51. Maddy
Chapter 51
Maddy
" D isable her," my mother barks.
Erik draws a sword, his once-warm eyes stone cold. Ishild towers beside him as Inga and Brunnin move to flank us, the fire bear's flames casting writhing shadows across the snow.
My skin prickles as it freezes, and Thyrvi drops low, growling as snow storms over our heads.
I can't win this fight. I know that. I'm outnumbered and outpowered.
But I have allies out there, and if Sarra or Freydis can find the dagger, we might be able to escape.
The fire in my stomach roars, transforming my fear into pure battle fury.
A flash of light brighter than the sun erupts behind my mother. Everyone recoils, shielding their eyes.
When it dies away, my heart stops.
It's Kain.
Somehow, Kain is standing there.
Shirtless, wild-eyed, and furious.
His gaze finds mine, and the world narrows to nothing but him as he runs, moving faster than should be possible.
He pulls up six inches from me, close enough that I can feel the heat rolling off his skin. It takes everything I have not to reach for him.
"How? " The word comes out breathless. "How are you here?"
"Featherblade." He holds out the dagger I took from the vault, a simply adorned lump of metal and wood.
I take it, hardly daring to breathe. "It sent you here?"
Thyrvi rumbles a growl. "They approach," she warns in my mind.
"But—"
"Enough!" Erik's voice rings out.
Kain turns with lethal slowness. "You will spend an eternity in hell for slaying one of our own in cold blood," he hisses, Skoll flaring to life next to him.
"From the fae responsible for the destruction of his own court? The murder of his own family?" Erik snarls.
"What?" I say, shocked.
"He didn't tell you?" my mother purrs. "No, of course he wouldn't."
"He can't have…"
I drag my eyes from her to Kain. His eyes are flaming but fixed on Erik.
"He murdered his royal family to take power," Mother continues, "and accidentally destroyed his entire court. Every fire-fae died by his hand."
"No." The denial comes automatically. There's no way the Kain I know is capable of that.
Still he doesn't look at me.
"The Fire Court sealed over, and all signs of life vanished exactly two hundred years ago. When he was punished and cursed."
No, he can't be responsible.
"The world would know." My voice shakes. "If a fire-fae destroyed their own court… that couldn't be hidden."
My mother scoffs. "The Valkyrie are powerful enough to keep the shame of one of their own a secret, you stupid, na?ve child."
"No." I shake my head desperately. "Kain, tell me this isn't true."
Finally, his burning eyes leave Erik and find mine. "It is what they accused me of," he says through clenched teeth.
A piercing shout rends the air, and I know who instantly whose it is.
"Freydis!"
She's behind my mother, where the light exploded from.
And she's wearing the tiara of Skadi.
Her face is screwed up in pain, and tears are streaming down her face as power radiates from her in tangible waves.
"Freydis!" I run to her, but she holds up her hands, and the magic everyone can feel concentrates into a sphere of pure energy between her palms. As she separates them, images flood my vision, too fast to process. Around me, everyone clutches their heads, crying out.
No. They're not images. They're memories .
With a rush, the torrent stops, and I'm no longer on the ledge.
"Clear it, Madivia." My mother is speaking to me. I'm in the ballroom in the Ice Court, and there's a fae on his knees in front of her. His face is bloody, and his eyes are unfocused. "Now."
"Yes, Mother," I say tightly. I touch something on my head. It's the tiara. And then I do… something .
I don't know what it is. I don't recognize the feeling.
The fae starts, his eyes widening, and then he falls slack.
"Good. Take him."
Two palace guards pick him up, then leave.
"You can go too, Madivia," Mother says, then holds her hand out.
I take the tiara from my head slowly, then hand it to her. But when she tries to take it, I don't let go. "I don't like doing this, Mother. I wish you wouldn't make me."
"We have been given this gift by Skadi herself," she says. "You and your sister are the only ones who can use the tiara—do you think that is just by chance?"
