Page 35 of Dance of Kings and Thieves

Sigurd folded his arms over his thick chest. “How am I supposed to accomplish all this?”

I leaned closer, voice low. “Figure it out.”

Sigurd scoffed, looking to Malin. “You truly took vows with him?”

“I did.” She curled a hand around my arm, resting her head on my shoulder.

“What do you plan to do with this?” Sigurd scratched the back of his neck. “How can the fae be of use to you when their queen is on the side of Ivar?”

“You ask a lot of questions, steelman.”

“And I think I have a right to know before I make a deal with the Nightrender.”

I cocked my head to one side. “To know their purpose merely gives us insight into the schemes of the Black Palace.” I took a step closer to the man, intentionally darkening my eyes until his shop was painted in a cold gray. “You are with us, or you are not. Ask no more questions, for you’ll get no more answers.”

Sigurd’s lips pinched, as if he was less than satisfied, but didn’t have plans to argue. “You make deals. Well, what is my end of the deal if I do this?”

“Our protection.”

“Fine.” Based on the speed of his reply, he’d already agreed before I offered the protection, but if I had to guess the man had a bit of defiance and didn’t take too kindly to being pushed around. Not even by me.

“But Malin, watch your back,” Sigurd went on. “The household of House Strom has gone missing, probably dead. Ivar would not do it unless he plans to make you an example.”

She muttered a silent plea for Ansel and his family. My chest cinched for the fate of the grounds master, too. He’d never been unkind to me as a boy. The Guild of Kryv had kept his son’s blood illness from cutting his life short. I did not wish him harm, but I also did not have the same hopeful optimism Malin kept in her eyes.

Malin gave Sigurd a soft smile, then wrapped her arms around his neck. “We’ll meet again.”

With a few polite farewells, the steelman acknowledged the Northern folk and Raum.

I stood close, narrowing my eyes before I stepped out the door. “Do not betray us. I’ve lost patience for traitors and will toss their entrails across the kingdom if anyone betrays my wife.”

Sigurd didn’t look away; he closed the last of the distance between us and said, “And you should know I admiredänniskStrom.Youharm her, I might do the same, Nightrender.”

I chuckled darkly, then turned toward the door, slamming it at my back without another word.

CHAPTERTWELVE

THE MEMORY THIEF

Outside,the earth was still damp from the rain.

We had entered the ruins of Felstad two days earlier. And every time I entered the young forest sprouting in the courtyard ruins, I breathed a little easier.

My fingers traced the leaves and touched the mossy stones of the walls.

Home.

But there was a piece missing. Vali. His absence created a gaping wound, one I didn’t think we would ever manage to heal.

Guilt sank deep into my veins. Truth be told, I’d grown arrogant thinking the Kryv were untouchable. The schemes we’d survived, it was as if no blade, no poison, nothing could touch us. When we’d left Felstad, I never imagined we’d return without one of us in our number.

The moment we returned, Raum had trudged to a young aspen tree. He’d taken a short blade from the weapon wall and stabbed the point into the soil, then burned a wooden rune in honor of Vali.

We weren’t invincible. A heavy weight in my gut was a constant reminder we were mortal. We bled.

We died.

I climbed the stairs to the upper tower room. Memories flooded my mind. When I first came here, I’d been lost. My heart had scorched black from losing the two people who’d loved me best.