Page 10 of Reign of Stars and Fire

“You’re not dead.” The rumble of his voice floated through the shadows in the trees. “Yet.”

Skin on the back of my neck prickled in apprehension. What game was being played here? Instinct drew my hand to the bone blade hilt of my seax, but came up empty. Apparently, masked men could enter my damn mind, but the fae sleep couldn’t keep me armed.

I cursed under my breath and followed.

The path went deeper into the trees. Shadows choked out the sunlight for a few paces before the path widened and spilled out over a grassy hilltop overlooking a small township near the fjords.

My chest squeezed. Ruskig.

From the shanties to the muddy paths we’d once called roads, it was the refuge where I’d once held a rebel king’s throne.

“You are . . .aggravating.”

I spun around and nearly slammed into the chest of my shadowed stranger.

He was about my height, not as broad, but there was a menacing threat in his eyes that left me with few doubts he knew how to kill. Doubtless, he could kill with the ferocity of his bleeding glare. He was dressed in black, and wherever we were had no issues allowinghimto carry a polished, bone-cutting seax on his belt.

Nerves urged my tongue to spout out all the reasons it was wholly unfair he be granted a blade and not me, but I fought the instinct to speak. He took slow, methodical steps in a circle. He prowled like a damn wolf.

“You fear me?” he asked, voice deep and dark.

“Interesting question. Do I fear you? Not particularly, although you are rather imposing. What I fear is I’ve either slipped into a state of madness—being that I’m almost certain I imagined my wife here with me not so long ago—or you’re lying and I am dead.”

His mouth twitched, and for the briefest moment, he bared his teeth. “Your Otherworld peace would be in the refuge of your homeland?”

“No. It had a constant reek of body odor. I’d be in a grand bed chamber with frosted saffron buns to await my favorite raven, then I would live out our eternity without clothing.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t need a description. I merely am showing you that you are not dead.”

“Ah, that makes me feel a great deal more at ease.”

“There are reasons for everything, why do you suppose I’m here?”

“Truly? I have no idea. Then again, I’ve never given much thought why strange, ominous men, who clearly have been through battle, might join me in my own fae sleep. No offense meant, but you have scars to match the theory.” I rubbed the back of my neck when the jittery words continued to spill out. “I suspect you’re about to tell me why you’re here.”

For a moment, the man paused his intimidating prowl around me and grinned. Perhaps not so much a grin as a smirk, but still, it was less menacing than before.

“You mentioned a wife.”

“Not the type to answer questions?” I scoffed. “Understood. Yes, I mentioned a wife, and I’m obliged to keep mentioning her if that is how we’re to spend our time. She is, after all, my favorite thing to mention.”

“Good.” The stranger tilted his chin, eyes darkening. “For she is a great reason why I am here. There are more, but for now, you ought to know your wife is one reason for my aggravation.”

“Careful with your words.” My voice grew deep. Rough. “I care little if you are from the Norns or the gods themselves. Speak poorly of my wife, and you will not be speaking long.”

His laugh was a rolling rasp from somewhere deep in his throat. “You are almost exactly how I imagined you.”

“Imagine me often?” I glanced over my shoulder at the snap of a twig. “Not that I blame you, but my heart is claimed. As I just said.”

His grin faded. “You are aggravating since you are here instead of by the Raven Queen’s side.”

“Afraid it couldn’t be helped.” I grinned, but each word slid out like steel through my teeth. “The bastard who likes to embrace the title of battle lord poisoned me. His title brings me back to you—what are you known by?”

The stranger hesitated, then said, “For now, you may know me as Wraith. A phantom of fate.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’m tired of fate and I’ve known a wraith before. Pleasure to meet you, but I’d rather know only one.”

Wraith ignored me and faced the broken refuge. “There is a story about this place.”