by Eva Brandt
The rain intensified, fed further by my sorrow. The fire I’d lit in the pyre was too powerful to be extinguished, so I ignored the assault of elements. My staff didn’t have the same opinion. “Your Highness,” someone shouted over the sound of rain, “we need to take cover.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I replied without looking away from the pyre. “Leave me.”
“But Your Highness…” the man insisted.
Halvar snarled and his fury did what my order could not. With the corner of my eye, I watched them all scurry away like rats. I didn’t pay them any heed.
I walked up to the pyre and knelt onto the wet ground, so close the fire threatened to burn me. “I’m sorry, Thrand,” I said. “I promise I’ll be a good mother to our son. I won’t ever forget you.”
Halvar and Mathias stood behind me, completely silent. We were all alone now, as the only person who’d stayed behind was Anna. I preferred it this way.
“I wanted so much more for us,” I told Thrand. “I wanted a real future, a family. But I’ll tell our son about you, like I promised. And I’m sure you’ll be waiting for all of us, when the moment comes for us to join you.”
“He will,” Mathias whispered. “He’ll wait for us forever, if he has to.”
His words settled over me like a comfortable blanket. When he offered me his hand, I took it. I still felt woozy and dazed, but I knew I couldn’t lose the battle with my grief, not like this.
After that, we didn’t speak again. We kept watching the fire burn and the rain fall. There was something almost ominously peaceful about it and I found myself wondering if all death was like that.
Had Thrand felt that way when I’d killed him? Had he been at peace? I liked to think so, but I’d never know for sure now.
When it was all over, I lifted my hands and summoned the winds to my aid. In Thrand and Halvar’s homeland, their people liked to use boats for funerals, but here, it had not been practical because of the way he’d died. Instead, I willed the elements to carry his ashes and his spirit to Valhalla, just like he had hoped.
My magic responded. The storm grew fiercer. The trees were ripped out of their roots. I had enough control over my power to make sure it didn’t touch us and directed the air currents away from us toward the distant sea. “Rest well, my darling. Wait for us, in the halls of the glorious dead.”
The only answer I received was the howl of the wind and that wasn’t enough.
Drained of strength, we returned to the manor, wet from head to toe, covered in ash and mud, but ignoring it. Anna kept giving me long looks, undoubtedly concerned because of my reckless use of magic. I wanted to tell her I was fine, that I could handle a little thing like that. I never got the chance.
As soon as we entered the courtyard of my residence, we saw the group of soldiers waiting for us. They bowed in front of me and didn’t even wait for me to speak. “Your Highness, I’m afraid we have to ask you to come with us. There’s been another incident in Ys.”
Another incident. Wonderful. “If it doesn’t involve Kerys sinking into the ocean, I’m not interested. I am in mourning.”
“We’ve heard, Your Highness, but we have no other choice. The island is indeed at risk.”
How in the name of the gods had that happened? Could my parents do nothing right without me? Why was I not allowed the simple comfort of crawling into a corner and grieving for my lost husband?
I clenched my hands into fists. During our trip back, the rain had settled down a little. The storm started raging once again, and thunder split the skies, expressing the violent fury I felt swirling inside me. “Fine,” I said between gritted teeth. “I’ll be there at once. I need to change my clothes.”
“We’ll come with you,” Halvar immediately offered.
“I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” Anna intervened. “The king asked the princess to come. You’d distract her.”
Halvar’s eyes flashed with dark animalistic fury, but he had enough sanity left to not shift and attack her in front of everyone. I wouldn’t have minded him killing her, but I could tell she’d been honest when she’d said the curse was no longer reliant on her. If she died, so would our last chances of salvaging what we had left.
“It’s all right, Halvar,” I said. “I can handle this on my own. You and Mathias need to rest anyway.” It was safer right now for them to be away from me. I’d led Thrand to his doom. If I kept my distance from them, maybe they’d be safe.
