by A. E. Rayne
She wanted to get to her chamber quickly, hoping to fall into bed and find Axl in a dream, though she had bumped into Evaine who seemed intent on keeping her company.
‘It won’t be long till the army marches,’ Evaine said cheerfully, her eyes on the end of the corridor in the distance. ‘And who knows if Jaeger will ever return?’
Amma frowned, wondering what Evaine wanted. ‘You’re not worried about Eadmund?’ That felt strange to say.
‘Well, Eadmund doesn’t want anything to do with me, so it doesn’t matter what I think. But we’ll all be happy without Jaeger here, won’t we? I’m not sure there’s a person in this castle who would welcome his company. Or his return.’
‘I don’t imagine Draguta will let anything happen to him. He’s a Dragos. She wants him to rule the kingdom.’
‘Perhaps,’ Evaine mused. ‘Or perhaps now that you’re carrying a Dragos, she may decide that he’s more trouble than he’s worth? He’s hardly the sort of king anyone would miss. And without him, you could be a queen in your own right, couldn’t you? Free, like Jael Furyck.’
Amma froze, and Evaine sensed that she’d made a mistake.
‘You think Jael is free?’ Amma hissed, rounding on her. ‘You think she wants to come here? That she’s choosing to? You took her husband, and then Draguta did, and then she killed people.’ She thought of Runa, still hearing the sound of that blade puncturing her chest. ‘A lot of people! Jael is coming because of that. She is coming to make us free!’ Amma trembled, realising that she was talking so loudly that Draguta was likely to emerge from her chamber and do something to bind her too. So, ducking her head, she turned and hurried away, leaving an open-mouthed Evaine staring after her.
Marissa yanked Jael’s hair until it came undone.
That made Jael mad. She hated anyone pulling her hair.
‘Grrrr!’ she roared, spinning around, slamming her elbow into Marissa’s throat. She hadn’t wanted to hurt the girl, but she was both an octopus and a leech; Jael couldn’t get away from her writhing limbs and her grabbing hands.
‘Oooohhhh!’ came the cry weaving around the hall.
Jael saw Beryth’s shock, Fyn’s approval, Aleksander’s wary eyes urging her on. Then she heard Gant. ‘What are you doing?’ he was grumbling in her ear. ‘Being nice? We don’t fight nice, Jael. Knock the bitch out.’
Jael smiled, watching Marissa stagger, hand at her throat, and she stepped forward, eyes never leaving that furious red face. One step, two, and on the third step, Jael kicked, smacking her boot into Marissa’s chest, launching her back into Rork, who grabbed the girl by the arms, pushing her towards Jael, who promptly slid across the floor, kicking Marissa’s right ankle out from under her, knocking her to the ground with a bang.
Marissa wasn’t done yet, though, and she kicked out with a bare foot, flicking it, trying to unbalance Jael. But Jael jumped over her leg, throwing herself on top of Marissa before she could get up, arms around her throat, legs wrapped around her body.
Squeezing. Just enough.
Marissa slithered around the floorboards, arms and legs flapping, trying to gain some purchase, wanting to knock Jael off her, but Jael kept her arms around her throat, her legs controlling Marissa’s body, keeping her pinned to the floorboards.
If Marissa didn’t concede the fight soon, she was going to pass out.
Karsten looked on, worried.
‘Too late to change your bet!’ Thorgils warned him.
Struggling to breathe now, everything going black, Marissa tapped the floorboards with the tip of a reluctant finger.
And Aleksander was cheering, Axl, Fyn, and Raymon with him, as Jael sat down with a thump, brushing hair out of her eyes. She glared at Marissa, who had given her a tougher fight than she’d anticipated, and who now lay there, panting, embarrassed.
Jael stood up, happy to feel like her old self again. She held out a hand, and despite wanting to punch the jubilant queen, Marissa took it. ‘Are you coming with us?’ Jael wondered, watching the girl’s eyes, which lost their anger, brightening quickly.
Marissa looked towards Beryth, who nodded, smiling. ‘Yes, my lady, seems that I am.’
Amma was happy to leave Evaine behind. Evaine who had stabbed Edela and stolen Eadmund. She was more than happy to leave her behind, but in the very next breath, she wished she hadn’t because as she rounded the corner, she could see Jaeger lurking outside her chamber door.
