Page 109 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

A ghost of a smile formed on Kolfinna’s face; it had been satisfying to do that. “Did you need something from me?”

“Not really.” He jerked a thumb toward the fort. “But Lieutenant Bernsten is calling for you in his office.”

Her smile faded and dread took the place of her mild amusement. Did he need her to bind someone else? Or was he going to force her to join with Joran in theBryllupceremony?

“Thanks for letting me know.” Kolfinna gave him what she hoped was a sincere smile.

Ivar watched her carefully and his gaze shifted to her white hair. A curious look passed over his face, but if he was suspicious, he didn’t say it. “Sure thing.”

No Joran waitingon the couch with a book in Sijur’s office. No emaciated woman ready to be unwillingly bound to Sijur. No one but Sijur behind his desk with a mountain of papers covering every inch of the table. He motioned for her to take a seat when she entered.

“How are you feeling?” Sijur pointed to her injured shoulder. “Not too sore, I hope?”

“I’m fine.” Kolfinna sank into the velvet cushioned seat across from his office desk. Her shoulder and chest wound had mostly healed; they were still a bit sore and the scab on her chest was still present, but when she had picked on the itchy skin earlier this morning, she had noticed the pink scar beneath it.

She tried to keep herself from glancing at the spot where Birgitta had died on the floor. In the silence, she could still hear Aksel, Birgitta’s son, screaming for his mom.

Sijur folded his hands atop a crinkled piece of paper. “I do apologize for the words I spoke during my speech. You know I didn’t mean it entirely, yes? I had to say some things to raise the morale, give everyone something to focus on, and to gather everyone toward a singular threat.”

That threat being the fae race.

Kolfinna drummed her fingers on her thighs. “So you don’t care if you throw us in the lions’ den, huh?”

“Come on, Kolfinna, don’t be so cruel.” He leaned back in his seat, his white teeth gleaming. “During war, it’s necessary to rally everyone together. The faedidattack us last night.”

“But not all?—”

“Yes, yes. Not all fae are bad.” He waved a dismissive hand. “When this mess is over, trust me when I say that I will be guaranteeing that you and your people will be safe. Those who mean no harm will always be safe under me.”

Like Olia? Like Birgitta? Like all those women in his journal he had experimented on? Like all those children who he was still experimenting on?

Kolfinna’s fingers dug into her knees to keep herself from reaching over the table and slapping him across the face. “What did you need from me, sir?”

“Hilda sent me a letter.” He plucked a paper from his desk and held it up for her to see the black stamp at the end of the letter.

Kolfinna’s breath caught in her throat.

Hilda, who had tortured her in the cabin.

Hilda, who had ordered her to die.

And Hilda, who had likely seen the black-stained corpses of her people.

“She wants me to hand you over to her at the southern border. That’s where she’s stationed, by the way. She says that she believes you are a threat, and as the leader of the Hunter’s Association, she demands I hand you over. You are”—he flipped the paper over so he could read it—“in her exact words, ‘a traitorous creature who knows more than she’s letting on’ and who ‘must be interrogated or eliminated.’”

She must’ve realized Kolfinna was part-elf, or part-something. “And?” Kolfinna asked quietly. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not handing over one of my best soldiers.” Sijur winked at her and tossed the letter back in the pile. “Quite frankly, I think Hilda is delusional and spiteful. She hates that you’re anything more than a groveling, quivering mess. She wishes all fae died, and I’m sure this unexpected war with the fae is onlybolstering her ideals.” He shrugged. “The fae have so much history, culture, power—it would be a waste to eradicate all that. I will not be handing you over to her. Ever.”

Maybe if he wasn’t a self-serving monster, she would’ve believed he was doing this because he cared about her.

She wasn’t delusional like Joran, who believed in this safety Sijur offered. It was only so long as she was useful that Sijur would keep her around.

Sijur smoothed down his oil-slicked hair. “Which is why I called you here. I understand that going to the south to fight these fae and elves will put you in potential danger against Hilda and her little band of hunters. They won’t attack you brazenly like they did in the capital, but being there will put you at an increased risk of an attack. Not to mention it’s war.” He laced his fingers together and leaned forward. “I’m giving you the option to stay behind here. The majority of my troops will leave, but I still need people to man this border. You can stay here and avoid Hilda, or you can join the battle. It’s up to you. Whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

Kolfinna hated Hilda. She wanted nothing to do with that woman, and even the thought of seeing her again made her stomach twist into a ball of fear. She still remembered the feel of the whips, the knives, and the sharp objects she had used to pinch, cut, and slice through Kolfinna’s flesh.

Her skin rose with goose bumps and her lungs felt vacant of all air.

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