Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Peylin slams the door shut. “What the fuck was that?”
“What were you two arguing about last night?” I question her instead. I need a moment to set my mind right before I stutter through a response.
She narrows her gaze at me, and her lips press together in a thin line.
“That he wasn’t welcome even though he claimed he had something important to tell you.
I tried to get him to leave, and return when you weren’t intoxicated.
When you would be in the right mind to receive him—if you ever would be.
But no, Bryn, you had to go and shove your face in another male’s. ”
I let out a small laugh. “Last night is a bit hazy, but I seized an opportunity to piss him off. What did you expect after what happened between us, and he comes around after so long?”
Peylin folds her arms across her chest as she taps her foot, unamused with my response.
“He crossed the Wastelands to tell me I’ve been cursed, and that if it’s not broken, I’ll die.” I shrug.
She balks. “What? You can’t be serious. Do you believe him?”
“I’m not sure. Something has been wrong with me for the last few months. You were just lambasting me about it yesterday. I attributed those episodes to some lingering effect of the bargain.”
I figured the Fates were greedy for more. That through some loophole in the wording of our bargain, they were siphoning what magic they could from me. I even went over the wording of our bargain multiple times, trying to figure out if I had made an error that allowed it to happen.
I concluded that I didn’t care either way. The sacrifice was worth the outcome, saving my people and stopping the battle.
Now I know, it wasn’t my bargain, but a fucking curse. Lovely. Even worse, a curse that brought Mikael back into my life. I shake my head.
“So, what now? He can’t stay in this city,” Peylin says.
I put my hands in my hair and pace the room. “I don’t know? I guess I’m off to go curse breaking with my traitorous ex-lover.” The words feel like ash on my tongue.
I can’t believe I’m actually considering going with Mikael.
Am I?
Ugh. Kill me now.
“Please tell me this is a joke.” Her words come out as a plea.
I wish I could tell her it was a joke, but a rotten feeling in my gut tells me that Mikael’s claim is true.
“And hold on, why was his hand hovering over your tattoo?” she asks.
“He thinks my tattoo is somehow linked to the curse. When I touched it, nothing happened. So, he was trying to see if it would respond to his touch.”
Luckily, Peylin knows me, and my past. She knows I would never go there again with him even if it was a compromising position to find us in.
“Why couldn’t he have sent a missive after he crossed the Wastelands? Instead of demanding the two of you travel together?”
“I wouldn’t have read anything from him or believed it.
We both know that. He knows that. And he claims it also affected him.
Mikael stole an amulet that caused the curse to activate.
First the betrayal, and now he’s cursed me.
I picked a real winner. His guilt must be finally eating away at him.
” I shake my head in disbelief and slam my hand down on the dresser as anger builds.
I continue as I quickly get dressed. “But does it really matter how it happened? If it’s true, I have to live. I have a city to protect. I’m not going to die and let this city fall into the hands of the crown.”
“I rushed up here to tell you that your father has ordered a mandatory inspection of the city’s defenses. Do you think they know Mikael is here?” Peylin asks, walking to the table, grabbing one of the pastries, and sitting down.
“How could they? He only arrived last night.” I grab my mug and tip it back, drinking the rest of my coffee.
“Erik?” Peylin suggests.
Well fuck. “Possibly. He is just another male that would use me to get within my father’s proximity.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Talk to Mikael.” I turn and walk out of the room.
“What about the inspection?” Peylin questions as we head downstairs. “Your father won’t take lightly to you not being present again.”
“He can fuck off. My father knows damn well the defenses in my city are more than satisfactory. He’s likely using it as a guise for some other intel he wants to acquire.” I glance sideways and give her a knowing look.
It’s not the first time he’s done this. Travelled to Varithen for some generic reason, some excuse—when really, he just wanted to check on me.
He just never admits to visiting for that purpose alone.
I lost respect for him long ago when he never visited me for the sole purpose of checking on his daughter.
The wooden walls and rows of doors of the tavern’s rooms pass quickly as I make haste. I have to test Mikael’s theory before my father arrives, or someone else reports last night’s debacle.
Even though I run this city, people will cave to the general and king’s guard because their fury is worse than mine. It’s where I learned it from.
When my boots hit the main floor of the tavern, now empty, I realize how drastically different it looks during the day.
Dusty light spills through the windows as workers clean yesterday’s mess before opening in a few hours; in particular, the blood that coats the floor courtesy of Mikael and Erik.
