Page 73 of Blood Beneath the Snow

Gods, I’d missed him.

“The Hellbringer has been training me. Teaching me how to fight. Kryllian wants to help me win the throne so they can negotiate a truce once I’m queen and end the war.” I glanced at him and let my thoughts drift through the last week. It was easier to remember than it was to explain.

I was careful to keep my thoughts far from…certain events,though. Namely two involving the Hellbringer’s bed. Frode didn’t need to know about those.

Frode’s eyebrows shot up, and I knew he was observing my memories. “That’s…a lot to take in,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for a ransom letter. Father was confused when one never came, but now it makes sense. He assumed they’d killed you when they realized you didn’t know anything.”

“Wouldn’t that be lucky.” I rolled my eyes. “Let him keep thinking I’m dead. Things are probably easier that way.”

“Well, yes and no,” he said. “When Father decided it had been long enough and you weren’t coming back, he was thrilled of course. But now he won’t stop talking about what the battle between his ‘two great sons’ will be like. In case it wasn’t obvious, neither I nor Jac are included on the list of said great sons.”

“Aren’t you glad about that, though?” I spread my cloak out and laid next to him.

He shrugged and rubbed a hand over his forehead. “I hate Father. It’s impossible not to. You know that. He deserves to be despised more than anyone I’ve ever known. And yet…” Frode let his voice trail off for a moment, wincing as he examined his broken nose with his fingers. “Sometimes I look at him and wish he would be proud of me instead of disappointed.”

I reached for his hand. “I’m sorry.”

He laughed bitterly. “Don’t be. I’m not hurting anyone but myself with those expectations.”

“It isn’t the same, but I’m proud of you,” I whispered. “I would be lost without you.”

He turned to look at me and smiled. Though his face was covered in dried blood and his expression was full of sorrow, I saw gratitude in his eyes. “I haven’t forgotten the time you saved me, right after I came back from the front the first time,” he said. “Even whenthings are hard, I’m always grateful you found me in time and stopped me. You’ve given me reason to keep living.”

I squeezed his hand. “I miss you, Frode,” I said. “I’m staying in an abandoned prison. It’s freezing cold. Most of my days are spent alone. I want to come home.”

“No, you don’t.” When I shot him a puzzled look, he continued, “Or at least, you shouldn’t. I see how difficult it is for you to weather this training, but if Kryllian truly does want to end the war, youmustwin the throne. And the Hellbringer might be a terrible companion, but it’s only been three weeks and I can already see more confidence in your eyes.”

I’d known he was going to encourage me to stay, but for a moment disappointment tore through me. Part of me wished he would beg me to come back with him.

Frode stood and reached down to pull me to my feet. Then he wrapped me in a hug. “I miss you more than words could ever say,” he murmured, “but we need you to be strong. For me and Jac. For Freja. For the godforsaken.”

“I will,” I said, though the tears leaking from the corners of my eyes begged me to say otherwise. “Oh, wait, before you go—I was supposed to be spying. I need some sort of information to bring back to the Hellbringer.”

“Father has no plans except to find the Hellbringer, but he’s no closer than before.” Frode pulled away and brushed the tears from my face. “We have no leads. Now go, and tell him I said if he lets anything happen to you, I’ll kill him where he stands.” He offered me a lopsided grin.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, just threaten the most dangerous man in the world.”

“I have no doubt you beat me to that opportunity the moment he took you.” He winked. “Now go. We’ll be okay. And so will you.”

When the afternoon was turningto dusk, painting the sky bright orange, I arrived back where the Hellbringer and I had parted ways. There was no one around. The snow itself appeared untouched. Had he abandoned me?

I glanced up and my eyes found him then, sitting on a low-hanging branch in the dimming light, his back to the tree’s trunk. “I suppose wearing all black does help camouflage you when it’s dark,” I called. “Care to come down?”

In one smooth motion, he tilted and let himself fall into a backflip, landing expertly on his feet.Show-off.

“You’re back sooner than I expected.” He dusted snow off his gloves as he came toward me, then paused. “Part of me thought you might not return at all.”

I stared at his feet. Was I supposed to tell him I hadn’t wanted to? I debated for a moment before deciding to keep my conflicted feelings to myself. I’d returned, and that was what mattered.

“What information did you gather?” he asked.

“No progress,” I said, my voice hoarse from the crying I had done earlier. “They are no closer to finding you.”

Before I could continue, he replied, “Excellent. Let’s go. Mira will be waiting for us.” The Hellbringer turned and began walking away.

“That’s…that’s it?” I asked uncertainly. “Nothing else you wanted to know?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “This journey was not for me, Princess. It was for you. If only for you to realize you are not my prisoner but my guest. And to learn I am always a man of my word.”

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