Page 129 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

But that realization also haunted her because she didn’t want to befall the same fate as that woman.

The half-elf rose to his feet and waved a finger toward Sijur. Shadows ensnared Sijur and he shouted something incoherent as he was dragged forward a few feet away from Kolfinna. The shadowy magic whipped the air surrounding Sijur even as it held him. The air was heavy with mana, and Kolfinna was practically choking on it this up close. She found it hard to breathe, her gaze flicking from the half-elf to Sijur and then back again.

Kolfinna was completely drained of mana and energy. The hope she had clung onto was quickly disappearing. Blár was unconscious, Sijur’s army was falling apart all around them since Blár was defeated, and she was doing to die.

“Human, why have you tethered a fae to you?” The half-elf’s voice betrayed mild curiosity, but there was something else there. Something that sounded akin to amusement.

“Just kill me already,” Sijur growled.

“You are foolish.” The half-elf clucked his tongue. “There is a reason, human, that the fae do not tether those stronger than them, or those that have the fire to fight back. Because althoughthe tether gives you a false sense of loyalty, a slave will never be loyal to its master. The slave, eventually, will take the blade and slit the master’s throat, for that will free them. You are foolish to believe tethering a fae to you is beneficial for you. How can you leash a lion when you yourself are a mouse?”

Kolfinna released a ragged breath. “W-What?”

“The way to free yourself”—the half-elf turned to her—“is to kill him.”

That was it?

Sijur stiffened. “No.”

“Yes.” The half-elf chuckled, and there wasn’t a hint of kindness in it. “We fae rarely tether anyone to us because there are too many risks involved. And for what? For someone to listen to our every command? Any slave can do that without being tethered. When you have power, they will bend the knee not because of a rune stopping them from disobeying, but becauseyouhold the power over them. Because they fearyou.”

“Kolfinna—” Sijur started.

“Kill him,” the half-elf said.

Kolfinna couldn’t move. She could make out human soldiers fleeing all around her, and her body was close to keeling over. Sijur ordered her not to listen, but still, she couldn’t move. She didn’t feel any pain, but if she didn’t do something, the rune-mark would kill her.

But then she stared down at the rune on her wrist, and she remembered Birgitta, Olia, all the women’s names on the journal, and all the children’s names written down.

Killing him would free them all. Killing him would free her.

She staggered forward, her hand going to her waist, but her sword was nowhere to be found. She had likely dropped it when she fell off the earthen creature, she realized. Her gaze fell to the ground, where a broken shard of Blár’s ice remained. Sharp and glasslike, she picked it up numbly as she approached Sijur.

Flashes of Birgitta’s face, Olia, the names on the journal all came to her.

But still—she hesitated.

Her stomach twisted together into knots and her hand trembled as she positioned the pointed edge of the ice shard against Sijur’s neck. His black eyes were wide and wild. His eyelashes had dried blood on them and his lips were stained with dirt. She could smell the fear and sweat rolling off his body.

“My father will come after you if you do this,” Sijur whispered, his eyes trained on the ice shard.

“You would die anyway.” Kolfinna pressed the ice closer to him. “And you did such terrible things.”

“I dirtied my hands to make a better country. To make it better for you and the rest of the fae,” Sijur snarled. “Do this, and you will be marking yourself as an enemy to the military and to the whole country!”

“It really doesn’t matter anymore,” Kolfinna found herself saying. “You said you wanted me to be a monster, didn’t you? Well, this is probably the first step.”

“Don’t let her kill me!” Sijur shouted at the half-elf commander, his voice growing desperate. “I can be useful to you! You can learn so much about this country’s military plans from me! I’m still useful!”

The half-elf seemed to consider this, and that was all the time Kolfinna needed to lunge at the commander. Her ice shard slammed into his chest—or it would have, if the shadows hadn’t wrenched it out of her hand.

She kicked the half-elf as hard as she could, but he dodged that too, hit movements fluid. Desperately, she fought back, her remaining mana coursing through her body simultaneously with the rush of adrenaline.

Gnarled roots shot from the ground and slammed into the half-elf, but the little damage they caused seemed to be healedinstantly. He was too quick on his feet, even in all that heavy-looking armor.

Kolfinna sent a barrage of roots after him, but right when she thought she had him, the roots froze. The half-elf raised his hand and she realized he had taken control of them.

Out of all her magic, she was most confident with her nature manipulation. But he had her beat there too.

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