Govlik and Mikael direct their attention to me. Peylin’s a pace behind me but closes the gap as I approach the bar.
“I’ll have a drink!” I bark at Govlik.
“No.” Govlik leans against the other side of the bar and crosses his arms. “No alcohol for you.”
“Pardon?” I nod my head at Mikael, who is sitting in my favorite seat with a glass full of purple liquid. “He’s drinking.”
“He didn’t cause a scene in my tavern. He doesn’t get intoxicated every night in my establishment. No more, Bryn.”
“Hardly fair, seeing as he’s only been here once and is the one that caused a scene.
From what I remember, he’s the one that got into a fight.
Not me.” I cock my hip and cross my arms. “Plus, what’s a tavern without a scene every now and then?
Come on, my head is pounding. Give me a break.
This man here is my betrayer, showing his face again after centuries.
Pity me.” I pout my lips and give Govlik my best doe-eyed look, even though I know it won’t work. He is an orc, after all.
“I don’t do pity,” Govlik says, giving me a nasty glare.
“Fine. Mikael, let’s finish what we were discussing upstairs. Peylin, make a plan for the last-minute inspection.” Pivoting on my heel, I walk away from the bar and wait at a table on the other side of the room.
“Call me Kai. I can’t stand you using my full name,” Mikael says as he approaches.
“No. Kai is dead to me.” A flicker of hurt crosses over his face at my statement. We’re no longer close, so I have no reason to use my nickname for him. Before he can respond, I ask, “Ready?”
“I’ll always be ready and willing when it comes to you,” Mikael answers, smirking.
Ugh, the gall of him to make comments like that.
“Ready and willing to betray me?” I quip back. “You know, now that you’re here, why did you do it?”
“Bryn…” My name is a rumble in his throat. Mikael’s gray eyes are full of emotion as they move across my face. He takes a deep breath. “I’d love to tell you, but it won’t solve the more immediate problem, which is the curse. Please. Let me fix that first.”
Now it’s me who’s assessing him as silence drags between us. “Humph.”
I made peace a long time ago with never knowing the answer. Except, that peace didn’t involve spending time with him again. What happened rocked me to my core, and there was a time I would have begged for an answer.
But he’s right. It won’t matter anyway if I’m dead soon.
“Go on. Touch me.” I pull up one side of my tunic, exposing the ink on my ribs and look into the gray eyes that are full of emotion and lingering thoughts.
It’s not even remotely cold in the tavern with the fire roaring in the hearth, but a chill creeps down my spine as his fingers touch my skin.
My brows rise as the ink pulses and shifts into words that form into two rows beneath my bond tattoo. It spreads onto Mikael’s fingers. The black moves along his arm and disappears beyond his sleeve.
Mikael lifts his tunic with his free hand, exposing his matching tattoo, while keeping his finger on mine.
“Is that necessary?” I groan, repulsed by his lingering touch.
“I told you we had to do this together,” Mikael says.
Great, just great.
He wasn’t lying. I’m cursed.
As if being cursed wasn’t enough, the same magic also ties us together. Forcing me to work with him, to figure out the riddles and break it.
Mikael ignores my question. “Interesting…”
“What does it say?” I ask impatiently. He slowly reads out each word as if they are going to disappear the moment his finger leaves the spot on my skin where it resides.
“Vexatious others might see,
but oh what fun it is to be.
Within flowers, green glens,
and blue waterfalls we dream.”
“What the fuck does that mean? I don’t do riddles.” I can’t bear his touch any longer, so I shove my shirt down.
His brows crease, and he runs a hand through his hair.
I return the scowl he has plastered on his face. “Go get some charcoal and paper from Govlik and write it down.”
I release a deep breath when he leaves my vicinity. I’d like to know the source of the cursed amulet so I can rip whoever created it to shreds for bringing him back into my life.
The faster we can get this over with, the better. We can return to the way our lives were before this damned curse.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. He said my soul shattered into four fragments. I might actually kill him before finding all four. I can’t imagine this is going to be easy.
“Do you remember what it said?” I question as he returns to the table. I recoil at the thought of him having to touch me again.
“For the most part. But I need to see it again.” He waves the charcoal stick and paper between us.
“Fine, but don’t touch me this time.”
“Your wish is my command.” The words are followed by a low chuckle. “Sit please.” He pulls two chairs out from the table and takes a seat in one of them.
