Page 8 of A Light So Blinding
Harwick leaned forward, a wicked grin on his face. “I already know who you’re going to be working with next. As a priestess of your ranking, you should serve a lord with considerable power and recognition among our peers. Don’t you think?”
Did he mean... himself?
Absolutely not. She would not be his personal priestess. She’d rather die. She’d rather take whatever punishment was coming to Tolly than service Harwick for the rest of her days.
“That’s quite enough, Astrid!” Her name snapped through the room, and she turned to Lord Tolly in shock.
He knew better than anyone else that he wasn’t allowed to say her given name in the presence of others. She was to remain as anonymous as possible. A figurehead of his wealth, nothing more, nothing less. Priestesses trained their entire lives to serve men like him, but never,never, had he broken a rule so blatantly.
A fine sheen of sweat covered his brow. She could see a single bead of it dripping down his temple as he implored her with his gaze. “Stop talking,” he said, but she could sense the nerves in him. “I’ll fix this.”
Astrid stared at the man she’d thought she trusted and realized... she didn’t. She didn’t actually trust him to do anything because, time and time again, he had proven to her that he was unworthy of her trust.
Lord Tolly turned his attention to Harwick and the guards. “I understand the debt I have is great, and to many of you it seems that there is nothing I could do to pay it back.”
What was he doing? Why was he coming at this like it was a bargain to be made? She was going to kill him. She was going to wrap her hands around his neck for threatening all that they had and then... it hit her.
She could fix this. She had the tools now to discover where her sister was, and this situation was the final piece in that puzzle. Yes, it would be difficult. She knew that everyone in this room would think that she was insane, but she could do everything she was brought up to do, and she could still get her sister back.
All she had to do was play this right.
Tolly was still talking. “My priestess is correct. There is much I could sell, and I will ensure that the money gets to you quickly.”
“The king doesn’t care about money anymore. What he cares about is a spectacle in the arena, and you are going to be a perfect spectacle indeed. A nobleman fed to the trolls! I’m sure they’re going to love ripping you apart.”
Astrid opened her mouth, no matter how stupid it was for her to do so. “What if I could offer you a better show?”
Tolly scoffed. “Priestess, there is no show you could offer him that would convince him to change his mind. We need to pay him?—”
But Harwick’s gaze had already narrowed. “What is your offer?”
“Me.”
Silence filled the room like a bubble about to pop. She hadn’t expected them to be quite so surprised. But then again, they had all been assuming that they would need to fix this problem themselves. Even Tolly.
“What?” Harwick asked.
Even her lord was quick to say, “What are you even offering?”
It was time to make them believe this offer was merely self-sacrifice.
“My entire life has been dedicated to Lord Tolly and the people who call him their lord. I will not see him fed to trolls and all my work disappearing in seconds.” She knew they might think her insane, so she had to make this even more believable. “My life has been yours for longer than it was mine, Lord Tolly.”
“Astrid,” he murmured.
She turned toward her lord. Reaching for his hand, she slowly got onto her knees. “Please. Allow me to do this in your stead. It would be my greatest honor to know that my last gift will keep you alive.”
Tolly stared at her helplessly, his hands shaking in hers. She could feel the turmoil within him. At his core, he was still a good man. He didn’t want to be the reason for her death, nor anyone else’s. But there was a part of him that feared what would happen to him in that labyrinth, as all of them feared what would happen if they stepped foot in that realm of warriors.
Harwick was muttering something to a guard, who then left the room. Likely to confirm it was all right for him to change plans, but she knew what she had offered him.
A feast.
A massive amount of money, as well as countless men and women would rush to the arena knowing that the prize or theprey was a priestess. They had all seen her people for countless years. They knew exactly what to expect from her. It was poise, silence, and mystery. Now they would see what was underneath the veil that so many of her people wore.
Harwick understood that, but he eyed her desperation with mistrust. “You would do all that for the lord who gambled away your home?”
“I would do anything to keep the people in my home safe and happy.” That was the truth. She would do anything for those acolytes and priestesses who deserved to be safe and warm and not traded about as she had been early in her journey.
