Page 124 of Tears of the Wolf
Cenric glanced to Edric. Already, he had changed his vision just a little. He only hoped it would be enough to save Brynn.
Brynn
“I’m sorry, lady,” Esa whimpered, crouched in the cart beside Brynn. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shush, it’s alright.” Brynn did her best to comfort the weeping child. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“This is all because of me,” Esa wept.
Brynn hated her mother for everything she’d done to lead to this. It was unfair. Unjust. Wrong.
Tessaine and Anselma rode on their white mules at the back of the wagon. Neirin and the other thanes surrounded them.
From what Brynn could see, they were heading down an unfamiliar road. Not that Brynn had much time for exploring since arriving in Ombra.
They were headed for the sea as best she could tell. Brynn remembered Cenric’s warning, his vision of her death, and a sinking sensation pooled in her gut.
Brynn tried to pull at moreka.It rippled toward her eagerly, that wasn’t the issue. But the moment she tried to push magic outward, the collar soaked it up.
“How did you make this?” Brynn demanded. “This collar.”
“I will tell you some other time,” Selene answered mildly. She stared behind them down the road, frowning.
“Afraid I’ll find a weakness?” Brynn snapped, even though she knew the answer.
“My dear, I am not a fool.” Selene was still staring down the road, past Tessaine and Anselma.
“You will have to take this collar off me eventually.”
“Will I?” Selene answered mildly.
“Are you going to have me raped, Mother?” Brynn raised her chin. “Because I will not go to Paega willingly.”
Selene exhaled a long breath out her nose. “You are too old to be having your rebellious phase, Brynn.”
Brynn seethed. Perhaps she should have rebelled sooner. Then she never would have married Paega in the first place.
“The Mothers are tired of waiting. We have planned this for generations, but your father had to get himself killed before he named your sister heir.” Selene grimaced. “Then the fool girl refused to marry Paega’s son.”
Paega’s eldest son had been approaching forty and unmarried. He had several sons with a concubine, but they’d all died young. Then Paega’s eldest son had died, along with his other four, and Aelfwynn died shortly thereafter.
That had left Paega and Brynn.
“Your claim would be stronger with a child from Offa’s line,” Selene sighed. “Even if we had to make do with a boy, we could have married him to a sorceress when he was older.”
Brynn bristled. “Offa’s line?”
There were kings in Paega’s family line. His mother had been the daughter of Offa, one of the greatest kings in living memory.Offa had ruled the largest portion of land the north had ever seen and received tribute from as far south as Phaedrun.
Kingship was a fickle thing. Oftentimes, it only lasted a generation or two before some warlord who happened to be richer, stronger, and more powerful than his neighbors started thinking perhaps he should be king instead.
When that happened, the male line was usually wiped out. Brynn and Aelfwynn had been spared because they were girls and because they had given allegiance to their uncle.
Brynn groaned, leaning against the back of the wagon. She had been a fool. Naïve.
Her marriage wasn’t about Paega’s lands, but bringing King Offa’s bloodline into the Istovari.
Offa’s blood might not be enough to guarantee any claim to kingship, but it would help. If Brynn’s son had lived, he would have been a sorcerer and the descendant of three mighty kings—Offa, Brynn’s grandfather, and Brynn’s father. Osbeorn would have been the perfect figurehead for the sorceresses to claim control, true control, of the country.
