by A. E. Rayne
‘Getta!’
Getta frowned, recognising that voice, walking faster. Talking to Garren wouldn’t help. He would just smile and tease, tangling her up in knots for his own amusement, as though her life was a game.
She didn’t turn around.
But Garren wasn’t to be deterred as he reached her, guiding her away from the road, towards the tents.
And with a sigh, Getta let him.
‘What do you want?’ she demanded when they had walked down between two rows of tents, away from any prying eyes. ‘Here is no place to talk. I must find Lothar. Ravenna took him somewhere. Raymon will be looking for me too.’
Garren smiled, watching her squirm, enjoying how flustered he made her. ‘I only need a moment of your time,’ he promised, his voice low and husky. ‘I wanted you to know that I don’t blame you. I won’t let anything happen to you.’
Getta felt her heart thud. ‘What do you mean?’
Garren drew her further into the narrowing gap between two tents. He couldn’t hear anyone moving about inside either of them. ‘Your husband has made a mistake placing our kingdom into the Furyck’s hands. He has made a grave mistake, Getta, and I for one am not about to sit back and let him destroy Iskavall.’
‘You’re threatening him?’
Garren bent forward until his breath was warm on Getta’s face and his nose was almost touching hers.
Getta felt a familiar twinge in her stomach, and she didn’t back away.
‘As I’ve said before, there are those who are unhappy. Those who care about who sits upon our throne. Who believe that a true king is needed to steer Iskavall in the right direction. I can’t deny that I am one of those people, but I’m not threatening your husband, merely guaranteeing that nothing will happen to you. Whatever transpires in the future, you and your son will be safe. Protected by me.’ Garren leaned in even closer, pressing his lips to Getta’s, feeling her respond. Kissing her deeply. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you,’ he breathed.
Getta couldn’t stop herself. She was desperate to feel safe. Being married to Raymon had felt like having a grown-up child. She was tired of thinking for him; sick of needing to push and cajole and help him. Garren was everything Raymon was not, and she felt herself clinging to him with more than just desire.
Suddenly, Garren pulled away, pressing a finger to Getta’s lips, turning his head to the right, listening to the voices coming from within the nearest tent.
Ravenna swallowed, feeling a sudden heat on her cheeks. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she tried, fiddling nervously with her rings.
Jael stared at her, glancing back to the tent flap, but she couldn’t hear anyone around. ‘My father,’ she said again. ‘Tell me why my father was holding your son... when he was a baby.’ Every part of her felt as though it was slowly slipping down a steep hill. She could barely breathe, not wanting Ravenna to answer her just as much as she did. ‘I saw you. I saw him.’
‘Saw?’ Ravenna didn’t understand.
‘Just now, when you gave your grandson to the servant, I saw you and my father.’
Ravenna blinked.
‘I know you’re lying, Ravenna. About everything. Tell me the truth. Surely I deserve to know if it’s to do with my father?’
Jael didn’t want to know.
She kept seeing her father’s face.
Ravenna took a seat on the bed. ‘I...’ She felt sick. ‘I promised your father I would never say. He wanted Raymon to stay safe. It was the last thing he said to me.’
Jael closed her eyes.
‘I loved him,’ Ravenna sighed. ‘I did. We loved each other.’ She saw the pain in Jael’s eyes as she opened them. ‘Hugo was a ridiculous man. Not the husband I wanted, but I was forced to marry him. Your father came to Ollsvik many times when Hugo was new to the throne. Iskavall had been unstable for years. He had known Hugo’s father, and he wanted to help secure his position, thinking that the stability would, in turn, help Brekka. We became close. Hugo and Lothar would drink. Ranuf and I would talk.’
Jael took a seat opposite Ravenna, her body stiff, her thoughts muddled.
‘Eventually, he started coming to visit me, using Hugo as an excuse.’ She paused, tears in her eyes. ‘We fell in love. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I couldn’t help it either.’
‘And Raymon?’
‘He is your father’s son. Your brother.’
Jael put her head in her hands. ‘Does he know?’
