by S. T. Bende
“You’re scared because you didn’t get a choice?” Maja guessed.
“No. I don’t doubt for a minute that Viggo’s the one for me.” I stared into my cocoa. “What I’m scared of is that the pressure of what we’re fated to be to each other is going to be too much for us. That it’ll make us implode before we’ve even had a chance to start.”
“You two seem pretty good together.” Maja took another drink.
“We are,” I agreed. “But we’ve been living in a bubble. Everything’s laid out for us at the academy. We go to class, we hit the dining hall, we go back to our dorms and study, we do our Verge training . . . It’s gotten a little crazier this year as we’ve integrated our new jobs, but nothing like it’ll be after we graduate and I become a full-time co-regent, with Viggo as my minister of defense. The future of the realm will rest squarely on us, and with Narrik still out there, and this specter hitting Vanaheim, and with our moving residences and upping duties and—”
“Hey.” Maja set her cup down and stared at me intently. “That boy adores you with every fiber of his being. He would do anything—anything—to make you happy. Including pretending you’re not mates, and you’re just dating so you realize you actually do have a choice in who you spend your life with. Which you do, by the way. And you don’t have to be a mind reader to see that you choose Viggo.”
I flushed.
“You two are good. Trust me. You just have to get out of your own way.”
“Thanks, Maja.” The heat slowly crept back down my neck. “Never thought I’d have this talk with you.”
“Yeah, well.” Maja shrugged. “I’m full of surprises.”
A yawn from the couch pulled my attention to the living room. Viggo pushed himself up on one elbow. I turned back to Maja.
“We speak nothing of this,” I hissed.
She mimed zipping her lips. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Morning.” Viggo swung his legs over the couch. “Somebody made coffee.”
“She did.” Maja jabbed her thumb at me. “I tried, but it didn’t go so well.”
“Thanks, Glitre.” Viggo stood and stretched his arms over his head. His tank top rose with the movement, giving me a peek at his taut stomach muscles. Mmm . . .
“You two lovebirds slept well.” Maja’s eyes twinkled.
I shot her a glare. “I thought you said you wouldn’t embarrass me!”
“I said I wouldn’t embarrass you much,” Maja clarified.
“Well, shove it. And go get dressed. Interrogations start in an hour.”
“Fine.” Maja rinsed her cup and headed toward her room. I poured Viggo a cup of coffee, and carried it over to the couch.
“Hey,” I said as I passed him the steaming mug.
“Hey, yourself.” His morning voice was even deeper than usual. He sipped the drink. “I can’t believe I passed out here last night. What time did you go to bed?”
“I didn’t.” The heat returned to my neck. “Maja woke me up when she was trying to make coffee.”
“Really?” Viggo’s brow quirked. “So, you and I . . .”
“You and I need to get ready for the interrogations.” I turned toward my room, but Viggo’s hand around my wrist stopped me.
“Hey,” he said softly. “We’re still taking us at our own pace. Nothing’s changed just because we were both drained and passed out.”
“I know.” I turned back to face him. “And just so you know, I’m really glad the Norns chose you to be my mate.”
Viggo tilted his head. “You never use that word.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrugged. “Maybe I should.”
Viggo’s dimple popped. “Maybe you should.”
“I have to get ready.” I slid my hand from Viggo’s and scurried into my room. As I showered, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. There was a traitor in Vanaheim, and we had a full day of interviews ahead of us.
I needed to get my head in the game.
The first round of interviews proved fruitless. The kitchen staff vehemently denied having spoken to the specter—and since they all passed Maja’s scans, they were either really good liars, or they were telling the truth. The second and third rounds didn’t go any better—the housekeepers and groundskeepers all came out clean. It wasn’t until after lunch that we finally had a breakthrough. Vanessa’s sister, Cara, mentioned that Vanessa’s ex-boyfriend had taken their breakup hard. He’d missed a few days of work, and had been skipping out on get-togethers with his friends.
