Page 5

“Leave me alone,” Maude replied, not looking at him.

She concentrated on finding the center of her galder— never an easy thing for her to do when her emotions were running rampant— so she could melt these irons off her.

Maude tried to imagine herself gripping the center of her being that pulsed with fire, her galder .

Whenever she thought she had reined in her emotions and gotten a grip on her fire, her fingers would slip like she was trying to grasp at melting ice.

Finally, Maude felt her hands start to warm, but the cold metal of the cuffs still bit her skin. These gods damned cuffs were warded against galder .

Fuck, she cursed internally.

After a few minutes of silence, Herrick chimed in, “How is the escape going?”

“I can figure this out on my own; I’ve been doing it long enough now.”

“I was simply offering a favor for one in return.”

“Well, don’t. It’s unwanted,” she snapped.

“But you don’t even know what I want to ask you,” Herrick chuckled and flashed her a charming smile.

“I don’t want your help, and I don’t want to help you. That’s all I need to know.”

“Why do you say it like that? We’ve only ever exchanged a few words and a few more blows that I’m sure you enjoyed immensely. I know I did,” Herrick said, clearly enjoying the back and forth .

“What are you doing here, Herrick?” She blew out a breath, unable to find the energy to continue arguing with him. Gods damn this man.

“Ah, so you did hear my name last night. I’m flattered you remembered,” Herrick flashed a grin, his dimple showing its face. Maude’s breath caught in her chest at the sight, but he quickly grew serious.

“I need your help. I will help break you out of this cell in exchange for your assistance.”

“Why should I help you?” Maude asked, wariness dulling the sharp words.

“Because I think you hate this existence you’re living. On the run, hiding in plain sight, fighting strangers because you need to release your anger somewhere productive. Though I don’t know why you are running, I believe I can offer you a solution.”

Maude stiffened at the frank assessment of her. Was she that transparent?

“What makes you think I’m not just some bottom dweller? You obviously hail from a family of warriors or nobility with the way you move and fight; the fatemark on your chest gives you away. Who are you to say that I don’t enjoy the way I live?”

Herrick only stared at her. Watched her face as she reacted to what he said.

“I think you're hiding. You don’t have to tell me why, but you, too, move like a trained warrior. I’d say you were a shieldmaiden, but you’re more calculated than any soldier I’ve fought.”

Frozen in place, Maude didn’t give anything away. She had spent long enough on her own to know how to control her face, even if she couldn't control her emotions. But Herrick saw through her front.

“Agree to help me, and I will free you from this jail.” Herrick, at last, started to sound annoyed with her reluctance to listen .

“You still haven’t told me why I should help you.” A question and a challenge.

“Because I know of a weapon that can be used to eliminate the hateful, ruinous king that sits on the Throne of Wind and Fire. Freeing us all.”

Every thought in Maude’s mind stopped in its tracks. Absolute silence rang in her ears.

Arrows flew by as Maude ran through the red-bricked courtyard.

Dodging the projectiles left and right, she ran for the eastern wall, toward freedom.

The dull sound of an arrow skimming her left ear rattled her as she dropped to the ground and slid on her side to avoid the swing of a sword from a soldier who appeared just before she could jump to reach for the bricks that led the way to Logi.

The Kingdom of Flame soldier clothed in a red, orange, and white uniform turned and swung his short sword downward as Maude rose to her feet.

She drew her sword and axe at the same time, metal on metal crashing through the small space as they crossed above her head to block a killing blow .

Throwing her weight behind her block, she threw off the soldier's attack and slashed. Her sword sliced through his belly easily, his insides turning out. Blood sprayed out and arced across her face, painting it red. Her face stung, but she couldn’t think about her pain right now.

She couldn’t think about the emotion bubbling up inside her.

She refused to give it a name. Sheathing her sword and placing her axe back at her side, she ran and jumped up to grasp the first vine sticking out.

Her frustration and anger had boiled over, and the tears she had been trying to hide fell freely, stinging the open wounds and causing the drying blood to run down her face again.

Everything hurt. Her arms, her ribs where an open wound was freely bleeding, her ankle that had twisted in the fight. Her heart. Her soul.

Gaining a foothold, she started to climb, fingers jamming between the bricks and lifting her to freedom.

