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She doesn't respond, her mind a million miles away.
I watch her for a long moment before sighing quietly and slipping from the room. Perhaps she's right and the price of the bond is too high. I don't know. But I do know one thing. If shewere to fall to the dark, my death would be a mercy. I wouldn't want to survive it.
She means too much already.
Chapter Seven
Rissa
"Rissa! Rissa, wait!" Abigailcomes flying out of a small cabin, her brain flying behind her as she races down the sidewalk toward me, arms flailing over her head.
I pause, waiting for her to catch up to me.
She stumbles to a stop, her boots sinking deep into the snow at our feet. Her breath steams before her as she pants. Thetemperature plummeted as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon. The final rays still linger, still fighting for dominion this far west. But shadows have already begun to overtake Eitr, turning the Fae stronghold into a frigid, frozen relic from an age long since passed. If it ever dawned at all in this world.
Eitr is like no town I've ever seen before. Every building looks as if it sprang from the ground fully formed. They don't mimic nature, they're built to be part of it, blending seamlessly with the dense forest built right up around it. You could stumble right up to the gates of the massive wall encircling the town and not even realize you were there. It's impressive, clearly decided to stay hidden…and even more clearly designed for defense.
Seeing it from the window was one thing. Seeing it from the ground is another. The wall itself is nearly as tall as the trees that buttress it, every log carefully placed. So was every building, I think. Their placement carefully and skillfully chosen. Larger homes like Dax's ring the perimeter, serving almost as an inner wall. Smaller homes—adorable little cabins that seem designed more for comfort than utility like the others—twist and turn along paths in front of the larger dwellings. Every path leads toward the heart of Eitr, toward the domed spire of the Hall at the center. Smaller buildings flank it—shops and the like, I assume.
The Hall is clearly the heart of the town, though. It shines at the center.
"We have to visit the Hall before you leave," Abigail says as if reading my mind.
I glance up at her, startled. She's an unusual girl, far more perceptive than anyone I've ever met. She's so full of life, shining brightly, but she's wise beyond her years. I can't imagine living with the burden she's carried for so long. It has to be exhausting, and yet she carries it as if it's easy.
"Why?" I ask.
Her brows furrow, her gaze turning uncertain. "I don't know. I just know that we have to visit the Hall before you leave. You have to see something inside."
I turn to look for Dax, who is further up the sidewalk, talking to the group of warriors accompanying us back to Seattle. Damrion, Adriel, Malachi, and Reaper are all going. So is Stephan, and a human named Garrison who looks mean enough to command giants. Ten additional Fae will also accompany us, but I can't remember their names. I barely remember their faces.
It's been a long, long day.
I catch Dax's gaze and motion for him.
He murmurs something to Damrion. The two warriors break away from the group and jog back to us.
"What's wrong, Valkyrie?" Dax asks, reaching for my hand as soon as he's near.
"I'm not sure." I frown up at him. "Abigail says I have to visit the Hall before I leave. I need to see something there."
Damrion looks to Abigail, his lips pursed. "Can it not wait,ást-meer? The mountain will be treacherous in the dark."
"No," she says, her shoulders back and her chin firmed as if she's preparing for battle. "It's important, Damrion. She has to go now. Before she leaves."
"Another vision?" Dax asks her.
"I…" She presses her fingertips to her temples. "I don't know. I can't remember. But if she doesn't go, something bad is going to happen. I feel it."
"Easy,ást-meer. We'll take her," Damrion says, instantly solicitous.
Relief falls over Abigail's face. The four of us turn to make the trek toward the Hall.
"Where are you going?" Reaper shouts.
"Prepare to leave!" Damrion shouts back. "We have something to take of before we go."
The warriors murmur behind us, but they don't ask any questions. They don't complain either. I think Damrion might be their leader. At least to some extent. They respect his orders when he issues them.