Mathias and Halvar weren’t happy, but they couldn’t go against me. Less than half an hour later, my carriage departed my summer residence, heading toward Ys.
The trip passed faster than I expected. My manor wasn’t very far from the capital city and I had a lot to think about. The road was difficult because of the rain, but the horses were well-trained. Before I knew it, we had reached the palace.
My mother greeted me at the entrance and practically dragged me into her interior garden. “Dahud, I understand your husband died today,” she said without preamble.
“Yes, Mother. Theuderic finally succumbed to his condition.”
My mother nodded, although something in her eyes made me wonder if she knew the truth, if she was aware I’d been the one to kill him. In any case, she didn’t mention it. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she offered instead.
I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest. “Don’t bother with such pretense. I’m well aware you prefer it this way. You knew he was going to die. Now, why did you summon me here while I was still grieving? Is something wrong with the gates again?”
My mother narrowed her eyes at me and her magic flared, just as angry as mine. “Don’t take me for a fool, daughter. I know why it is raining, and I know it won’t stop unless we make it stop. Together.”
I hadn’t expected her to lash out at me like that and her outburst gave me pause. “I don’t understand,” I answered.
But I did. It didn’t take a genius to grasp the meaning of her words. I knew very well that I was causing the rain. If the weather continued to worsen, it would damage the dikes and endanger the island.
I hadn’t really thought about it at all, even if the piece of information had been right in front of my nose the whole time. It would have been funny had it not been so terrifying.
“My child, I fear your marriage has had detrimental effects on you and your body. You need to step away from your two husbands. I insist that you remain here, under my care, until your babe is born. We can stop this rain and keep such episodes from happening again.”
I didn’t ask her how she knew I was pregnant. There was only one person who could’ve told her, and that was Mathias’s aunt. After all this, it stood to reason that she’d want me to keep my distance from Mathias.
I couldn’t blame her for it. We’d already lost Thrand to this curse. Halvar and Mathias might still have a chance if I didn’t make things worse for them with my presence. I’d already known that. It was why I’d agreed to leave the manor in the first place.
I didn’t want to bow down to my mother’s demands so easily, but I was so tired. Maybe I could go along with it, just this once.
“All right, Mother,” I replied. “But what do you expect? For me to stay trapped in my rooms, because I’m dangerous?”
“No, of course not, Dahud. I expect you to stop this rain. Then, I want us to continue with your magic lessons. We can even keep looking for a cure for the curse.
“You’ve lost one husband, but two others remain. You have a child on the way. Your future still awaits you. You can’t give up.”
“I haven’t given up,” I insisted.
“Well, then, prove it. Stay and work with us. Tame your power. Show me that you still understand the meaning of the gifts you were granted.”
She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. Had I been anyone else, it would’ve hurt. Instead, I only felt a mild pressure, as well as the buzz of her magic, wriggling its way underneath my skin.
It was enough. It reminded me of
the countless promises I’d made, of the child I was carrying and the vow I’d taken on my wedding day.
Outside, it stopped raining.
“There you go,” my mother said with a relieved smile. “I knew you could do it.”
She cupped my cheek with a gentle hand. “I realize this is difficult, Dahud. I never wanted to place this burden on your shoulders. And that woman… That Anna. I don’t trust her. She never told us this would happen.
“But you still have your life and we’re still together. Right now, that’s what counts.”
I nodded, but the feeling of numbness from earlier was already invading my chest. As my mother wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a warm embrace, I found I had trouble believing it really counted.
One day, I would have my revenge for Thrand’s death. I’d keep my promise and make sure my baby was safe. And once that happened, I’d end the existences of everyone who had been involved in this curse—starting with my parents.
Flight of the Wolf
Halvar
A few weeks later
“This is utter nonsense, Thrand. I don’t know why Dahud has to stay away from us. This whole business with the curse feels very suspicious.”