She thought about running in the opposite direction, but he would only catch her, so dropping her head, she started walking towards him.
‘I wondered where you were,’ Jaeger slurred, eyes on her breasts. ‘Taking a tour of the castle, were we?’ He tipped forward, reaching a hand to her cheek. ‘Or perhaps you were lost?’
Amma glanced down the corridor. It was dark, and they were entirely alone. ‘I... I was with Evaine.’
‘Evaine?’ Jaeger’s mind drifted to thoughts of Evaine’s naked body lying amongst the bushes. ‘Why Evaine?’
Amma swallowed; Jaeger’s hand was moving across her collarbone, as though he was examining her, though his eyes didn’t leave her face. ‘She... is...’ Amma ran out of words. ‘I don’t know. She was speaking to me. Following me.’ The words tumbled out quickly now as Jaeger’s hand continued its journey, slipping inside the bodice of her dress. She gasped, trying to edge away from him. ‘Draguta wouldn’t like it!’
Jaeger laughed. ‘This?’ He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, pushing himself against her, his tongue inside her mouth. Stepping back, he panted, his body pulsing. ‘You think Draguta wouldn’t like this? A king and a queen? We are her king and queen, Amma, my love. Of course she’ll like it.’
He pushed his hand down far enough to grab a handful of breast, tearing her dress, and Amma grimaced. ‘Please.’ She was panicking. ‘Stop. Please!’
Jaeger leaned back again, noticing the distaste on her face, the fear in her eyes, and he remembered their wedding night: Amma running away with Axl Furyck, leaving him lying on the square in a humiliated heap. And growling, he shoved his hand back down her dress, tearing it some more, squeezing harder, his other hand on the door handle now, yanking it open, pushing Amma inside.
Watching from the end of the corridor, Evaine shuddered, turning away.
‘I wasn’t sure you could tame that wild cat,’ Thorgils yawned. ‘She seemed to have you worked out easily enough. Still, at least I bet on you, unlike poor Karsten here.’
Jael eyed Karsten. ‘You didn’t bet on me? You who told me I couldn’t lose?’
Aleksander laughed. He was squeezed in between Fyn and Axl. The hall was packed to the gunwales thanks to the Iskavallans, and there wasn’t room to move. He wasn’t sure when he’d last been able to lift an arm. ‘You were being too kind. As usual.’
Now everyone turned to stare at Aleksander, bemused.
Except for Fyn. ‘Well, Jael didn’t want to hurt her or humiliate her, did you?’
Jael laughed. ‘You mean by kicking her in the head?’ She shook her own head. ‘It was a bit of fun, and no, I didn’t want to hurt her. We need her. We need everyone. A leader shouldn’t try to injure her warriors before the biggest battle they’ve ever faced.’
That had heads nodding.
‘Still, it was a good show, watching you fight a woman,’ Thorgils winked.
‘A girl,’ Jael reminded him. ‘She was just a girl.’
Aleksander had a grin on his face. ‘I remember when you were just a girl. You weren’t so nice then. Just ask Ronal Killi.’ He’d drunk too much, he knew, and he shouldn’t have said it. He watched the flash of darkness in Jael’s eyes as she turned them to her cup.
‘Who’s Ronal?’ Fyn asked.
‘Ronal’s ash, so let’s not drink to him,’ Jael said, looking up, shutting away all thoughts of the past. ‘But let’s drink to us, for tomorrow we edge closer to destiny!’
Ivaar leaned forward, clanking his cup against hers. ‘To destiny!’
‘Oh, you think
something good’s waiting for you now, do you?’ Thorgils wondered, eyeing him blearily. ‘Thought you were already planning your pyre?’
The mead had made Ivaar merry enough to see some hope, though he doubted that feeling would last. ‘Might be. But hopefully, it’s one that will send me to Vidar’s Hall.’ He sat back, thinking about his father, who would no doubt be waiting for him; whether with a fist or an embrace, he didn’t know.
Their table was quiet for a moment, though the hall wasn’t, and an arm-wrestling bout between Rork and Beryth’s eldest son soon caught Thorgils’ attention, and he wriggled away from the table, giving the men left on his side a chance to breathe.
