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"Yes."
"Helvete," Adriel snarls.
No one else says a word. What can we say? Everyone in this room—nei, this town—knows the Forsaken will do exactly as Abigail says. Not because she Foresaw it, but because that's the kind of evil they are. They kill without remorse, destroy without compunction. It's in their nature. It's who they are. If killing everyone Rissa knows gets her where they want her, it's precisely what they'll do.
"How do they know that'll get her anywhere?" Stephan asks, his gray eyes clouded as he looks at every warrior in the room.
"How do the Forsaken know anything?" Derision clouds Adriel's voice. "Gods only know what they can do with their dark magics."
"Right," Stephan agrees. "But either they know the Fae have her, or they think she knows who she is. How else would they expect her to know she's the reason her friends are turning up dead?"
Skíta.He's right. Their plan wouldn't work if she didn't know anything about what was going on. It'd be a waste of their time,no more useful than grabbing any random Blooded from the street and torturing her for information about this place. The Forsaken must know that Rissa knows. Or they must know that we're hiding her. Either way, they're one step ahead. Somehow.
"I think…" Abigail swallows hard, her hands tremoring in her lap. "I don't think my visions come from my Valkyrie blood, at least not completely."
"What are you saying?" Damrion asks.
"The Forsaken know about her," Rissa answers for her. "They've always known about her."
"Nei." Adriel's hand slashes through the air, his tone ringing with finality. "Nei. They are not responsible for her visions. She is full of Light."
"Ja, she is," Damrion growls.
Abigail starts crying quietly, prompting Adriel to crouch beside her and curl one big arm around her shoulders.
"Of course she is," Rissa agrees. "But that doesn't mean they haven't worked out how to manipulate her visions to send things they want you to see. Do you know how the visions work?" Rissa glances at Adriel. "Do you?" She looks to Damrion and then to me. "For all you know, they do. Telling yourself comforting lies won't win this battle. Believe me, I've been there."
What lies has she told herself? What horrors has she seen in her short life? I'm almost afraid to find out, but I need to know. Helping her heal from them will be the key to winning her heart, I'm sure of it.
And I'm not satisfied with merely possessing her soul. I want every corner of this fierce little Valkyrie's heart, too.
"Isawwhat she saw," Rissa continues quietly, fire in her eyes. "Ifeltwhat she did. If your Gods visited that upon her, then maybe the Light deserves to fall. Because that was pure hell, and she's been enduring it for years. Years!" She spears every singleone of us with a hard look. "And each and every one of you has willingly allowed her to do it."
"It's not their fault," Abigail cries. "Don't be mad at them. Please."
"Nei, ást-meer," Damrion says, shoving a hand through his hair, his expression troubled. He looks at Abigail and sees a shining Light. Of course he's never considered that her visions may not all flow from the same source. None of us have considered it. "She's right to call us to task. We swore an oath to protect the Valkyrie, not to exploit their gifts when it suits our purposes. We should have been guarding you better." He blows out a breath. "If she's correct and the Forsaken have been sending some of your visions, we've failed you."
"You didn't," Abigail cries, flinging her arms around the warrior. "You've never failed me, Damrion."
The warrior sighs, not so easily convinced. I can't blame him. Rissa doesn't understand why we do what we do, but she's not entirely wrong. Abigail may be a powerful Seer, but sheisstill human. And a young one at that. We should be guarding her better. Not because we can't afford for the Forsaken to get their hands on her. Not because of what she does for us. But simply because we're the only family she has now.
"Regardless of where the vision originated, we'll be walking into a trap meant for her," Adriel says, nodding at Rissa. "If they want her in Seattle, it's for a reason."
"Ja," I agree. I've considered that. But if we don't go, defeat is all but guaranteed because my brave little Valkyrie will never forgive us if we sacrifice the people she loves in their hour of need. She'll never forgive me.
And that possibility is intolerable. I need her trust. It's the only way I'll ever win her heart.
"How do you feel,elskan-ljós?" I ask an hour later, setting a stack of clothing on top of the dresser as I step inside the bedroom. I watch warily as Rissa paces back and forth, restless and ill at ease. I don't think she's rested at all since I brought her upstairs. I don't think she's capable of letting herself. Her friends are in danger, and it weighs heavily on her heart.
"Sore." She turns curious blue eyes on me. "Are the visions always like that for her?"
I hesitate, caught between a comforting lie and the truth. "Nei," I admit. "When you touched her, you linked with her. It amplified her power."
Her face falls. "I made it worse."
"You didn't know."
"You could have told me." She blows out a breath, pressing her palms to her cheeks. "You should have told me when I was telling all of you off for letting her go through that. You guys just let me tell you off when I was the one really hurting her.Why?"