‘No. No one knows. Just Ranuf and now you. Hugo is dead, but I fear what would happen if anyone were to find out that Raymon was a Furyck.’
Jael lifted her head, wanting to scream. The shock was too much. She could hear her father’s voice in her head, trying to calm her down.
She ignored it.
‘That’s why he was always going to Ollsvik? To visit you and your son?’ Her anger was burning. ‘That’s why he couldn’t come to Tuura with us, because he was with you and your son?’ She stood, ignoring the confused look on Ravenna’s face. Jael paced the tent, her thoughts jumping between childhood memories; thinking about her father, hearing his words which now took on such different meanings.
Ravenna panicked, seeing Jael’s reaction. She stood, trying to get her attention. ‘You can’t tell anyone,’ she whispered, grabbing Jael’s arm. ‘Please. Not Raymon, not Axl. Not anyone.’
Jael glared at her, shaking her head. ‘Why would I want to tell anyone? Why would I? You think Raymon would be the only one hurt by this? What about my mother? Do you know what she went through when my father was in Ollsvik with you? What we both did?’
Ravenna finally understood what she meant, and her face paled. ‘Ranuf never got over what happened in Tuura. He felt so guilty for not being there to protect you both.’
Jael shook her off, too angry to look at her. It wasn’t Ravenna’s fault, she knew, but old memories had a way of distorting reality, and when she remembered Tuura it was always as a ten-year-old girl, not a twenty-eight-year-old woman. ‘I won’t tell anyone,’ she mumbled, her voice sounding distant in her ears as she walked out of the tent without looking back.
Ravenna stood, open-mouthed, watching her go, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Getta grabbed Garren’s arm, her eyes big and blinking. Everything she had believed about hers and Raymon’s parentage had been turned upside down, and she didn’t know where things stood.
Where she stood.
But Garren did.
His smile was wide as he brought Getta into his arms and kissed her.
Amma had been eager to go for a walk, wanting to escape the hall and leave behind everyone who had a question for her. She needed a moment free from all the noise, and heading through the harbour gates she turned to the left, leaving the builders and their constant hammering behind.
Amma had tried not to show her annoyance when Eydis had asked to come along, but she felt it. She felt as though her head was being squeezed like a ripe plum, ready to burst. Her body was changing. She wanted to vomit sometimes, and other times she was so ravenous she could have gotten up in the middle of the night and eaten another supper.
Her back ached, and her mind would not sit still.
And she didn’t know what to do about any of it.
Eydis reached out, searching for her hand. Amma gave it to her and Eydis smiled. ‘I’m sorry you’re sad,’ she said softly. ‘You should be happy.’
Amma frowned, wondering what she could see. ‘Why do you say that?’ she asked hesitantly as they came to the small rise which led around to the cove. ‘Why do you think I should be happy?’
‘Because of the baby.’
Amma stopped, turning to her with blinking eyes. ‘You can see it?’
Eydis nodded. ‘I can. I think Edela can too, but she doesn’t want to say anything. I can hear it in her voice when she talks to you.’
Amma could barely breathe as she continued walking. The path to the cove was private and colourful, bordered by thickly
entwined rowan trees, infused with the scent of flowering raspberry and blackcurrant bushes. It smelled sweet as the wind blew in from the sea, adding a hint of salt to the air.
Amma didn’t notice.
‘You are worried? About not being married to Axl?’ Eydis guessed, not sure that she was the right person to be talking to Amma, but she wanted to do something to help her friend. ‘About what people will think?’
‘No.’ Amma shook her head. ‘No. It’s not people I’m worried about. Not yet at least.’
‘Then what?’ Eydis could hear men walking towards them, and she closed her mouth, feeling Amma’s grip tighten on her hand.
Amma smiled at Bram and Ulf as they walked past, turning around to make sure they were far enough away before bending down to Eydis. ‘I’m worried about whose baby it is.’
Eydis blinked in surprise. ‘Oh.’ And the realisation of what Amma meant sunk in. ‘You mean Jaeger Dragos?’