“How do you know this?” Idris asked. “Did you hear it from your sister?”
“No, from my boyfriend,” Cara said. “He works in the stables with Magnus.”
“Magnus . . .” Maja frowned. “How do I know that name?”
“You met him yesterday,” Idris said. “He collected our unicorns when we rode in.”
At the mention of the unicorns, Maja sat straight up.
“I knew it,” she said suddenly. “Something was off about his questions. They were too specific—slightly forced.”
“His questions?” Viggo turned to his cousin.
“He asked Idris if she’d been hurt on her ride. The way he said it, it seemed like he expected her answer to be yes.” Maja crossed her arms.
Idris shook her head slightly, then set her attention on Cara. “Thank you for entrusting us with this. It’s proven most helpful to our realm.”
“Of course, Crown Princess.” Cara bowed before being escorted from the room.
The moment she’d gone, Maja leaned forward on her elbows. “We need him in here immediately—before he gets wind of what we’re doing.”
“Magnus is smart.” Idris frowned. “If he is involved in all of this, summoning him will just tip him off. We need to go to him.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Maja pushed her chair back and jumped up. “Let’s go.”
Idris, Viggo and I stood.
“I’ll have Hans and Jans come with us, just in case.” Idris typed a message on her com, then glanced at me. “I’ve known Magnus for a long time. His father was my parents’ chief groom, and Magnus worked hard to earn his title when he retired. I’d be extremely surprised if he was found to have betrayed the crown.”
“I’m sorry we have to question him,” I said quietly. “I know how it feels to be betrayed.”
Viggo placed a supportive hand on the small of my back.
“It comes with the job, right?” Idris smiled sadly. “Nobody ever said being crown princess would be easy.”
Preach.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“You may enter,” Idris called.
The door opened, and Hans and Jans stepped through. Each of them had a long, metal rod tucked into their belt.
“What are those?” I whispered.
“Shocking sticks,” Idris said easily. “In case Magnus is even more compromised than we fear.”
Oh, gods.
Hans and Jans moved aside, their massive forms framing the doorway. With the path clear, Idris pressed her hands together and drew a breath.
“I suppose there’s no point in waiting any longer,” she said easily. “Let’s continue our questioning in the stables.”
Chapter 8
“CROWN PRINCESS IDRIS. WERE you scheduled for a ride?” Magnus looked up from the stool where he sat in an open area of the barn, re-shoeing one of the unicorns. “I’m sorry, I don’t have Sparkles saddled for you. But if you and your friends don’t mind waiting a moment, I can have the steeds mounted up in—”
“I’m not here for a ride, Magnus.” Idris waved discreetly at Hans and Jans, who hovered conspicuously close to their charge. They took two steps back, keeping their hands on their shocking sticks. “I’m here to talk to you.”
“Talk to me?” Magnus picked a loose piece of rubble from the unicorn’s hoof. “With an entourage?”
I bit down on my bottom lip. If we weren’t there for a ride, it was pretty weird for me, Viggo, Maj
a, Idris and her bodyguards to be clustered around Magnus’ stool. Even the unicorn was whinnying softly.
“Maybe the three of us should go,” I whispered to Viggo and Maja.
“You’re from Alfheim, right?” Magnus treated Maja to a smile. “Unicorns must seem pretty magical to you. If you want, I can take you for a ride after I finish with Firefly, here.”
Maja bristled, no doubt caught off guard by his overly familiar tone. “I’m good.”
Magnus shrugged. “Your loss.”
Rude.
My eyes narrowed as I studied the groom. Magnus held himself with the same confident air as the guys I’d learned to stay away from back at Granite High—the players to whom everything had always come easily. The ones who inevitably exhibited diva-level meltdowns the minute life didn’t go their way.
Or made a deal with mysterious, crown-betraying shadows.
“Magnus.” Idris folded her hands across her waist. “Look at me.”
Magnus reluctantly glanced up from Firefly’s hoof.
“Have you betrayed my family?” Idris asked softly.
