by Alice Wilde
“He just knows,” she says, her voice carrying. “It’s almost as if he seems to believe he can hear from the gods himself. Insanity.”
This is worse than I thought it would be. No matter what I say, this woman will find some way to discredit or undermine me. I am an unknown, whereas this woman has manipulated their hearts and minds for years in her favor. I clear my throat.
“I never admitted to hearing from the gods,” I say, “but I am a descendant of Jarl Einar.”
The crowd goes quiet, and I hear the priestess suck air through her teeth.
“As many of you probably know, or have heard, he was believed to be one of the few surviving descendants of Loki. So, no, I don’t believe I hear from the gods. But I do believe I have a greater claim to knowing what they want than this woman,” I say with venom, turning slowly to glare at the priestess. “It seems she can’t even sense the blood of a god when it’s right under her own nose.”
The priestess’s lips curl into a snarl as she strides toward me.
“Prove it!” she screams in my face. “Do not blaspheme the gods in front of me, you lying beast.”
I glance toward Li before turning back to smile in the woman’s face.
“Very well,” I say, and I shift into my leopard form.
Twenty-Three
Annalise
Ero and Li are nowhere to be found when we enter the Great Hall, but then we hear a commotion coming from somewhere outside. Roan’s pace is too fast for me, and I have to jog to keep up. As nervous as I am, I can’t help but be thrilled by how much easier it is to walk without the fear of tripping over my skirts. The soft leather boots I’ve been given are a godsend as well.
Roan shoves the giant entrance doors open and we step out into the sunlight. It is just after midday, judging by the position of the sun. We stop only for a moment before I follow Roan down toward the center of the town where a large crowd has gathered not unlike the night before, but the people appear to be far more riled up than they were previously.
My heart feels like it’s about to pound out of my chest, and not just because I have to run to keep up with Roan’s stride.
“Gods,” I gasp as the scene begins to make sense below me and I come to an abrupt halt halfway down the hill.
Roan continues on without me, but I remain standing where I am as I try to comprehend what’s going on below.
Ero and Li are standing on a rise, looking out over the crowd as people shout insults, jeers, and various vulgarities. But they don’t seem to be directing them toward Ero—and then I see them.
In the open space below the rise in front of the mass of people are the men from the night before. At least, I think it’s them. Their bodies are lying motionless on the ground, headless. Has Ero done this? Had he given them a trial?
A woman shouts and my attention is suddenly turned toward Ero once again. I realize he’s holding a woman down in a way that sends pains of empathy shooting through me. It’s hard for me to make any sense of the scene, and it only gets worse as Roan approaches Ero with a vengeance. I watch in horror as Roan takes a swing at Ero, but Li reacts quickly enough to throw Roan off balance and away from Ero before the blow can land.
Everyone is watching in shock and excitement as the drama continues to unfold around us. Roan is shouting at Ero as Li keeps him at bay.
I start moving, running toward them as things seem to be escalating between Roan and Ero even though Ero hasn’t moved from his place on the small rise. The woman is still pinned in place.
“You bastard,” Roan roars at Ero. “You thieving prick. Why couldn’t you leave well enough alone? Haven’t you ruined enough people’s lives already?”
“Stop it, Roan,” I shout as soon as I’m near enough for him to hear me over the din. “This isn’t the time or place.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” Roan says, sending me a look that pierces me to the core. “Right now, this is between me and Ero.”
“This is in no way the place or time,” Ero says. “Li, would you please take Roan somewhere to calm down while I finish dealing with things.”
“Come on, Roan,” Li says, stepping back toward the path up the hill.
“I’m not finished with him,” Roan says, trying to pull himself out of Li’s grasp but failing.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Li says, but Roan only lashes out at him as well. “Fine, if that’s the way it has to be.”
I almost scream as I watch Li suddenly and purposefully dig his fingers into various points on Roan’s body. Almost instantly, Roan calms down, his eyes rolling back in his head as he collapses into Li’s arms. I start forward toward them, but Li shakes his head at me.
“He’s fine, only sleeping. I’ll take him back up to the house. I think you’d better stay here with Ero.”
I watch as Li throws Roan over his shoulder and makes his way back up the hill, and I want nothing more than to follow and make sure he’s really okay.
“Annalise,” Ero says, and I turn back to face him. He looks like he wants to say something to me, but decides against it. Instead, Ero gives me a halfhearted smile before looking back over the crowd.
“I think it’s only fitting,” Ero says, his voice loud and commanding, “that this witch be given the same sentence she gave me. What say you?”
The crowd’s cheer is deafening.
“Prepare the pyre,” Ero orders.
A bunch of men fall into place, quickly setting up a pyre just like the one I’d seen the night before.
“Ero,” I say nervously. “Do you mean to burn this woman at the stake?”
“Yes.”
I look down at the bloody spots on the ground below and will myself not to vomit. The bodies have been dragged away, but someone has placed the heads on spikes in the ground.
