Page 105 of The Seeker

Someday, I would no longer do this. But that day wasn’t today.

Though I’d initially been worried when Otho said it was later than he intended, it wasn’t all that late at all, the sun having just revealed itself. The town of Ralheim was still silent as I walked through, though Roger was already awake, and he waved to me as I passed the butcher’s, a large knife in one hand and a chicken in the other.

Breathing in deeply, I noticed a twinge in the air, a smell that didn’t belong during the warm season.

The dying season was coming.

Mentally, I calculated how many days of the warm season were left. There was still another fortnight, but this meant that the crop from the garden would start to decline. I’d learned of several dead season crops in my younger years, and though Signa hadn’t originally planted any, I planned to do so soon.

The path to Signa’s was barren as always—most townspeople didn’t venture this far out. Maybe they had, back in the coven days, but I’d meant what I’d said the night before: those days were over for the Seid.

As I drew nearer, the wooden structure that I’d finally started to call my home rising on the horizon, I noticed disturbances in the dirt.

Not just disturbances, horseshoe prints. More than one.

My fists clenched as my lungs struggled to draw in air. A spike of fear coursed through me, and I took off in a run, praying to the absent gods that Askel was okay.

He had to be okay.

If something happened to him because of my failure to return home because of my lust, I would never forgive myself.

By the time my hand rested on the doorknob, I couldn’t draw in a breath, my chest tight with overexertion. But I pushed open the door anyway. If someone was about to kill Askel, they would have to kill me too.

The interior was dark in the early morning sun, and my eyes fought to adjust, to take in what I was seeing.

A man stood there, arms crossed over his chest with sky blue eyes that I would recognize anywhere.

His name fell from my lips like a curse. “Leif.”

CHAPTER 36

Icouldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.

I’d known he was still alive, but that didn’t mean I expected to see him. I was so focused on the way he stood in the cottage, like he wasn’t a phantom in my story, that I failed to notice my cousin standing next to him until she cleared her throat and said my name. “Runa.”

My face heated even as I fought to hide how flustered I was. Collum’s lips were pressed together in a thin, chastising line that I recognized from when I was younger. I glanced back and forth, desperate for Askel to be home, but his quiet presence was absent from the cabin.

“Collum,” I replied at last, having finally regained my bearings. “You know, it’s not polite to let yourself into other people’s homes when they aren’t there. And since when are you working with him?”

“You’re one to talk,” she replied, her eyebrow arched in a challenge, but I felt no malice coming from her. “And Leif and I have recently realized that we have common goals for Malheim. Isn’t that right Leif?”

My former bonded nodded, and my stomach twisted. Something about what she said didn’t ring true. I wasn’t privy to the full story.

“Malheim isn’t yours,” I reminded her, motioning to Leif.

“Alright, ladies.” Leif cut in at last, his voice hoarse. His eyes had been fixed on me since I’d come into the room. “Runa, I’m glad you’re safe.”

Several retorts rose to my lips, but I didn’t allow any of them to pass. “No thanks to you,” I reminded him, the complication of my feelings for Leif becoming a pinch beneath my sternum. I needed to change the topic. “What brings you both here?”

Collum smiled, but I knew immediately it was forced. “Peace offering. I know I didn’t speak very kindly to you when we last spoke, and I wanted to apologize. And come to an agreement.”

Distrust weaved through my body, and I knew I was playing with fire. “So, you’ve decided that all deserve to learn Seid magic?”

Her fake smile faded. “We hoped to come to an agreement,” she reiterated.

“And I’ve already explained that I will not compromise. I will only live in a world where magic is available to everyone who wants to learn. The only thing that will stop me from trying is death.”

A sigh came from Leif, his gaze still burning a hole in the side of my head. “Runa, be reasonable. You cannot teach magic to everyone. Someone will use it overthrow the crown.” His hand lifted in my direction.