It wasn’t until Maude reached the top of the wall that she heard her scream Maude’s name.

Grabbing the bow she had hastily hung over her shoulder, Maude drew an arrow from her quiver in one fluid motion and turned towards that lovely voice.

But what she didn’t know was that it was already too late.

If Herrick hadn't already been watching Maude intently for a few days now, he might’ve missed it.

Maude carried herself in a way that was confident and easy on the outside.

Unruffled and calm. If one paid close enough attention, however, they would see that she moved very carefully through the world and was loath to disrupt her illusion.

To see her grow this preternaturally still was impressive, Herrick thought.

He wasn’t sure if she was even breathing, but Maude was no longer present; that much was obvious.

Herrick had triggered her so violently that she was now reliving some horrific part of her past if her scar was any indication, but he needed to find a way to get her to agree to work with him before their window was closed.

She saw her hands begin to dance with flames again and knew he was running out of time before she lost her shred of control and his plan collapsed. It seemed that this woman did not have any power over her emotions.

“Maude, are you with me?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice.

It took all of Herrick’s training not to fall backward at what he saw in her eyes.

Flames burned behind her black eyes so hot they almost glowed.

Rage and retribution flickered in those flames; she was lost in her trauma, and they were all running out of time.

And while Herrick knew that what he should be focusing on was the plan he and his friends had discussed, all he could do was get sucked into her wrath.

Pulling him from the brief trance, he heard the signal: a whistle that was so out of tune it could only be Liv’s, announcing the shift change of the guards.

“Maude, I need you to be here. I need you to agree,” he practically pleaded with her.

She stirred at whatever she heard in his voice, her eyes clearing a bit.

“Swear it,” Maude said, voice cracking.

“What?”

“ Swear it . Swear that you know of something that will remove him from this place permanently. That he will suffer in Hel for all he’s done.”

Herrick considered her quickly; her anger and hatred seemed to fuel this ever-growing fire in her.

“I can only swear to tell you what I know. The rest we can figure out together,” Herrick promised.

She eyed him before answering, “It’s not enough.”

“It will have to be. Put your pride aside and trust someone!” Herrick snapped, his never-ending patience at last broken.

“Trust gets you killed.”

“For the love of the gods, just trust me then.”

Maude studied his face. For a long beat of silence, it was only the two of them.

“ Fine ,” Maude said between clenched teeth, finally conceding to whatever she saw in him. The look in her eyes told Herrick, however, that this would not be the last of this conversation. “Now get me out of here. ”

“With pleasure, shieldmaiden,” Herrick smirked. Maude rolled her eyes.

Sounds of a struggle echoed down the hall outside her cell before the deafening crash of the cell door exploding off its hinges cut off any words that might have been said. Through the hole that had been blasted to Maude’s right, Liv and Gunnar appeared, bloodied and bruised but whole.

“I hope she agreed to help us because there is no going back now,” Liv grumbled, loud enough for Herrick to hear.

“I am right here; I can hear you,” Maude growled.

“I know,” Liv said flippantly.

“Regardless, we might as well finish what we started. Even if she doesn’t help us, it’s been fun getting to fuck with Helvig’s soldiers,” Gunnar said with a grin.

Even Maude’s lips lifted in the corners at his friend's comment but quickly disappeared. At his nod, Liv and Gunnar undid the chains binding Maude to the wall of the cell. She stood quickly but swayed as her eyes began to roll backward. Gunnar caught her before she hit the ground and swore.

“She’s not in any condition to be running through the streets of Logi.”

“Fuck you,” Maude slurred before she passed out.

“You sure can pick ‘em, Herrick,” Liv chuckled.

Herrick had straightened over the barred window and strolled a few paces away, plastering on a bewildered look to match those of the citizens around him.

“We’ll meet at the house; I’ll make sure it’s clear here and see you later.”

Gunnar hesitated for a second, an unconscious Maude over his shoulder, and looked up to Herrick. “You have thirty minutes before Hakon sends me to find you. He’s already pissed that you forced him to stay behind. ”

“I’ll deal with Hakon,” Herrick responded quietly so no one around them heard. Gunnar turned and took off down the underground hall, disappearing with the fiery woman who had an irritatingly iron grip on Herrick.