“Let’s go, Kaia,” Henrik called out.
I rolled my eyes and joined them. I ran behind Henrik, and Stein jogged next to me. The three of us ended up being in the middle of the pack. After completing two miles, Anders led us back to the clearing. Every single Kriger made it, although some were breathing heavily while others were barely winded.
“Everyone, take a fifteen-minute break,” Anders said. “Then we’re going to work on hand-to-hand combat.”
Stein nudged me. “Let’s sit over there in the shade.” He pointed to a large tree with several low branches.
“Good idea,” I replied.
“Vidar’s back!” Marius yelled.
Vidar strode into the clearing, and the Krigers rushed toward him. His eyes roamed over everyone until they found me. “We need to talk.” He nodded to the right.
Anders tried to ask him something, but Vidar held up his hand, silencing him. “I need to speak with my fiancée. I’m sure everyone understands.” Without waiting for anyone to respond, he headed out of the clearing and into the forest.
I hurried after him. Something had to be wrong. Since we weren’t in love, Vidar’s first priority upon returning wouldn’t be to have a private moment alone with me. Something must have happened with Grei Heks.
We walked in silence until we reached a stream. He chucked his bag on the ground and cursed. I sat next to a tree, leaning against its rough bark, waiting for Vidar to speak, yet afraid of what he would say. His shoulders heaved up and down as he stood facing the stream, his back to me.
“You’re scaring me,” I whispered. There better not be another part of the curse we didn't know about. I was already sacrificing so much.
He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. “Grei Heks is dead.”
Shock rolled through me. “What does this mean?” When I killed Skog Heks, I was afraid there would be repercussions.
He shrugged and ran his hands through his hair. “In Nelebek, a new Heks hasn’t been born in over two hundred years.” He turned to face me.
“Everything has to be in balance,” I mumbled, repeating Morlet’s words. The Krigers offset Morlet. Skog Heks’s death caused Grei Heks to die. “Is the curse altered?” Or did it supersede Grei Heks, who cast it?
“I don’t know.” He balled his hands into fists. “After decades of trying to understand everything…” He shook his head. “It’s more convoluted than I imagined.”
He wouldn’t look me in the eyes, and a lump formed in my throat. “Grei Heks never said it was you, did she?”
He sighed and sat next to me, leaning against the tree trunk. “No, she didn’t,” he admitted, clutching his hands together. “When Grei Heks told me you had to conceive a child with my bloodline, I assumed she meant me. It never occurred to me that it could be Morlet. I suppose I didn’t want to consider the possibility.” He picked up a twig off the ground and started breaking it into smaller pieces. “Then when you expressed your reservations about the situation, I realized there was a chance it was Morlet she referred to. I hoped to speak with her on the matter to clear things up.”
I hadn’t allowed myself to truly consider the possibility of being intimate with the king, and then having his baby. “So we don’t know for sure whether it’s you or Morlet?”
“No. I’m sorry. This entire time, I thought Anders and I had the worst part of the curse. But you…” He trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
I closed my eyes, trying to stop the tears. “Why me?” My voice shook.
“I don’t know.”
If it was Morlet, how was I going to come to terms with this? How would I sleep with him, have his child, and then kill him? The entire situation seemed insane, and it was too much. The curse was asking too much of me. Taking too much from me.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I opened my eyes and looked at him. “So am I.”
Leaning to the side, he pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket, unfolding it. “I don’t know if this will help, but I found it in her hut.”
I took it and read:
Lying beyond
In the valley of Berg
Next to the blue anemones
Near where the lakes converge
Every answer will be had
At the foot of the rock
“What does this mean?” I asked, turning the paper over. The backside was blank.
“I don’t know.” He took the paper and ran his fingers over the words. “This was on her table, lying under a sapphire stone.” Vidar had a similar stone he used to determine if a person was a Kriger or not. I remembered holding it. The stone had warmed, glowing blue at my touch.
“Do you think she wants you to find this place? She must have left the paper for a reason.”
“Here’s the thing,” he said. “I knew Grei Heks for a hundred years. We spoke often.”
“Are you saying this message isn’t for you?”
“Correct. I think it’s for you.”
“Me?” Did she want me to go to the place referenced on it? And if so, did it really hold the answers I sought?
“I can’t explain,” he said. “It’s a feeling I have. Here.” He handed it to me.
I gingerly took the paper and tucked it under my vest. “You think this will lead to the answer about my child’s father, don’t you?”
“I think so. It says every answer will be had. We have to figure this out because we can’t end the curse until we do.”
“You’re right. This is convoluted.” And complicated, infuriating, and disheartening.
He scratched his head. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Tears threatened, and I forced them away. I needed to be strong. “That you and me—it doesn’t feel right.” But why would Grei Heks cast a spell requiring me to conceive Morlet’s child? And if that was supposed to happen, why was I attracted to Anders?
“I want you to be honest with me.” Vidar held my hand. “When you’re with the king, what do you feel?”
I gazed into Vidar’s bright blue eyes, so similar to Morlet’s. There was no judgment there, only a desire to know the truth. “There’s an inexplicable connection between us.” It was a relief to finally admit that to someone.
