by Alice Wilde
Roan eyes Li’s hand in annoyance, but doesn’t say anything about it.
“Lass, if you don’t want to do this, you can say so.”
“I don’t want to do it, but Li is right. I have to try.”
“I’ll send for food,” Li says. “You’ll need all the strength you can get.”
“You mean for me to try today?”
“The sooner, the better. We don’t know what the emperor is going to say about the prophecy, or how much longer we’ll be welcome here.”
As soon as the food arrives, we eat quietly together, but I can’t resist watching Ero out of the corner of my eye. It’s hard to get the food down, my appetite almost completely gone, but I force myself to eat as much as I possibly can.
A slight movement catches the corner of my eye, and I nearly wretch from nervousness as I turn to see Ero is waking.
“You can still say no, lass.”
I shake my head, closing my eyes as I try to keep myself from hyperventilating.
“Just take him some water,” Li says. “And perhaps some soup. Take things slowly. We’ll be right here if you need us.”
“Okay,” I say, grabbing a small bowl of soup from the table in my trembling hands and then turning toward Ero. “I can do this.”
Crossing the room, I place the now half-empty bowl of soup on the bedside table.
“Ero,” I say quietly, but without reaching out to touch him. “It’s me, Annalise. You’re safe now, but I need you to eat, or at least drink something.”
Ero still has his face hidden from me, but I can see his jaw tighten as he listens to me. I sit down on the very edge of the bed with a sigh.
“Please, don’t make me beg.”
“Are Li and Roan still here?” Ero asks hoarsely.
“Yes, but they’re on the other side of the room.”
Ero lays still and silent at my answer, and I can feel my stomach twisting inside me.
“Would you like them to leave?” I ask, the words heavy as I force them out of my mouth.
I can feel the tension in the room as we all sit anxiously, waiting for Ero to respond.
“No need.”
It takes everything in me not to let out a huge sigh of relief, but my relief is short lived as there’s a loud knock on the door and a guard steps into the room.
“The emperor requests your presence in his chambers.”
Li looks back at me and then Roan.
“I’ll go speak with the emperor,” Li says to Roan. “Stay here with Annalise. Try not to let anything happen while I’m gone.”
Li gives me one more glance and then follows the guard out of the room. Hopefully leaving Roan alone with Ero and myself will be enough to keep us all safe, but I can’t keep my stomach from twisting nervously inside me.
Twenty-One
Annalise
I spend the next little while trying to get Ero to ingest some of the soup, but his body seems to be rejecting it. Even when he does manage to get some of the liquid down, he ends up spitting it up only a few minutes later. It’s painful to watch, and I finally set the bowl back down on the table.
“Would you let me see your face,” I ask quietly.
“I…” Ero trails off, his voice catching in his throat.
“Please?” I say, forgetting myself and reaching up to gently touch the arm he’s holding across his face. Searing pain shoots through my heart as soon as my fingertips touch his skin and I pull my arm back. It’s enough to get Ero to slowly drop his arm, but he doesn’t look up at me.
I can’t stop myself from gasping. There’s a deep scar down the left side of his face and across his eye. It’s no longer an open wound, but it’s surprising, to say the least.
“Oh, Ero…”
Ero’s jaw tightens, and then he slowly raises his eyes to meet my own. I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut as I stare at him wide-eyed. Not only is there a scar across his face, but his left eye is no longer the sapphire blue it once was. It’s milky-white and glazed over, unseeing.
“That bad, huh?” Ero says with a snort.
I realize my mouth is agape, and I quickly shut it. “I’m just surprised, that’s all,” I say. “I thought…because of the magic…”
“That we couldn’t be disfigured?” Ero says in a low, bitter tone as he turns his head away from me.
“That’s not what I’m trying to say.”
Ero’s brow furrows, and for a moment, I think I’ve only made him angrier when I realize he’s actually trying to hold back tears.
“I’m hideous.”
I watch him in stunned silence, trying hard not to laugh at him. Of all things, he’s worried about no longer being attractive?
“If you think that,” I finally say, “then you’re more of a fool than I’ve ever thought.”
Ero looks back at me, but I can’t read the expression on his face.
“Prove it. Kiss me.”
I don’t move to kiss him.
“See?”
“Ero, it’s not because of your scar,” I say. “Roan is right over there, and I need to know what happened to you.”
“Never stopped us before,” Ero mumbles.
I can’t tell if he’s deflecting or if he really thinks I don’t want to kiss him anymore.
“I promise I’ll kiss you later, but we need to talk first.”
Ero looks back at me, and my stomach flips as I try not to focus on his injured eye.
“I was an idiot to leave you,” Ero says in a low voice. “In more ways than one.”
My heart jumps slightly in my chest at his words, but I don’t say anything as I wait for him to continue…
I’m starting to wonder why I thought it was a good idea to jump ship and sail away from Annalise and the others. The storm pushed us farther back up the coast than I had initially expected, with many of our ships lost to the sea. Even as experienced as the men are at sailing, few had encountered a storm quite like this.
