20. Maddy

Chapter 20

Maddy

W ithin an hour, Harald is singing raucously in the center of the room while two rooks play a seated box drum and some sort of string instrument.

Initially, some of the rooks sing along with him tentatively, but before long he's managed to encourage other Valkyrie to stand up with him. Erik's wings flutter out behind him when he stands and extends an arm to Valdis.

She takes his hand, does a small bow, and tucks her wings in, and then Erik spins her so fast I gasp in delight.

Harald roars his approval and then starts to sing a different song, something much livelier. Others join Valdis and Erik on the dance floor. Unsurprisingly, Henrik is one of the first up, and he has plenty of dance partners to choose from.

"Well, this is definitely not for me," Eldith says. She's leaning against the wall beside me, chewing on a piece of dried beef. "I'll take fighting over dancing any day of the week."

I look around for Navi, thinking she's not going to be interested in dancing either, but unwilling to risk missing her being twirled around, wide-eyed, if I'm wrong.

Sadly, I can't see her anywhere in the feast hall.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Maddy. I need sleep to be ready for the display," Eldith says.

"Goodnight," I say to her.

All the warriors here talk about needing good sleep before they fight. Perhaps I should be learning something from that. But the energetic atmosphere and music are reminding me of the balls from home a little, and it's been ages since I heard a proper tune played.

My decision to stay a little longer soon proves to be a bad one. Eldith is not gone for more than five minutes before Orgid and Inga step in front of me.

I tense, then force my muscles to relax. I don't need them to see that they affect me. I stay leaning against the wall, flick my eyes over both of them, then settle my gaze on the dancers.

"I assume princesses know how to dance," Orgid says.

I don't look at him when I reply. "Whether I can dance or not has nothing to do with you."

"But I was going to ask for your hand," Orgid says sarcastically.

"Go dance with your mate, and leave me alone."

He coughs, and I glance at Inga. She's pulling an odd face, and it's the most revealing they've been about their relationship.

Are they more like brother and sister than bound mates? I don't know if it matters—whatever they are, they are close enough that it will always be the pair of them that comes after me.

"I think she's lying. I think she can't dance," says Inga, in her usual snarl.

"Go annoy somebody else," I say.

Shadows curl from Orgid's staff, moving toward me. The room is lively and loud, and nobody is looking our way.

I don't want to let these pricks force me from the feast hall or think they can control or scare me. I really don't. But I haven't got it in me to fight with him this evening. The strength display is tomorrow, and I'm not wasting energy and emotion on these fools.

I step out of the creeping shadows' grip and push past the two of them.

"Yes, that's right. Run away, brave princess!" Inga calls after me. I don't turn. I just walk steadily away from the feast hall, and then along the bank of the water, not stopping until I reach the small bridge to Odin's High Hall.

"I could kill them for you."

The growl makes me whirl around. Kain is leaning against the outside of the nearest building.

"Tempting. I'd rather kill him myself, though," I mutter.

"I think you just don't want to be in my debt," he says, pushing himself off the warm wood and moving toward me. Low light flickers off the water, turning his scars silver against his tanned skin.

I scowl at him. "I saved your life. You owe me ."

"And what would you have me do, petal, if I'm not to slay your tormentors?"

His eyes are firing with sparks tonight; he's alive with energy. It's intoxicating. And dangerous.

I just walked away from one fight. I'm not walking into another. With my own infernal body.

"Goodnight, Kain." I deliberately turn away from him.

"Sigrun's here. We're out of time. If we are to get into the records room, it has to be while she is here."

I shake my head and step along the bank. "I told you I wouldn't help you."

"And I'm telling you, it's the only way you'll survive Featherblade."

I stop and turn, hissing when I see that he's right behind me. "You can't know that."

"The treasures in that vault are beyond your imagining."

"Stop trying to manipulate me. The 'treasures in that vault' are what you want in order to set the whole damn world on fire," I snap at him.

He raises one eyebrow. "I'm glad to see you're not underestimating me."

I'm not going to tell him that my imagination has shown me in glorious, vivid detail exactly what he might be capable of .

When I say nothing, he takes another step toward me, closing the gap to inches. "You want a cure, petal, and you haven't got a snake to do it for you, so you're going to need to get into that vault."

"Are you just baiting me with this, or do you actually know of something hidden inside Featherblade that has healing powers?"

I see the indecision on his face as he stares down at me. He wants to lie to me. I know he does. But eventually, his massive shoulders drop.

"No, but Featherblade is ancient and has been home to some of history's most powerful fae. There could be anything in there."

I grind my teeth.

Why didn't he lie to me? If he had, it would be so much easier to walk away.

Do it, Maddy. Just. Fucking. Walk. Away.

But he didn't lie. For the second time, he's chosen honesty over tricking me into helping him.

I take a deep breath.

Even if I did want to help him, which I don't, because he's a convicted murderer, I would not be willing to cross Sigrun to do it. She's here to see how strong we've become, and I'm praying I can use my magic or even get my bear to show up in front of her to impress her. Breaking into her personal chambers would not achieve that goal.

If Kain is right and Featherblade wants me in that vault, then it will find a way. A way that doesn' t involve breaking into the records room and risking my place here.

"Leave me alone, Kain," I say, and mercifully I manage to inject a modicum of conviction. "I'm not helping you, and I'm certainly not fucking with the most powerful Valkyrie in the world. That would be just plain stupid." Before he can speak, I hold my hand up. "And I don't like 'petal' any better than 'princess.'" I turn and stride off toward the High Hall as fast as my legs will carry me.