Amma nodded, which she quickly realised wasn’t helpful for Eydis. ‘Yes. What if it’s not Axl’s? I don’t know whose it is.’ She peered at Eydis. ‘Do you think you could tell? You or Edela? Or Ayla? Is that something a dreamer could find out?’
Eydis shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But perhaps it’s time you told Edela? It’s not something you can keep a secret. Not for long.’ She thought about Jael and felt sad, suddenly realising why Edela had not said anything.
Suddenly worried that she had.
‘Axl will be home soon,’ Amma muttered, almost to herself. ‘And then he will leave. For Hest. I don’t want to upset him. Worry him. It would only make him confused or angry or both. I need Axl to focus on the battle that’s coming, not on a baby he doesn’t need to know about yet. Anything could happen. I don’t want anyone to know, Eydis. Promise me. Promise you won’t say anything.’ She turned to Eydis, gripping her hands, staring into her milky eyes.
Eydis could feel Amma’s terror, and she didn’t know what she could do, except nod. ‘I promise.’
Jael stormed away from the tent, looking for something to hit. The first person she came across was Ivaar, walking with a woman whose breasts were bulging over the top of her dress, jiggling as she walked. Ivaar’s eyes were all over them, a sly look on his handsome face.
Jael glared at him, and he turned to her. ‘Are you alright?’
‘You should be doing something useful,’ she snapped.
‘Such as?’
‘We’re making plans in the hall. Why aren’t you in the hall?’ And deciding that she would get little satisfaction from hitting Ivaar, Jael strode off in search of Gant.
Gant had returned to the hall with Axl and Aleksander, and he now stood around the high table, scribbling on sheets of vellum, sketching out how they would approach the South.
Karsten and Thorgils were there too.
No one mentioned Helsabor, except Raymon Vandaal. ‘But wouldn’t Wulf Halvardar help us? Give us men? Join with us?’
Gant looked at Aleksander, then shook his head. ‘Helsabor has kept to themselves since I was a boy. Nothing will bring them out from behind their walls. They’re happy where they are, so we can’t consider them. Old King Wulf has made it very plain what he thinks about the rest of us.’ Gant didn’t want to lie to the young king, not when they needed him to trust them, but nor did they want to be overheard by the dreamers in Helsabor.
Not until they had a chance to do something about them.
There would be time to reveal more, he knew, but until it was safe, it was better for all of them if the Iskavallans remained in the dark.
Raymon smiled as Jael entered the hall, but the look on her face quickly turned it into a frown.
‘Gant,’ Jael said, ignoring everyone else. ‘Could I have a word?’ Her lips barely moved, and her eyes were cold, and Gant stepped away from the table, following Jael outside.
She didn’t talk as they walked, so Gant’s mind was busy trying to figure out what had happened. Jael had been acting strangely all day. For longer than that, he realised as he thought about it.
They walked out of the fort, past the horses, towards the forest, and when they were inside the cover of trees, hidden from the road, Jael turned on him. ‘Did you know? About Raymon?’
Gant’s shoulders sunk and he quickly dropped his eyes, avoiding hers.
Jael’s anger only burned brighter. ‘Does anyone else know?’
‘No.’ Gant was still and quiet, but he lifted his head now, his eyes darting around, checking the trees. ‘No one knew but your father until he told me. He needed someone to talk to, but I’d already guessed. I saw them together. I guessed about Raymon.’
Jael rubbed her chin. She felt sick.
‘Your father loved Gisila, but...’
‘But what? They drifted apart?’
‘I...’ Gant shrugged. ‘I can’t answer for Ranuf. He loved you all, but he fell in love with Ravenna, it’s true.’
‘And he kept it all a secret? A secret life! He had a secret life?’
Gant wanted to reach out to try and calm Jael down. She was too loud.
Jael saw it in his eyes, and she took a breath. ‘He didn’t come to Tuura because of her. If he had been there...’ She could feel tears stinging her eyes, and irritated, she quickly blinked them away. ‘If he had been there it wouldn’t have happened. It wouldn’t have happened!’
‘He never forgave himself, Jael. Know that.’
‘It’s too late! I... I thought...’ She shook her head. ‘He was like a god to me! But he had a secret life. Another family!’
