Page 113 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

She laughed softly to hide the warmth spreading over her chest. He would’ve married her to protect her; that was all there was to it, but it still made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.Blár Vilulfwould’ve married her to save her. Just thinking it was absurd.

What would it be like to be married to him?She wanted to imagine a life with him, but it was hapless to do that in the middle of a war.

“We’ll be reaching Fort Aggersborg soon.” Blár’s words dispelled her dreamy thoughts. He gave her a telling look. “Are you ready for that?”

She knew what he meant without him having to spell it out for her. Hilda would be at Fort Aggersborg, and then Kolfinna would be forced to confront the woman who had tortured her and tried to kill her. It wasn’t beyond the realm of reason that she would try it again or would try to pin another crime on her. And if Hilda was there, that also meant a wing of the Hunter’s Association would be there too.

When Kolfinna had agreed to come here with Sijur, she always knew there was a high possibility that she would see Hilda again, but now that the time was drawing closer, her chest grew tight with apprehension.

“I’ll be fine,” she managed to say. “If Hilda tries anything …”

Kolfinna’s mouth dried up. If Hilda tried something, Kolfinna would be helpless to do anything. She would have to rely on Blár or Sijur to bring her out of the situation—which was infuriating in itself, having to rely on others.

“She won’t.” Blár pushed an errant strand of her white hair behind her ear, and the small motion sent a blaze of heat where his finger dragged over her skin.

She blinked through her emotions and cleared her throat. “You seem to have confidence in her.”

“No, I always have confidence in myself, not others.” His smile vanished, replaced by a grim look—an expression she had seen countless time before he went into battle. “I’ll protect you.”

“Sure.” Kolfinna didn’t meet his gaze. She was unfamiliar to these feelings scorching inside her, and all the more unfamiliar with the protectiveness he was offering. “Thanks.”

“You don’t sound happy about it.”

“I don’t like the idea of seeing her again, no.” She wrapped her hands tighter around herself and stared into the roaringflames. “I don’t really know what will happen once we get there, so it makes me nervous to think that she might try something, but at the same time … I’m also nervous about the elves and the fae attacking.” She tightened the cloak over her body. “But I’m a soldier now, so I have to fight.”

Blár watched her carefully. “I’d rather you stayed back, you know.”

“Why?”

“So that you would be safe.”

She was never really safe wherever she went, but she didn’t tell him that. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Ivar stand up from his spot across the fire. He staggered on his feet and laughed at something Gunnar said before ambling over to Kolfinna and Blár.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Ivar said with a mischievous grin that didn’t look apologetic at all. His words were slightly slurred, and his face appeared ruddier against the orange campfire. “I’ve got something to ask you, Kolfinna.”

She blinked up at him. “What is it?”

“Can we talk alone?” He jerked a thumb to an emptier part of the field.

Blár arched an eyebrow. “What do you have to talk to her about?”

“That’s between me and her, Nosy-Prick.”

Blár scowled. “You?—”

“All right.” Kolfinna rose to her feet before the two of them could exchange insults with one another. It was all in jest, she was sure, but she didn’t want to rile up either, especially when they were on the cusp of battle.

Ivar and her walked away from their party and she could feel Blár’s eyes on her the whole time. Ivar’s cheerful, careless mask fell away the farther they went. It wasn’t until they were well out of earshot from the party that he spoke.

“Something’s been bothering me for a while now.” He turned to face her. They had stopped near a tiny stream of water in the middle of the field, away from most of the soldiers. Suddenly, he didn’t appear too drunk, and his words were steady. “Back in the caves during the first mission you had with us, you fought that green-skin and were completely covered in that black ink. You chalked it up to fae magic, and I kinda bought it because I didn’t know what else to think, but now …” He stared at her levelly, his blue-green gaze conveying his grimness. “Now I’m thinking you have something to do with those elves. They’ve got the same type of power as you.”

All the color drained from her face in seconds. Whatever lighthearted mood she had melted away and her feet felt stuck in the ground, the stars wheeling over her slowly.

“Are you connected to them?” Ivar asked, his voice tight. “Are you a spy?”

“No!” Kolfinna blurted out, wide-eyed. “I’m not a … aspy.”

He wouldn’t believe her—a part of her realized. It was the same thing with the Royal Guards. Nobody really believed her. He would tell Sijur or Hilda or somebody higher ranked and then she’d be put on trial again, but this time nobody would be able to save her. Or maybe because they were in a time of war, she’d be executed without a trial.

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