Page 16

“Does Vidar know about this?” I ask, my interest suddenly piqued. After I properly fucked it up with House Haugen, I’m surprised they want anything to do with our family. I know Vidar won’t be too happy about being married off, even though that’s part and parcel of being a Kolbeck.

“It doesn’t matter what Vidar does and doesn’t know,” my father says with a dismissive wave of his hand as he half sits on the edge of his desk.

The movement is stiff and makes the corners of his eyes twitch, which I know is his way of hiding pain.

He sees me noticing this too, a warning coming across his brow, telling me not to remark on it, even though we both know I could help him. He’s never even let me try.

All because he’s seen me try once before.

And he’s seen me fail.

A failure heard around the world, a failure that follows me to this day, a slinking shadow of death and shame.

I brought a dog back to life , I want to tell him, but he wouldn’t believe me anyway.

But the thought of Lemi reminds me of my prisoner.

“So I take it you don’t want to hear my plan,” I say to my father, smacking my hands on my thighs as I get up. “That’s fine.”

He frowns. “What plan?”

“The one that involves the thief I have upstairs.”

He blinks. “You were serious about that?” he asks, eyes widening.

“You know I always am,” I say, my jaw flexing. Why does everyone think everything I say and do is a joke?

“You’re kidnapping people now?” He shakes his head, looking aghast.

“You’re taking the moral road now?” I say, stepping around my chair. “Do you know how many people you’ve kidnapped? That you’ve held below in our prisons? That you’ve tortured? Murdered?”

“All in the name of the king!”

“So for once we’re doing it in the name of Kolbeck.

And I’m not torturing her. Her name is Brynla Aihr and I’ve been watching her a long time now.

Through the raven, through Dagruna Bjarr, I’ve learned that she’s one of the best.” I decide not to mention Lemi for the time being.

“She just needs help and training, something I can provide to get her to the next level.”

He makes a noise of disgust. “If you need more help on your raids, you go down to the docks and you pay for them.”

“You don’t understand. She isn’t like those thieves. She’s in a class of her own. That’s why she’s been working for House Dalgaard for years. That’s why they have the leg up.”

His mouth drops. “You stole Dalgaard’s thief?”

I swallow hard, finding my conviction. “Does that scare you?”

“You’re a damn fool!” he shouts, his eyes blazing. “You’ve brought a Sorland spy into our very house!”

“She’s not from Sorland. She’s from the Banished Land. She’s a Freelander.”

“That’s even worse!” He looks up to the ceiling and shakes his head. “Valdis, Vigdis, forgive my fool of a son, for he does not know what he does.”

“I know very well what I’m doing,” I snap. “I captured Brynla so she can work for our side. In exchange I will get her aunt out of the Dark City.”

“Andor,” he barks as he walks toward me. I hold my ground. He presses his finger into my chest, hard. “You had no right to bring a Freelander into this house. You know what kind of people they are.”

“Actually, I don’t,” I say. “At least I didn’t before I started dealing with them. But she’s not like you think. Everything we’ve been told about them is a lie.”

“Oh, is that so? She’s a thief working for Dalgaard. Doesn’t show much strength of character there.”

“She’s a survivor doing what she’s had to do to survive. How can you not admire that?”

“Don’t try to appeal to my sympathy, because I have none. There’s a reason her people are banished, why no other realms have taken them in.”

“Because they have no means to leave. And the ones that do won’t be welcome on anyone’s shores because of the lies that the Eslanders spread about them. How can you side with all the rubbish that comes from the Soffers in Lerick? You know they’re as erratic as a ghost bat.”

“Fuck, Andor,” he mutters under his breath, going back around his desk. “You really messed up this time.”

“I can’t possibly mess up if I haven’t been given time to prove myself,” I point out.

“I want her gone, Andor,” he says tiredly, plopping down in his chair. “This will only complicate things, especially with Altus Dugrell. Don’t forget your promise to the princess.”

A promise I never made , I think. None of us ever do.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” I tell him. “The thief hates me.”

“Then make sure you keep it that way,” he grumbles.

“I would suggest you put her on your ship and take her back to wherever you got her from immediately, but now that she’s been in our keep, I can’t risk that.

” He pauses, eyes narrowing. “You do realize what you’ve done, don’t you?

You have to keep her here forever. You won’t be able to let her out of your sight.

You won’t be able to let her go. She’ll be a prisoner of House Kolbeck until the day she dies.

Death is the only way I’ll let that thief walk out of this house and right back to the Dalgaards. ”

I swallow hard. I almost play my other hand, the only card I have left, but now isn’t the time.

“Then I better go make sure she hasn’t tried to kill Solla,” I tell him.

My father stiffens and drinks the remains of his glass.