CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hradi whistled, making his way to the blacksmith through the alleys behind the main square's stalls and buildings.
Recollections of the night before, of Katrin becoming bolder and more eager in their physical delights, lifted his mood.
While still she refused to let him take her completely, he knew it was only a matter of time before he convinced her that laying with him would not harm her powers.
If the gods truly intended that, they would have stripped her of her gift by now.
While the battle she had foretold had yet to occur, the premonitions she had received for his clansmen in the days since had all come to pass.
He knew now her skill was true. He recalled how a young mother had saved her child from being trampled under a horse's hooves in the village square, and how one of his warriors had asked the daughter of the smith for approval to wed the young woman.
When his father made his speech last night, Katrin spoke the words a moment before Thorfinn, sealing the jarl's approval.
Since that first vision, Thorfinn had led the village's warriors in battle preparation. While he and Kori had yet to discern which clan, led by a red-haired warrior, dared to attack, Grindafell was ready and would repel any invasion.
He turned into another alley, stopping short to see two people huddled in a corner ahead.
Though he couldn't see her clearly past the man before her, Hradi had no doubt it was Katrin's mistress, the glint of silver hair giving away Gunilla's identity.
He ducked back against the wall. Some instinct told him the older Seeress planned something nefarious.
He slowly edged out, eying a path to get closer and better hear her conversation.
The man's back faced Hradi, making it difficult to know with whom who Gunilla spoke, though he felt certain it was not one of Grindafell's own. Hradi inched along the building walls, taking advantage of blind corners to make his way. Soon enough, Gunilla's voice reached him clearly.
"They are getting closer. We cannot outrun them this time. We have chosen well for our final stand. As soon as …"
A gust of wind whistled around Hradi, drowning the rest of Gunilla's words. He scowled and slowly crept closer.
"She agrees to the match, I assure you. We spoke of it just this morning."
Was Gunilla marrying off one of her servants? Hradi held his breath, daring a peek around the corner. Definitely not of his clan. So who was he?
"You have the payment?" the man asked.
Gunilla pressed a small sack into his hand. "The last one will come when you leave. You must be gone before Maní reaches the end of his journey and take her with you. Before…"
Damn the woman to Hel! Again her words were muffled, this time by the calling of an overhead flock of geese. Silently cursing, Hradi kept his focus on the pair. The need to seek out his brother took hold, but not before he learned more of the woman's plans.
"You have promised she will not fight."
Gunilla gave a brief nod, her gaze darting around the area. For a moment, Hradi worried she spotted him. He ducked back behind the building.
"Katrin is aware her path has been chosen for her since before her birth. I am certain you are the one the gods told me long ago to give her to."
Hradi's heart seemed to stop beating at hearing Katrin's name. The roaring in his ears rose before fading back to a low throb. He released several harsh breaths and forced his astonishment aside, closing his eyes to aid his hearing.
"She has barely acknowledged me. The jarl's son has made a claim."
Hradi silently drew another breath and held it.
Yes, he had made a claim. If necessary, he would fight to keep his possession.
He refused to recognize the bizarre maelstrom of anger and hurt that battered at his soul, fighting to be free and driving him to challenge Gunilla and this strange man right now.
Where the strength to contain the instinct came from, he might never know.
"Katrin has always known the time would come for her to repay the gods for her gift. That time is at hand, and the gods have made their choice. The jarl's son is not the one."
"You know for sure that I am the one the gods have chosen?"
"I do. Despite my … age, I am still blessed with the ability to receive their commands and desires. Katrin has helped me with that as she nears her full strength. She did, until we arrived here and were separated."
"Explain," the man demanded.
Several moments passed before the traitorous witch spoke again. The first part of her words were again muffled when she lowered her voice, but Hradi heard the next clearly.
"I worry she may have lost her focus since she was forced to leave my side. She falls deeper under his influence with each day."