I pause, then shake my head.
"Exactly. You are meant to help make the ice-fae great once more. And to do that, we need to be able to wipe the memories of our enemies."
The world tilts, even within the memory.
I feel sick.
Wipe memories?
This can't be a real memory. It can't be.
My mother never used the tiara to wipe people's memories. I know she didn't.
The image changes, a new one taking its place.
"Mother, please, I don't want to do this!"
It's Freydis, and she's crying. Freydis hardly ever cries.
She drops to her knees in front of Mother, who is sitting in her throne, and grips her skirts. My father gives a bark of anger from the seat next to hers.
"Stand up, child. This is your duty."
"But I don't want to. It's not fair."
"Fair?" My mother stands, sending Freydis falling onto her backside. " Fair has nothing to do with it! Do you know what we could do for Yggdrasil , if we could wipe those verminous fire-fae from its branches?"
Freydis shakes her head, trying to scramble to her feet. She juts her chin out. "I won't do it. We should fight them ourselves."
Mother lashes out a hand, catching her across the cheek.
Freydis hisses, her hands flying to her face.
"You will do it now, or I will have your sister wipe all memory of you from this family and throw you out of this palace."
"She would never," Freydis spits.
"Fine. Then I'll lock her up and starve her until you do it." Freydis' eyes widen in fear, and my mother sighs. "Skadi wants this, child. She gave Madivia power over memories, and you the power to control the Frost Giants. That was for a reason. Do you truly wish to defy the gods?"
When Freydis says nothing, Mother turns to a guard. "Go and get Madivia."
"No," says Freydis. "I'll… I'll do it."
"Good." Mother turns to the same guard. "Ready the ships."
I can hardly breathe. Control Frost Giants?
The image changes, and I swear I stop breathing altogether.
We're in the Ice Court Palace.
My mother and father, Freydis, and I are all there. And so is Kain.
I've seen this before.
Kain is wearing the same clothes, the same wild expression, the room is the same… This is the memory inside the wolf statue. The memory of Kain stabbing my sister.
"Let me go!" he roars.
"Absolutely not," Mother says. "Somebody told Sigrun that the Fire Court was under threat, and I needed a murderer. You fit the bill perfectly."
"You killed them! All of them!" Kain is screaming, borderline hysterical. There's none of the cool, calm, terror-inspiring rage I'm used to seeing from him. "Children, families… My family…"
He's breathing hard, and I can see tears streaming down Freydis' cheeks.
He turns to her, pulling on shackles that bind his legs and wrists. "How did you do it? How did get an army of Frost Giants to do your bidding? You're fucking cowards!"
"By the time Sigrun reaches what's left of your court, there will be no sign the Frost Giants were ever there. She will find evidence that the Prince of the Fire Court, an honorable Valkyrie, destroyed his home in an attempt to overthrow his father."
"How will you explain the fact that the entire Court is frozen solid?" Kain bellows.
"There will be no ice left."
Kain beats against his bindings, fire roaring in his eyes. "You're a monster! All this, for what?"
"Power," she whispers.
"Too many people know what happened. What about the guards who found me? Someone will tell them what you have done!"
"Good thing I have the power to wipe memories, then, isn't it?"
His face blanches. "Why the gods bestowed you with such magic, I do not know," he says. "Now come to your senses and let me go! There may be people left alive there. I have to return!"
Freydis steps forward. "We should look for survivors," she says to Mother.
"No. Put the tiara on and ensure the Frost Giants seal the court completely."
Freydis shakes her head, and Father steps up to me. He presses a knife to my throat. "Do as your mother says," he tells her.
Tears still streaming, Freydis takes the tiara from my mother and puts it on her head. "Seal the court," she whispers.
"No!" roars Kain. There's a blast of heat, and then the shackles are melted to a lump of metal. He flies forward, shoves me out of the way, whips the dagger from my father's hand, and plunges it into Freydis' chest.