Page 116 of A Darkness So Sweet

“Well, now you do. And when you return from battle, family will care for you. So let me wash your hair, Maia. It is the least I can do. Washing away the memories of that place will take time, but I can help.”

Maia melted into her hands. An older woman arrived to take care of Gunnar, washing his hair in the same way that Rota was doing to Maia. Even Ragnar soon had a younger male troll behind him, and at her questioning glance, he introduced her to him.

“Leif is one of my newer trainees. I have taught him how to fight in many ways, and soon enough, he will join the war band.”

Now was not the time to tell her that. Maia’s heart twisted at the thought of the handsome blue troll going out into battle with her people and possibly not coming home. What would happen to his family? Would they worry they had lost him and then have all of their nightmares proven correct when they did?

Ragnar sent a wave of water toward her, and when it crested over her chin, she felt all those worries melting away. Even Rota scooped some up and let it pour over Maia’s head, a crown of relief from the anxiety that had threatened to grab her by the throat.

And they were right. Because right now wasn’t the time to sink into those fears. Right now, they were together. They weren’t in that awful labyrinth where they had all seen too many horrible things.

“We’re home,” she said, meeting Ragnar’s gaze and reaching for his hand. Their fingers intertwined, and she really felt the words for the first time since they’d made it back.

He nodded. “We’re safe.”

ChapterForty-Six

RAGNAR

Ragnar knelt before his king with the other trolls who had been taken by the humans, each of them waiting for their leader to release them. They wanted to return to the labyrinth. King James had done too much with this transgression, and they wished to fight.

In his opinion, it wasn’t that much to ask. They wished to avenge all those who had been killed, tortured, and maimed. But the king seemed very much against going into battle yet again.

The trolls had lost a great amount of their people. Not to mention there was the significant fear that they would get captured again. It was hard enough to understand that there were trolls in a labyrinth being forced to fight. Let alone the sheer numbers of trolls who had died within those winding walls. This horror was all a reminder of their failures, and that would affect their king more than anyone else.

But Ragnar would not kneel here and wait for permission. Not when he had promised Bjorn that he would return. Tilting his head up, he looked his king in the eyes and held his gaze.

The others kept their heads down. They were terrified of what the outcome would be. Some of them didn’t want to go back into battle. Many of them hadn’t yet dealt with the memory of what they had endured. Even more of them were still feeling the effects of what they had seen. He knew that would all take time.

Returning to the labyrinth seemed like madness, but his king had to know that Ragnar would not rest. He wouldn’t let Bjorn remain there when the other male had potentially given his life to get them out. The human king would not allow that heroic act to go without punishment, and they all knew that.

“Everyone out,” the king said. “Ragnar, stay with me, if you don’t mind.”

Gunnar gave him a look on the way out. He knew his brother was trying to tell him to behave himself. The king was just as raw as the rest of them. They’d all failed in this.

King Egil took a deep, steadying breath. “You think we should go back.”

“I do.”

“Give me a good reason.”

“We cannot leave the trolls there. They’re our people. We’ve fought too hard for all our people to be safe, and now the battle is only going to get worse. To leave them there would be to go against everything we fight for.” Ragnar pressed a hand to his chest. “I know it’s personal for me. Bjorn is an old friend, but he also saved our lives. Without him, none of us would have gotten out of that place.”

The king rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I cannot risk more of our people. With the humans attacking regularly now, we’re already spread thin, having our scouts watching over each entrance into this mountain. We’re closing off passages, but that will take time.”

“I can’t leave him there.”

Suddenly appearing tired and every year of his age, the king slumped forward on his throne. “There is an option. My son has been... absent for a long time. I sent him away to another troll clan far from this kingdom in case there was ever an attack on us. I have known for a very long time that the tensions between us and the humans were only going to get worse, Ragnar. But I do know that something must be done.”

“You would have the prince return?” he asked, stunned by this revelation. “We all know how important he is to the royal bloodline. He should remain where he is.”

“He’s not a child. He’s a grown man these days, and from what I've heard, the exact thing we have all been hoping for. The closest we’ve ever been to a new future.”

Every part of him froze. A new future? Surely the king did not mean they had finally, after all of these years, become what they had so desired?

“What is he?” Ragnar found himself asking, his voice shaking a bit with fear.

“I do not know what to call him yet. Only that there is so much hope for the child he and his future wife would bear. But I need to find him a bride who is half elf. Their child would then be more elf than troll, and that...” The king blew out a long breath. “That is the struggle. But this has been years of royal bloodlines bringing us here. Years upon years of searching for the right brides and ensuring that our line remained true. I cannot risk all of that to attack a kingdom who keeps our people hidden away from our eyes. Surely you understand?”

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