“Wake up.”
Brant’s voice seemed to be coming from a long distance away, but the tapping of his hand on my face made it clear that he was right next to me.
“That’s it. Wake up, comrade. Wake up so we can go hunting.”
At that my eyes snapped open. “Hunting?” I rasped.
“Allete.”
Her name had barely left his lips and everything came rushing back.
“And Dayna,” he added, his voice dropping an octave.
“Magnus took her, too?”
Brant nodded.
I tried to sit up.
“Easy,” he said as he grasped my forearm and helped me into a sitting position. To my surprise, I was still on the floor in the ballroom. The room was mostly clear now, with only a handful of the palace guards remaining behind to clear the bodies from the room.
“I will find her,” Cathal bellowed from behind Brant.
I motioned for him to move aside. Cathal was standing in front of Allete’s visibly upset parents. Her mother was covering her mouth with her hand, attempting to hold in the sobs that were threatening to overcome her.
“It is because of you that she was taken,” King Albric roared back. “It was the arrow that was supposed to be for you, by an assassin from your very own court that started this whole mess. Forgive me if I do not trust you with the rescue of our daughter.”
“What are these lies you spew?” Cathal snarled.
“My daughter doesn’t lie,” King Albric said, his jaw was clenched so tightly I wondered how he didn’t break any of his teeth. “Do you recognize that man?” He pointed to a body I hadn’t noticed at first. There was a pool of blood beneath him large enough to make it clear that the man had not survived his attempt at the assassination. Too bad he hadn’t been a better shot.
“He is of no consequence,” Cathal answered.
“He was betrothed to the woman Cathal took as his third queen,” Lizzy said as she stepped out from behind her mother. “His name is Luther. He came with your court with the intention of killing you.”
“You would believe the word of a girl over that of a king?” Cathal asked Albric.
“I would believe my daughter over you.” King Albric took a step closer to Cathal and his guards moved with him. “This is your doing. What kind of man takes another’s betrothed? Have you no honor?”
“I am no mere man,” the king of Tara said, puffing out his chest like a prancing peacock. “I am a king, and I will have what I please. I will have Allete. She is my wife.”
“No!” Queen Alease said sharply. “She is not. She is my daughter, and she and her sister have been taken by a Viking warlord. They are our responsibility, and we will get them back.”
“Allete is mine. I will have her. Mark my words. I will take my army and track her down. When I find her, she will be taken back to my kingdom. And if you get in my way, I will wipe you out.” He turned and motioned to his men. They stormed from the room, and Albric made no move to stop him.
“Help me up,” I told Brant, unable to remain on the floor any longer.
Brant helped me walk over to the small group. King Albric and Queen Alease’s eyes widened. “You’re her guard,” she said. “But your hair, your face…”
“Before you start screaming, please let me explain.” I held up my hands in peace. “My name is Torben. I am a Norseman, but I did not come here with the intent to harm your daughters.”
“Why did you come?” Albric asked sharply, his eyes narrowed.
“Because of a prophecy given to my mother. She is an Oracle.” When they started to interrupt, I held up my hand. “Forgive me, but there is not much time. You must listen now. Magnus, the leader of my clan, is the man who took your daughters. He is a madman who refuses to see reason. Our people are in danger, threatened with extermination because of Magnus’ tyranny.
“The prophecy states that I will destroy him and become king, and that my bride will rule by my side. The prophecy goes on to say that the woman destined to be my bride will be from a foreign land and that her people are also in danger. The fate of both of our peoples depend upon our union, and our wise rule. My bride, the woman prophesied to rule beside me, is your daughter, Allete. I came to meet her, to spend time with her, and to find out if the prophecy was indeed true.”
When neither of them spoke, I continued.
“Over the past month, I have fallen in love with your daughter, and she has fallen in love with me. Her powers are much more extraordinary than you can imagine. But they require that she have a soul match—another whose fate is bonded to her own. I am that soul match, and we have completed the bonding ceremony. We’ve been forced to act in secret because of Cathal. But if anyone can find her, I can.”
“And what if you do find her?” asked the queen.
“Magnus will not give her up without a fight, of that I’m sure. My mother is gifted with powers similar to that of Allete. He has kept her captive my entire life. I could never purposely hurt the woman I love. I will bring her back to you.”
They both stared back at me, and I knew they were fighting the distrust they had for my kind.
“I know you have no reason to trust me. But hear this: when I bring Allete and Dayna home, if she refutes anything I’ve said, I will willingly die by your hand. I swear it by the gods.” I pulled out a dagger from beneath my tunic and ran it across my palm. “By the blood of my forefathers, and the blood of my future heirs, I swear I mean you and yours no harm.”
Albric’s eyes widened. A blood oath was not taken lightly by any people, regardless of how different they might be.
“Are you even well enough to pursue her captors?” he asked finally.
I met his eyes and held them. I needed him to understand how serious were the words I was about to speak. “On deaths door, or at the peak of health, I am capable of anything it takes to save your daughter. I will get both of your daughters back, and I will destroy Magnus and Cathal. You have my word.”
“Cathal?” he asked with a frown.
“His actions have not gone unnoticed. I have been by Allete’s side for a month. I’ve seen him hurt my mate, my soul match, my future queen. His life was forfeit the moment he laid a hand on her. And there are some things I cannot forgive. Cathal will die, and I will be the one to kill him.”
After several minutes of silence, Queen Alease rose and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. I bit back a groan of pain. Apparently, I was not completely healed just yet.
“Please bring them home. We can deal with anything else when that is done.”
She stepped back, and Albric nodded. “I will trust you. But if Allete speaks one ill word against you when you return, I will hang you. And if you do not return with her, I will hunt you down myself.”
“Fair enough.” I bowed and then turned, walking as quickly as I could with Brant at my side.
“Do you have a plan?” Brant asked.
“Of course, I do.”
“Would you like to tell me what it is?”
“Rescue the damsels, kill the villains.”