Daughter of Rage and Beauty (Berserker Academy Book 1)

by Amy Pennza

  It took everything I had to smile. Unable to turn my head, I rolled my gaze toward him. “There’s no problem, my lord.” I put my hand on his wrist. “I’m just of the opinion that anticipation makes release that much sweeter.”

  Some of the anger in his eyes faded.

  I talked fast. “I can make it unbelievable for you.” Inspiration struck, and I lowered my voice. “I’ll show you la petite mort. It’s the closest you’ll get to dying.”

  “You mean it?” he breathed, madness in his gaze. The stone shone silver against his armor, the surface reflecting my pale eyes and white-blond hair.

  “Oh yes,” I said, truth making my words resonate. My fingers on his wrist twitched. “I promise you’ll know what it means to die.”

  He gazed into my eyes. For the first time, the glimmer of a genuine smile touched his mouth. His grip on my neck loosened. “Beautiful nymph,” he whispered. “Show me this death you promise.”

  “My pleasure.” I snatched the stone from his neck.

  His face froze, his expression stunned. His mouth opened and stayed that way, as if he couldn’t draw a breath. His fingers on my throat tightened.

  Horror slithered down my spine. He’s going to strangle me.

  A sucking, gasping sound emerged from his throat, like air being released from a balloon. He tightened his grip, his fingers choking off my oxygen.

  Over by the throne, Fyodor wailed, his hands over his head. He seemed to fade, then poofed out of the air.

  Radegast’s fingers spasmed, squeezing harder.

  My head swam. My throat burned. I was going to die topless at a table strewn with body parts and dead flowers. I clutched the Eternity Stone. I couldn’t use it to save myself. I wasn’t dead yet.

  Yet.

  And asking it to grant me immortality was useless. Radegast would just pop my head off my body, killing me anyway.

  He continued wheezing. Little black veins crisscrossed his cheeks and forehead. His lips turned bright red.

  My vision dimmed. Distantly, I heard a raven croak.

  Hauk reared behind Radegast, his eyes blazing, his mouth open on a warrior’s cry. He was in a full rage, his sword covered in lightning. In slow motion, the blade swung through the air in a downward arc. It caught the side of Radegast’s neck and cleaved through flesh like a knife through hot butter. The draft from the sword made my hair flutter.

  Blood sprayed my face and chest. Radegast’s head slid from his shoulders and thudded on the table, its long curls strewn across the tablecloth. It rolled sideways, its expression still locked in a choking gasp.

  Time sped back up.

  Hauk stood over the body, his shoulders heaving. Blood dripped from his sword and covered his face. Lightning forked his irises.

  Shock held me immobile. Blood dripped from my chin and plopped on my chest. I held my hands out to my sides, my elbows bent, arms frozen in place. Radegast’s body still sat upright, its hand on my neck.

  Hauk dragged in a heavy breath. He closed his eyes on a long blink. When he opened them, his irises were normal. He flicked the tip of his sword. The lightning flickered out.

  Our eyes locked.

  “Elin?” He stepped toward me. “Baby?”

  “H-Hauk?”

  He nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Yeah, sweetheart. Yeah.”

  “You killed him? Radegast is dead?” The second I said it, I realized how stupid it sounded. Of course Radegast was dead. His headless body still sat next to me, its fingers around my throat.

  I shoved my chair backwards, a million shivers racing over my skin. The gruesome hand fell away from my neck.

  “Elin!” Hauk jumped forward and caught Radegast’s body. He shoved it to the table and reached for me.

  I jumped to my feet, my arms outstretched.

  Nils appeared behind Hauk, the black dagger in his hand. Brandishing it high, he brought it down on the top of Hauk’s head.

  For a moment, Hauk remained upright. He looked at me, his face almost comically confused. Then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped to the ground.

  I screamed.

  Nils jumped backwards, the dagger raised.

  “What the fuck!” Without thinking, I leapt at him, my fingers curled into claws.

  He scrambled back. “Elin, wait!”

