Page 24

The glowing firelight illuminated Eyfura’s empathetic, almost pitying expression. “I’m sure there are people out there—”

“I’m not interested in romance.” Kolfinna averted her gaze. A chill settled in her bones and she subconsciously reached for her right shin, her fingers curling over her knee. “Besides being a fae, I also have this terrible limp. I’m not exactly the ideal type for most people.”

“That’s not true! You’re ideal to the people who matter!” Eyfura wrapped an arm around Kolfinna and kept it in place even as Kolfinna flinched at her touch. “You’ll find someone who loves you for who you are—fae, limp, bad attitude and all!”Eyfura waggled her brows at the last part and rushed in with a laugh. “The last part is a joke.”

Despite the joke, Kolfinna’s expression soured. “I don’t have a bad attitude.”

“I’m joking with you.” Her jovial expression softened. “But I’m serious when I say there’s someone out there, Kolfinna. You should value yourself more.”

She didn’t say anything and continued looking into the fire. She did value herself. Why else was she always running and protecting herself? She couldn’t trust anyone. Not a man or woman. Not a lover or a friend.

Her hands clenched into fists subconsciously. But wasn’t that the whole reason why she wanted to become a Royal Guard? So she could finally find peace and be safe? Wouldn’t safety mean she could try to find someone to love? Maybe there was someone out there who could love her. Maybe she could also gush over people like Eyfura.

No, a small voice in the back of her mind said. There was no one like that out there.

Besides, being a Royal Guard didn’t mean that the people around her wouldn’t backstab her.

“Are you nervous?” Eyfura tried dusting off a smudge of dirt on her white gloves distractedly. “Blár Vilulf will be there. I know you have history with him.”

Kolfinna shivered as a breeze wafted through the camp, the trees rustling and the fire sputtering before tendrils of fire spread like outstretched hands toward the blackened sky. The cold bit her right leg and she reached for her shin, massaging her sore muscles. “He made my leg like this,” she whispered.“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to face him.”

Eyfura’s face grew white. “He what?”

“He attacked me and”—Kolfinna’s voice grew thick—“he almost killed me. He could’ve killed me, actually, but he let me go for whatever reason. My leg broke in multiple places and it healed wrong, so I’m stuck with this.”

She was reminded of Magni’s description of Blár playing with her like a toy, and once that toy broke and stopped moving, he grew bored of it and left it there. She reached her hands out toward the fire to warm the numbing ice spreading over her body.

She shuddered as she remembered his tundra-like blue eyes. The evil curve of his lips. The way he peered down at her like she was filth.

“I’m so sorry,” Eyfura whispered. “It must be terrible to have to see him and work with him.”

“I’m nervous, but Fenris said he won’t hurt me.” Kolfinna didn’t completely believe those words. Blár was the same power rank as Fenris, so what reason did he have to follow Fenris’s order not to harm her? Besides, Blár wasn’t a Royal Guard, so Fenris had no control over him. “He’ll behave because I’m on his side this time. He has to.”

“We’ll protect you,” Eyfura said. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you. You have all the Royal Guards here to protect you if he does anything to you. We might not look like it, and to be brutally honest, some probably don’t like you, but we would never let the military mess with us like that. You’re our responsibility.”

That eased a bit of the tension cording her neck, but she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you … do you, by any chance, know if he’s a hunter?”

The wind howled in the distance as Eyfura paused to think. “I don’t think so. Mímir said he wasn’t.” Upon seeing Kolfinna’s expression, Eyfura continued, “I really don’t think he is. And besides, even if he were a hunter, would that change anything? He still can’t hurt you.”

Kolfinna’s fingernails dug into the bark; that was true, even if Blár Vilulf was or wasn’t a hunter, did that change that he was dangerous? Or that he wouldn’t hurt her?

“By the way”—Eyfura grinned at her—“what can you do with your magic abilities? I think you mentioned they’re nature-based?”

“Yes.” She raised her hand above the grass below their feet. Her mana sizzled on her skin and the grass grew until it reached her hand. “I can do this. Among other things.”

Eyfura’s eyes were two wide saucers. “Gosh, that’s awesome. I’ve never had a green thumb. All my plants always die.”

“Fae are usually good gardeners.” Kolfinna chuckled. “Before my sister and I chose to be cleaning maids, we thought about being gardeners and selling our vegetables, but that would be too suspicious. Plus, vegetables grown with magic don’t taste that great.”

“You’d be great in areas that have droughts. Imagine all the peoples’ livelihoods you can help! That could be an awesome business venture. ‘Kolfinna’s Growing Aid’ or something like that!” Eyfura leaned back on her log and grinned into the night sky. “You’d become stinking rich.”

“And you? What’s your power?”

“I’m an Enhancer.” Eyfura held up her fist. “So I’m basically just strong.”

“I heard learning to become an Enhancer is hard.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Elementals have it easier, I think. Their magic comes easy to them since it’s more natural, but Enhancers have to ‘wake up’ their magic since it’s dormant.”Eyfura sighed loudly, her gaze becoming distant as she peered up at the black sky. “It was so freakin’ hard for me to awaken my abilities. I used to be so jealous of Nollar. My parents were so proud when they found out about his magic and they pinned all their hopes and dreams on him. They already were pretty proud that he was a Lightning Elemental, but they hoped he’d become big.