Page 47 of Daughter of the Serpent

Axel.

She should tell him about Axel.

About the way the warrior had stepped in, how his runes seemed to pulse in the dim light as though drawing power from the darkness itself. But something stopped her - a feeling she couldn’t explain, a sense that revealing too much might only complicate things further.

“The last thing I remember was hearing their screams... and then I woke up with the healers.”

Haldor studied her closely, his frown deepening.

“This doesn’t sit right,” he said slowly, his voice laced with suspicion. “It’s all too strange. Too convenient.”

Unease coiled in her belly. “What do you mean?”

His gaze bore into her, his voice hushed as he leaned in. “I think someone’s seized an opportunity.”

Sylvie blinked, his words hitting like a blow. “What?”

He nodded grimly. “Think about it. How long have they wanted you gone? The people don’t trust you - they never have. There are plenty here who wouldn’t hesitate to see you fall.”

The truth of it made her stomach churn. “But if they wanted me dead,” she argued, “why not kill me there in the forest? Why leave me alive?”

“Maybe they saw your magic,” he said, his tone bitter. “Maybe they decided to let you take the blame for Baldr’s men. Either way, they’re turning the village against you, Sylvie. The people already believe you’re a murderer.”

Her voice cracked as she replied, “And that I deserve to die.”

His jaw tightened, his frustration bleeding into his voice. “Then the solution is clear.”

She arched a brow, weary. “What solution?”

“We need to get you out of Mardova,” he said flatly. “If you stay and face the trials, you won’t survive.”

Sylvie’s breath caught, her stomach sinking like a stone. “I know I’m at a disadvantage, but - ”

“No,” he interrupted, his voice cutting through hers like a blade. “You havenotraining. You can’t control your magic, and you’ve never been in real combat. The snows are melting. You’ve barely got enough time to prepare for - ”

“I know!” she snapped, the sharpness in her tone startling even herself. “But what choice do I have? What other path is there?”

“You canrun,” he said, stepping closer, his voice softer now but laden with urgency. His hand found hers, his grip firm. “You can leave Mardova - disappear into the mountains, cross the sea. Find a place where no one knows your name.”

Sylvie stared at him, her heart pounding, torn between the desperation in his voice and the fire in her own resolve. “Run?” she repeated, her voice barely audible. “And leave everything behind?”

“It’s better than staying here and dying for people who’ve already decided your fate.”

“I can’t do that Haldor - whether I like it or not, this is my home, my people - ”

“Your home? Your people?” He huffed, blinking rapidly in his frustration. “How can you say that? They want to kill you Sylvie - they want your blood! They won’t hesitate, the second you're vulnerable. What do you think is going to happen when the trials begin? As soon as someone can get you into their reach - they will see you dead before you could ever prove yourself worthy.”

“I have to try…”

“If you do this, youwilldie.” His eyes burrowed into her. “I am certain.”

Sylvie sucked in a breath, her eyes wide as fear snaked along her spine.

What if he was right? What if this was her best chance, here now? To leave and never come back.

But why did she get the feeling that if she left, she would regret it the rest of her life?

“Do you truly doubt me this much?”