‘Thought he’d never leave!’ Aleksander joked. ‘Next time, you’re sitting next to him.’ He grinned at Jael who was watching Ivaar, thinking about Eadmund.
And Eydis.
Wondering which one of her brothers she would bring back to her.
If any.
Amma was scared. She wanted to scream and fight, but the voice in her head told her that Jaeger was a madman who would only be urged on, or so angered by her resistance that he’d get more violent.
But he was hurting her. Lying his weight on her belly.
‘The baby!’ she panicked, listening to him grunt in her ear. ‘The baby!’ She squirmed, trying to move him. Trying to move her stomach away from his bony hip, which was digging into her. And then a shooting pain. ‘Aarrghh!’
Jaeger pushed himself up, panting, his trousers around his ankles, bile swirling in his mouth. He glared at Amma, trying to focus, to see just one of her. Dishevelled, red-faced, panicking Amma, her torn dress pushed up over her belly, staring at him as though he’d slapped her. ‘What?’
Amma froze, not knowing what to do, then another stabbing pain. ‘Aarrghh!’ And she curled forward, suddenly not worrying about Jaeger at all.
Jaeger could hear the clanging of angry voices in his head taunting him. An explosion of noise. ‘What did you do?’ he yelled, grabbing Amma’s arm, panicking. Images of Elissa lying on the floor, bleeding, flooded his mind.
His dead son too.
‘What did you do?’ he screamed, dragging Amma off the bed, throwing her onto the floor.
Meena had been trudging through the castle looking for Ballack. The remaining Followers were all bound – all one hundred of them – and she felt ready to fall down, wishing she could escape to the coves for a swim. The humidity out on the square, even in the dark had left her dripping. It was the last thing she’d wanted to endure after a day on her knees, scraping in the dirt, blending endless potions.
But now, Draguta was sending her down to the catacombs with Ballack to retrieve all her boxes. Meena didn’t even want to imagine how terrifying that place was going to be.
Hearing a scream, her head was up, and she was quickly running down the corridor.
Evaine had wandered the castle thinking about Eadmund. As much as it made sense to go back to her own chamber, she couldn’t contain her desire to see him again. She stopped outside his door, wondering if he was inside.
He would not welcome her company, she knew, but perhaps she could invite him to see Sigmund? To come and say goodnight to him?
Eadmund was so fond of his son.
She knocked on the door.
Meena pulled open the door, mouth gaping at the sight of Jaeger, trousers around his ankles, towering over Amma who cowered on the floor, sobbing, her face bloody. ‘Jaeger, no!’ she cried, running forward, trying to grab his arm. ‘Stop it! Stop! You must stop!’
Jaeger swung towards Meena, confused and surprised. ‘What are you doing here?’ His eyes were wild. Deranged.
Meena hadn’t seen him that way before. He wasn’t there at all.
‘No!’ She stared at him, trying to get his attention. ‘The baby! You don’t want to hurt your son, remember?’
But Jaeger lashed out, shaking Meena off with a roar, knocking her to the floor. ‘Get out!’ he yelled, pointing at the door. ‘This is nothing to do with you, Meena!’ And he turned back to Amma who had scrambled away, huddling by the wall, blood dripping down her chin, shaking all over.
‘Evaine,’ Eadmund sighed, staring down at her. ‘I was about to go to bed.’ That wasn’t true, but he wanted her to leave.
‘Already?’
‘I need to get some rest. We’ll be leaving on a long march soon.’
Evaine thought quickly. ‘Well, that’s why I’m here. I thought you might like to come and say goodnight to Sigmund. Spend some time with him before you leave.’
‘He’s awake?’
‘Tanja is always feeding him. I’m sure he is.’
Eadmund wasn’t going to play Evaine’s games. He would see Sigmund in the morning. He turned suddenly, hearing a shout. ‘What was that?’
Meena wasn’t going to let Jaeger hurt Amma. ‘Jaeger, please! What would Draguta say?’ She felt her face, her bleeding, aching face, wishing she had a knife as she tried to grab his arm again.
