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“It’s true that we will be splitting the goods with the military,” Fenris said after a long pause. “But whether the imperial family receives the goods or the military, it, overall, will strengthen our nation. Which is why we have agreed to work with them.”

An uneasiness stirred in the air. She could already tell where this conversation was going, but she still asked. “So …” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Where do I fit in all of this?”

“We wish for you to aid us as well,” he said.

“You want me to throw away my life foryournation and foryourking?” Kolfinna’s fingers twitched against the wall, the stones beneath the wallpaper grinding against each other with her mana. She couldn’t escape, and they must’ve been crazy to think she would willingly throw her life away like that.

“I’ll have to decline,” she said quickly, even though she knew it was futile. They could make her do anything now that they had her.

Mímir fiddled with the cuff of his white glove. “This nation and its king is alsoyournation andyourking.”

“As far as the king and this nation are concerned, I’m no different than an animal.” She shot him a glare but averted her eyes when she saw a look of pity flash over him. She mumbled, “I’m not dying for your stupid artifacts.”

“If you refuse, then we have no reason to keep you alive,” Magni spat. A crackle and sizzle sounded in the room as fire danced on the palms of his hands.

“Donotattack her.” Fenris’s voice didn’t rise in the slightest, but the temperature in the room rose significantly and he gave Magni a dark look that would’ve made any man drop to his knees in fear.

Magni’s cheeks blazed red, but he listened and his flames flickered to sparks before dissipating altogether.He folded his hands behind his back and stared at his shiny leather boots.

“We wish to cooperate with you,” Fenris said, turning his hard gaze away from Magni. “Please allow me to finish my proposition before you make your decision.”

Kolfinna tried to keep some fire in her voice, even as fear ran through her veins. “Why me? I’m sure you can find a willing dog to do your dirty work.”

“The ruins have many writings all over them, which we believe is the lost magic, rune magic,” he said. “It is said that only powerful fae are able to read it. We think that by deciphering the runes, we’ll be able to navigate the ruins and excavate the artifacts.”

“You think I’ll be able to read these runes?”

Her body went still. They needed a fae to read those runes, but she had never known anyone who knew how to read, write, or use that old magic. There was no way she was going to be able to read it right off the bat.

“You will be the deciding factor in our success or failure.” He said it like it was supposed to make her feel important, but she only felt dread at those words.

It was a lot of pressure to put on her shoulders. Was she just a scapegoat everyone could use if the mission failed? Dump all the blame on her and save the disgrace the Royal Guards and military would otherwise face with failure?

But at least they didn’t want to kill her. That was a start. As long as she was useful, they would keep her alive.

It should’ve comforted her that she wouldn’t die today, but she couldn’t shake her unease in that room. Even as these three men stood in the lilac room with mostly amicable words, she still felt like a cornered, trapped beast, being poked and prodded for a reaction.

“I’m … I’m flattered.” She swallowed; this was what they wanted to hear. She couldn’t refuse them—she was a prisoner. But they wanted to keep up this ruse that she was going along with their plan out of her free will.

“Then—” Fenris started.

“Why pretend like you want my cooperation when you can just force me?” The words came out quickly, and she snapped her mouth shut.

“We want your cooperation because we need you. You’re the most powerful fae that we know of,” he said slowly.

She wasn’t powerful, but there wasn’t much competition when it came to the fae, since there were so few of them. A year ago, she would’ve agreed with him. But she had faced against Blár and had realized how weak she actually was.

Fenris’s voice was soft, and she believed him as he spoke, “We don’t want someone who’s only there by force because you’ll have the upper hand in those ruins. So we want a mutually beneficial relationship.”

She laced her hands together to keep them from shaking. “Why should I help you? What’s stopping me from agreeing and then escaping? After all, there are only three people in this entire country who can stop me.” She raised her trembling fingers and tallied off, “Blár Vilulf, Hilda Helgadottir, and you, Captain Asulf.” Kolfinna clenched her fingers into a fist. “I hardly see how a black rank like you would want to babysit me forever and keep me on a leash. And what’s stopping me from leaving afteryouleave?”

She was bluffing. There were definitely more than three people who were stronger than her. But she had the upper hand becausethey needed her.

“You’ve raised some good points,” Fenris said with a nod, as if expecting those questions. “You can leave whenever you want, really, but I wouldn’t advise that. You don’t want to become my enemy because that’s exactly what you’ll become. I don’t enjoy being embarrassed, especially when King Leiknir gave me this mission personally. If you do try to leave, it won’t be Blár Vilulf coming after you like last time. It’ll be me. And as a word of caution, unlike Blár, I don’t toy with my targets and I don’t let them live just because I’m bored.”

Even though he said that, the thought of Fenris coming after her didn’t invoke the same effect as the thought of Blár coming after her—whenever she thought of that cruel monster, her palms grew sweaty and her stomach churned. Her shin would throb painfully at the memory of his ice semi-freezing the muscles and snapping her bones like a twig. His ice-blue eyes still haunted her even a year later.

Fenris must’ve misunderstood her fear of Blár for his threat because he continued, “I won’t come after you if you cooperate with us. It’s not all doom and gloom. We have incentives to make it so youwantto fulfill this mission. If you’re able to successfully finish this mission, we’ll pardon you for your crimes. You’ll no longer have to be on the run.”