Page 72 of The Midnight Death Match

Good. Trying to stop me would be pointless. I turn, cutting through the trees, allowing the forest to hide me from their sight.

The path winds quiet and familiar, yet the closer I get to my former home, the more something feels off. It seems dimmer. Quieter.

But no enemies appear, nobody attacks.

When I reach the place I grew up, the town sleeps beneath the weight of whispered suspicion. I easily slip in a side door in the town wall, now used to sneaking in and out—something I never knew was possible when I lived here.

When I reach the farmland nestled beyond the tree line, my pulse thuds in my ears. An old wind chime still clinks against the eaves, but its sound is off kilter.

I sneak in quietly.

Brynja sits by the door reading. Her face crumples the moment she sees me. “Eira!”

She pulls me into a side room without a word. Runa is curled near the hearth, clutching a worn quilt, her eyes heavy with something that isn’t sleep.

“She’s having visions again.” Brynja frowns.

Runa lifts her head. Her pupils are wide, her voice barely a whisper. “They’re worse now.”

I kneel beside her. “What did you see?”

Runa clutches my hand like it’s a lifeline. “A city swallowed in flame. A crown broken in two. And you…” Her eyes shimmer. “You were bleeding light. But the light turned into fire.”

My throat tightens. I smooth her hair back and kiss her forehead.

“I won’t let anything bad happen. I’m working hard to find answers.”

Brynja doesn’t look reassured. She watches me from the shadows of the room, arms crossed, worry etched deep into her face. “They’re talking about you. Saying you brought this darkness and you’re the reason the wolves returned. That you cursed the land.”

I go still. “And you?”

Brynja hesitates. “I know you wouldn’t hurt us, but I don’t know what the world might do because you exist. I hate that for you. I wish I could do something, but I can’t.”

The words slice deeper than any blade. “And I don’t want you to. All I want is for you—all of you—to stay safe. That’s your only job.”

Runa clings tighter to me. “Don’t leave again.”

I stay a moment longer, just long enough to let the warmth soak in. “You know I have to, sweet girl. I’m doing this for you all.”

A single tear slips down her face, and my heart shatters. I pull her close, holding her tightly.

Heavy footsteps sound on the stairs not far away. I recognize them.

Gunnar is on his way down.

I’m no longer afraid of him, but I can’t risk him seeing me and taking out his rage on my siblings.

Quickly, I kiss Runa on the cheek then slip back into the dark.

I know now I’m not just hunted. I’m feared.

And maybe the townsfolk are right to be afraid.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

When I arriveat our camp outside Courtsview, I find Vash waiting for me alone. It takes a few minutes to find the note telling me to ride him to Mirendel.