Page 132 of Reign of Stars and Fire

“My sister. The huldra wants the same thing, and I tried to get Gorm to see the merit. We can change the past. The storyteller can change Erna’s fate. She can live.”

“That’s not how it works, Bjorn. No one knows what happens when you unravel what has been done. Think this through. You don’t want a man like Davorin to have the power here. Look at what he has already done.”

“But he will be different as well.”

“Could be worse, Captain,” Rune said with a voice of respect. “We’ve all lost.”

Bjorn’s face contorted. “It was my fault. I sent her to recover. She didn’t want to go, but I encouraged it; Gorm doesn’t even know. But I can fix it. Cuyler deserves his mother.”

“Don’t we all.” I rolled the blade in my hand. “Who have you alerted to our presence?”

Bjorn’s face sobered. He took a deep breath, and a touch of the viciousness known to blood fae filled his expression. “No one. Yet. Forgive me, but I cannot let you win this.”

With a swift draw of his blade, he sliced a wide gash over Hodag’s throat.

“No!” Stieg shouted and flung a burst of violent wind at the captain. It knocked Bjorn backward. Hodag’s limp body fell forward, unmoving.

Rage sharpened in my chest. A low rumble of violence tightened around my heart like a garrote until all I saw was blood and pain. Bjorn was on the ledge of the staircase. I gripped his hair and wrenched his head back, baring his throat to me.

“You made a fatal mistake, my friend. You would rather sell my wife to a life of pain and misery than live with your own damn guilt.”

“You don’t understand.”

“You don’t know what I understand!” I roared in his face. “But I will tell you this much. Those who threaten my wife, they don’t live long.”

Chapter41

The Raven Queen

“As sure as the gods don’t exist, he will try to capture you,” Kase said, well, more grumbled before the final steps were placed. “When he does, play your hand. Just make certain you have a clean tunic waiting.”

Davorin commandeda tall fae to right one of the chairs on the platform. The fae was breathless, his charcoal fingers trembled as he positioned the toppled chair to face the other. He’d be gone by the next full moon, too corrupted, too drained from the curse in his blood.

“Sit, my love.” Davorin smirked and took a seat across from me.

I fought to keep my attention on his cruel gaze rather than look up. No drawing attention to where I expected Ari to strike. I tangled my fingers in my lap, silently praying they discovered whatever Davorin wanted in the Point repository.

A few of the wild fae seated near my cloak sniffed and coughed. I forced myself to turn away.

“State your terms of the barter,” he told me. Davorin rubbed his long fingers over his chiseled chin. A bit of dark stubble coated the edges, and he kept flashing his teeth like a wolf about to bite.

“We offer a trade for the star seer, Eryka. In exchange, we bring you the fate witch—”

“Offensive,” Calista grumbled.

Stefan, in his disguise, yanked on her chain, drawing her to her knees.

“We give you the fate witch.”

“You would offer her even if I plan to rewrite what your brother did?” Davorin narrowed his eyes. “To send us all back to the beginning?”

I forced a laugh. “As I said, the girl is incompetent. I doubt she could turn us back a single night.”

“Careful what you wish for, Raven Queen.” Calista glared at me from her place on her knees.

I bit my cheek to keep from grinning. She played the captive too well. A sad thought since she’d been a captive once and likely knew how to behave. Still, it came of good use now.

Davorin considered me for a drawn pause, then leaned forward onto his knees. “You’re lying.”