seconds that I peeked over my guard’s shoulder.
The entire sky was covered in pink and green and blue and red and purple, starting from the island we were standing on and leading north, brightening with each moment the sky itself darkened.
“Our gods are calling.” The shaman came up behind the king, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Majesty, we should get going.”
The king gave each of us a look before smirking as he righted the chain on his chest. “Good luck,” he offered as he spun, following the shaman onto the ship.
Forty-Six
Vero looked so small where she stood in the bow of Darcke’s ship, the rainbow of colors in the sky reflecting in her pale hair. Rakkel hovered by her side, and I wasn’t certain which of them was the most fragile when the Rafenskol heir turned my way.
I touched Rakkel’s war-dusted cheek first, then Vero’s.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Vero stared into the dark water. “I know.”
“So am I.” Rakkel wiped at her cheeks. “I… He didn’t talk to me much after last summer, but I never wanted this.”
“You broke his heart, you know.” Vero’s jaw worked as she turned to Rakkel. “He fell in love with you, and you just left him.”
“It was complicated,” Rakkel said. “I?—”
“How can it be complicated?” Vero’s features tensed. “He waited for you! All year he waited! And then you sneak around with your guard instead.” When Rakkel stumbled back, Vero’s eyes flashed. “You didn’t think we missed it? You’re as naive as Elvara here.”
“It’ll be of help to no one if we argue,” I said, keeping my voice low as the king’s ship sailed next to ours. The dragon figureheadin its bow was an inch ahead of Darcke’s ship to show that it didn’t matter which wood it was made up of, the king would always be one step ahead. “We are not each other’s enemies.”
“You’re right.” Rakkel inclined her head to the deck, her teeth dragging along her bottom lip. “There are others we should worry about.”
“Like who?” Vero blinked into the wind. “I thought we got all of them.”
“Like the one responsible for all of this.” Ivren came up beside Vero, winding an arm around her waist. “Like the one who started all these wars, and made all these people hate us.”
