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Niklas gave a cautious glance at Valen. Sol and Halvar pulled their brother and king off the mangled body of the fae. His face was coated in blood much the same as mine had been the night I’d killed Edvard Vill.
Valen tried to shove them off, but Sol gripped his brother’s face between his palms.
“You are losing yourself,” Sol hissed. “Keep your damn head and find your wife as her king, not abeast.”
The Sun Prince had a bit of power in that he could reach the king when others couldn’t. Valen looked ready to strike at Sol for a few moments before he closed his eyes, and his breaths came slower, more even. Sol pulled Valen by the back of the head into an embrace. He clapped his younger brother on the back until the blackness in Valen’s eyes was kinder and calmer once again.
“Be grateful,” Niklas whispered, “that you have the bond to tell you she lives. To not know, well, I cannot imagine.” He looked at the Northern king with sympathy. “It is a wonder we do not have more death beneath our feet.”
I did not want to be grateful for anything, but Niklas spoke the truth.
Valen pulled his axe out of the hip bone of the dead fae and wiped his bloody forehead with the back of his hand. His gaze flicked to mine. The Northern king knew I could feel the beating heart of my wife, but we did not know the fate of his.
Such a torture would drive me to a bloody madness much the same.
“Kase.”
I spun around as the trees parted with Raum, Bard, Hagen, and Herja. Three steps and I was next to Raum.
“Anything?” I asked. The desperation in my voice was heavy, and I cared little for it. I was bleeding desperate. His mouth tightened and there was a shadow in his silver eyes. “Raum, what is it?”
“Speak.” Valen’s rough, tortured voice caused his sister to jump. Herja took in his face, a furrow over her brow. The king didn’t soften his tone. “You come with news, then speak the damn news.”
“Brother,” Herja whispered.
“Do not coddle me. If you have found something,say it.”
Raum shifted on his feet, his hands twitching at his sides. “Two lengths from here, we found a clearing filled with slaughtered fae. There was a struggle. I saw the footprints and body imprints.”
I took a step closer to Valen out of fear the king might erupt in rage any moment. “And?”
“I found hair. Red hair in the leaves.” Raum cleared his throat and turned to Valen. “And this.”
From inside his tunic, Raum removed a silver circlet with runes etched on the side. A few pieces of golden hair were still tangled around the edges. Valen tilted his head and took the circlet with his bloodied hand.
A rough gasp scraped out of his throat. “Take us there.”
Raum was wise enough not to tease, not to argue. He dipped his chin and went to gather the others.
“Valen,” Herja said. “We’ll find her.”
“I grow tired of the assurances I do not need,” Valen said in a dark growl. “There was never a question on if I would find Elise. The question is what will become of this land until I do.”
He stormed away, shouting for Halvar and his warriors to ready themselves.
Herja’s shoulders slumped, and Hagen pulled her close against his side.
“I know how he feels,” he whispered.
“As do I.” She smiled. “But there is a bloodlust in my brother we do not understand. I fear what he will become should he sink deeper into this darkness.”
“Perhaps it is the darkness within us all that will win this battle,” I said, blinking until my eyes glazed over in shadows.
No mistake, the state of Valen Ferus caused the camp to scurry into position with haste. No matter how quickly we walked, it would not be fast enough.
Without trying, without even thinking, ten paces in front of me a wall of darkness began to gather. Raum came to a halt. “Kase?”
Fear for Malin was suffocating. But there was also fear for what might happen if we ran out of time. If we did not reach this clearing swiftly enough. Especially in Valen’s mind. He was on the brink of destroying everything and those closest to him seemed to know it.
