“So what is it that I can do for you?” Tilda folded her arms over her chest, and the loose fabric of her tank top shifted, showing the slight swelling of her belly that I should’ve realized the significance of sooner.
“I just wanted to talk to you. ” I shoved my hands in my pockets and tried not to visibly recoil under the scrutiny of her glare. “I needed to apologize for the things I said yesterday. I was out of line. ”
“Damn right you were,” Tilda snapped, but she stepped back from me, giving me room to move in from the entryway. She sighed and rolled her eyes before turning to walk into the kitchen. “Do you want anything? I was gonna make some tea. ”
“Sure. I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I said, following behind her.
“Blackberry and hibiscus it is. ” Her long chestnut hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and it swayed behind her as she moved around, putting the kettle on the stove to boil, and getting the tea and cups out from the cupboard.
Then she turned back to face me, her arms once again crossed over her chest, her gray eyes staring at me expectantly. “So? Where’s the apology?”
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“I am really and truly sorry for everything that I said to you at the meeting yesterday,” I told her emphatically. “I was upset about things that weren’t your fault and really had nothing to do with you, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you. You’re my friend, and I should’ve been happy for you. ”
“That’s true. ” She relaxed a bit. “You have your own bag of issues with love and relationships that I don’t even wanna get into, but that is your deal, and you had no right to take it out on me. ”
“No. You’re absolutely right,” I agreed. “I acted like a jerk for no reason, and I’m sorry. Honestly, I’m very happy for you. If you’re happy and this is what you want. ”
“I am happy, and this is what I want. ” Her whole face lit up when she put her hand on her stomach. “I love Kasper, and although this baby wasn’t exactly planned, I’m happy about it. ”
“You’ll make a great mom,” I said, and I meant it.
She smiled gratefully at me. “Thank you. ”
The kettle whistled, so she turned away and poured the hot water into cups. Carefully, she scooped the fresh tea leaves from the tin, and filled two acorn-shaped infusers with the leaves before dropping them in the cups.
“Now, what’s going on with you this morning?” Tilda asked as she handed me a cup.
I leaned back against the counter and sipped my tea before replying. “What do you mean?
“Bags under your eyes, your hair isn’t brushed, and you look like hell,” she said bluntly. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
I ran my fingers through my tangles of hair, trying to smooth it out, before giving up. “I got some sleep. ”
“So what was keeping you up?” she asked.
Last night, I kissed Ridley, and then ran away so fast that by the time I got home I could barely breathe. It was a horrible, terrible mistake that I had no idea how to correct, but it was also wonderful and magical, and part of me—too large of a part, really—kept trying to figure out how to make it happen again.
“That might be too much to get into right now,” I said, because it was much easier than explaining anything else, and I bobbed the infuser up and down in my cup.
A key clicked in the lock, and both Tilda and I looked at the front door to her apartment. Her boyfriend Kasper pushed open the door, dressed in his Högdragen uniform. The fabric fit snugly on his broad shoulders, and his black hair was cropped in short, neat curls.
“I didn’t expect you home so early,” Tilda said. “I thought you were working today. ”
“I am, but I’m actually here looking for Bryn. ” He motioned to me, and I straightened up and away from the counter.
“Me? Why? And how did you even know I’d be here?” I asked.
“I stopped by your place, and you weren’t there, so I thought maybe Tilda might know where you were,” Kasper explained. “There’s urgent business at the palace. ”
I set my cup of tea down. “What do you mean?”
“Is something wrong?” Tilda asked.
“I don’t know. ” He gave her an apologetic look and shook his head. “They just sent me to get Bryn, and said the King and Queen want to see you immediately. ”
“I’m sure it’s fine. ” Tilda smiled at me, but worry filled her eyes. “And when you’re done, just let me know if you need anything, okay?”
I nodded, and then waited as Kasper kissed her briefly on the lips. Tilda walked us to the door, and I followed Kasper down the stairs and out to the street. He took long, deliberate steps, the way all the Högdragen were taught to. I tried to match my pace to his, but he was much taller than me, which made it a bit harder.
“I don’t know what it’s about, but I don’t think you’re in trouble. ” He glanced back at me, making sure I was keeping up.
“Then what is it?” I pressed.
“I really can’t say more, Bryn. ”
He shook his head, and looked ahead again, quickly weaving through the busy marketplace as we made our way toward the palace. People parted for him out of respect for his uniform, and some of the younger kids even stopped to stare.
I had no idea what could possibly be going on, but the King and Queen had a sent a member of the Högdragen to personally retrieve me. That did not bode well.
TWENTY-NINE
departure
The King sat in his high-backed chair beneath the massive portrait of himself as a younger man at his coronation. His wife paced the meeting room, and this was the least formal I’d ever seen the Queen. She wore a simple white dress underneath a long silver satin robe that billowed out around her as she moved, and the length of her hair lay in a braid down her back.
My father stood at the end of the table near the King, with a piece of paper before him. The paper had been rolled, and the ends kept trying to curl back up, so I could see the wax seal at the top. It was blue, imprinted with a fish—the seal of the Skojare.
“Your Majesties, Chancellor. ” Kasper bowed when he entered the room, and I followed suit before he introduced me. “Bryn Aven has arrived to see you. ”
“Thank you. ” King Evert waved at him absently, the heavy rings on his hand catching the light from the chandelier above us.
Kasper left, closing the door behind him, and I stood at the end of the table, opposite the King, and waited to be told why I’d been brought here.
“Thank you for coming here so quickly. ” Evert spoke to me, but his eyes were elsewhere and he shifted in his seat.