"You had better put an end to that. I have not spent the last years as your messenger to lose what you have promised. It is thanks to me that your allies will soon arrive. I expect to be rewarded as was promised."
"Do not fear. You will be. She will obey my orders."
Hradi felt as if his lungs had been ripped from his chest. Had Katrin known all along that Gunilla would marry her off in such a manner?
He thought hard about how she often seemed to withhold important details of her life.
Had he been so enamored of her passion he'd ignored obvious signs of her deceit?
What of these allies the unknown man spoke of? Had Grindafell been a target for attack all along, as Kori suspected? His anger at being betrayed yet again by a woman slowly suffocated any affection he had felt toward Katrin.
This was worse than when his slave had turned on him.
Katrin had come willingly to him, well, at least accepting.
Her responses were not fake, of that Hradi was still sure.
Maybe that was why the shredding of his heart stole his ability to see, hear, even breathe, for several moments.
When clarity returned, ice had taken hold in his veins.
She would pay for her treachery, as would Gunilla. A plan slowly pieced itself together. First he must speak with Kori, to put their plan of defense into action now. The foretold battle was clearly soon at hand.
He recalled Katrin's words the other morning when she had held his father's hand and described her vision.
And while he believed her gift to be real, he now questioned her intentions.
He didn't know what to think, but surely his brother would know just what to do.
At that moment, all he wanted was to make her pay for deceiving him.
And she would.
***
Katrin opened her eyes and stretched, quickly shaking off the last tendrils of sleep.
Several deep breaths revived her further and, reaching for her wand beside her, she swung her legs over the side of the bunk.
A quick glance around the room told her she was alone.
Good. She needed some time to gather her thoughts and prepare herself for facing Gunilla again, dreading the confrontation.
Any last vestiges of trust had been shattered this morning when the woman had protested Katrin seeking visions for Thorfinn any more.
The jarl clearly was close to the end of his patience with Gunilla.
Somehow, Katrin must find a way to free herself from the older Seeress' grasp before the woman's fate played out, possibly condemning her as well.
Gunilla's extreme dislike of Hradi made little sense.
At first, Katrin had believed the woman only sought to protect her, but there was much more to it than that.
Her opposition to Dream Man's presence and obvious courting was peculiar and more vigorous than her ordinary resistance to others who had tried in the past to court Katrin.
Katrin remained convinced her mistress knew of the foreseen battle.
What did she know, who did she know, and why did she keep it a secret?
They'd never had an army, and had fled every village in secret, so there were no allies, at least, none that Katrin could recall. Who could Gunilla know that would want to attack Grindafell? And what did she gain from such an attack?
Part of her longed to seek out Hradi and discuss this with him, but she didn't have enough evidence of any wrongdoing, just her own hunches and suspicions.
Perhaps after she had spoken with Gunilla again, and convince the woman to give her answers to her questions, she would discuss her worries with him.
A shadow fell over her and she looked up. Though silhouetted in the light from the smoke hole, she couldn't clearly see Hradi's face, but fiery bursts of rage seemed to surround him, reaching out to stab her. Why was he so angry?
Before she could ask, he grabbed her arm and hauled her up.
Her fingers tightened on the wand, as if sensing his next move.
Once again, her instinct proved correct when he reached for the slender wood and ripped it from her grip.
She yanked against his hold, her outraged cry echoing around them when he carelessly tossed the wand aside.
Fury drove her to slap him hard with her free hand, landing several blows before he caught her wrists and pinned her hands behind her back with one of his own.
She shoved and pulled in an attempt to free herself, but he merely tightened his hold, wrapping his other arm around her and pressing her tight against his chest.
"You witch!"
The venom in his voice left her flinching.
What had she possibly done to deserve such hatred?
His next squeeze forced the breath from her lungs.
She glared at him and jerked her head against his chin.
Hard. The resulting pain left her momentarily stunned, but it was enough for Hradi to ease his grip. She sucked in a breath.
"What has happened? Why are you so angry?"