Page 25 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

“No, please—” Olia sobbed.

“Olia.” The smile on Sijur’s face disappeared and was replaced with a stern, firm-lipped expression.

The woman covered her mouth. Her silent sobs wracked her weak shoulders.

Kolfinna swallowed down the bile clawing up her throat.Breathe, she told herself.

“What business are you talking about?” Kolfinna said through clenched teeth.

Sijur tapped his wrist and clucked his tongue. “Come now, Kolfinna, you didn’t expect that you would do nothing here?”

She followed his gaze to the crescent moon rune on her wrist. “I … I don’t understand?”

“We’ll be putting your powers to use here.” He motioned to Joran and then leaned against the edge of his table. “You both are fae with powerful rune magic. We’ll be putting those abilities to the test.”

Testing her abilities? To dowhat?

Kolfinna looked between the withered woman and Sijur. From the corner of her eye, she could see Joran was still fussing with his clothes. When no one supplied an explanation, she whispered, “What does that mean?”

Sijur sighed, long and hard.

“Kolfinna”—there was almost a scolding tone in his voice, like he was explaining things to a small child who didn’t understand a simple task—“I need you to test your rune magic and see how far runes truly go.”

When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “Don’t you ever wonder what society was like before the humans defeated the fae and killed them to near extinction? I’ve had Joran decipher old books and we’ve learned so much over the past few years. So much development that could advance our society.” Sijur’s voice quickened in excitement and he stalked forward, his hands waving around animatedly. “The fae had made drastic developments in engineering that make our systems look rudimentary! They had bathtubs that filled themselves even though they weren’t water elementals! They had stoves that would create fires without a fire elemental, without flint and fire steel! They had prisons that were inescapable! Items that rendered people magicless! So many inventions that are lost and artifacts now. So many methods that are lost to us.”

The last part came out with a hint of sadness.

Kolfinna’s palms grew clammy. It was information she had already known. Information she had gleaned from the Eventyrslot ruins, from Revna. “And?”

He dragged his finger across the worn leather of one of his books. “Queen Aesileif had many rune-marked slaves that would do her bidding.”

Rune-marked slaves.

Kolfinna inadvertently traced the mark on her wrist. “Why …” Her throat closed up and she couldn’t rip her gaze away from the weeping, terrified woman. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Kolfinna.” This time it was Joran. His voice was small and hoarse, and he continued to stare at the dark, hardwood floors. “She’s not a good woman.”

Kolfinna laughed bitterly. “And so what? That gives us the excuse to … toenslaveher? Withrunes? Is that what you’re getting at here?”

This had to be a joke. A sick, sick joke.

But neither Sijur nor Joran said anything. Only stared at her likeshewas the ridiculous one.

“Is that … Is that really what we’re going to do?” Kolfinna clenched and unclenched her fists. “We’re going to enslave her? To who?You?” She jerked an accusing finger at Sijur. “Is that why you wanted me in your army? So that I can join you and Joran in enslaving other people? What the hell are you thinking?!”

Sijur sighed and dragged a hand over his face. “Kolfinna, calm yourself?—”

“I am calm!” She placed a steady hand on her chest. “I’m calm as can be, but this is just so … so offensive to me and to the fae and to our abilities. We are not all heartless enough to enslave someone against their will with runes! And I’m shocked that you would even think about that! Or that you”—she sent a daggered glare to Joran, who flinched—“would be willing to do such a thing!”

“Kolfinna—” Joran squeaked.

“No! It’s not right—” she started.

“Don’t you want the advancement of fae society?” Sijur asked with raised brows. “Don’t you want the fae to live in our society, side by side with humans and to be treated equally? That’s what I’m aiming for. That’s what I’m fighting for. The fae have such extraordinary abilities that it would be a waste to let them die! People are so naïve to not see the fae as assets. Asallies. Kolfinna, you’ll have to dirty your hands if you want to create a better world for yourself, your people, and your future children.”

“And how will enslaving this woman”—she thrust a hand in the woman’s direction—“accomplish that?”

“It’s the first step in making the nation realize your worth. In the worth ofbefriendingthe fae.”

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