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“Gods, Kase.” Sol Ferus whipped around. “We were coming back for you.”
“Malin . . .” was all I had the air to choke out.
“Safe. She is on her way back to get you. We’re all out. Nik lost a few of his guild, and the littles and our warriors are wounded badly. But on your side, only Isak was struck during the fighting.”
My stomach dropped. “He’s all right?”
“He’ll live. It’s not deep.”
I blew out a long breath. Thoughts of Fiske turning to darkness if he lost Isak faded as quickly as they’d come.
From the hedges, Tor emerged with Gunnar and Eryka at his back. They did not have time to take a step closer before Malin shoved through the lot of them and flung her arms around my neck.
By the skies, I would never tire of this woman’s body in my arms. I crushed her to me, kissed the sweat and soot off her brow, and took her lips. No mistake, I tasted of blood and dirt, but we did not care the way we devoured each other.
“You’re hurt, Kase.”
“Have you seen yourself?” Dried blood coated her upper lip from her nose. Gashes lined her neck.
“I’ll survive. There are others who are worse off.”
“Valen?” I whispered.
“He’s sleeping. Still . . . still changed.”
The king would be our priority. No question.
“We need to figure out how to undo the curse.”
Malin nodded. “Those of us who received missives or directives from Calista are trying to make sense of them. I have a feeling our answers are buried in riddles. But I think I need the ring.”
I winced as I lifted my burned arm, but a tentative smile curled my lip. “And you shall have it.”
“Kase, you . . .” Her words choked off as she reached for the glass ring. I closed it in my fist. “Not yet. After what happened with Edvard, we need Niklas to inspect it first for any lethal warding spells.”
She nodded and swallowed with more effort. “What of Ivar?”
“Britta burned everything. They’re dead, Mallie. The Lord and Lady Magnate.”
Malin placed her hand on the side of my face. Unease, relief, all of it lived in her eyes as she kissed me gently. “Then we have won in many ways already. We need to see to that wound, Kase.”
Yellow and white flecks of skin oozed from the wet burn. She wasn’t wrong. I didn’t fret over wounds much, but this would be infected by morning if left unmanaged.
Sol and Tor kept to our backs, Gunnar and Eryka a step behind them. A silent decision to serve as our guards, I supposed. I didn’t mind the closeness, nor the kinship. To know so many of us would die for the other kept us stronger. Kept us loyal.
Not five paces down the road a shrill mewling cry broke over the snap of flames.
“What was that?” Sol paused, scanning the shadows.
“A tree cat,” I suggested. “Probably caught in the smoke.”
The whimper came again. Less like a tree cat, more like an unknown.
“That sounds . . . almost human,” Sol said. He went to the lingonberry shrubs, Tor at his back. The border of Felstad was lined with old, hollow trees and tall hedges.
I didn’t want to wait but fought the urge to snap at them to return. They’d come to my aid and fought for my wife. I could let them find their damn cat, until—
“By the gods.” Tor dipped his hands in the hedges at the base of one of the deadened trees. From a hollow knot he pulled out what looked like a dark linen cloth. “It’s a child. A fae.”