‘Draguta?’ Jaeger yanked up his trousers, tightening his belt, feeling a pain in his fist. He heard Amma whimpering for the first time, and his anger cooled slightly. ‘Draguta?’ It was as though the mist had cleared and he could see. ‘Where’s Draguta?’
Meena swallowed, seeing his eyes change, sharper now. ‘In her chamber. With the book.’
‘Aarrghh,’ Amma groaned.
‘We need to get Draguta,’ Meena tried. ‘Amma needs help!’
‘No!’ Jaeger yelled, his eyes on fire again. ‘No!’
The door swung open, banging against the wall, and Eadmund stood there, taking in the scene, but not for long. ‘What the fuck are you doing, Jaeger?’ And he ran to Amma, lifting her into his arms, noticing the pain twisting her bleeding face. ‘Is it your baby?’
Amma nodded and Eadmund carried her straight out the door past a shellshocked Jaeger.
‘Where are you going?’ Jaeger ran into the corridor, Meena chasing after him, trying to pull him back.
‘Stop!’ Meena tried. ‘Let him take her. She needs help.’
Jaeger turned back to Meena, ready to scream before slamming his fists into the sides of his head. ‘No! No! Fucking no!’ And he banged his back against the wall, sliding down to the flagstones. ‘No!’
Meena stood there watching him, shaking, wanting to go after Amma, to see if she was alright, but knowing that she couldn’t.
Her place was with Jaeger.
Always with Jaeger.
And sighing, she sat down on the floor beside him.
34
Jael went to bed with a headache, and no matter how many times she yawned, the pain in her head wouldn’t allow her to fall asleep. It was as though someone was banging on the walls of her mind, and she couldn’t relax at all.
Eventually, she sat up. ‘We should swap. There’s no sleep coming for me.’
Aleksander was pleased to hear it. He was struggling to force his eyes open as he sat by the entrance of the tent, keeping watch. ‘You’re sure?’
Jael nodded, creaking out of her cot bed, wrapping a fur around her shoulders. ‘I’m sure.’
Aleksander stood with a yawn. ‘I liked watching you fight tonight.’
‘Ha! Not sure why I did that.’
‘Because you’re a good queen. You made everyone happy for a moment. It was nice. Brought us together.’
‘Really?’ Jael sounded doubtful.
‘Maybe.’ Aleksander crept over to his bed, stumbling into it with a grateful groan. ‘Better than sleeping on the ground,’ he mumbled into the pillow. ‘We should have thought about travelling like this in Hallow Wood.’
‘Not really the sort of place to pitch a tent,’ Jael whispered, listening, waiting, and there it was: the first rumble of a snore. She shook her head, smiling, enjoying the pleasure of familiarity. The comfort of certainty. The last moments of peace.
Her shoulders tightened, and Jael put her hand to her head, trying to take her mind off the pain.
Draguta was sur
prised by the bellow outside her door and even more surprised when Brill opened it to see Eadmund hurrying inside, a sobbing Amma in his arms. She had not seen what was happening.
That was a worry.
‘Put her there,’ she ordered, pointing to the bed, her voice as cold as a wind at sea.
Amma looked terrified, keeping her eyes low, not wanting to see the anger she could hear in Draguta’s voice. Then the pain in her belly exploded again, and she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her bleeding lips.
Draguta stood by the end of the bed. ‘You may go,’ she said to Eadmund. ‘Return to your chamber. There is nothing for you to do now.’ She waited until Eadmund stepped outside, closing the door. ‘Oh, Amma, Amma,’ Draguta murmured, leaning over and pulling up Amma’s dress, placing her ice-cold hands on her belly. ‘What am I going to do with you?’
Eadmund stood in the corridor, hands shaking by his sides, curling into fists, banging against his legs, his anger rising.
And he thought of Axl, who loved Amma.
And his shoulders tightened into rocks, and still he stayed there, staring at Draguta’s door, listening to Amma crying out in pain. Eventually, he dropped his head to his hands, his shoulders sinking in resignation.
To hurt Jaeger would go against Draguta.
Every part of him wanted to fight against that inescapable fact, but he couldn’t.
He couldn’t fight it.
He couldn’t go against Draguta.
And turning down the corridor, he slowly made his way back to his chamber.
Meena helped Jaeger into bed, still trembling, in shock.
Worried about Amma.