“It was suspicious from the very beginning,” Thrand replied, staring out into the distance. “I mean, it’s no secret that her family never liked us. It makes sense that Dahud’s mother wants to keep us apart.”
I paced nervously through the grove, trying to figure out what to do. My instincts were all over the place as of late. It was unnerving. It had never happened before. I suspected interference from Mathias’s aunt, so I’d tried to keep my distance. So far, it hadn’t helped.
“Should we go back to Ys? We could sneak into the palace again. No one knows I can turn into a wolf. I can pretend to be her pet or something.”
“Yes, but that still leaves me,” Thrand mused. “And it’s not like we can hide that we’re no longer here.”
He was right. I couldn’t abandon Thrand in Anna’s clutches. It was bad enough that Mathias had to constantly run interference between us and that vile woman. If Thrand was here too, on his own… No, it was a bad idea.
“I should just get rid of her already. She’s not helping us anyway.”
“The pendant is keeping Mathias safe, though. He hasn’t been turning to bone since he started wearing it. So she’s doing something. If we kill her, we might make things worse.”
“Or we might lift the curse altogether.”
The thought had been plaguing me more and more for the past couple of weeks. Dahud had always believed that Anna was telling the truth and so had Mathias, but maybe Anna had fooled them. And I still had Dahud’s parents to deal with. They needed to pay for what they had done.
“It’s settled then,” Thrand said. “We kill her.”
I nodded. We’d already waited long enough. I should’ve acted sooner, but that was all right. I could still make sure my loved ones were safe. We could still have a life and a future together. After all, no one had gotten too hurt so far.
With a savage grin, I shifted into my true form. This was what I was, what I should’ve been from the beginning. As a wolf, I could destroy everything and everyone who stood in my path.
There was just one problem. The moment I changed shapes, Thrand disappeared. One moment, he was there, and the next, he vanished into thin air. He left behind no sign of his presence, not even his scent.
Hatred and urgency swelled through me, bright hot and as fierce as my female’s storms. The witch. It was the only explanation. She was trying to take Thrand again. I wouldn’t let her. I absolutely refused.
Snarling, I ran toward the den I shared with my mates. It was a comfortable lair, especially since it smelled like Dahud and had all her things. But today, it had been invaded by a vicious predator. I would weed her out if it was the last thing I did.
I found the witch in front of the manor, eating, as if there was nothing wrong. Mathias was with her, eyeing her with suspicion and frustration. He’d obviously noticed what I had, but didn’t want to kill her.
Perhaps it was because she was his mother’s litter mate, but that didn’t matter to me. I had no such ties to her, just anger and the desire for revenge.
I lunged at the witch, ready to tear her throat out. At the last moment, she noticed me coming and shot to her feet, already throwing a quick shield between us. I managed to rake my claws over her chest, but didn’t get the chance to do more damage. She hissed in pain, stumbling away from me. “Halvar, don’t! You don’t understand what you’re doing. I’m trying to help you.”
Help me? That was a laugh. She was my enemy. I had no doubt that she could help me, but only by dying.
I circled around her, searching for the right spot to sneak under her guard. Mathias got between us and tried to reach out to me. “Halvar, you need to calm down. Tell me what’s wrong. Is it Dahud or just… the usual?”
I growled at him. Everything was wrong. Dahud’s absence, Thrand’s disappearance, this witch’s continuing existence. I couldn’t fix the first two yet, but I could start with the last part.
“It’s pointless, Mathias,” the witch replied. “He doesn’t understand you. I told you he’s gone mad.”
“So you keep saying. I’m tempted to disagree since so far, his way seems to make more sense. At this point, relying on you is much crazier than trying to kill you.”
His words were a confirmation that I was doing the right thing. Encouraged, I shot into action once again. Maybe I wouldn’t kill her at once. Maybe I’d just force her to tell me what she’d done to Thrand and why he’d disappeared. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was gone just as we’d made the decision to eliminate her.
