The room was filled with quiet chatter and music as the orchestra played. I knew, at some point, they would formally introduce Cathal and Allete, and I wondered if that would be when Magnus would do … whatever it was he was planning to do.
My hand continually moved to brace against the hilt of my sword as if assuring itself the weapon was still within ready reach. I would much prefer to be carrying an axe on my back in addition to the sword. I liked having two weapons, if not more on me, but the royal guards only carried a sword. Of course, I had a few small daggers in hiding under my tunic and in boot sheaths, but they didn’t quite carry the punch an axe did. Wielded properly, however, they could be just as deadly.
“There he is,” Brant murmured softly. “As the clock tolls high noon.” This was his way of communicating to me Magnus’s direction without having to point or motion with his head.
My eyes landed on our jarl, and I was shocked at how well he’d managed to disguise himself. His guard uniform was immaculate, and his beard had been clean-shaven. I wasn’t sure if his hair, which usually hung well past his shoulders, was cut, or if he’d managed to hide it under the helmet. Regardless, the wild mane was out of view. He was casually glancing around the room, appearing as though he were simply watching for trouble, ready and willing to intervene if necessary to ensure the safety of the partygoers.
Only a few minutes later, I spotted several more Norsemen. I was still unable to deduce their plan. What did they hope to accomplish here? I wracked my brain, hoping to understand their intentions. If I couldn’t figure out their next move, I might not be able to get Allete out of harm’s way.
Suddenly the music stopped, and the trumpets began their royal call. Once they were silenced, the herald stepped forward to the side of the stage next to the orchestra.
“Lords and ladies, I present King Albric and Queen Alease.”
The king and queen stepped forward and nodded to the applauding crowd. Then King Albric held up his hands and the applause died as he turned his attention to Allete. “Tonight, we celebrate the engagement of my eldest daughter. She has grown into a beautiful young woman and we are so proud of her.” He motioned for Allete and Cathal to step forward. “Please join us as we congratulate her and her fiancé, King Cathal.”
The room became an uproar of applause as the two came forward. The clapping continued for several minutes as the seemingly happy couple waved to the crowd. Finally, the room began to quiet, everyone anxiously awaiting an address from King Cathal and his soon-to-be queen. All of a sudden, I heard a thrum, followed by a distinct whooshing sound. I knew immediately an arrow had been loosed. Instinctively, I dove in front of Allete. In doing so, I caught a brief glimpse of the arrow in flight, zipping through the air like a death sentence, headed straight toward us. She fell back but I didn’t see if she’d been injured. I was too busy taking an arrow to the chest.
The pain was immediate. I hit the stage with a thud and landed on my back. There was a sharp scream, and the room erupted into a melting pot of confused people moving in different directions. Men and women alike shouted and ran for the exits. Confused guards yelled to one another, pulling their swords from their sheaths. Tables and chairs toppled, spilling wine, food, and dishes onto the floor.
I tried to sit up, but as soon as I put pressure on my arm, it collapsed under me. Suddenly, like the image of a beautiful Valkyrie, Allete’s face, was hovering over mine.
“Don’t you dare die,” she growled.
I smiled. “It’s good to see you too, love. And yes, I did just take an arrow in the chest to prove my love for you.”
“Shut up,” she snapped. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Torben. I’ve got to pull this out and then heal you quickly.”
“Don’t,” I said, attempting to keep her hands back. I was too weak to stop her. Why was I so weak?
“You’re losing too much blood. I think the arrow tip is close to the heart,” she answered. I guess I must have asked my question out loud.
I bit the inside of my cheek as she grasped the arrow and jerked it free, with a strength I wouldn’t have guessed she was capable of. I could hear Brant arguing with Cathal, restraining him, trying to convince him that Allete was a trained healer—albeit, not a healer of the magical variety—whose help was vitally important in that moment. Cathal was giving him a thorough cursing, demanding him to move. My loyal friend was having none of it.
“Do not heal me, Allete,” I ground out through my teeth as the pain radiated through my body. “There are some who do not need to know what you can—” A hand slapped over my mouth, effectively shutting me up.
Allete leaned in close to me, her nose nearly touching my own. I needed to focus, but in that moment, all I wanted was for those perfect lips pressed to my own—to taste her one last time.
“I am not going to sit by and watch you die just to keep myself safe. So you listen up, warrior, you are not going to die because I am going to heal you, right here, right now. Are we clear?”
“Kiss me,” I said, ignoring her words. Apparently, that was not the correct response.
“Stupid, stubborn …,” she began mumbling but I missed the rest of it because she firmly pressed her hand to the wound, and the pain was excruciating. I heard her begin to chant but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. All I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears as the pain and agony threatened to steal my consciousness.
I did not know how long it was before the pain began to ease, and the sounds around me slowly returned. There were shouts echoing throughout the ballroom. I could see legs stumbling around us and heard screams accompanied by the ringing of steel on steel as swords clashed. I was still a bit foggy, but I could guess that my people had attacked the guests and the palace guards were fighting back. I wanted to move now to get Allete out of the room, but I didn’t yet have the strength to lift myself.