Magnus’ jaw dropped. “Why would you ever think that?”
“Have you betrayed my family?” Idris repeated.
“I would never do anything to hurt you, Crown Princess.” His shoulders tensed. “Or to jeopardize my position in this household. You know that.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Idris said. “We were in the same fencing classes all through our primary years, and you’ve served as our chief groom since I came of age. In all that time, I’ve never seen you set a foot out of line.”
“Exactly.” Magnus’ eyes shifted between Idris and her guards. Their hands tensed around their shocking sticks.
“What I also know,” Idris said easily, “is that you’ve experienced a loss. Do you want to tell me about your breakup with Vanessa?”
“With due respect, Crown Princess, that’s personal.”
“It is,” Idris agreed. “But it has recently come to my attention that the end of your relationship may have impacted the security of my household.”
“I—uh . . .” Magnus’ skin paled. He looked from Idris to her guards to Maja, who was putting off seriously strong angry vibes. She must have read something in her scan that confirmed our suspicions. Either that, or she really didn’t appreciate being asked out on a unicorn date.
Snort.
“Stand back.” Viggo spoke softly in my ear. “He’s about to run.”
“I’d like to see him try.” Maja’s voice was no more than a whisper.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Idris said calmly. “At the end of the day, we’re more concerned with who you’re working with, and what they want from the crown than we are with your betrayal. Though that will be dealt with, of course.”
Idris nodded at Hans and Jans, and they pulled their shocking sticks from their belts. They stepped closer to Magnus, whose forehead now bore a thin sheen of sweat. Firefly whinnied again, her silver-blue mane whipping back and forth as she swung her head. Her horn thrust dangerously close to Magnus, who sat paralyzed on his stool. If we didn’t do something, somebody was going to get hurt—either the unicorn, or her groom, or one of us.
I stepped away from the group, and ran the length of the barn. A full dozen unicorns filled the stalls, but I didn’t spot another groom until I reached the second-to-last row. A middle-aged man stood inside a stall, filling a trough with a sparkling mixture of green clovers and golden . . . rainbow dust, maybe?
“Hey. You.” I called over the stall door. “I need you to come and take Firefly.”
“Isn’t Magnus reshoe-ing her?” the man asked.
“Magnus is needed elsewhere,” I said. “Come with me. Please”
The groom quickly finished pouring the mixture and let himself out of the stall. The rest of the unicorns watched curiously as we ran past them, to the front of the barn.
“Magnus?” The man looked anxiously from Idris to the shocking stick-wielding guards. “What’s going on?”
“Take the unicorn,” I said firmly. “Before someone gets hurt.”
As if on cue, Firefly swung her head around. Her horn nicked Magnus’ cheek. He jumped up from his stool, Firefly’s leg still in his grip. The guards’ sticks sparked. Firefly’s eyes shone white. She jerked her leg free, and let out a fierce snort. Viggo grabbed me by the shoulders. He pulled me into him and whirled around, shielding me from the panicked animal. Hooves thundered as Firefly charged down the corridor. When I looked up, the groom I’d brought over had taken off after her. He shouted apologies to the Crown Princess over his shoulder.
Viggo released me, and I squeezed his bicep in gratitude. My heart thundered at the sight of Hans and Jans standing directly in front of Magnus, their shocking sticks now pointed directly at his chest.
“Like I said,” Idris said calmly, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Magnus’ shoulders drooped, and he lowered his chin to his chest. “I’m sorry, Crown Princess.”
“For what?” Idris asked.
Magnus looked up sadly. “For everything.”