“Do you not think there’s been enough bloodshed for one day?” I ask softly.
Ero looks over his shoulder at me, his brow furrowed.
“You don’t know what this woman has done.”
“You’re right, but do you not have any room for mercy?”
“She deserves no mercy.”
“That’s the very definition of mercy,” I say as firmly and loudly as I can manage. “No one deserves it.”
We look at each other for a long moment before Ero lets out a sigh and turns back to address the crowd.
“This goddess of a woman,” Ero says, pointing toward me, “wants me to grant mercy to this witch.”
The crowd goes quiet as they wait to hear Ero’s judgment.
“You know what this so-called priestess has done and is capable of. It is you and your families whom she has tortured over the years. So, I will leave it up to you to decide her fate.”
There are shouts almost immediately calling for her to burn.
“You have until morning to decide,” Ero says, and I am somewhat relieved by his decision to wait. “Finish building the pyre.”
A buzz spreads through the crowd as they begin to whisper and discuss their own thoughts about the judgment. Ero calls several ferocious men to him and asks them to escort the woman to a cell.
I close the remaining distance between Ero and myself, but he holds up a hand once I’m within a few feet of him.
“There’s another matter I need to discuss with you,” Ero says firmly, and the noise of the crowd dies down almost immediately. “I intend to sail out in a few days. There are wars to be won overseas and lands I’ve sworn to take back. As I will be leaving, I need to appoint a jarl to rule in my stead.”
Excited murmurs.
“All eligible men who wish to be considered for the position should report to me at noon tomorrow,” Ero says before raising his hands toward the people, which seems to be a signal that today’s events are over.
Ero turns and walks quickly toward me, taking me by one arm.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say, but as soon as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re not true.
“Yes,” I say, turning my face away in shame.
“Damn. Alright, I’ll handle him. Have you eaten?”
I shake my head, not that I’d particularly felt like eating recently. Ero clears his throat uncomfortably and then starts up the hill, letting go of my arm. I follow him, but keep a small distance between us.
I’ll never admit it, but as soon as I’d seen Ero standing on the rise, I wanted him again. The confidence with which he spoke to his people, commanding but fair, I’d seen the same spark that had drawn me to him the night before. But I couldn’t tell if he really felt anything for me or if I’d simply fallen into his trap.
And then there was Roan. How could I feel so strongly for two completely different people? Roan is good, kind, and sweet. Ero is hardly any of those things. He does things out of need or selfishness with little thought for those around him. How could I possibly fall for someone like that?
I have to push him from my mind. Roan needs me more than ever right now…and it’s not possible to love two men, is it?
Love.
I chuckle audibly to myself at the ridiculousness of the idea, but the laughter dies away as it dawns on me that I do love them. I don’t know if I can honestly say that I’m in love with them, but I do love them.
All of them.
Gods, I’m in trouble.
I spend the remainder of the afternoon following Ero and several of Bjarke’s old servants around the storehouses and the jarl’s house as Ero inspects everything. He’s planning something big, and he’s asked me to stay close by while Li tends to Roan. This is the first time in a long while that I haven’t felt threatened by outside forces, and it’s nice to have nothing to do but watch and listen. I just wish it wasn’t tainted by my constant stress over Roan and Ero. I can’t imagine how this is going to play out, but the waiting is only making the not knowing worse.
With Bjarke gone, we soon found out that he’d had no real family, and I was horrified to discover he’d been keeping a number of young women locked away in several of the bedrooms.
Once we return to the Great Hall, Ero makes quick work of what he’s seen, instructing the servants to gather men to help divvy out the excess stores of food and seed among the people. I notice he’s set aside a large enough portion of the stored goods to keep the village going in case of hard times, and I can’t help but feel proud of him. As hardhearted as he might be, at least he tries to keep a good head on his shoulders.
It’s only once he’s dictated a set of new laws to the scribe that I realize exactly what he’s doing. The laws he’s setting in place take into account the election of a new leader, and he’s trying to make sure that the decrees he’s passing today can’t be changed for as long as his chosen jarl is still in charge. It’s a good idea, seeing as how the new laws should help ease the people’s burdens and give them more freedom.
With every new law Ero puts in place and every terrible one he does away with, I can’t help but feel he’s not as heartless as he makes himself out to be. But there’s one amendment he makes that forces me to pretend I’m tired so I can wipe away tears.
“Is there a list of all the young women Bjarke hurt?”
“Yes, my lord,” the scribe answers.
“Good, give it to me.” The scribe shuffles through his stack of parchments and hands one over to Ero.
“Damn bastard,” Ero growls. “Write this down.”
The scribe grabs a new parchment as Ero dictates to him.
“According to this list, each of these women will be given reparations for the damage that was done to them. These will continue to be made to them over the next ten years or until a new jarl is chosen. Scribe, please make note that I, in no way, believe these reparations make up for what happened, only that I hope it will help ease their burdens in life. Double it for any woman who bore a child from it.”