Just then I saw Magnus’ face appear over Allete’s shoulder. My eyes widened as I recognized the greedy look in his eyes. He knew what Allete was doing. He’d seen my mother do it many times. I could almost see his lust for power as a tangible thing. He knew the kind of power Allete could give him. He wasn’t going to let that go.
“Allete,” I said her name, but she was lost in her trance like state. She had no idea that a wolf was behind her, hunting her. I tried again to get her attention, to shift or move, anything to keep Magnus from being able to take her, but nothing worked. As I laid there, every cell in my body focusing on knitting itself back together in response to Allete’s healing, I was powerless. I could do nothing as Magnus wrapped his large arm around her waist and jerked her back against his body.
Allete’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open. Shock held her paralyzed as she stared back at me. Then instinct kicked in. She screamed, kicked, and fought to get free, but she was no match for Magnus’ strength. His madness only made him that much stronger. She called my name, and I was helpless to respond. It was as though the arrow had been reinserted and pressed all the way into my heart this time. My brain was telling my body to move, but a twitch and a weak groan was all that came in response. No amount of internal screaming at my limbs did any good.
“Brant!” I croaked when I was finally able to speak. “Go get her!”
“Can’t do that, comrade,” he barked back. “You’ll die if I leave you here.”
“GO GET HER!” I roared, but the mountain refused to move.
“He won’t kill her, Torben, you know that. He won’t even harm her. She’s too valuable. But you’re barely hanging on, you dolt. Now, act dead until things get sorted.”
“Brant, I swear by the gods if you don’t…” It was the last thing I said before everything went dark.
The arm around my waist was like a steel band. I couldn’t move so much as an inch, no matter how hard I fought. I looked back to where Torben lay just in time to see Brant knock him over the head with the hilt of his sword. My mouth opened wider, if that was even possible.
; Why would Brant attack his commander? Torben was injured badly. Why would—my thoughts froze. “No,” I whispered to myself. “Brant wouldn’t betray Torben.”
The giant who had grabbed me turned to where Brant stood and commanded, “Finish him.” Brant was looking right at us. He gave a small nod. Was he nodding at me or my captor? What in the seven hells was going on?
“ALLETE!” Dayna’s loud bellow reached across the room to me, and my eyes met hers. She was attempting to run to me, fighting against the stream of panicked people moving the other direction. Swords had been drawn and pockets of men fought one another all over the large room.
“Magnus, what do you want us to do?” A tall man, dressed in an English guard uniform, asked the one holding me. I realized then my attacker was none other than the jarl himself.
“Change of plans,” Magnus growled. “Get the men and meet at the boats. I’ve got a prize I did not expect. We can come back and claim the rest after we’ve regrouped.”
The man gave a nod and hurried off. As soon as he was away, I resumed my fight. “Let me go!”
“Sorry, pet, but I can’t do that,” Magnus said as he moved quickly, weaving in and out of bodies that had fallen, some still writhing in pain. “You are exactly what I need. I had no idea you were within my grasp. And to think Torben had been keeping you all to himself.”
“I don’t understand; why do you need me?” Terror was rising in my chest. I was just beginning to realize he’d grabbed me during a healing. He wanted me for my abilities.
“Don’t play dumb, little one. You’re a healer. You must know how valuable you are.”
“Why would I ever help someone who’s kidnapped me?”
“You will do more than help me. You will be my personal healer,” he said as if I was the most privileged woman in the history of ever.
“I will never heal you,” I sneered at him.
“You will. Everyone has a breaking point, Princess Allete,” he warned me. “We will simply have to find yours.”
“Allete!” Dayna’s voice rang out, close behind us.
“In fact, I think we just found it,” he said as he grabbed the shoulder of one of his warriors. “Take that one,” he said, pointing to my sister.
“NO! Dayna, stay back! Run!” I yelled as loud as I could. We clambered out of the palace and across the courtyard under a moonlit sky, my feet kicking all the while. I couldn’t believe how fast the man could move all the while maintaining a grip on my waist with one arm. We were nearing one of the smaller side gates that led to outside the castle walls. Not only was he fast, but his feet were surprisingly silent despite his added load.
I heard a commotion behind us, and I lifted my head. I saw Dayna being carried over the shoulder of another large Norseman. She was flailing like a dying fish and screaming every obscenity known to man. And I was proud of her. Give him hell, little sister, I thought as I debated whether to save what energy I had left. Despite Magnus’ strength, surely he couldn’t run forever. Perhaps, when we finally stopped, an opportunity for Dayna and me to escape would present itself.
Magnus held me tightly and I could scarcely breathe. My ribs felt as if they would break under the strength of his arm. We cleared the castle walls and headed into the trees. Magnus didn’t slow; he just kept running, never breaking stride. Did the man ever tire?
I wondered if anyone was giving chase. There had been so much confusion that I didn’t even know if anyone realized what had happened to us. If they hadn’t, it might be awhile before my father even knew to send a search party after us.
The man carrying Dayna had caught up to us. She was still cursing, though she’d quit flailing.
“Just let my sister go,” I finally said to Magnus. “I’ll do as you ask. Just let her go.”