We spoke to Magnus for more than two hours. He didn’t hold back—he told us everything about his interaction with the specter, how he’d gotten the old man past the wall guards, and why he’d compromised the safety of the family he’d sworn to protect. As it so often did, his betrayal came down to a broken heart. He and Vanessa had been going out for two years, and he’d been ready to propose when she left him for Bjorn. The next day he’d been out on a ride when an old man had approached him. The man, who’d identified himself only as ‘a friend,’ had told Magnus that he was a powerful magic wielder. And that, if Magnus so desired, he could help him win his love back. All Magnus had to do was get him access to the royal family. Magnus had been suspicious, of course, and made the man swear that no harm would come to the King, Queen or Crown Princess. Only then would Magnus agree to get him past the wall guards. A few days later, Magnus brought a herd of unicorns out for a free run, tucking an extra groom’s uniform into his saddle bag. The old man met him in the meadow, changed into the all-white stable attire, and returned with Magnus and the herd. To the guards, he appeared to be just another groom wrangling a group of spirited unicorns. Magnus let him sleep in the stable overnight, and told him where to find Vanessa in the morning. He knew his ex-girlfriend’s security clearance could get the old man the access he needed. And since the man promised he could talk Vanessa into helping him without harming her in any way, Magnus didn’t think he needed to worry. He returned to his chores, genuinely believing the stranger would have worked his magic—and won him back Vanessa’s heart—by the time breakfast was served.
Of course, Magnus’ plan hadn’t gone at all the way he’d hoped. When Vanessa refused to allow the old man into the castle, he’d grown angry and disappeared. Security footage showed the specter as a shadow flickering out of view, so Magnus’ story aligned with the evidence we’d collected. Though it didn’t help us track down the shadowy figure who’d somehow portal-ed into the realm without anyone noticing. Twice.
Magnus was taken into custody for further questioning—and likely, a stripping of all his security clearances. He felt terribly about what he’d done, but his remorse didn’t change our threat level. Somebody was determined to get inside the castle. And we still didn’t know who—or why—they were coming for the royal family.
“Someone should check in with Nidavellir,” Viggo said as we left the stable. “I wonder if it’s more than just Vanaheim’s royalty being attacked.”
“That’s a good idea.” I typed on my com, sending an update to Signy and asking her to follow up with the other light realms. “I’m assuming Alfheim’s exempt, since my grandmother already did enough dark deeds to compromise our integrity.”
“You never know,” Idris said. “Now that your horrible Minister Narrik is gone, a light royal strike would likely include your family as well.”<
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“Great.” I groaned. “What do you think, Maja? Any idea who this mysterious old man is?”
My friend scrunched her nose up. “He appears as a shadow in my head, too. I can’t get any more of a read on his facial features, only on his energy. But it’s dark—really dark.”
“So you think he’s from Helheim?” My throat closed. “Oh, gods. Do you think Dragen escaped somehow?”
“Show me Dragen,” Maja instructed.
“How?”
“Think about him—remember your interaction with him, and I’ll see him through your thoughts.”
“This friendship is so weird,” I muttered.
But I did as Maja instructed, recalling my horrific encounter with my dark elf uncle. I’d just gotten to the part where he’d knocked Viggo unconscious when Maja announced loudly, “No. It’s not him.”
“Thank gods,” I whispered. I released the memory, then reached out to clasp Viggo’s hand.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Just don’t like remembering the time you almost died.” I shuddered.
“I did not almost die. I was just . . .” He glanced at the sky. “. . . uh, regrouping.”
Sure. We’d go with that.
“But the specter’s definitely on the same level as Dragen in terms of the darkness of his energy.” Maja looked thoughtful. “And he can shapeshift, or project himself, which both require high levels of magic. There aren’t many dark mages with that kind of power.”
“Plus he can open an undetectable portal,” Idris added. “Does that narrow the range of suspects down at all?”
“We can rule out Helheim,” Viggo confirmed. “Nobody but Hel is going in or out, and if it was her she’d have blasted straight into the castle and killed whoever she was after.”
“Fair.” I nodded. “And we can rule out Jotunheim, too. I just did a paper on them, and it turns out frost giants can’t portal into light realms without a decompression period—something about their bodies not being able to immediately acclimate to our air pressure. Like when human scuba divers have to swim up slowly, you know?”