Chapter 57 – Isolde
ISOLDE
Word of the king’s death spread like an uncontrollable wildfire, and the mages and Aaberg loyalists who remained surrendered in quick order. In truth, there were very few left to wave the flag of surrender, anyway.
A large number were gone to the afterworld, and the smell of death seemed to cling to every wooden deck.
Other sailors also reported seeing the three ships Arie and Halladora saw vanish into the night. Other ships had fled too, but as a ship normally would.
The consensus regarding the disappearing ship was as Thyra and I had suspected: King érebo had been on one of those vessels, and he’d cloaked them in darkness to escape. Rhistel had most likely gone with érebo—though I continued to hold out hope that he’d simply drowned.
I didn’t know what would happen when the mages arrived in the capital, but that wasn’t my problem at the moment.
No, the first thing I thought of after unfreezing my friends, all of whom had burns coating their bodies, and leaving a grieving Arie in Caelo’s care was Vale.
The ship we’d left him on remained afloat, and my sister and I made our way there.
When we landed, it was to find the sailors abuzz. A sodden Rynni had been brought to this ship and though I could only glimpse her though the crowd of sailors, I saw she was awake, wrapped in a blanket, and being showered in thanks. We would check on her next. First, I had to see Vale.
Saga stood in front of the cabin door, a cage of ice shielding her. Upon catching sight of us, the seer waved a hand. Her cage of ice shattered and fell to the deck in shards.
Her face was bloodless. She’d heard the news then.
“Saga, I—”
She held up her hands, as if to ward my words away. “Don’t apologize. I knew it would happen. He wasn’t a good king, not even a good person, really, but I’d still like to be alone for a bit.”
My friend left to come to terms with her father’s death. Hate the male though I did, I understood.
After I’d learned who my father was, and of his horrible reputation, I’d still felt grief. Of course, my father’s crimes were not his fault, but I didn’t think it mattered. Saga had lost both parents in a few days’ time and deserved to grieve in whatever manner she saw fit.
And soon I’d have to tell Vale that he’d also lost his parents. Lord Riis, his mother, and the male Vale had once called Father. My stomach tightened in anguish.
Knowing that Lord Riis had died fighting, and I’d never forgiven him for past actions, prompted a new level of guilt. I was certain that I’d carry it until my own death.
But there would be time to examine all the things I should have done and said later, so I pushed down the avalanche of emotions and entered the cabin where Vale was being kept.
Thyra’s shadows had found her mate and brought him here, just as she’d instructed.
Thantrel sat by the porthole, unharmed save for a few bruises.
He stared into the night, his shoulders tight and strained, but at our entrance, utter relief swept his face.
Thyra went to him, and they embraced.
“You dare return here?” Vale sat up in the bed. He eyed the shadows that I’d set to guard and protect him with the same fury that he directed towards me.
I tried to look happy and encouraging but managed only some weak semblance of my usual smile. “Vale, Rhistel used his magic on you. Deep down, you know I’d never harm you. That I love you, and do not lie to you.”
He laughed. The derision struck my soul. Vale sounded nothing like himself.
“You’ve lied since the day I met you, Isolde,” Vale hissed. “And the stars may have paired us, but others have helped me see I can’t trust you. That the realm can’t trust you or your sister.”
My throat tightened. I turned my back to him and found Thantrel and Thyra watching. My sister appeared ready to lash out at Vale, probably to tell him what we’d gone through to save him. How many had died?
Thantrel released my sister’s hand and came closer, his face filled with utter pity. “Rhistel didn’t just use his magic on him, Isolde. He tortured Vale with visions of you, and he made every vision so visceral that it felt real. That’s how it sounded, anyway.”
I inhaled, trying to calm the way my heart rate kicked up at that idea. The concept was so diabolical—so Rhistel. “You’re saying he’s brainwashed against me.”
“Very much so,” Thantrel swallowed. “He didn’t do the same to me because I’m not as recognizable as Vale. Also, I think Rhistel only had the energy to inflict that much damage on one of us. Once he began stealing Vale’s mind, Rhistel’s control on me loosened considerably.”