He bit his bottom lip, and the corners of his eyes crinkled.
“It’s not love,” I clarified. “I hate him for torturing and nearly killing me. However, against all rationale, there’s also a part of me that longs to help him. I know you don’t agree, but your brother, Espen, he’s still in there.”
Vidar stood and walked to the stream, folding his arms across his chest. “Espen is dead.”
“What if we can save him? What if there’s a way to kill Morlet without killing Espen?”
“The curse is set. We can’t change that. Besides, he’s responsible for my parents’ deaths.”
I stood and went over to Vidar, placing my arm around his torso, hugging him. “I know that’s how you feel, but there’s more to the story.” He stiffened. “Anders killed your parents.”
“He was hired,” Vidar insisted. “He didn’t murder them out of hate.”
“Your brother didn’t hire Anders. Skog Heks did. Espen had no intention of killing his parents—all he wanted was to marry the girl he loved. Surely, you can understand that. Skog Heks is the one who caused all of this evil. She is the guilty party.”
“Don’t you dare take Morlet’s side.” He took a step away from me, shaking his head.
“I want you to understand that there is more to this story. It’s not cut and dry. Your brother has suffered as much as you have.”
“Morlet is not my brother,” Vidar snarled. “The king is a manipulative and conniving man. I thought you knew that. Don’t fall for his antics. He’s only using you.”
What he said was true. Yet, despite it all, I’d seen goodness in Morlet. That goodness could only be attributed to Espen. I stood in front of Vidar, forcing him to look at me. “How did you forgive Anders for taking you
r parents’ lives? How did the two of you become best friends?” How could he forgive the assassin, but not his own brother?
Vidar’s eyes glossed over, and his cheeks reddened. “I’d like to be alone right now.”
I reached up, placing my hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to be alone. I’m here for you. You can talk to me.”
He shook his head. “You don’t want to hear what I’m thinking right now. It’s not very nice, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
My hand dropped to my side. “I understand. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” I turned and walked away.
I headed up the stream, hoping to find the lake Anders and I went swimming in the time we almost kissed. It felt like ages ago, but I wanted to go back to a place where things seemed so much simpler.
The sun shone high above; there was no need to worry about night encroaching upon me. Pine needles and fallen leaves littered the forest floor. The stream gradually increased until I came to a pond with a five-foot waterfall feeding it. I climbed up the rocks to a small lake, fed by a much-larger waterfall. It looked like the right one.
After stripping off my pants and vest, I removed the paper Vidar had given me, set it aside, and jumped into the frigid water. I swam around, trying to warm up. The water had a gold hue to it, and several silver fish swam nearby.
Floating on my back, I stared up at the sky. White, puffy clouds drifted by, and a bird flew high above me. When Vidar first told me about having to conceive a child before Morlet could be killed, I was upset. Vidar and I were only friends, and I wasn’t ready to marry and be a mother. However, with the possibility of having to bear Morlet’s child now, suddenly the idea of being with Vidar wasn’t so bad.
The marking on the tip of my bo staff meant choice. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I had a choice: have a child and kill the king, ending the curse, or do nothing and allow Morlet’s reign of terror to continue. The image of those innocent villagers burning to death came to the forefront of my mind. There really was no choice to be made; I had to save the kingdom of Nelebek.
The bird above me gradually flew lower. The closer it got, the larger it became. Its wingspan had to be fifteen feet, its feathers a brilliant orange that almost blended in with the sun, and its talons were the size of my arm. That was no ordinary bird—that was a fugl. It turned its head and looked right at me with intelligent, red eyes. The fugl’s beak appeared as sharp as a razor. My hands pulsed with pain, letting me know I was in danger.
The creature plummeted straight toward me. I sucked in a huge breath and dove under the water, frantically swimming to the bottom. The fugl circled just above the water. It skimmed its talons along the surface, taunting me. While trying to remain on the bottom, I called on my inner power, urging it to my hands and out toward the creature. Nothing happened.
My chest tightened, and my head started to pound. I needed air. The fugl still circled just above the water. In a last-ditch effort, I once again gathered my power, forcing all of it at the creature. The fugl squealed and crashed into the water above me, thrashing around in agony. I swam to the left, away from the creature, before resurfacing and heaving in a large breath of fresh air. The fugl’s talons sliced through my shirt, nicking my back. Pain exploded across my skin. Blood flowed into the water, sending the creature into a frenzy.
My hands came across a large rock on the bank. Clutching onto it, I hoisted myself out of the lake, my body violently shaking. The fugl made it to the shore opposite me, clambering out of the water. Its head whipped around in my direction, staring at me with cold, savage eyes. I raised my hands in front of me and forced every last ounce of power from my core, down my arms, and out through my hands. The creature screamed, throwing its wet wings wide and digging its talons into the ground, squealing in agony. A moment later, it collapsed, twitching, and then finally going still. I lowered my trembling hands. My head pounded with pain. I bent over and vomited.
