Born of Blood (The Valdir Chronicles Book 3) Read online

  The smile died on Kalina’s face. He was serious. He was going to throw this all away, put them all at risk, to uphold a previous promise. The whole situation reminded her too much of her own parent’s situation, but the ramifications were immense. Her fear came roaring back and she broke out in a cold sweat, but she also felt a strange sense of relief that was so colossal she could not hold it within her. It seemed to spread out in waves around her.

  “You’d be plunging us into war, you know,” she said, looking out at the Riverlands that stretched north before them. “But if we’re being honest, I don’t want to marry you either.”

  He nodded beside her, tearing a leaf into tiny pieces. He cleared his throat.

  “I’m sorry, Kalina, for what it’s worth.”

  Kalina turned back to him and took his hand in hers, squeezing.

  “Prince Simen, you have become my friend in this last week. And whatever you do, whether you decide to marry me or not, you will always be welcome in Ethea.”

  He squeezed her hand back gratefully before dropping it. Kalina went back to watching the Riverlands.

  “What is she like?” she asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his face light up, and she smiled softly as he began to describe the woman he was going to marry. Fear weighed heavy on her as they flew back north to Winterreach Castle a few hours later. Behind her, Simen seemed more at peace, more himself and she found she truly did like the young man. She was glad he was her friend and on her side, but it didn’t help their prospects of winning another war against Askor. She’d have to find a way to appease the King of Askor. When they dismounted she hugged Maska goodnight, making sure he had plenty of food and was comfortable. Prince Simen walked with her back to the palace where he embraced her briefly before bidding her goodnight.

  She needed a plan.

  Kari paced the room before her, gesticulating to punctuate her angry words. Kalina sat at her small table, arms crossed over her chest. She wasn’t budging. Kari could yell and scream all she wanted but Kalina wouldn’t change her mind. Delisa sat beside Kalina, stiff and waiting.

  “I can’t believe that you agreed, that you’re going to let Prince Simen just leave! We will be at war in a matter of seconds and stuck in a foreign capital no less. What do you expect us to do, Kalina? We can’t protect you, and we can’t leave without them noticing.” Kari’s voice was rising with each word.

  “Shh, calm down, Kari. I have a plan, sort of,” Kalina said, uncrossing her arms and standing to pace like her cousin. It must run in the family.

  “And what is that?” Kari snapped, turning the full might of her glare onto Kalina. Kalina kept pacing.

  “We send everyone without a dragon back, claiming they are going to get supplies for the wedding. That they are bringing guests. Then only those of us with dragons remain. Once the game is up, we fly off. We leave them in the dust and go home to prepare for war.” It was a weak plan. But she was running out of options.

  “We won’t survive another war,” Kari ground out. “You know that. We need another option.” She resumed pacing, the energy coming off her palpable in the room. Kalina let out a long sigh, her mind racing. She followed her cousin across the room and back. They needed a way to avoid war.

  “What about Jormungand? Or Rangvald?” Delisa said, tentatively. Both Kari and Kalina stopped pacing.

  “What about them?” Kari said.

  “Well, aren’t they both Valdiran princes? Both the eldest children of your father’s siblings? Couldn’t they take your place? Marry an Askorian princess instead? I would suggest Kari marry Prince Ivan but...well.” Delisa smiled sheepishly over at Kari who blushed slightly in response. “I’m a bit too selfish for that.”

  Kalina began pacing once again. It was a possibility. It would still ensure that someone was in power, and it might appease the King enough to call off the war. It was worth a shot.

  “Rangvald will never agree,” Kari said with conviction. She did know her brother better than any of them. “But perhaps Jormungand will agree. You’ll have to go talk to him, convince him, Kalina.”

  “I know. I have to try.”

  And with that declaration, she left her rooms heading down the corridor and around the corner to knock quietly on Jormungand’s and Leif’s door.

