Page 63 of White Raven

The mention of my father slowed my steps, my attention going to the piece of metal he held in his hand. Was that my father’s? My desperation to be back home, to be close to him again, drew me closer to the article.

“Nope.” A hand touched my back, curving me in another direction. “He’s a peddler, kanin. All of it is rubbish.” His voice spoke close to my ear. “Probably a blade he stole off someone yesterday.”

While we were darting around horses, wagons, people, peddlers, vendors, and what looked like a gambling hound fight, I noticed Onyx was on high alert, his head swinging around like he was searching for someone, his eyes taking in every person and dark corner.

“Here.” He peered around, stopping us in front of a table.

“Seriously?” I gritted my back teeth, glaring down at the metal objects displayed. A mixture of plates, cups, and horse bits to manacles and chains. “Fuck you.” I set off, but his arm swept me back to the table.

“You’ve proven I can’t trust you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not a willing victim,” I mocked. “Forgive me for trying to get back home, where I’m not being kidnapped and used as leverage to start a war. How inexcusable!”

“You think you weren’t being kidnapped and used as leverage before?” He scoffed. “What was your marriage to that kuksuger then?” His shoulders rose. “Your father was marrying you off for weapons and sending you away.”

“For my safety!” I spat back. “From people like you!”

“Safety?” He snorted. “To a southern village with less trained military and protection than the Silvervale castle?” He rocked back on his heel. “Plus, why now?”

“What?”

“There’s no convoy heading to the Day Realm, no Night Raven soldiers beating down the castle walls. He clearly didn’t think someone like me could be a threat.” He tilted his head. “So why the sudden rush to marry you off?”

“My birthday is coming. He wanted to hide me before then.”

“Why so quickly? You’d think the marriage to the White Raven would be an elaborate affair.”

“Making a big deal out of my wedding would only cause attention.” I felt the urge to defend my father, to explain his reasoning, even if I was the one who needed to understand.

My nineteenth birthday was when the White Raven was foretold to come to power. The king never explained how it would happen, but with me by his side, we would rule the entire realm.

King Helvig wanted the same, wanted to have me as a pawn for power. My kidnapper knew that. It was why he was taking me north before the one hundred and ninety-ninth anniversary of the battle, which was on the day I turned nineteen.

Nine was a powerful number to us. It represented the end of a cycle and the start of a new one, of transformation, signaling the final stages of a journey before a new phase arises. It would also be the day when life as I knew it would cease. Yet, up to the day he told me I was betrothed, my father was very against me getting married. What made him change his mind so quickly?

The night in his office flashed back into my head, the paperwork that traded me for thousands of weapons. The report suggested nothing about fighting the north, or any threats from King Helvig, but about advancing Day troops toward the Shallow Fields in the west.

When the last of the Leatherwings blood was absorbed into the battlefield, the deities cracked down lightning and fury, cursing us and the soil we bled into. The Shallow Fields was where it all started, and according to the seers it was where we needed to be to break the curse. But why head there so far in advance? Why marry me off now, when my birthday was only months away?

“Your father trained you to fight well enough but kept you innocent in everything else.”

“To fight well enough?” I exclaimed. “I saved your life! Twice!”

“Debatable.” He shrugged one shoulder, a hint of a cheeky smile on his lips.

“You still have a hole in your shoulder.”

“So, clearly you didn’t do a good enough job saving me.”

“You almost lost your head!”

“Thankfully it wasn’t the other head.” He tilted his head smugly. “Now that would have been a true travesty.”

“Fucking jævel.” Bastard. I huffed, crossing my arms.

He chuckled under his breath, the smile fully releasing, hitching up his mouth to reveal a slight dimple in one cheek.

It hit me like a cart, whooshing out air.