Page 86 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

“I’m sure you can.” He stretched out his arms. “But I’m tired, soIneed a break.”

Kolfinna tentatively struck her sword beside his and followed him to the wooden bench at the end of the ring. He sat onone end while she took the other. For a moment, they didn’t say anything. She peered up at the afternoon sky; it was grayer than usual, with thick, gloomy clouds filling it. A subtle breeze brushed over her shoulders.

Eluf stared at the soldiers farther down the courtyard sparring with each other. They were white and gray ranked, so they only fought with their swords since they lacked magic.

“Blár seems fond of you,” he said.

She blinked back. “Oh?”

“I’ve known him since he was a child.” He glanced over at her, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed darker than usual. More purple. Bruised. “I’m not sure if he’s told you, but I was married to his sister.”

Kolfinna licked her lips. “Yes. I’m … so sorry to hear about what happened.”

“Thank you.” A flash of pain crossed his face and he turned away. “It consumes me every day that I couldn’t protect her or any of Blár’s family.”

Kolfinna’s fingers curved over the edge of the bench, pressing against the wood fibers and the cracks along it. She was terrible at these sorts of things. Talking about tragedies. “I’m sorry.”

“It happened seven years ago, but I still remember it like yesterday.” Eluf wore a sad, longing expression as he stared off in the distance. “Blár, Gunnar, and I went hunting that day. I wanted to teach them both a few skills. It was stupid of me to even try it, to be honest, because Blár was already so powerful with his magic and he didn’t need to learn any of the inconsequential skills I had at catching fish or hunting jackrabbits. I … wish I hadn’t asked him to come. If he had stayed in his home that day, maybe he could’ve done something. Protected his family. Or maybe …” He swallowed hard. “I don’t know. There are dozens of variations of things I could’ve done that day, but I’ll never know what the right answer is.”

Kolfinna’s throat constricted and she fought back the rush of memories of Katla’s death. How she had imagined different things she could’ve done to prevent it from happening. How Kolfinna should’ve been able to control her magic. How she failed to protect her sister.

“Dwelling on the past and what you could’ve done differently”—she choked the words out through a whisper—“will only haunt you. She wouldn’t want this.”

“Perhaps, but I can’t move on.” Eluf’s eyes darkened and he grasped the armrest of the bench so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “Not while her murderers are likely still out there.”

If Kolfinna hadn’t killed Lord Estur, Katla’s murderer, would she be plagued with thoughts of vengeance like Eluf was?

“It was the worst day of my life. Returning to that home. I had expected to find Sylvi there with her other siblings. But when we returned, it was … a scene out of a nightmare.” His words were barely a whisper, almost lost in the wind. He grimaced, as if remembering that moment. “Everyone was dead. The entire house reeked of blood. It was splattered over the floors, the windows, and all over the furniture. I found Sylvi?—”

Kolfinna hadn’t realized she was gripping the bench so tightly until her fingers started to feel numb. She eased her vise-like grasp. “You don’t have to tell me all of this.”

In fact, they weren’t close enough for her to be privy to these memories.

“I need to because you might be able to help.” Eluf turned to her, as if he had read her thoughts, and she couldn’t look away from the despair, guilt, and anger brewing in the dark depths of his eyes. “Sylvi was already dead when we got there. Blár’s mother was missing, and the only one who was alive was Raynee, Blár’s youngest sister. She was close to death and it was too late for us to save her. She was only five. Blár held her in his arms and sang her favorite lullaby as she died.”

Kolfinna went still. She could imagine it so well in her mind that her eyes stung.

She didn’t want to hear any more.

Her stomach turned, but she tried to hold herself together.

“We then tried to cut the baby out of Sylvi’s belly.” He was whispering now, his words coming out slowly, like he was reliving the moment. “I thought maybe the baby was still alive inside her. But it was too early, so when we did manage to cut him out … He couldn’t—” Tears shone in his eyes and his voice cracked. “He couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do anything to save him either.”

“I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t keep the horror out of her voice at the image he was painting. Her throat closed up. This was Blár’s family he was talking about. And there were no words she could say that could comfort him, that could make the horrible moment go away.

He placed a hand over his eyes and breathed out shakily. For a few minutes, he remained like that. Kolfinna swallowed down the thickness crawling up her throat. She didn’t want to imagine the brutal scene; it reminded her too much of when Katla had been killed. She couldn’t stop thinking about Lord Estur holding Katla’s severed head in his hand, about the blood that stained his whole body up to his elbows and against the floors Kolfinna had scrubbed so many times before. And how it smelled?—

She squeezed her eyes together. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“The military says it was Ragnarök.” Eluf lifted his head. There was a hard set to his mouth as he turned to her slowly. The wind picked up and blew against them gently. “I don’t buy it. Neither does Gunnar or Blár. Why would Ragnarök target the Vilulf family? It really doesn’t make sense. All three of us have been searching for answers and we haven’t found anything substantial.”

“And you think I can help you?” Kolfinna asked.

“I think Lieutenant Bernsten knows more than he lets on. The only reason I joined the military under him is because he promised to help me get to the bottom of this mystery, but I think he’s just stringing me along. Because, let’s say Ragnarök did do it, then I need to knowwhy. And if Ragnarök didn’t do it, I need to know who did and why the military isn’t looking for them.”

Kolfinna licked her lips. “Do you think the military is involved?”

“I don’t know.”

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