  Chapter 29

  She hoped with everything she had that Leif wasn’t in his room, that instead, her cousin Jormungand would answer. For once, her prayers were answered and the hulking mass of Jormungand filled the doorway. His beard had grown and he’d begun braiding the ends. It was strange, but the look suited him somehow. He eyed her with the same blue eyes she had before bowing low and stepping aside for her to enter.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, your Majesty?” He had always been formal with her, ever since she’d beaten him in single combat and fought by his side in battle. Ever since he’d stopped trying to depose her and instead became her ally. It both annoyed and comforted her.

  “Is that fresh bread I smell?” She said, sniffing her way across the room to a table freshly laden with bread and different types of cheese, along with slabs of roasted meat.

  “Have as much as you’d like.” Jormungand joined her at the table, smiling as she grabbed a piece of bread and ripped it in half, stuffing it full of meat and cheese. She bit into it hungrily, realizing that it was now past dinner time and she hadn’t eaten since that morning.

  “I came to talk to you about something,” she said around mouthfuls. He raised an eyebrow at her. “First of all, nice beard.”

  He grimaced at her before bursting into a deep laugh.

  “I was wondering when you’d notice.”

  “I noticed,” she lied. “I just haven’t had a chance to sit and talk with you much since we arrived.”

  “Cousin, you haven’t ever really sat and talked with me.” He gave her a grin. He was right of course. Things had happened at breakneck speed since the day she’d met the Valdir since she’d taken her place among them. And that hadn’t changed since she’d met Jormungand. She made a promise to herself to spend more time getting to know him like she had with Rangvald and Kari.

  “You’re right. I’ve been a bad friend.”

  “But a good Queen,” he assured her. She rolled her eyes and stuffed the last of the bread into her mouth, wiping her hands on her leather pants. Now, to business.

  “I have a proposition of sorts for you.”

  “Oh?”

  “We find ourselves in a bit of a dilemma. Prince Simen came to me today and said he won’t marry me. That he’s leaving. He knows it will plunge us into war, but he’s in love. I can’t take that from him.” She paused. Jormungand had put down his own food and was frowning at her. She swallowed and continued, suddenly nervous. “I think we might be able to both get what we want: he can marry his lady and I can remain free, unbound by a political marriage. But it means I’d need to propose an alternative to the Askorian council.”

  “And what is your solution to keep us from war?” His deep voice had gone gravelly.

  “Well, you, actually. You are a prince of the Valdir. You hold a place of power in Ethea. I propose that you marry one of King Blackbourne’s younger daughters instead. It wouldn’t put an Askorian on the throne, but-,” he raised a hand, cutting her off.

  “It’s a nice idea, Kalina, but it would never work.”

  “Why not?” Fear gripped her heart once more. What little hope she’d been harboring beginning to ebb away at the shake of his head.

  “Because I am not interested in marrying a princess. I’m not interested in marrying any woman in fact.”

  Kalina just stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded.

  “Then who do you want to marry?”

  “Halvor.”

  For a moment Kalina had no idea who he meant. But then the image of a round-faced bear of a man with long silver battle braids and kind brown eyes surfaced. She had met him in Windpost, the village he and Jormungand had run together. He had al
ways been at Jormungand’s side. She shook her head in confusion.

  “But you left him in the mountains.”

  “And as soon as things settle down, I plan to join him there. I am your cousin and your council Kalina, but I don’t plan to live in Ravenhelm forever. I will go home to Halvor.”

  Kalina dropped her head into her hands, all traces of hope gone. This would mean certain war. A sob broke from her chest before she could stop it, and suddenly she was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jormungand left his chair to kneel before her, taking her in his huge arms and rubbing her back as she cried. The panic that she had spent so many months learning to master, to conquer, came roaring to the surface like some unleashed beast and it was all she could do to keep herself from blowing apart.

  “We’ll think of something. Hush now,” Jormungand murmured in her ear. She began to laugh through her tears. Here she was, a queen, being comforted by a big burly Valdir. She was the one destroying everything once again, not him. She should be the one on her knees, begging him, and all her people, to forgive her. “When is the Prince marrying his lady?”