I hit a shield of power again, but this time, I didn’t allow it to deter me. Instead, I forced my way forward. A surge of magic erupted through my paws, a power just as potent as Odin’s helping me move forward.
The witch’s protective ward cracked and within seconds, I was on top of her. My claws dug into her shoulders and abdomen. She screamed in agony but didn’t give up. Her magic flailed, trying to shove me off. But she was weak, so weak, and I would easily be able to snuff out the flame of her existence.
I was about to do just that when I caught sight of Thrand standing next to Mathias. He was covered in blood and burns, and through the gaping wound in his chest, I could see his shattered heart. “Oh, Halvar. Nothing you do now is ever going to fix things. I’m dead and you didn’t stop it in time.”
Every muscle in my body froze at the sight of him. No. No. He couldn’t be dead. He was right there, in front of me. He’d always been there, by my side. He was my mate. We were supposed to have a family together—the two of us, Dahud, Mathias, and our pup.
“That won’t happen,” Thrand told me. “I won’t ever get to see our pup. And you’re failing Dahud too by obeying the commands of these people.”
Dahud manifested next to him, her silhouette glowing like a distant star. “You should be with me,” she said mournfully. “At this rate, they’ll kill me and the baby. Why aren’t you protecting me, Halvar? You promised you would.”
Yes, I had, but she’d told me to stay here. She’d said she could handle her family on her own.
“And you believed that? I couldn’t have asked you to come along with me, not with my parents trying to control me. There’s no guarantee that I can protect you now, Halvar. But I can’t protect myself or our child either.”
“I’ll come,” I told her and Thrand with a desperate howl. “Please wait for me. Don’t go anywhere.”
“We can’t wait any longer,” Thrand answered. “You’ve failed us. You don’t deserve to be Dahud’s husband or my lover.”
With that, Thrand took Dahud’s hand and turned away. Together, my two soulmates left the courtyard and headed back into the forest.
Even if I knew Thrand was right, I followed them. I might not deserve them, but I needed them anyway. And they weren’t gone yet
. I could still find them.
Dahud and Thrand seemed to be going to the cliff, the highest point of the mountain in this area of the island. I had to change forms to scale the cliff, but I forced my way through the shift as quickly as I could, knowing there was no time to waste. Any delay would mean potentially losing Dahud or Thrand.
“Halvar!” Mathias cried from behind me. “Wait! Stop!”
For a few seconds, his voice made me hesitate. Maybe I should listen. After all, we could easily go together to find Thrand and Dahud. We were stronger together than apart.
No, I couldn’t do that. Dahud and Thrand were leaving and I had to stop them. Mathias would understand my urgency later. He’d catch up and I’d explain.
Nodding to myself, I started scaling the cliff. It didn’t take me long to reach the very top, but it still seemed like forever. Thrand and Dahud were sitting on the edge of the cliff, holding hands. They both turned toward me as I approached. “You came after us,” Dahud said with a tiny, surprised smile. “As expected of my beloved mate.”
“Of course I came,” I replied. “I haven’t failed you yet. Just give me a second chance.”
Thrand chuckled. “I’ll give you as many chances as you like, Halvar. You know I’ve never been able to stay away from you, even when I should have.”
Both he and Dahud got up and stepped back. “You took what you wanted so many times,” Thrand continued, “but I don’t blame you for it. I forgive you. Now, come with us.”
He extended his hand toward me, smiling just as warmly as Dahud. I desperately wanted to reach out. But something at the back of my mind blared, the same instinct that had been missing as of late. It was a warning. Oh, no. The witch was undoubtedly trying to come after us, intent on stealing my mates from me.
I looked behind. Mathias hadn’t arrived yet. Could I leave him with her?
“He’s going to be fine,” Dahud said. “He’ll catch up with us. He’s her nephew and she won’t hurt him, not like she would hurt us.”
Thrand nodded. “He’ll take care of her for us. In the meantime, you can make sure we’re safe.”