“Sorry, but I am not inclined to believe a woman who I am in the process of abducting. Your sister is coming with us.
“You do realize that Torben is going to kick your flea-bitten arse, right?” Dayna yelled. I rolled my eyes. She had a death wish.
“Torben is dead, or if he isn’t he will be soon,” Magnus said without a single drop of doubt.
He was wrong. I would know if Torben was dead. I would feel it. Wouldn’t I? Our bond was so new. I had no idea of its intricacies. Oh gods, what if he was dead, and I had no way of knowing? Why on earth did I have to think those thoughts in that moment? Pull yourself together, Allete, I snapped inwardly. There was a time and place for panic, and this was neither.
“Torben isn’t dead you moron,” Dayna laughed. “It will take a better man than you to kill someone like Torben.”
“The archer did the job just fine, and my man will finish it.”
My heart hit my toes. He was talking about Brant. He had to be talking about Brant. Finish him, he’d said, and Brant had nodded as if in answer. Magnus had told Brant to kill Torben. I tried to absorb the information, but it just wasn’t sinking in. I couldn’t reconcile the Brant I knew doing anything to betray Torben.
When I heard the deep thud of footsteps, my eyes snapped open. I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them. I looked down and saw that Magnus was crossing a planked walkway. When I looked up, my eyes widened at the massive ship upon which we were boarding.
Magnus shifted me and threw me over his shoulder. “Oomph,” I groaned as my stomach was squashed.
“You might want to hold still,” he warned and then began climbing. By the time he made it to the top of the ladder that was strapped to the large ship, he was finally sounding winded.
He set me down, and I was lightheaded, momentarily seeing stars as the blood rushed back down from my head. My eyes refused to focus. “Dayna,” I said her name as I cry of self-defense and found her standing next to me.
“Yep, I am here. Just trying not to vomit.”
I swayed on my feet and began to realize how weak I was. “Why,” I started, but then realized I had been healing Torben when Magnus snatched me. That was why I was weak, from the healing. When my eyesight finally sorted itself, I couldn’t see much. Only a few lanterns dim lanterns were lit at various intervals along the ship. But I did not miss for a second that the ship was getting farther from the shore. We were already moving.
“Are you okay?” Dayna asked.
I nodded.
“Turn around,” a man said as he walked up to us with rope in his hands.
“Where would we go?” I asked.
“Can’t jump if you can’t swim,” he said as if he was talking about the weather.
We both did as he commanded. Once our hands were tied, he moved us to a bench. “The jarl said for you two to sit there and not to move.”
Dayna started to say something, but I stomped on her foot and she snapped her mouth closed.
“If we give them reason to think we are going to run, they’ll put us in a more secure location. For the time being, appear complacent,” I explained.
“Torben and Brant will come for us,” she said with a nod.
I cringed. I didn’t want to tell her that Brant might be the reason I never saw the man I loved again, mostly because I did not want to believe it myself.
I turned at the sound of Magnus’s voice. “Come and see what I’ve found, old crone.” He was standing in front of someone I couldn’t see. “I want you to teach her everything you know.”
He finally stepped aside, and Hilda was staring right at me. “Oh, I will definitely teach her everything,” she responded. “Do not worry, Jarl. She will be the best, even better than me.”
I held a look of surprise and unrecognition on my face, as if I’d never met the woman. But my conversation with Torben’s mother came rushing back to me, including everything she’d said about using my magic for harm. I understood immediately. She would teach me, all right. She would teach me how to kill Magnus using the magic that he thought would be healing him.
“Did you see Torben while you were at the castle?” She addressed him, but never took her eyes off me.
“Bri
efly,” Magnus answered. “He was engaged in battle. The castle guard was much stronger than we anticipated. I cannot guarantee that he will make it back.”
Hilda’s lips twitched slightly. “Don’t count your best warrior out just yet, Jarl. You know, as well as any, that he has a way of surviving impossible situations.”
“Some think death is the worst fate that can befall a man. They think that the absence of life is the ultimate loss. They cannot fathom the possibility of something far worse. When the person who holds the other half of your soul is taken from you, death is mere child’s play in comparison.”
* * *
~Torben.
“Wake up.”
Brant’s voice seemed to be coming from a long distance away, but the tapping of his hand on my face made it clear that he was right next to me.
“That’s it. Wake up, comrade. Wake up so we can go hunting.”
At that my eyes snapped open. “Hunting?” I rasped.
“Allete.”
Her name had barely left his lips and everything came rushing back.
“And Dayna,” he added, his voice dropping an octave.
“Magnus took her, too?”
Brant nodded.
I tried to sit up.
“Easy,” he said as he grasped my forearm and helped me into a sitting position. To my surprise, I was still on the floor in the ballroom. The room was mostly clear now, with only a handful of the palace guards remaining behind to clear the bodies from the room.
“I will find her,” Cathal bellowed from behind Brant.
I motioned for him to move aside. Cathal was standing in front of Allete’s visibly upset parents. Her mother was covering her mouth with her hand, attempting to hold in the sobs that were threatening to overcome her.