  “Give me that!” I cleared Hauk’s body and Radegast’s body in a single leap. Rage—old-fashioned, regular rage—pounded through my veins. I smacked Nils in the side of the head and snatched the dagger from him all in one motion.

  “Gods, Elin, stop it!” He stumbled away, one arm thrown up to protect his face.

  I raised the dagger high in the air. “You killed Hauk!”

  “I didn’t kill him.” He lowered his arm.

  I feinted with the dagger, acting like I was going for him.

  “Gods!” He cringed away. “Will you listen, you . . . you she-devil! He’s not dead! I hit him with the hilt.”

  Doubt trickled into my mind. “He’s not . . .” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

  “No!” Nils put up his hands, his movements cautious. “Check his pulse.” His tone became almost exasperated. “It takes a lot more than a blow like that to kill a berserker.”

  The beginnings of hope stirred in my chest. I glared at him. “Don’t move, or I’ll cut off your balls.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Gods . . .”

  I went to Hauk and pressed my fingers to his neck. A steady pulse beat there.

  He’s alive. Blood trickled down the side of his head, but he was alive.

  “Is he okay?” Nils asked just behind me.

  I surged to my feet and rounded on him, the dagger raised once more. “No thanks to you!”

  He danced back, his hands up. “Take it easy!”

  I advanced on him. “What are you doing here? Why did you hit him?” At that, fresh rage poured through me. I made a stabbing motion at him. “What are you doing here?”

  He scrambled farther back. “I followed you, okay?”

  I hesitated. “What?”

  “Stop trying to kill me, and I’ll explain.”

  I lowered the knife. “Talk. Fast.”

  He took a deep breath. “I listened at the door that night, remember? The night Hauk told you about this quest.”

  Oh, I remembered. Nils had told me he loved me.

  Oh no.

  “I couldn’t let you do this, Elin.” His face twisted in pain. Then anger flashed in his eyes. “How could Hauk be so selfish? He knowingly brought you into danger because he wanted you to play the whore. And just look at you!” He gestured to my torso.

  I looked down, surprised. In my bloodlust, I’d forgotten all about being half-naked.

  “So I followed you,” Nils said. “Actually, I came straight here. To save you. I even got myself caught by that blud creature and thrown in that smelly box for two days.”

  My surprise turned to shock. “That was you! The man in the back.”

  He nodded, then reached behind him and pulled a brown hood over his head. Instantly, his features became fuzzy and indistinct. “It’s Hauk’s. He left it in his study. It lets you blend in anywhere! Radegast didn’t even know I was a berserker.”

  Gods, he was talking like he’d just been on an exciting adventure.

  I swallowed. “Nils, you had no right to follow me here.”

  His face fell. “But . . . I love you, Eely. How could I leave you to die?”

  The puppy dog expression wasn’t going to sway me—and his use of my nickname just made me uncomfortable. “Loving someone doesn’t give you the right to interfere in their life, Nils. What you describe sounds more like stalking than love.”

  He grew angry. “How can you say that? I wasn’t stalking you.”

  But I barely heard him. A question nagged at my brain. There was something off about this whole thing. Something weird in his story . . .

  “And anyway,” he said. “Hauk didn’t turn out to be such a great warrior, did
he? I mean, he pretty much asked Radegast to kick his ass with that Holiday Inn Express taunt.”

  I held up a hand. “Wait. How did you get here?”

  He stopped mid-sentence. “What?”

  “Here. How did you find Nochnaya Krepost? You didn’t have the coordinates.”

  “But I did,” a familiar voice said.

  I spun, my hand tight around the dagger.

  Harald emerged from a portal. It snapped shut behind him, the white edges winking out.

  Harald? My brain couldn’t process his presence.

  He strode past me, a sword in his hand. His black coat flared behind him.

  I watched, stunned, as he crossed in front of the throne and went to stand beside Nils.

  Harald. Here in the Night Fortress.

  Harald?

  “Good work, son,” he said, clapping a hand on Nils’ shoulder. “You did well.”

  Nils’ throat bobbed, and he cast a nervous glance at me.

