Page 106 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

“He didn’t trick you. He told you exactly what he needed from you and what the exchange was.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m happy with it.”

“That’s not his problem.”

Kolfinna frowned in disgust. “You’re actually …loyalto him?”

“Yes—”

“Tell me this, Joran. If you could escape from here, would you?” Kolfinna already had a creeping suspicious of what his answer would be, but she needed to hear it from him.

Joran stared at her levelly. “No. Why would I? I’m protected here. No one can hurt me, and no one can hurt you either, Kolfinna.”

“Joran, are you …” Kolfinna hesitated. “Are you even bound to him?”

Silence.

“Joran?”

Still, he remained silent, his gaze downcast.

“You’re not, are you?” The horror in her voice didn’t even begin to cover how she felt inside. His image began to spoil and rot in front of her eyes. She could see Birgitta, and Olia, and allthe other people who had been bound to Sijur. And she thought of the children’s names she had found in that journal. “You did all those terrible things because of your loyalty? Not because you’re bound to him?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Anger flashed in his eyes and he stepped closer to her. “He saved me. I have to do the things he wants. And if you were smart, you would too.”

Her stomach turned at the sight of his anger. She tried to pull at her mana, but she barely felt any wisps within her. “You disgust me.”

“Don’t talk to me like that?—”

“You’re disgusting!” Kolfinna’s hands curled to fists and she hated that she had no mana left, nothing to protect herself from him if he decided to get nasty with her. “I can’t believe you’re listening to him and you’re not even bound to him! You can leave if you want to, but you’re just—just mentally bound to him because you feel indebted. And—And, what about the children? Did you know aboutthat?”

He staggered back like she had punched him in the gut. Finally, some sort of guilt and horror showed on his face. “How do you know about that?”

“So you do know about that?” She hid her trembling hands beneath the plush blanket. “Don’t you have any morals?! He’s using children to be his slaves!”

Joran took a step forward, his figure looming over hers. “I do feel bad”—his voice hitched—“but I don’t care too much about humans! They’ve taken everything from me, so why does it matter if a few of them die? How many fae children have died because of humans? What’s a few here and there got to do with our survival? You don’t seem to realize that I’m helping our kind by learning about our magic. Do you know how much history and knowledge I’ve learned? I did what I had to!”

“Are you serious right now?” Kolfinna wanted to leap forward and shove him out the room, but with how depleted her mana was, she didn’t think she’d win in a fight. She wondered again where Blár had gone. “You’re okay with a few humans dying for Sijur? For that lunatic? He’s a monster, and you’re delusional to ignore it all!”

“What have they done for us?” He slapped his chest. “We’re fae, Kolfinna! We’re not supposed to care about humans!”

“Then why do you follow ahuman?!”

“Because he saved me! He’sdifferent!”

“He’snotdifferent! He’s just using you for your power. Don’t you see that?!”

“Of course I know he wants my power! But he protects me, and I listen to him. That’s our deal, Kolfinna, and if you were smart, you would do the same. Because we’re in this together forever. So I suggest you?—”

“In thisforever?” She barked a laugh and then pinned him with a nasty glare. “I’m leaving the instant I can, Joran. Do you really think I’ll stay here after the bargain is over?”

His eyes grew into saucers and he clamped his mouth shut. For a second, a rush of victory flooded her, but then something else reigned over it. He was … hiding something? It was a hunch, but the way he averted his gaze all of a sudden told her that he said something he shouldn’t have.

“Joran.” Kolfinna hesitated, and his words replayed in her mind.In this together forever. “Joran, what do you mean byforever?”

Joran turned his face away.“Nothing?—”

“Joran.”

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