Gant reached for her hand, but Jael moved away.
‘I thought I knew him.’
‘He didn’t love you any less because of it.’
‘Well, he didn’t love me enough to tell me the truth!’ Jael wanted to cry and scream. Everything was crumbling inside her. She was losing everyone. Her baby. Eadmund. Her father.
‘It was dangerous for anyone to know the truth. Dangerous for Raymon. You can see that. It’s dangerous now.’ Gant was worried; Jael was losing control. ‘You will undo all our plans if you reveal this now.’
‘You think I’d say something?’ she spat. ‘I’m not stupid, Gant! Gullible, obviously, but not stupid!’
Gant watched her eyes jumping around like fleas. ‘Jael, what is it? What’s wrong? It’s not just this, is it?’
She glared at him.
‘When you came back from Hallow Wood, you were different. Something’s wrong. I know you.’
‘Do you?’ Nothing about her was making it easy, Jael knew.
She didn’t want to tell him anything.
‘I’m mad at Ranuf. That’s all.’
He gave her a look she knew well. Gant Olborn wasn’t a dreamer, but he had known her all her life. She had few secrets from him.
Jael hung her head, staring at the mud and soggy leaves of the forest floor. ‘I had a baby,’ she whispered. ‘In Harstad. I lost a baby. She died. I almost died too.’
Gant couldn’t even shake his head. The shock rendered every part of him still.
‘I’ve lost Eadmund, and my baby, and now my father... I...’ She looked up, rubbing her eyes. ‘We have to go back. Make plans. They’re leaving this afternoon. We don’t have long.’ Sniffing, she tried to move past Gant, but he grabbed her arms and pulled her into his.
And he held on tight.
‘I’m so sorry, Jael. I’m so sorry for you.’
And Jael felt the strength and warmth of those arms around her.
And she cried.
33
Else left Morana with Meena and quickly escaped the castle, wanting to get some air. To see the sun. To hear something other than Morana’s rasping breathing. It sounded almost as though she was working hard, trying to escape.
Else did not like Morana, but she had come to feel sorry for her; unhappy that she had ended up a prison guard; knowing that she was in the prison as much as Morana.
Leaving the castle far behind, Else headed straight for Dragmall’s cave,
pleased to have rekindled their friendship after years of little contact. He had always been enjoyable to talk to, and though they could say little to each other now about anything they actually wanted to talk about, she was looking forward to some company.
Dragmall popped his head around the mouth of his cave as Else panted up the steep path towards him, a smile on her face. ‘This is a surprise.’
‘I had thought you might see me coming,’ Else wheezed, hands on her hips as she tried to catch her breath.
‘Ahhh, but that would make me a dreamer,’ Dragmall said, leading her into the cave, which smelled strongly of damp, but also of fish oil from the soapstone lamps stuffed into little holes in the walls. ‘And that is not something I am, as you well know.’
‘Oh, I always wanted to be a dreamer,’ Else said wistfully, pleased by how cool the cave was. The brief walk from the castle had left her dripping, and she looked around for the source of the breeze she could feel on her face, wanting to stand near it. ‘Knowing the future. Knowing other people’s futures. Casting spells.’
Dragmall laughed. ‘I think you would have made a terrible dreamer, Else. You could never keep a secret. You would surely have blurted out everything you saw in your dreams.’
‘That’s true,’ Else admitted as she took the tree stump Dragmall offered her. ‘I would have been unable to stop myself!’ Looking up, she noticed the rows of drying herbs strung across the ceiling. ‘You mentioned something about herbs the other day, I remember.’ Her eyes met Dragmall’s as he turned around with a cup of small ale, handing it to her. Else took a sip, her eyes never leaving his. ‘Something to help me sleep? Morana blows like a storm all night long. I’m not sure I’ve slept since I moved into her chamber!’
‘I did, didn’t I?’ Dragmall muttered casually, walking towards his shelf where he took down a small glass bottle stuffed with dried herbs. ‘You could try this. I’ve used it before to help me sleep.’
‘And did it?’ Else wondered just as casually. ‘Help you?’