  “Harald?” Apparently, that was the only word my brain could come up with.

  He looked at me. Immediately, scorn entered his eyes. “Cover yourself. You shame us all.”

  Old habit kicked in, and I jumped to obey. Still clutching the dagger, I slung an arm across my breasts and went to my shirt. I turned my back to the men while I fumbled with it, sticking my arms through the sleeves and tugging it over my head. Radegast’s blood seeped through the fabric.

  Covered, I turned back to my father. “How did you get here?”

  “I had the coordinates.”

  “How?”

  “How else? Crom gave them to me a long time ago.”

  Crom had double-crossed Hauk and me? Anger burned away some of my embarrassment. “Why would he do that?”

  Harald shrugged. “Because I was supposed to kill Radegast.”

  Nils looked at him, shock in his eyes. “My lord?”

  “My lord?” Harald mocked, his voice pitched high. “Oh, Nils. I had such high hopes for you.”

  Nils swallowed. “You said we were coming to rescue Elin.”

  Harald gripped the boy’s shoulder once more. When he spoke next, it was with a heavy sigh. “It seems my faith in you was misplaced. Sadly, you turned out just like your father. Chasing after a woman who is not at all worth it.” He drew back his sword and plunged it into Nils’ stomach.

  “No!” I rushed forward.

  Harald whipped toward me, putting out a hand. “Not another step.”

  I forced myself to a stop, my heart pounding. Tears sprang to my eyes.

  Nils crumpled forward, his hands grabbing at the sword. He lifted his head and met my gaze. “Elin,” he said on a gasp. “I’m so . . . sorry.”

  I put a trembling hand over my mouth. Hot tears splashed down my cheeks.

  Harald put a booted foot against Nils’ shoulder and pushed. He fell backwards and landed on his side.

  My feet moved without me even realizing it. I raised my hand and rushed toward Harald.

  He turned and swung his sword.

  Metal clanged, and the dagger flew from my hand.

  Before I could recover, he backhanded me across the face.

  Pain exploded in my cheek. I spun, arms flailing, and landed hard on the ground.

  Harald’s boots appeared next to my head, as did the bloodied tip of his sword.

  Nils’ blood.

  Ignoring my throbbing cheek, I pushed myself onto my elbow. “You killed him.”

  “Of course I did. He messed up my plans.” He closed his eyes and inhaled. When he opened his eyes, they glowed. “And I needed the kill anyway.”

  My mind spun. What plans? What kill? “What do you mean?”

  He crouched next to me, a lock of white hair slipping over his shoulder. The glow in his eyes dimmed. “Oh Elin. This Pollyanna attitude of yours is so very tiresome.”

  I held his stare. If I’d learned anything over the years, it was to let him talk. Harald loved to hear himself talk. Silence was the best way to guarantee he kept doing it.

  He spoke again, his tone polite. Like we were discussing the weather. “I meant for Hauk to die here, but only after I took the stone from him.”

  I stayed very still, not daring to so much as breathe.

  “Of course, young love has a mind of its own.” He glanced at something behind me. Nils’ body. “For a time, I thought this quest was a loss.” He smiled. “But then Nils conveniently informed me that you planned to tag along.” He let out a short laugh. “He asked for my help rescuing you. I realized I could claim the stone and several more kills than I’d bargained for, plus rid myself of a nagging problem.”

  “I—” Pain streaked through my cheek. I took a couple shallow breaths and tried again. “I don’t understand.”

  He patted my swollen face. “Of course you don’t. You never were all that bright.”

  Anger overrode the agony of his palm against my skin. “You killed Nils. I loved him like a brother.”

  Harald’s eyes were cold, but his polite tone remained. “I’ve killed everyone you love. Why stop at him?”

  My heart froze in my chest. For several seconds, I thought I might be having a heart attack. Then blood pounded in my ears, and I heard myself ask, “What do you mean?”

  He ticked names off his fingers. “Fiona, your first two trainers, the maid who used to sing you to sleep, the old selkie butler, your mother—”

  The scream tore from my chest. I exploded upward, my fist flying.