“Yes, you seem normal.” That, at least, gave me hope.
“The moment the Virtoris Armada came into view, I was told only to stay in a cabin, but otherwise, I had my own mind for the first time in days.” Thantrel exhaled. “As terrified as I was when the shadows stole me from that cabin, I was also grateful to be free.”
“You can’t feel Rhistel any longer?” Thyra asked.
Thantrel shook his head. “I don’t think so, but Vale clearly can.”
“How long before he returns to himself?”
“I can’t say.” Thantrel cleared his throat. “All I know for certain is that he was able to work on Vale for two days.”
Two days seemed like a long time to play with someone’s mind. To inflict bouts of fear and torture one’s own brother.
My chest tightened. What if Rhistel had caused irreparable damage?
“If you’re here, I take it my father is dead?” Vale’s question drew my attention back to him.
I turned, hating to deliver the news like this, but it would have to happen at some point. Thantrel deserved to know too. Behind me, I heard Thyra approach Thantrel, and imagined her pulling him close.
“Lord Riis is dead.” Thantrel gave a sound of shock, making my lungs tighten, but I had more to say. More to admit. “And so is Queen Inga. I’m so sorry, Vale. We—”
Vale shot to his feet. “You killed my mother?”
“She was poisoned by Rhistel, King Magnus, and those of House Ithamai. We didn’t know when we took her from that cell in Grindavik that she’d need the antidote.”
“My father wouldn’t do that to her.”
I stiffened. His father.
Gods, Rhistel brainwashed Vale so thoroughly he didn’t consider Lord Riis his father any longer. Anger rose inside me.
“Magnus would do so, and he did.” My chin lifted. “And when you come to your senses, you’ll agree.”
“You killed him too, didn’t you?” Vale spoke through gritted teeth.
“We both did. Together,” Thyra spoke loud and clear, as though trying to divert Vale’s anger to her.
“I’ll return the favor. To the both of you.” The shadow figures I’d conjured swarmed angrily at his threat, but Vale didn’t seem to notice as he laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
I couldn’t stand here and speak with my mate any longer. Couldn’t hear him speak to me and my sister like this.
“Shadows, keep watch.” Though the effort of maintaining their existence was more draining by the second; it was safer than having a fae watch my mate when he was like this. “Don’t let him leave this cabin.”
I exited the stateroom and made it three steps before I doubled over. Tears streamed down my face. I’d kept them in while speaking with Vale, but stars, I felt physically ill. Knowing that the love of my life wanted me dead was the worst kind of punishment.
Thyra came up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “There’ve been many losses today, but he’s not gone, just in a place we cannot go. Not yet anyway.”
So much loss. We’d lost Sigri. The Virtoris siblings lost their mother. And Vale, Luccan, Thantrel, and Arie had lost their father. Oh, gods, the sisters in Grindavik too. I had so much to answer for.
I straightened and found Thantrel standing behind Thyra. The whites of his eyes were red.
“I’m so sorry, Thantrel. I can’t believe I’m acting like this when you lost your father.”
“Your pain is as valid as mine,” Thantrel said.
I hugged him, and when he pulled away, he looked into the distance.
“The enemy sailors are contained?”
“Our forces were finishing the job when we came here,” Thyra said.
“I’m going to find Arie.” His wings spread out behind him, brilliant red and orange and yellow in the dark of night.
“Do you want me to come?” Thyra asked.
“No, but thank you. I want time with my brother and our father.”
“I understand.” Thyra kissed her mate’s cheek before he flew off to find his brother. To mourn with someone who loved his father like he did.
I exhaled. “We need to return to land. To Bitra.”
“And plan our next move,” Thyra added. “érebo is still out there. And until I hear otherwise, I assume Rhistel is too.”
If she was right—which I had to admit she probably was for it would be all too lucky to get rid of the heir and the king on the same day—Rhistel was likely already plotting how to end our lives. In the meantime, he’d spread the tales far and wide of the dangerous Falk twins.
We might have won this battle, but I had a feeling the war for Winter’s Realm had only just begun.
Finish the series with A War of Winter and Wrath!