And, to make matters worse, more than half of our food and water rations have been destroyed, which is making tempers short and time to decide on our next course of action even shorter.
I had done everything in my power to try and find a way to calm the storm. At one point, I did manage to connect briefly with whatever magic I tapped into before, but I couldn’t control it long enough to make much of a difference for anyone besides the ships closest to me.
“We’re going to sail back,” Erik, the head of one of the more prominent Viking clans, says. “We don’t have enough supplies to make the trip to Asia, and this isn’t at all what we expected.”
“Did you expect easy sailing the entire journey? This isn’t some game. We can stop in at the next port for more supplies,” I say.
“And where exactly is that? None of us have sailed this part of the world, and you’ll have a hard time getting the men to sail around the cape a second time. I know full well that this is no game, but when nearly half our men are lost to the sea, we can’t just turn a blind eye.”
“I thought I was leading Vikings, not frightened children,” I growl.
“Think what you may,” Erik says, “but these men have everything to lose, and they don’t fully trust you. Not yet. Even I think the Highlanders were right to stay behind and wait, but my men wanted an adventure. I think it’s time to call it when the loss seems greater than the reward.”
I rub my forehead in frustration. “So, where does that leave us?”
“At this point, I think your only options are to either sail on by yourself or try to win over the men as we sail back toward home.”
“I can’t turn back,” I say coldly.
Erik shrugs as if he doesn’t care either way.
“If you turn back, you’ll be guaranteeing a future that’s far worse for us all than some storm,” I say.
“There’s no proof of that,” Erik says shortly. “I want to believe you, but we’ve already lost enough men trying to follow you on this ridiculous journey. Your father may have been one of the
great Viking lords, but he’s long gone…and the men have their suspicions already.”
“Suspicions?”
“I didn’t want to say anything, but you’re fighting a losing battle, boy.”
I clench my teeth to keep from swinging at him. He may be older than me, but I don’t appreciate anyone speaking to me the way he currently is.
“Come on, we all know your father succumbed to madness,” Erik says. “You can’t blame them for worrying that you’re following in the same footsteps.”
“I’m not mad.”
“That’s what they all say. But think of it from the men’s point of view. They’ve barely known you a few weeks and have already lost friends and family, and what for? A woman?”
“It’s not just for her,” I snap. “The threat Damien poses is far greater than anything we’ve ever seen.”
“And how are we to know that? So far we’ve seen nothing to support your claims!”
We stare angrily at each other for a long moment before I let out a deep sigh.
“You’re right. You haven’t experienced Damien’s cruelty,” I say, pausing for a long moment. “So, I’ll show you.”
“What?”
“Tell your men to turn back,” I command. “If you want to see what we’re up against, I’ll show you.”
Erik remains motionless for a split second before turning to shout orders at his men, and together, along with the rest of the Viking ships, we turn back the way we’d come.
I can’t help the overwhelming sense that I’m making a horrible mistake, but I can’t change my mind now. If they really want to see what they’re up against, then all I can do is hope to all the gods, new and old, that we make it out of this alive.
The weather remains on our side, and we make surprisingly good time on our way back. But something strange seems to be happening to me. The closer we get to Damien and the farther we sail away from Annalise, the more I feel as though I’m being torn in two. I can’t rationalize it at all, but it’s as if I’m going mad. All I know is that I have to go through this and get back to her as quickly as possible before it’s too late…
As soon as word spreads that we’re going to scout out Annalise’s kingdom, the men’s spirits rapidly change. Not only are they happy to be sailing toward waters they know, but they’re excited by the prospect of a stealth invasion. Who knows, perhaps we’ll actually manage to take Damien down on our own. I know the thought is ridiculous even as I think it, but what’s the harm in hoping? We are Vikings, after all. We were practically born to conquer.
We make landfall at night on a secluded beach, only about a week after we weathered the storm. Although Annalise’s own small kingdom is landlocked, the southernmost border isn’t far from here. Even traveling on foot, at a reasonable pace, we should be able to make our way through the forest within a day or so, if not less. The biggest issue from here on out is not knowing what to expect. Being this close to Damien, I can practically feel him feeding off my soul, and he’s sure to have men littered throughout the area.
“I can’t promise we’ll make it there or back in one piece,” I say. “Damien is far more dangerous than I can ever describe, and we may very well be walking to our deaths. If any of you wish to turn back now, do so.”
“We’ll be fine, lad,” Erik says as some of his own men whoop in agreement. “At least now we’re getting somewhere. Lead on, and let us sink our teeth into this so-called Damien!”
I watch as the men almost melt into the tree line before my eyes, and then I join them, quickly taking my place in front to lead the way toward Damien.
The men move silently through the forest. Even with my heightened hearing, I can hardly hear them. We make good progress and manage to avoid villages along the way. Dawn breaks and I signal for the men to find cover and rest as we reach a particularly thick part of the forest.
“We’ll stay here to rest and continue on once the sun has set,” I say. “We should reach the castle grounds well before tomorrow morning if we can keep pace.”
Erik grunts in acknowledgment, rubbing his neck as he finds a place to sit against a large tree.