  I didn’t even feel the blow land.

  His head snapped back, his hair flying.

  Then I was standing over him, my fists clenched.

  He rolled to his side, then sat up. He lifted a hand and brushed at his face, which was already bruised and swelling. His hand came away bloody. He stared at it a second, then looked up at me, something like awe in his voice. “You struck me.”

  I gestured to my cheek. “Twins.”

  He rose to his feet. With a deliberate movement, he straightened his coat so it lay smooth across his shoulders.

  “You’ve never been able to stomach blood,” I said. “You can’t handle fighting.”

  He narrowed his eyes.

  I clenched my fists as pieces fell into place. “You need kills to gain your immortality, but you’re afraid to take on quests.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Stop it.”

  “After you killed Fiona, we stopped having parties to celebrate your kills.”

  “That’s enough.”

  “But it wasn’t because you didn’t like the parties. You just weren’t brave enough to accept quests.”

  “Enough, I said.”

  “You murder people.”

  “Stop.”

  “You murder people,” I said, louder this time. “You murder innocent people because you’re too much of a coward to fight Mythicals who actually deserve to die.”

  He lost his composure. He yelled, spit flying from his mouth. “Stop it, I said, dammit! Stop it!”

  “You deserve to die.”

  He wiped saliva from his mouth, giving a huff of humorless laughter. “And I suppose you’re going to kill me? You couldn’t even get the stone.”

  “I got it,” I shot back.

  His nostrils flared. A wild light entered his eyes. “Where is it?”

  We looked at each other. And at the exact same second, we both realized I no longer had it.

  My throat went dry. I’d had it when Nils struck Hauk. I must have dropped it when I freaked out and went for him with the dagger.

  I glanced at the banquet table.

  Harald and I spun in unison. He had a slight advantage, being closer. His hair streamed behind him.

  I made a desperate grab for it. My fingers swiped through the air.

  We crashed across the table, scattering food and dishes. Harald made it over first, and his boots dropped out of sight. Glass shattered, shards slicing at my skin.

  I didn’t feel any pain.

  Coasting on the tablecloth
, I fell to the floor behind the table, bringing half the dishes crashing down with me. Mashed potatoes covered the flagstones. Harald rooted under the table like a pig, his face near the ground.

  I went to all fours and yanked chairs out of the way, my fingers slipping in marinara sauce and other red things I didn’t want to think about.

  Something silver winked among the ruins of food and dishes.

  We saw it at the same time.

  Like seagulls swooping for the same prize on the beach, we dove for the stone.

  Harald snatched it just as I stretched out my hand.

  He sprang back, his shout of triumph loud in my ears.

  Exhausted, I stayed where I was, my head drooping between my shoulders.

  Now he’s going to kill me.

  I’d fought. I was too weary to keep fighting. Besides, he had the Eternity Stone now. He couldn’t be killed.

  “Get up,” he said, his voice echoing with power. It was the same boom Radegast had used.

  I didn’t move.

  “Get up, or I put a sword through his heart.”

  That brought my head up. Hauk. He lay next to Radegast’s decapitated body. Food covered them both. Harald stood behind them, a sword poised over Hauk’s chest.

  I struggled forward, crawling from under the table. My hand slipped in food, and I caught myself. As I did, my palm closed over something smooth and round—and wooden.

  The staff.

  I picked it up as I got to my feet.

  Harald smirked. “Nice weapon. Maybe you can trip me with it.”

  “Kill me,” I said. “There’s no need to kill him.” I nodded toward his clenched fist. “You have the Eternity Stone. You’re immortal now. You don’t need the kills.”

  He tilted his head. “You’re right. I don’t need to kill anymore.” He smiled. “I just want to.” He plunged the sword into Hauk’s heart.

  My world shrank to a tiny point. In it, Hauk’s body jerked as the sword entered his chest. Pain consumed his face—the face I loved—and blood flowed from his mouth.

  The point expanded. And it had a song.

  The song was my voice.

  My yell.

  It filled the air, echoing off the stone ceiling high overhead.