  “I don’t know,” she choked between sobs. “He said he’d be running away with her, but I don’t know when.”

  “Then we have to prepare. We must get everyone without a dragon out before they find out.”

  Kalina sat back and looked up at him, a small smile on her tear-stained face.

  “That’s what I said.” She let out a small hiccup and they both smiled. She began to feel a little better, the panic subsiding to a small beast instead of a large one. One that she could begin to tame. “I’ll go find Kari. You go find Leif and tell him. We have to move them tonight.”

  She stood, wiping her face and crossed to the door where she paused. She turned back to her cousin.

  “Thank you, Jormungand.”

  He gave her a bow as the door opened in Kalina’s hand, and she turned, startled. Leif stood there, his handsome face drawn, dark shadows beneath his eyes. His grey eyes darted between Kalina and Jormungand and then he saw how upset she was. His eyes narrowed.

  “What happened?”

  But Kalina couldn’t make the words come out. Half of her wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him the news that she wouldn’t be marrying the prince after all. That they could finally be together. The other half of her was terrified he would reject her. Terrified he had moved on. Terrified he would be so angry at her for putting her people in danger once again. The beast in her chest gave a roar and she was suddenly overwhelmed. Tears threatened and her throat closed around her words. She pushed past him and down the hall, wanting to get away as quickly as possible.

  Just before she turned the corner two figures almost bowled into her. She steadied herself on Kari’s arm, looking between her and Lord Illeron.

  “We have a problem,” Kari panted, and Kalina realized they’d been running.

  “What is it?”

  “It seems our young Prince was caught trying to sneak from the castle not long ago. He admitted to his father than he refuses to marry you and is instead marrying someone else.” Kalina’s blood ran cold at Lord Illeron’s words.

  “It’s already happening then?” She looked to Kari who nodded with a grimace.

  “That’s not the worst of it though.”

  Kalina looked back and forth between them, all thoughts of love and marriage gone like the drying tears on her cheeks.

  “What is it? Tell me!”

  “The dragons. They’ve been captured.”

  Kalina began shaking her head, and then tried to push past her cousin but Kari stopped her with a hard hand on her arm. Kalina tried to shake her off, to run to check on Maska, to prove that he was safe, that he couldn’t be captured, but Kari only squeezed harder until Kalina was forced to look into her cousin’s cool blue eyes.

  “They are captured, Kalina. We cannot save them. Not as we are.”

  “Then what in Skaldir’s name are we supposed to do?” Her voice was hoarse with fear.

  “I can sneak you out. But only if we do it quickly,” Lord Illeron said, his usually calm face hard with worry.

  A scream echoed down the hallway from the direction of Kalina’s rooms and together the three of them turned the corner only for Lord Illeron to pull them into a shadowed alcove guarded by a suit of armor. Together, the three of them watched in horror as a group of Askorian soldiers dragged Delisa from Kalina’s rooms by her hair as she kicked and screamed obscenities at them. Kalina had never seen her friend so furious. Kari was coiled like a snake about to attack but Kalina grabbed her cousin’s arms with Lord Illeron’s, holding her as they watched a guard punch Delisa in the stomach, quieting her. It took both of them to keep Kari from following after her lover.

  “We can do nothing from a jail cell,” Kalina whispered furiously in her cousin’s ear, her own heart racing in anger and fear. Kari’s body seemed to slump in on itself then, along with Delisa’s as the guards dragged her away. Kalina looked at Lord Illeron’s face in the darkness of the corridor. Even her master of spies was scared now, his eyes wide.

  Footsteps sounded from behind them and Leif came running around the corner. Before the guards down the hall caught sight of him, Kalina stepped out into the passage and snagged the front of his leathers, dragging him back into the alcove with her. By now it was a tight fit, and if anyone found them they’d look like sardines packed into too small a jar. She put a finger to her lips, indicating he needed to stay silent.

  There they stayed until the sounds of tromping footsteps faded. Then they quickly squeezed out of the hiding space.