I let myself sleep in short bursts throughout the day, but it’s difficult to keep my eyes closed for more than a few minutes at a time. Each time I start to doze off, I am startled awake by some inconsequential sound or my own thoughts. By the time night falls, my eyes are heavy and I feel worse than I would if I had just stayed awake all day.
The forest is even darker than the night before, and I’m having a hard time finding a way through it, as are the other men. I can hear them much clearer as they try to move through the trees, and it’s putting me even further on edge. Suddenly, I stop still in my tracks.
Something’s not right. The men around me continue to walk forward, but aside from their movements, the woods are deathly silent. A light breeze brushes against my skin and rustles the leaves around me, but they make no noise.
Whirling around in a growing panic, I watch in horror as everything seems to move in slow motion. As the Vikings move toward me, men dressed in all black step away from the trees they’ve been hiding behind and, one by one, cut down my men as if it were the easiest thing in the world and then disappear into the night. I open my mouth in an effort to try to warn those of them who are still alive not to come any closer, but no sound escapes my lips. All I can do is stand in shock as every last one of the men following me clutches his neck and falls to his knees.
“Fool,” Damien’s voice echoes through my mind. “Did you really think I could be bested by you and a haphazard band of Vikings? Now, look what you’ve done.”
I groan in agony as I feel Damien’s grasp on my mind grow stronger.
“And where’s our precious Annalise? I’m shocked you’d leave her anywhere alone after everything you’ve been through,” Damien says in a sickly-sweet voice. “Did you enjoy her body as much as I did?”
My stomach twists in disgust and I fall to my knees as I clutch at my head, the pain becoming almost unbearable.
“Shut up!” I shout, startled to find I hear myself again.
A hand grabs me by the shoulder, and I look up to find Erik looking down at me in alarm.
“We need to get out of here, lad,” Erik whispers urgently. “Gods, how I wish I hadn’t doubted you. This was a huge mistake.”
“Oh, good,” Damien says in a dark voice. “One left. You’ll enjoy this, I’m sure. It’ll bring back good memories.”
I watch on in horror as Damien forces a grin onto my face.
“Are you all right, Ero?” Erik asks.
Rising to my feet, I look down at Erik as my blade plunges into his heart.
“Why?”
My mind is suddenly free again, and sound floods back into the forest around me. The sounds of life…and death. I look down at my hand, still holding the blood-soaked dagger, as Erik collapses to the ground in front of me.
I’d just relived my childhood nightmare, but this time…I was the one wielding the blade. Just as my father once had.
The blade falls from my hand as my whole body begins to tremble. Why hadn’t he killed me too? Death would have been better than witnessing all of this. Death. I growl low, rage building inside me as I look at the fallen.
If death is what Damien wants, then that’s precisely what he’ll get. I turn back toward the castle grounds and tear off through the forest.
In a matter of minutes, I bound out of the forest and into view of the castle. There’s such an evil presence surrounding the land that I can almost taste it. The moon is large and bright and I can’t help but notice that even the plants have started to wither and die. Walking into the small city just outside the castle’s southern gates, my anger grows even greater as I notice how gaunt and sickly the people look. Even the stray animals are barely anything but skin and bone.
I don’t even try to hide as I continue through the streets and on toward the castle. I’m not at all taken by surprise as I reach the castle gates to
find Damien is already waiting outside for me. Dark, shadowy archers line the tops of the outer walls, awaiting Damien’s signal. He stands motionless and imposing, several shadow knights poised several feet behind him. I cautiously move forward, the moment tense and eerily quiet, and then Damien spreads his arms wide as though he’s welcoming home a long-lost child.
“It’s so thoughtful of you to visit,” Damien says with a sinister smile. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to offer up your army to me like that, but I certainly appreciate you wanting to make things easier for me.”
I come to a halt, still a fair distance from him. My nostrils flare in anger at his words, and a shiver runs through me the longer I look at him. I swear he appears to be near twice the size he once was, and even more menacingly built. Damien’s always been larger than life, but not to the point where I’ve felt particularly threatened by his physical form. I mean, I’ve never been a small man, but for the first time in my life, in comparison to Damien’s current form, I feel tiny.
“I can tell you’ve noticed how great I look,” Damien says cockily. “How do you think Annalise will feel once I get a hold of her again? I bet she likes her men big. No, sorry, I know she likes her men big. Just imagine me crushing her small body under all this weight.”
“You’ve already taken what you wanted from her,” I snarl. “Leave her out of this. This is between you and me now.”
“Ah, but you’re so very, very wrong.” Damien laughs. “I’m far from through with her. In fact, she’s carrying something of mine, but you probably already know that.”
I stare at him in confusion as his grin grows wider.
“Oh, you don’t know?”
“What are you going on about?” I growl.
“You’re going to be a father, Ero. I mean, really, you should be thanking me.”
My mind goes momentarily blank as I try to take in what he’s saying. I don’t want to believe it. It sounds like one of his mind games, but I can’t not believe it either.
“You’re lying.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no. I would never lie about something like this.”