This isn’t the only admirable law Ero puts into effect as he does his best to make sure his people will be taken care of, even without him here.
It’s only once the servants begin bringing food in for supper that I realize how hungry I am. Ero had tried to get me to eat earlier, but I’d only been able to nibble on a little bread. The food smells decadent. Roasted vegetables and meats are placed on the table, but in reasonable portions to avoid waste. I stand to make my way to the table when I see movement in the corner of my eyes and turn to look.
It’s Roan.
The next few seconds seem to pass as slowly as a year as I watch Roan stride right up to Ero and punch him in the face before he can react.
Ero falls to the floor, and Roan drops down on top of him as he continues to throw punches.
I scream and race toward them. Li sprints in from the same direction Roan had come in, and several of the large men Ero had been speaking with before try to pull them apart.
Roan throws them off easily and continues to throw himself at Ero. It’s only now that I realize Ero isn’t even trying to resist, his face covered in blood.
“Roan!” I scream. “You’re killing him!”
Li grabs Roan’s fist the next time it rises in the air, and it’s finally enough to stop him. Roan is breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow.
“Holy hell, what have I done?” Roan asks, horror spreading across his face.
I run to them and push Roan off of Ero before dropping to my knees. I reach a shaking hand out and touch Ero’s face as gently as I can. He lets out a soft moan, and I sigh in relief.
“He’s still alive,” I say, my words coming out in a choked whisper and then growing louder as I turn to look up at Li. “He’s alive! We have to help him.”
Li kneels down and checks Ero’s face and eyes.
“He might have a concussion, but I won’t know for sure until he comes to. The best I can do right now is clean his wounds and keep an eye on him,” Li says wearily, and I suddenly realize how little rest he’s been getting.
“I’ll stay with him,” I say. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
Li glances up at me, relief written all over his face.
“I’ll help, too,” says Roan.
“You’ll do no such thing,” I snap. “Help me get him somewhere comfortable, Li.”
Li leaves as soon as he’s helped me clean and dress Ero’s wounds. I drag a chair next to the bed and watch him anxiously for any signs of severe damage.
I must have been watching him for hours when I suddenly feel like I’m falling only to jerk myself awake. I’ve tipped forward in my chair and barely manage to catch myself. Getting up, I lean over Ero. His face is swollen and painful to look at, but he appears to be sleeping peacefully.
The door opens and Li walks in carrying a tray of food.
“Sorry this took so long,” he says.
“That’s okay,” I say, gratefully accepting the food from him.
“I need to try to heal him,” Li says. “I think I have enough energy now to at least help him heal a little faster.”
I step back away from Ero to let Li get closer to him and watch as Li starts to touch Ero’s face gently, his lips moving but no sound escaping them. Several of the smaller bruises begin to fade in front of my eyes, and I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Leaning forward to see better, I lose my balance and reach out to steady myself. Grabbing Li’s forearm, I manage to keep myself from falling and quickly straighten, my face burning with embarrassment.
“What the—” Li’s voice trails off, and I look up to see what’s happened.
Ero’s face is completely healed, and Li is looking at it in bewilderment.
“You didn’t tell me it was that easy for you,” I say in annoyance. “Why’d you leave him hurt for so long?”
Li doesn’t say anything as he continues to stare at Ero and then at me before straightening his posture and leaving the room without another word.
Twenty-Four
Annalise
I don’t remember falling asleep, but I wake
in the bed Ero had been sleeping in the night before. Sitting up, I look around in confusion. I don’t remember getting into bed, but I soon realize that I’m alone in the room. The space next to me is empty and the pillow that Ero had been using has been tossed on the floor, still bloody from his injuries.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I realize I’m not wearing boots. I definitely don’t remember taking them off. Someone must have helped me to bed last night.
Slipping on my boots, which were placed neatly by the side of the bed, I make my way out of the room and down the corridor toward the Great Hall. I can hear Ero’s voice well before I enter the room.
“And you’re certain this is what the people have decided?” Ero asks.
“Yes, my lord.”
Ero sighs. “Very well, but make sure she’s taken far from here. Send a group to accompany her, and make sure she doesn’t come back.”
“Should we ride or sail?”
“Do we have a ship to spare?”
“There should be some smaller vessels that wouldn’t be of much use to you.”
“Sail then,” Ero says decisively. “Take her as far away from here as you can without endangering your own lives.”
I enter the Great Hall and am pleased to see that Ero looks as healthy as he ever has, not a mark on him from the day before. Li is sitting over in one corner of the room sipping from a bowl, but Roan is nowhere to be seen.
“How are preparations coming for the contest?” Ero asks a large man from across the table as they both look over a set of parchments laying out before them.
“Everything should be ready by midday, my lord,” the man responds. “I think we should expect a large number of contestants.”
“Good.”
I clear my throat as I make my way toward the men.
“Good morning, Annalise,” Ero says without looking up. “There’s breakfast materials at the head of the table if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you,” I mutter, my heart sinking at the display of indifference toward me.
