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Kase stepped away, a twisted grin on his face. “To find Ivar.”
He disappeared into the honeycomb of smoky corridors. I wheeled in the opposite direction and climbed one of the spiral staircases. Halfway up, I caught up with Tova, Dagny, and Raum.
On the second floor, bodies littered the corridor. My heart squeezed.
Some were dressed in the North’s warrior fatigues, some were Falkyns. Most were from the South, or were skyds, but the pain of death took me from behind.
Everyone lost to us reminded me of how we’d already lost those close to us before.
“Malin,” Tova shouted. “The door is open!”
My eyes snapped off one of the dead Falkyns. The library door swung on its hinges. Like a fist gripping my insides, my stomach clenched. We bolted down the hall, dodging the fallen as best we could.
I skidded into the room.
“Mal!”
There was no time to take a breath before Ash had his lanky arms choking my waist. The boy would best me in height within two turns, but for now, he squeezed tightly, head against my chest.
A rough gasp slipped from my throat as I held him. Over his messy mop of dark hair, I met Elise’s gaze.
“Wasn’t our mark to be here, I know,” she said. In her arms, Laila clung to her body, squeezing her aunt’s neck. “But Ellis managed to get free and found us.”
Ellis was taller than Ash, but had just as boyish in his features. One of his fellow warriors hurriedly patched a gash over his cheek. Hanna stood a step away, heavy tears in her eyes. I pulled her against me and kissed the top of her head. “Did they harm you? Any of you?”
“A bit,” Ash said, almost proud. “But we fought to the damn end and protected the young princess.Again. I broke so many legs before they put the magisk on me.”
For the first time, I noted the silver bands scattered across the floor.
Tova and Raum helped Stieg and the other warriors who’d been beaten severely. In truth, I’d half expected them all to be dead.
“A bit of torture is all,” Stieg said, wincing after Raum helped him to his feet. “Kept us alive since they wanted us to give up our plans. Typical, stupid hope. As if we would turn our backs on our bleeding king.”
Dagny sobbed when Von leapt into her arms. She stroked his hair and kissed his dirty cheeks.
I cupped Hanna’s cheek with one hand, and Ash’s with the other. “We will be fighting our way out. Stay close, use your mesmer, use your blades. I must tell you, if you see the Northern king, for now, do not go near him.”
Ash’s brow furrowed. “But—”
“Ash,” I interrupted. He was fascinated with Valen, likely considered the king his royal friend, and would aim to help him. “You must obey me on this. We will explain soon.”
The boy pinched his mouth together but nodded. “As you say, Mal.”
Hanna tugged on my hand and pointed to the far corner. She waved her fingers in a finger-speak of the wordboy.
A child huddled in the shadows; his arms hugged his knees to his chest. Gods. I’d nearly forgotten about Thorvald’s son. His eyes were the stunning ruby red like his father, but with a bit more golden brown in the center. His ears were sharply tapered to a point, and when I reached for him, he hissed.
The curl of his lip revealed two tiny points to his canines.
Name. What was the boy’s bleeding name? Damn Thorvald had given us nothing. “I’m going to take you to your father.”
The sea fae looked sickly. His skin wasn’t tinted like Thorvald’s. More a russet, almost bronze hue, but his lips were cracked. Flakes of flesh were dried and sloughing off his cheeks and arms.
“He needs water.” Stieg came behind me.
When he looked to Stieg, the boy’s sharp eyes softened, as if he were looking at safety. At comfort.
He trusted the warrior.
