Page 108 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
“You are still very naïve.” Vidar flicked his wrist and a swarm of shadows erupted from his hands straight toward Kolfinna and Aslaug.
She kept her heels firmly in place and erected a thin stone wall at the last second, before creating swords made of light magic—something she had never done before, or even thought of doing until that moment. They glowed sinisterly as she cut through the curtains of inky black.
Aslaug screamed and when Kolfinna whirled on her feet, she noticed the shadows had wrapped around the older woman’s torso and throat. Her eyes bulged and purplish-black tendrils of magic webbed over her flesh.
“Aslaug!”
Kolfinna tore through the shadows with her swords, but more took the place of the ones she cut down, and in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder—where was Vidar?
A second too late.
Someone grabbed her by the arm and yanked her backward. Kolfinna spun with her sword, but it didn’t connect with anything. Vidar’s gleaming red eyes came into view, and his magic—indescribably cold, like the touch of death—held her in a tight grip.
“Stop resisting,” he said, and a touch of sadness entered his tone momentarily.
“No—” Kolfinna inhaled sharply, the corners of her vision darkening. “If you want me to free your wife, then you let her go.”
Vidar hesitated. “You would go that far for a woman you barely know?”
She wasn’t just any woman, but Kolfinna didn’t need to tell him that.
He watched her for a moment, caught up in his shadows, and murmured, “You truly will forgo freeing your mother over a disagreement between you and I?”
“A disagreement? Don’t distill taking an innocent woman’s life into a meredisagreement.”
“She is a threat.”
“She isn’t a threat; no one even knows she’s alive.”
“When they realize that her son is Blár Vilulf, and that he is the nephew of the king, do you not think that they will put him on the throne instead?”
The blood in Kolfinna’s face slowly drained; he was right. Blár was next in line for the throne, which was now—she glanced at the king’s dead body—empty.
“But … but if you take her, you’ll have a bargaining chip.” The words came out of her in a rush; disbelief colored her tone, but so did desperation. If Vidar had Blár’s mother in his grasp, there was no telling what he could do or force Blár to do. But if she didn’t bargain right here, then Aslaug would die anyway. This was the only way she could think of to save the woman, but it tore at her heart to make such a cruel trade.
Vidar watched her carefully. Finally, when she thought he wouldn’t relent, he released his hold on her and she collapsed to the ground. Her hands instantly went to her throat, and then to the necklace hanging around her neck. He hadn’t hurt her, and yet … his magic was unnerving.
Before Aslaug could crumple to the floor in a similar fashion, Vidar picked her up and slung her unconscious body over his shoulder. His eyes glowed red when he turned them to her.
“Find your mother. I will face the fire captain.”
Kolfinna’s eyebrows pulled together. There was only one “fire captain” and he wasn’t here in the underground tunnels. Unless Vidar was planning on going to him? But what purpose couldthat serve? If Fenris wasn’t here, he must have been in the capital fighting Agnarr.
Upon seeing her expression, Vidar chuckled softly, though there was no mirth in his intonation. “You have been so focused on all of this that you haven’t sensed his presence? His mana?”
Kolfinna focused on her mana, then, and straightened at the feel of the fiery, heavy mana drawing closer. It was powerful, lethal, and likely a foe.
Was that really Fenris?
The hairs on her arms rose and sweat beaded her forehead. She hadn’t realized that the temperature in the tunnels was growing warmer, more suffocating. She had thought it was all because of Vidar, but likely Fenris was playing a role in it too.
“If he sees you as you are now, he will kill you,” Vidar said calmly, shifting Aslaug to a spot on the ground. “You are siding with us, even if it may be temporary, and he will not take kindly to your indecisive loyalties. Take your leave now, or you will forever be branded as being on our side and our side alone.”
She flinched at those words and how true to home he had hit. He wasn’t supposed to know that she was thinking of this “alliance” as a potentially temporary situation. Once Aesileif was free, she would figure out which side to choose more permanently. But for now, she was on their side, and Vidar was right. If Fenris saw her cooperating with him, he wouldn’t take that lightly.
She inadvertently wrapped her fingers around the pendant. “How will I find her? Is she … here somewhere?”
“She is underground here somewhere.” Vidar scoffed, eyes narrowing. “They built their palace above the fae crypt. The amulet will lead you to where she is, but be warned that most of the passages leading to the crypt are likely sealed, so you will have to use your earth magic to reopen them. Be cautious.” He unhooked a sword from his waist and held it out to her. Sheblinked at it—she hadn’t even realized he was carrying theDød Sværd.
