Page 64 of These Divided Shores
Gunnar covered their clasped hands with his other one and nodded at Ben’s free hand. “Yours.”
Ben shakily laid his fingers over their conjoined knot.
Pious God, he feels like scalding stones.
“Visjorn lofta blo,” Gunnar said. “It means... closest might beunited on the blood of the bear.To make a promise on the Visjorn is the most sacred of pacts; to break it will bring violence on you. It is how we join a union, in the Mechtlands.”
“You speak of the Visjorn like my father speaks of the Pious God,” Ben said.
Gunnar’s face flashed with anger. “The two are not—”
“No, I’m sorry.” Ben fumbled. “I meant the similarities. The Visjorn bear-spirit. The Pious God. The Tuncians’four gods. And the Grozdans worship—glory? I think.” Ben shook his head. “My father seeks to exploit that devotion. Magic or not, whatever he has planned, that’s what he wants. Reverence. How do you fight a war when the enemy wants not land or wealth, but hearts and souls?”
The anger receded from Gunnar’s face, leaving a gentle glow of—awe? Ben faltered even more, wavering on the edge of something warm and welcoming and undoing.
“That is why I will help Lu only if you want it,” Gunnar whispered. “I have served commanders. No leader has asked questions like that, hascaredlike you do. I am not Argridian, but I will serve you, and I will go with you to Fort Chastity.”
Gunnar pulled the tangle of their hands to his chest, holding them above his heart.
Ben floated out of his body, tethered only by Gunnar’s hands. Selfish delight swelled in his chest—but hearing Gunnar’s oath, Ben thought of his father. Of Argrid’s defensors. Of oaths like that spoken to kings, priests, no doubt syndicate Heads too. People giving their lives for belief and letting the rightness of their cause justify any terrible acts they committed.
Like weaponizing Grace Loray’s magic to enhance the strength of unstable criminals. Like ingratiating themselves into the Argridian king’s household, seducing his son, and plotting regicide.
As Argrid’s next king, Ben would inspire such commitment. He would have an army of people who would marchto their deaths if he asked them.
Permanent magic wasn’t the most dangerous weapon to bring to war. Devotion was.
And Elazar had already mastered it.
“I accept your oath,” Ben started, his voice a whisper, “but not your service. If we make this pact, you will help me in this war, and when it is over and I am king, I will help you bring peace to the Mechtlands.”
It was the first time Ben had ever said that aloud—that he would be king after this. And not only king, but Eminence too, and that terrified him more, that he’d step into the role of leader for a religion he wasn’t sure he still believed.
The responsibility punched him in the chest, how much he didn’t want it.
How much hedid.
Ben steeled himself, holding on to the growing question in Gunnar’s eyes. “We are equals. It is a trade of service. You are not bound to me by anything else.”
Gunnar’s confusion lifted in a small smile. “Equals. I like that.” He squeezed Ben’s hand. “Visjorn lofta blo,” he repeated, earnestness in his deep blue eyes.
Ben smiled back. “Visjorn lofta blo.”
Lu and Nayeli were nowhere in sight by the time Vex got to the door of the tenement. His legs screamed with pain and he slumped against the doorway, watching people move between the shacks.
Vex’s heart was broken, shattered into sharp little pieces in his chest.
Lu was scared. She was powerless. She wanted it tostop, and he knew that because he felt the same way. Only—god, he’d disagreed with her.AndNayeli. For the first time in his life, he’d made a decision about something that mattered, and it felt like he’d stuffed a fistful of stones into his lungs.
Edda, in the entryway behind him, didn’t speak for a long moment. When she cleared her throat, he braced himself. She hated when he and Nayeli fought. It was usually about stupid stuff that they worked out by punching each other. In the rare instances when the bickering turned serious, Edda’d plunk them down and set them right. It was her job to keep their crew safe, and a divided crew wasn’t good for anyone.
But were they even a crew anymore? Nayeli’d snatched up her role as Tuncian representative. Vex’d let his father’s voice make up his own opinion about permanent magic.
Maybe Nayeli was right. Why did he care what Rodrigu thought? He’d never—
“You were a kid,” Edda cut over his thoughts like she was listening to his inner turmoil.
Vex shuddered. “Don’t.”
