Page 36 of Blood Beneath the Snow

Together, we’d changed our futures.

“I’m planning to travel back to watch the Trials, at least,” he said. “In the interest of strengthening the relationship between our countries, I think my parents will agree it’s a good move. When the monarchy changes hands, they’ll want to make sure the new ruler has every intention of upholding the agreement.”

I hummed. “If Björn is the successor…watch your back.” The words felt loaded, and I glanced over my shoulder in the direction of my brothers’ closed doors, as if they might be able to hear me.

“I have every faith the crown will land on your head,” he said. “Write to me from the front if there’s anything I can do, understand?”

“Of course.”

Volkan seemed to suddenly realize I was preparing to leave. “Where are you headed?”

“To Halvar’s. I can’t leave without saying goodbye.”

Volkan nodded. “Tell him farewell from me, too.”

When I reached The SharpenedAxe, all was quiet. Even the late-night crowd had departed. In the east, the sky was swiftly lightening from inky darkness to navy. I had to hurry if I was going to make time to tell Freja I was leaving, too.

Halvar was asleep when I arrived, but I didn’t hesitate to letmyself in and rouse him from slumber. Despite his age, he moved as swiftly as ever, and I sighed when I found a knife pressed to my throat.

When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he relaxed. “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”

“I’m going to the war front tomorrow,” I said, rubbing the nick he’d left on my jugular. A tiny drop of blood smeared on my finger. “Can you take care of Freja while I’m gone?”

“The war front?” He sat down heavy on the bed. “Why? Did they not let you into the Trials?”

I grimaced. “Oh, they did. But now I have to prove I can endure the war if I want to be queen. Father is insisting; I’m not sure why.”

“Probably wants to get you killed before you end up competing.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll keep tabs on Freja, visit her as often as I can. But in the meantime, you stay safe out there. The war front is not kind to godforsaken.”

“I know.” The hilt of my sword was comforting in my fingers. I rubbed the worn leather wrapped around it, wishing I wasn’t so damn frazzled. The night’s events ran through my brain over and over, the constant loop keeping my heartbeat elevated. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if I tried. “And you’ll work on things with the rebellion, too? Have the godforsaken ready to fight by the time the Trials roll around?”

“You can trust me.” Halvar put a fist over his heart. “The godforsaken will be ready for you. Ready for their queen.”

I relaxed slightly. “In that case, I’m off to say goodbye to Freja.”

I stepped back out intothe street, the wind scraping cold fingers against my skin. I forced myself to think of Freja and Arne. Every move I made since the night of Freja’s arrest was to help my friends.

Arne was likely on his way to the front already. The soldiers left in the dead of night, the darkness keeping knowledge of our regiment’s full numbers out of Kryllian hands. He could be halfway there, entirely unknowing that I’d be joining him shortly.

I exhaled. He was going to be furious if we ran into each other out there. I wondered how the army was split up; maybe we’d be stationed in different camps. If I was lucky, he wouldn’t find out what I’d done until it was too late.

I steeled myself, preparing to continue to my next stop, but when I looked up, a pair of dark, wood-carved eyes stared back at me from down the road. I stilled.

His dark clothes stood out starkly against the pale snow. The carved wolf skull mask, stained so dark it was almost black, bared its teeth menacingly. But the Hellbringer didn’t move. He didn’t strike, or pull out a weapon, or even take a step toward me. He simply stared.

A glance told me all the priests who usually patrolled this area were nowhere to be found, despite claiming they did their jobs at all hours of the day. And yet, I couldn’t believe I was the only one seeing this. Surely someone would peer through their curtains and acknowledge Kryllian’s deadliest general standing in the middle of Bhorglid’s capital city. Surely someone would walk out of a nearby shop and let out a scream of fear.

The most surprising thing of all was how calm I felt. No panic rose inside of me, no wariness. Even the anger I’d lashed out at him with yesterday lay dormant. Only a mild fascination stirred in my chest, as if the part of my brain controlling my fear response had turned off.

“Is this real?” I muttered. “What could you possibly be looking for that would make you houndmeso relentlessly?”

He didn’t answer. I peered at the eyes carved into the mask, wondering how well he could see me. Wondering if he realizedcovering his body from head to toe with fabric was a very priestly thing to do.

I sighed. Every part of me was tired. “If you’re going to kill me, get it over with,” I continued. “I’m the least interesting person here.”

“Are you?”

I startled slightly at his response. Three times I’d seen him before, but this was the first I’d heard him speak.

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