Page 60 of Demonic Affliction

“I’ve thought of that, too.” I try not to let the worry eat me alive. “I’m just holding out hope that both things are possible.”

“For all our sakes, I will hope for that, too.”

Roark and I fall into a tense silence, neither wanting to speak our worries aloud for fear they may come true.

Eventually, when we are all too exhausted to take another step, and some of the soldiers actually start dropping to the ground, Vhalthor stops the march.

“We will break here for a while,” he orders. “Rest a bit, regain our strength, then keep moving to the core.”

Vhalthor makes his way through the camp, kneeling beside each soldier, healing small wounds and checking in with a few quiet words before moving to the next. His patience and care surprise me. I'd written him off as nothing more than a bloodthirsty maniac chasing a glorious death because he was bored with his throne.

But watching him now, I can see he actually cares about his soldiers. He may not admit it to himself, but I have a feeling the real reason he came on this journey was to protect them and his kingdom.

Dagny and her mates settle into a small alcove a short distance from Vhalthor’s party, and I find a similar place to do the same. Rhune and Nyx follow me. Meanwhile, Cin stands farther down the tunnel, staring into the dark.

Now that we have a little privacy, I turn my attention to Willow. She’s awake now—if barely. When I ask her if anything hurts, she denies it. However, when I pry off her borrowed leather boots, I find several large blisters on her feet.

Rhune’s expression twists with grief at the sight. Truly, it looks like he will burst into tears over a few blisters. “Oh Gods… My poor, sweet Willow.” His hands shudder as he holds them above her skin, like he’s worried that if he touches her, she will break into pieces. “How did this happen?”

“The boots,” she says with an embarrassed smile. “It happens to me all the time with new shoes.”

Rhune’s expression turns murderous. He looks at the boots lying off to the side, his lip curling in a snarl as if they’ve personally attacked his mate. Before anyone can stop him, he’s lunging, tearing at the boots with his teeth and claws.

He’s lost his damn mind.

Nyx reacts first, tearing the footwear from his hands before he can do any more damage. “What is wrong with you? She needs these!”

“They hurt her,” Rhune snarls. “I will hurt them back.”

Nyx pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re delirious. You need rest.”

“I will rest when the threat is dealt with.”

“You mean the boots?” His voice rises with exasperation. “The gods-damned boots?”

“Yes!”

Nyx reaches forward, flicking Rhune between the eyes. “Get yourself together!”

“Ow! That was uncalled for!”

“Everything okay over here?” Vhalthor asks, his voice impossibly deep and rumbling with authority. He’s gazing at Rhune and Nyx like he’s debating whether he will have to step in to break up a fight between younglings.

“Everything’s fine,” I grumble. “They’re always like this. They just need to get it out of their system.”

“If you say so.” His gaze moves to where Cin stands, and I catch a glimmer of intrigue before his expression settles back into his usual stony mask. “Do you think it’s true?” he asks me after a while.

“What, exactly?”

“About your soul brother,” he says. “About him being possessed by the Welwig.”

I shrug a shoulder, a prickle of unease traveling up my spine. “It makes sense, given all I’ve witnessed.”

“Astounding,” he says. “We’ve always heard stories of strange things happening in the north, but this is… beyond imagination. I admit, when Dagny first told me, I laughed in her face.”

“What convinced you to join us? And don’t give me that bullshit about being bored. You are not a callous ruler. I saw the way you tended to your men.”

He breathes a laugh. “You caught me. The truth is… I wanted it to be true. I wanted there to be a way to save this world, to save my kingdom. So I came to see for myself. Once I laid eyes on your mate, I knew… I knew Dagny was telling the truth. About all of it.”