Gods, he’s infuriating. This is in no way humorous. But you know, if this is torture for me, then I can make it torture for him too.
Sliding my tunic over my head, I drop it onto the table. Only my bandeau remains, covering my breasts.
Mikael raises a brow, and I give him something between a smile and sneer before sitting on the black velvet cushion of the wooden chair. My foot taps incessantly, waiting for him to finish.
I’m going to win the game he’s started. Oh, I’m going to make him want to fuck me so badly that he’s begging for it. Then I’ll destroy his hope and his heart, just like he did to me.
“Hurry up,” I command. “My father will arrive soon, and you don’t want to be here when he does.”
“And what do you think he’d be able to do to me?”
“For starters, you will not ruin another thing of mine by fighting in my city’s streets. Understood?” I don’t have the patience for games when it comes to protecting Varithen and the residents who reside within it.
Mikael clears his throat. “Yes.”
“Second, he won’t be alone. He’ll have a garrison of guards. So, if they don’t kill you, they’ll capture you and bleed you dry. Cage your desiccated body and let you watch time pass in agony until they tire of you and finally end your misery by staking you in the heart.”
“Well.” His tone turns dark and haughty. “We won’t have the opportunity to find out, will we?” He hands me the paper over my shoulder, his voice returning to silky shadows. “Done.”
I swing my legs around so I’m facing him and read over the lines.
Vexatious others might see, but oh what fun it is to be.
Great, a lot of things vex me. Like Mikael. And he sure seems to have fun doing it.
Within flowers, green glens, and blue waterfalls we dream.
Yeah, this could be anywhere. Eidrfall is full of flowers, glens, and waterfalls. Even the western islands have all of these.
I look up at him, grabbing the charcoal he placed on the table. “It’s your turn. Lift your shirt up.”
Mikael instead pulls his tunic over his head and places it on top of my discarded one.
I roll my eyes then record the lines on his skin.
A pulse in time for a desire of the mind.
Fade with the ending light of day.
Stay or find your way.
“I’m done.”
He does me the favor of putting his tunic back on, then hands me mine. I pull it over my head before picking up the paper and reading the riddle as one long passage.
“Vexatious others might see,
but oh what fun it is to be.
Within flowers, green glens,
and blue waterfalls we dream.
A pulse in time for a desire of the mind.
Fade with the ending light of day.
Stay or find your way.”
“How long do we have to figure this out?” My eyes flick up over the paper to Mikael, who is watching me intently.
“You were always so beautiful when deep in thought. The way your brows move and the quirk of your lips.”
Hold in your smartass response. Hold it in.
I ignore his compliment and ask, “Did you decipher where we must go as you enjoyed touching me?”
“Was it that obvious?” Mikael cocks his head to the side.
“It always was.” I smile, then wave the paper in front of him. “Remember when you got upset that I wasn’t taking this seriously? Well, I’d like to know how long we have, and if you can figure this out. Please.” I bat my eyelashes for extra emphasis.
“Oh, that was too soon, Bryn.” He leans in and whispers in my ear. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”
I lean back to put more room between us. “We’ll see.”
“We have barely more than a fortnight left.” Mikael holds out a hand for the paper.
“I’m sorry, what? A fortnight?” I straighten, surprised. I try to toss it to him, but it flutters to the ground before he can grab it.
“I told you it took me a long time to find you,” he says.
“Some of the outlying islands can take a week to travel to.” I stand and start pacing.
“Then it’s a good thing I can move faster than you—but you’d have to let me carry you, for us to travel at my speed.” He leans back against his chair and studies the paper.
“Well, it’s a good thing we can magically imbue our steeds to run faster and last longer,” I quip back.
He laughs, gaze rising from the paper to me. “I’d like for you to imbue me with that skill. We’d have a great night.”
I stop in front of him and shove his shoulders. The chair is unable to hold his unbalanced weight and tips over. He tumbles out as I storm away, straight to the bar.
“Govlik.” I look up at him with the most commanding look and tone I can muster in my flustered state. “Please, I need a drink. He is insufferable.”
Govlik looks over at Mikael, who is dusting himself off with a lingering laugh still etched into his features. “What are you two on about?”
“I’m going to die in a fortnight.”
He pours my favorite mix and slides it over to me. “I suppose that deserves a drink.”
“Thank you.” I slam it back, letting the liquid burn my throat and set fire to my insides.