Without missing a beat, "The lord was spreading doubt amongst other patrons. I had him moved to a cell until your duty is fulfilled, and you can speak with him yourself."
Except, Lord Torben would be silenced before Helvig got anywhere near him.
Helvig chuckled darkly while Vilde smiled sharply as she brushed a loose, white curl from her face. Around her wrist was a delicate black iron chain that Baldr had not noticed before. It was a testament to her strength that she wore the metal without any discomfort. Some charms seemed to hang from a few of the links— small iron-wrought runes that Baldr did not recognize.
"My thanks, General," Helvig continued.
"If I have your permission, I'd like to retire for the evening," he continued, pouring every ounce of respect he didn't have into his words in the hopes the King wouldn't notice.
The moon had long since crested over the open ceiling of the ballroom, meaning those who had been guzzling mead all day were going to take a turn for the ugly soon.
The King only nodded dismissively and waved a hand at him to leave. Thank the Allfather.
Just as Baldr was about to turn, Vilde sucked in a large breath. It was so sudden, like she had been hit in the stomach with the force of Thor's hammer. Doubled over in front of her, the Elven went rigid. The lively music stopped as every pair of eyes in the ballroom turned to see what was happening to the chosen Queen Consort.
The ballroom's silence was deafening compared to the sounds that had filled it previously. It was quiet enough for Baldr to hear the soft clink of metal hitting the marble floor. Crouching to see what had fallen, Baldr found one of the metal rune charms from her bracelet. As soon as he picked it up, he had to drop it because it burned like the hottest embers in a fire.
Instinct pricked at the back of his neck, forcing him to look up. Under Vilde's pearlescent skin, dark shadows churned and pulsed rapidly in time with her heavy breaths. Baldr only had enough time to throw an air shield around himself, and most of the guests near him before Vilde exploded in a violent column of shadows.
The silence that had appeared when Vilde reacted to whatever was happening inside of her was now filled with the screams of the dying as the shadows that had exploded out of her ripped servants, nobles, and soldiers too close to her into pieces. Anyone within a few hundred yards of her had been in her blast range— their last moments on this earth filled with terror as the icy shadows she controlled shredded through them.
Where the ballroom had been filled with multicolored flowers, now the walls and florals were stained red. A mist of gore hung in the air as the temperature plummeted enough for it to freeze in the air.
Baldr gagged as he took in what was left of those Vilde had killed in her violent rage. Screams erupted as the haze cleared to reveal the carnage. Chaos ensued as the nobles tried to flee, their bodies cramming into the narrow doorways in an attempt to leave the bloodied ballroom.
Paralyzed, he didn't know how help anyone escape the murderous rampage Vilde had begun.
"It's gone!" Vilde shrieked through her teeth. "He's gone!"
"Who is gone? What's happened?" Helvig demanded from behind his air shield. Of course, the prick didn't think of shielding his people.
"The band has been removed," she panted between words. "My shadowdraugrhas been forced from the Kolbeck prince's body."
Helvig only paused for a beat before turning to Baldr. "There is no more time for planning. We've lost our connection to the Kolbecks; it's time to march on Veter."
Baldr gave a shaky nod, trying to find his General persona amidst all the death and confusion.
"NOW, General," Helvig roared.
Finally, Baldr found his legs beneath him, and he took off for the servant's corridor he had tried to escape to before. As soon as he closed the door on the pandemonium still wreaking havoc through the ballroom, he wasted no time trying to catch his breath.
He needed to tell her, to warn her that Helvig's plans had just been sped up since he couldn't spy on the Kolbecks anymore. He had never reached out to her directly all this time, only ever going through the channels set up by the King of Shadow to protect their anonymity in case their messages were intercepted. But this was the exception— she needed to know this informationimmediately.
When he reached his office, he hastily penned out a message for her. He didn't include all the things he wanted to say, as much as it pained him. For now, he could only try to give them a head start. At the bottom, he wrote that he would send word again as soon as he knew more.
Folding up the note into the shape of a single petal dahlia, Baldr closed his eyes and pulled on his airgalder. With one gentle blow, he directed hisgalderto float the folded note into the air until it disappeared into the dark sky. The note to find her wherever she was; it was something she had taught him when they had been together in Finniskali.
He only hoped the words would reach her in time to make a difference.
41
Bryn knew that only the slightest movement or sound would break the stunned silence that overtook the cabin. The only person who did not seem surprised was Aeric.
A beat passed, and then the room was overwhelmed with voices.
"Did you know?"
"How did you get a hold of it?"
