Tora had been a sister to me most of my life, and to know that the man I called Father had done this to her made me see red. “How is it you can speak of this to me now?”
“Because I swore to keep his secrets, but the truth about his bloodline and magic he revealed to you himself.” Her hands fisted. “It is his weakness, always wanting those he manipulates and tricks to know it was him. It is the sweetest moment for him, and watching him…relishwhat happened to Snorri, you, and Freya on that island was—” She broke off and took a deep breath. “Suffice it to say that he took the greatest of pleasures from that moment.”
So much made sense now that I knew it. I’d always questioned why we just didn’t kill Snorri and be done with it: Mymother’sconvenient prophecies and foresights and opinions of why that was not possible were now revealed as Harald’s lies. Death was no satisfaction to him, no vengeance, and watching how easily he’d played me when dressed as my mother made me cringe.
“The only foretelling Saga ever gave about Freya was the first,” Tora continued quietly. “That she’d unite Skaland beneath the one who controlled her fate. All the rest was lies created by Harald to manipulate you and, ultimately, Freya herself.”
Harald had made Freya believe that she was destined to be a monster.
No.I had made her believe that.
I rested my head on my knees, knowing that I’d made Freya believe that her fate was to be a plague. That she’d leave thousands dead in her wake. I’d made Freya believe she was to be hated and reviled, and that her fate was dark and full of horror. That I’d been manipulated didn’t absolve me of that fact. Everything that had happened on the strait, every Skalander who’d died, was because of my choices. Because it hadn’t just been Freya who believed she was destined to become a monster—I’d believed it too.
“Can you help her?” I asked. “Can you stop Skade?”
“No.” Tora sighed. “Even if it were possible to catch Skade, he was very clear in his orders. I am to keep you imprisoned in this cell, even if it means my own life. But to be clear, if you are able to kill me and escape, I will thank you with my dying breath, because this is no life, brother.”
The sound of wings flapping caught my attention, and shock filled me as Kaja landed on the bars of the opposite cell. Tora held out an arm and the merlin swooped onto her wrist. “What are you doing here, Kaja?”
“Guthrum is alive?” My chest tightened because I’d seen my friend fall from the drakkar and go beneath another vessel. The chances of him surviving hadn’t been good.
“I did not think so.” Tora gently stroked the bird’s feathers. “But if he is, he’s not made himself known to Harald. At least, that I’m aware of.”
It was possible Guthrum had managed to escape the sea and Harald had told him to remain hidden while Kaja spied, but if that was the case, why had the bird shown herself to us? Guthrum was not one to risk his familiars, and entering such a confined space with us put Kaja very much at risk. Alternatively, Guthrum was dead, and the bird had merely sought the comfort of those she knew well. But the uncanny intelligence in the bird’s eyes told me otherwise.
Which left one other option: that Guthrum had sent Kaja to me of his own accord. Which meant that my friend might yet be turned into an ally.
“I won’t kill you, Tora,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go down without a fight.”
Her eyes met mine. “Don’t tell me any of your plans. I’m bound to protect him, and I swore never to keep any secrets from him.”
She’d sworn those words believing them vows to the woman she loved. Harald’s perversion of those vows was fuel to my anger, and I climbed to my feet, ignoring the pain from the injuries Volund had only half healed. “Give me the bird.”
Tora eased Kaja through the bars and she flapped to land on myknee. It was impossible to get comfortable with my wrists and hands bound with chains behind my back, but I leaned one shoulder against the cold walls as I stared into the bird’s golden eyes, praying to the gods that Guthrum saw through them. “Hello, old friend,” I murmured. “There is a story I need to tell you, and then I need your help.”
We waited until night was fully upon us, then crept down the river Torne until we were in sight of Grindill’s walls. A thick rope was tied to a tree and the other end secured to one of the sturdier warriors who then trudged out into the water carrying a heavy rock to keep him on the riverbed. The others eased him downstream, running out the rope until he reached the base of the fortress.
I paced back and forth through the trees, each passing minute feeling like a lifetime while we waited for him to find the entrance to the tunnel that led under the fortress.
“There’s the signal,” Geir said, letting go of the rope. “Two long pulls followed by three short. He’s in.” My brother gestured to the group of warriors he’d selected. “Go!”
The warriors waded out into the depths and disappeared beneath the surface, using the rope to guide themselves downstream.
“Our turn.” Geir began fastening another length of rope to his waist before handing the other end to me. “You sure you wish to do this, Freya? I can speak to Steinunn as surely as you.”
“She has to hear the story from me for her magic to work.” I fastened the rope around my own waist, checking my knots twice. “I’ll be fine. Just don’t let go of me.”
My brother checked his own knots again, then took hold of the main rope. “Let’s go.”
The chill of the water bit into my skin as I followed him into the river and took hold of a large piece of deadfall that one of the other warriors handed me. “Keep low and behind the branches,” the female draug said. “They have patrols on the wall and they watch the water.”
I gave a tight nod, shivers wracking my body. “I won’t let them see me.”
Geir disappeared beneath the surface, and I held my position until he gave a firm tug. Then I lowered myself into the water and let the current take me. It took only a moment for me to overtake Geir, the rope between us going taut. Keeping behind the branches I clung to, I kicked against the current and prayed to all the gods that those on the walls wouldn’t notice a branch moving slower than everything else on the river as we pressed nearer to Grindill.
I sank lower in the water so that only my nose was above the surface as we drew closer. The walls were well lit with torches, and I counted at least seven warriors on the side facing the river, all attentive at their posts. One man’s eyes latched onto my piece of wood and my heart lurched, but then his gaze jumped away from me. Hopefully drawn by the light of the fires in the distance that other draug had lit as a distraction.
I slipped alongside the wall, the branches no longer enough to hide me from anyone who looked down.
