The king continued as if the bloodthirst in the tent hadn’t amplified tenfold. “Once the iron-bounds have been established and the bonds formed, there will be two trials. One for wood and one for steel—earning your ships and your blades.” A grim satisfaction settled over his features. “That reminds me. Warriors?”
At the wave of the king’s hand, his men stalked up to us. As one of them ripped Rakkel’s blade out of her scabbard, my fingers closed around the hilt of my own. It had been forged by the blacksmiths in my village, blessed by the sword my father had earned during his time at the Hird.
I backed up, my shoulder slamming into Adrion’s when the blond warrior chuckled darkly.
My sword had once breathed against my palm, a rhythmic heat that promised protection—one granted by my father’s rune carved into its hilt. But as I touched it now, the steel was cold—deadweight in my hand. The quiet beat that used to rumble through it at my touch remained silent, and the void it left in my chest was sharper than any blade.
The warrior’s lip curled in a sneer that made my skin heat.
As if he knew my thoughts. As if he knew me.
Arms wrapped around my chest, and I recoiled when one of his men—the one with the scar—stopped my retreat. “He’s notgoing to like it if you fight,” he said in his rough voice. “Don’t make it harder for yourself.”
My fingers reached for the necklace of bruises around my throat.
“Exactly,” the warrior warned as he took my sword and shield. “That was him playing nice.”
“Nice?” I hissed.
If that wasnice, I was a damned Valkyrie, my wings hidden beneath my shoulder blades and my teeth so sharp I could bite off these men’s hands when they manhandled me.
“Would you like me to be bad instead?” The warrior with the cropped hair spun from where he’d stripped Ivren of his blade, emphasizingbadwith the strange lilt in his voice. “Because I can.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I mumbled.
“What did you say?”
The two warriors spoke at once, and I swallowed every ounce of anger when the king also turned our way, some of the conversations around us dying.
“Nothing,” I snapped, quickly adding “I’d prefer you to remain nice,please,” when the blond warrior took a threatening step toward us, even though it tasted like poison in my mouth.
As the scarred man walked away with my weapons, I wished I really was a Valkyrie.
Maybe I’d use my teeth to relieve that man of something else he cherished.
As the heirs stood unarmed before the king, all fidgeting and looking as uncomfortable as I felt without the weight of our blades and shields, Gustief accepted a goblet from the servant girl with the bright eyes.
After forcing the queen to his side to sip from the cup first, the king raised it toward the five of us. “The disarmament of the heirs marks the beginning of the summer trials. Apart from the rune on your chest that will follow you into the Great Halls of the gods, you now begin a new destiny outside of your parents’ shadow. Should the gods find youworthy, you will be standing here at the end of summer as the new chiefs of your fylkis, together with your iron-bound leaders of Skagerik.” He turned his toast to the karls standing silently behind us. “You have already been here for weeks, but tomorrow the real summer trials begin. May the strong survive and their iron-bound thrive.”
The wine in his goblet sloshed over the sides as the five pyres heaved their heat toward the sky, the smoke twirling around the tent until it reached us. The tendrils teased our unprotected backs, as if the gods wanted to warn us that they were always watching—that in the end the only thing that mattered was the final divine reckoning.
I clasped my hands behind my back, twisting my fingers until they hurt when the king took a long sip and then called, “To new Vikings. To brave souls and fearless quests and successful journeys.”
Everyone responded as we were expected to—although I couldn’t hide the tremor in my voice. “To conquest and the crown.”
A branch snapped, and I pressed my spine firmly against the trunk, hoping the greenery was enough to keep me hidden from whoever was walking in the woods at this time.
The moon trickled through the leaves, leaving its silver imprint in the night, and in the distance were flickers of fires, muted sounds of shouts and laughs echoing over the lake, brought all the way by the waterfall.
“I’m sorry to say your hair stands out too much.” Ivren’s voice was gentle in the dark. “The red is beautiful but not the best for hiding.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I mumbled.
Maybe I should cut it all off like that asshole warrior.
“Can I come up?” Ivren asked.
I wanted to say no, but he’d helped me tonight. Even if he’ddoomed me to Hel, he’d saved my life—saved my people. I should be grateful.
