Page 98 of A Monarch's Fall

“It’s real death: the absence of all life,” I told her. “It shouldn’t be possible, and everyone wants to use me as a weapon of war.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. They can’t actually force you to use your magic,” Ana reassured.

I nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said, but I wasn’t sure how true that was; it certainly didn’t stop anyone from killing me if I refused.

We walked all day, and it felt like we would never reach the end of the forest. The sun moved lower and lower in the sky, the world becoming a dull grey, and I remembered Arvid’s warning to be there before sunrise. If we didn’t reach the edge of the estate soon, night would reach us and we wouldn’t be able to find our way.

Just as I was beginning to panic that we were somehow walking in the wrong direction, the trees began to thin, and then suddenly we were at the side of a long dirt road, the kind of private road only found in the deep countryside.

“Maybe we should stay in the treeline,” Ana suggested.

“I don’t know, Arvid’s meant to have someone waiting for us, looking for us, how will they know where we are if we’re hiding?” I asked.

“They’ll probably be able to smell you out,” a terrifyingly familiar voice said behind us.

I turned around so fast that I lost my balance and fell to the ground, my hands stinging against dirt and stone.

Ana was quick to help me up, holding onto me with one hand and holding out her other in front of us in defence.

“Percy?” she asked.

“It’s Valen,” I told her as I looked at a man I thought dead months ago.

He was thinner, his hair a little overgrown and wind-swept, his eyes were stormy and dull grey, and he was dressed in slacks with a white shirt visible under an open puffer jacket. Arvid had betrayed me. He had gotten what he wanted from me and had sent Ana and me to our deaths.

He was getting rid of us.

“Stay back,” Ana warned, closing and opening her hand as if preparing to use her magic.

Valen laughed and held up his hands.

“Calm down, blood-witch. I’m your ride out of here,” he said.

“Sorry if I don’t believe you,” Ana said.

“I know you and I,” he said, addressing me, “parted ways before on less than amicable terms, but we’ve clearly both found ourselves one way or another in need of making a deal with one Arvid Halvorsen,” he said his name like a curse and his face scrunched in disgust. “Part of my deal is making sure you make it out of here alive,” he finished.

“And why should we trust you? What’s in it for you?” Ana asked.

He threw his arms in the air and spun around.

“Everything. My life, freedom, and future depend on me holding up my end of the bargain,” he answered.

“What has Arvid offered you exactly, and what do you have to do in return?” I questioned.

“Still got that spark I see.” He stepped towards us and then clutched at his chest as Ana let out a low whistle. He smiled at Ana, despite being clearly in pain, and held up his hands, stepping back again. “I asked for my life, for my titles, and power. In return, I must complete several tasks. The first is getting you out of here,” he answered, gritting his teeth against the pain.

“Why should we believe you?” Ana asked.

“Who else is coming to save you?” he asked in return, “It’s only us out here, unless you want to try and walk back to Borealis alone. I doubt you’d get far, not with The New Foundation already searching the woods for the two of you. Not when you can’t trust a single person you might meet along the way; they have spies and supporters in every village, town, and city. You wouldn’t make it much more than a day alone,” he ground out, clutching his chest.

“Ana,” I said softly, pushing her arm down.

Valen visibly relaxed when Ana released him.

“He’s right,” I whispered to her.