  “What was that all about?” Leif asked.

  “Did Jormungand update you?” Kalina asked. He nodded. “Good. Well, the Prince was caught trying to leave, and now they’ve captured all our dragons.” She watched as his face drained of color and then hardened.

  “What’s next? Who do I have to kill to get Arikara back?”

  “I need to get you four out of here. Where is Jormungand?” Lord Illeron asked. Leif started running back down the hall to his rooms. Lord Illeron turned to her and Kari. “Go and get the barest essentials, and don’t forget warm cloaks. Meet us back here in five minutes.” He then followed Leif while Kari and Kalina ran to her rooms.

  They were a mess, a chair overturned, a vase shattered on the floor, and Kalina’s trunks lay open on the bed, already partially packed. She ignored those. She was already wearing her Valdiran leathers, so she grabbed an over-the-shoulder bag and began stuffing things into it: a pouch of money, her gold dragon scale armor that Leif had made her, her double axes which she strapped to her back, and her crown. At that moment she wore her small silver circlet, the same one she wore into battle, but the pretty blue one her father had given her mother she tucked inside her bag. Then she threw her wolf fur cloak around herself and joined Kari by the door.

  “Where’s Runa, Hilde, Asa, or Gyda?” Kalina asked, referring to her other Queen’s Guards.

  “I don’t know. I hope they weren’t captured by the guards We can’t worry about them right now. They can handle themselves. And like you said, we can’t do anything from the dungeons.”

  Kalina nodded, her jaw set. Although it felt like she was running from a fight instead of meeting it, she knew that they just didn’t have the numbers to fight the Askorians on their home turf. She would have to get out, find allies, and then attack. She would get Maska back.

  Chapter 30

  The underground passage was dark and damp, and by now Kalina’s clothing was sticking to her sweat-slicked skin. They were all hunched low to avoid banging their heads on the overhead rocks. Lord Illeron had told them that Lord Averil was a traitor and he’d been working with Askor the entire time. Kalina wasn’t all that surprised. She had seen the man in close conference with the King after many of the council meetings, after all. And he’s always seemed to advocate for whatever the King wanted. It made her sick to her stomach to know he was responsible.

  “I�
�d had my suspicions but could never directly connect him to Askor. But today I happened upon them in a corridor and overheard him discussing your marriage with the King,” Illeron said, ducking beneath a low outcropping of rock. The tunnel had been dug from the bedrock below the castle itself.

  “He always did agree too quickly with whatever the King of Askor said,” Kalina said as she stepped down after him into what felt like ice-cold murky water. She shivered in disgust as a smell assaulted her nose.

  “Lord Illeron, do I even want to know what I’m stepping in?”

  “No, your Majesty. These tunnels were once used to transport goods as well as waste from the castle to the riverboats. But now they just transport waste.”

  Kalina began breathing through her mouth to avoid the smells but she knew that it was just coating her tongue. She suppressed a gag and continued after the Spymaster, deeper into the dark. He held a torch ahead of him, and behind them, Leif held a torch as well. Leif and Lord Illeron had arrived at Leif’s rooms to find them deserted. Jormungand had already left to warn Talon and Captain Higgs. Kalina could only hope they were safe.

  “Lord Averil orchestrated all of this, didn’t he? Not just the marriage, but us coming here, the dragons, and now this?” Kalina asked into the dark.

  “I’d always thought he was a bit simple,” Kari said behind her. “But then again, he was the first to oppose you. And he has continued to oppose you right and left since you took the throne, he just does it in such a way you don’t always notice. A man like that wouldn’t risk your disfavor unless he had someone more powerful behind him.”

  “Before I took the throne he was Prince Terric’s staunchest supporter. I should have been more suspicious of his actions in the first place.” Kalina mentally chastised herself for not kicking him off the council sooner. But she had been trying not to rock the boat too much once she’d taken the throne. Leaving him on the council placated many of the angry nobles. But he had supported the Askorian King’s side since the beginning. And now she was paying the price.