A shadow caught my attention. Another fugl flew high in the sky above me. Terror set in. My power was completely drained, and I didn’t have my bo staff with me. I crawled over to my clothes. Not bothering with my vest, I seized my pants and yanked them on. Using a nearby pine tree, I pulled myself up, standing on quivering legs. The fugl continued to circle above. Once it flew lower and realized its mate was dead, it would hunt me down. The only chance I had was to make it to the cave.
I stumbled toward the mountain, my vision blurring. The trees provided some protection from the creature as I made my way through the forest. My legs wobbled and gave out, but I used every ounce of energy I had to heave myself back to a standing position. I kept my focus on the mountain and forced one foot in front of the other.
The trees thinned as I neared the base of the mountain. My legs started to go numb, and I fell. Not having the strength to stand, I crawled forward, my wet hair clinging to my face. When I finally reached the base, I grasped onto a rock, wrenching myself up, white dots filling my vision. My fingers fumbled as I took hold of the rock above me. My ears started ringing. Something was wrong with me, but I needed to keep going. I was a Kriger, and I had a kingdom to save.
The fugl’s shriek pierced the sky. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the creature flying low, just above the treetops, circling the lake. I crawled onto the landing just outside the cave. Blackness hovered at the edges of my vision, and I collapsed, unable to move.
“What happened?” someone asked.
“She’s covered in blood,” someone else yelled.
“There’s a fugl flying straight toward the cave!”
“Stein, grab your bow!”
“Henrik, get her inside!”
Several boots pounded past me as my eyes fluttered shut.
✧
I woke up inside the cave, lying on my stomach. Exhaustion consumed me. The few times I’d overextended myself by using too much power, it only took twenty minutes or so until my strength returned. This felt different.
“Don’t move,” Anders’s gruff voice said from beside me.
“I’m fine,” I mumbled.
“You most certainly are not,” Vidar said from my other side. Henrik and Stein knelt on either side of him.
When I turned so I could see them better, a searing pain exploded across my back, and I cried out.
“I told you not to move,” Anders said in a clipped tone.
I collapsed on my stomach, tears filling my eyes. I’d forgotten the fugl scratched my back.
“She needs catnip to ease the pain and stop the bleeding,” Vidar said. “And probably some willow bark for her to chew on.”
“Do any of you know where to find those items?” Anders asked.
Henrik and Stein shook their heads.
“I saw some catnip the other day,” Vidar said. “It wasn’t far from here.”
“Tell me what it looks like, and I’ll go and fetch it,” Stein offered.
“No,” Vidar said. “I know where it is. We can’t afford to waste any time.” They exchanged glances with one another. There was something they weren’t telling me, but I was too worn out to ask what it was.
“Are you sure this will work?” Stein asked.
“If we can get the bleeding to stop, she’ll be fine,” Vidar insisted.
“We’ll go with you,” Henrik said, standing up. “Stein, get your bow in case there are more fugls out there.”
Where were the other Krigers? Had they managed to shoot the second fugl?
Vidar leaned down toward me. “I’ll return as soon as I have the necessary items. Hang on a little longer, and we’ll fix you up.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, noticing he had tears in his eyes.
He kissed my forehead and left, Henrik and Stein hurrying after him.
“Do you think you can heal yourself?” Anders asked once they were out of earshot.
When I healed the Kriger who’d suffered the injury while escaping the castle, I sent my power to his wounds, willing them to close. I’d nev
er been able to use my power on myself like that, but it was worth a try. Shutting my eyes, I envisioned my power going to my back and mending it. My power swirled within me, but it recoiled from the cuts. “It’s not working.” My eyelids grew heavy, my body begging for sleep. “Just clean my back and stitch the skin together.”
“You don’t understand,” Anders whispered. “Your back is shredded.”
It couldn’t be that bad—the fugl had only nicked me with its talons. If Anders was worried about scars, I didn’t care about that.
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others and scare them into a panic, but fugls have poison in the tips of their talons. I trained with an apothecary. She often sent me to hunt down fugls in order to harvest the substance. There is no human antidote.”
“What are you saying?” Suddenly aware of how cold I was, I focused on my body, unable to feel portions of my back and legs. Fear slammed to the edges of my mind.
“The skin around the cuts is already turning green, and it’s spreading.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “The only way to survive is with Heks magic.”
His words rang harsh in my ear. There wasn’t a Heks who could help me.
“I don’t want you to, but you must ask Morlet for help.”
I hated depending on the king to heal me again. After I’d been kidnapped and beaten to the brink of death by Skog Heks, Morlet had forged a dream-like connection with me. He’d used his magic to heal my injuries. Then, when Anders plunged the knife into my stomach so we could escape, Morlet once again made the connection and saved my life. He needed to keep me alive so I could join with the other Krigers. He had to make sure he could end us once and for all.
“There isn’t much time,” Anders mumbled, glancing away from me.
My hand reached out, the tips of my fingers brushing his. “Will you stay by my side?”
He nodded and scooted closer to me. “Close your eyes and make the connection.”
Closing my eyes, I called on my inner power. I pictured Morlet, and I felt my power instantly respond.
I stood inside a tan tent with a single cot, Morlet lying on it. Without his cape, he looked normal—but I knew otherwise.
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