“This is unnecessary,” Mina hissed. She’d stopped pacing to glare down at her husband.
“I really do think this is the best course of action,” my dad said, looking between the two of them. “Given this letter, and the situation we’ve been dealing with, it does make sense. ”
“Sorry for interrupting, Your Highness,” I began, and they all turned to look at me, as if they’d forgotten I was there even though I’d just arrived. “But why have you summoned me?”
“Tell her about the letter,” the King directed my dad with a heavy sigh.
“This morning we received this letter from Mikko Biâelse, the King of the Skojare. ” Dad held up the paper. “His wife Linnea, the Queen, has gone missing. ”
“Missing?” I asked.
“She’s only a child. Perhaps she found being married to an old man unbearable and ran away,” Mina argued. “I’ve heard of far stranger things. ”
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It had only been a week ago that I’d met with Linnea, her husband, and her brother-in-law in a neighboring room for brunch. She’d been poised but friendly, and there had been a loneliness about her. And she’d been very young, with an aloof husband, so Mina’s claims didn’t seem unreasonable.
“In light of the current situation with our own changelings, I think we need
to consider kidnapping,” Dad reasoned. “Mikko seems convinced that Linnea didn’t leave of her own accord and he’s asked for help in recovering her. ”
“Husbands know so little of what their wives are up to,” Mina sneered, and Evert gave her a hard look, causing her to roll her eyes. “Oh, you know what I mean. ”
“I agree with the Chancellor on this one,” Evert said, and Mina huffed and began to pace again. “With Konstantin Black out for blood, we need to take all of this seriously. ”
“It’s because of Konstantin Black that we shouldn’t get involved!” Mina insisted. “We don’t know where he is or when he may strike again. ”
“Our involvement will be very minimal,” Dad said. “Bryn would go to Storvatten, working as liaison for us, and would help if she can. There’s a good chance she won’t be able to do much more than offer condolences, but that will be enough to secure our position as their friend and ally. ”
“I’m to be a liaison?” I asked, and though I should’ve been nervous, my initial reaction was one of pride. I let out an excited breath and tried my best to suppress a smile, but I still held my head up higher.
“Yes. With your Skojare blood, we thought you’d be the best tracker for the job,” King Evert informed me.
While I felt a little deflated upon learning I’d been chosen for the job because of who my mom was and not because I was the most qualified, I decided that being Skojare counted as a qualification, and whether the King knew it or not, I was the most capable for the job.
Being the liaison was a very high honor, and one that would certainly look outstanding on my résumé when I applied to join the Högdragen. But even in the immediate future, this role could lead to other important tasks. It could be the beginning of the career I’d spent my whole life working toward.
Mina shook her head, then looked over at me. “Have you ever even been to Storvatten, tracker?”
“No, my Queen, I have not,” I admitted, bristling slightly at being called tracker instead of my name, since I knew she knew it. “But my mother grew up there, and she has told me many stories about it and her family. ”
Dad gave me a look, since I’d exaggerated. Mom very rarely spoke of her hometown, but I would say nearly anything at this point so I wouldn’t lose my chance at being liaison.
“See?” Evert gestured widely. “Bryn’s perfect for the job. She’ll make nice, and everything will be fine. ”
“She may be the best one for the job. ” Mina stopped walking and wrung her hands together. “I just think it would be very unwise to send away help when so much is going on here. The Skojare have done nothing for us, and we don’t need to risk our kingdom for them. ”
“They need our aid. ” Evert held his hand out to her, and reluctantly, she took it, letting him comfort her. “This will go a long way to furthering an alliance with them. ”
“We don’t need an alliance with them,” Mina said. “Perhaps this is the beginning of their death rattle, and we shouldn’t interfere. ”
“You say that as if their stockpile of sapphires means nothing to you. ” The King gave her a knowing look, and Mina’s lips pressed into a bee-stung pout. “We are working toward a new era of peace, and they’ve asked for our help. We can spare one tracker. ”
“Pardon, Your Highness,” my dad interrupted. “But given the state of things, wouldn’t it be prudent to send two trackers out on the mission? Just to be safe. ”
“I’ve agreed to send this one tracker!” Mina pointed at me. “Not anyone else!”
“If I may offer a suggestion, My Queen, Ember Holmes is only on partial duty because of her injury, but she would still be a great asset to me,” I said, hoping to ease her anxiety.
“She’s suffered a fracture. ” Dad dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. “It’s unfair to ask her to risk further injury by sending her out to work again. ”
“The Chancellor is right, but so is Mina. ” Evert still held her hand and offered her a sidelong glance. “I’d rather not spare another good set of hands when we’re not sure when Konstantin may strike again. ”
“What about the Rektor?” Mina asked. “He adds little to our security, doesn’t he?”
“Ridley Dresden?” Dad considered this, and my heart dropped. “He’s a capable tracker. ”
“Sire, I don’t think that Ridley is well suited for this,” I interjected, wanting to put an end to the idea before it got started. I didn’t really have any reason other than it sounded like an awkward hell traveling with him after our kiss last night.
Dad raised an eyebrow, surprised by my protest, and he continued on with his support for Ridley. “He’s actually more skilled in relations with other tribes than Bryn is, so he’d be a great addition to the mission. ”
“I had asked him to stay back from the field for a while to focus on paperwork here…” Evert shrugged. “But we could spare him for a few days to go on this fact-finding mission with Bryn. ”
“Your Highness, with all due respect, there are other trackers that may be better,” I tried again. “Simon Bohlin is—”
But Mina cut me off. “If they’re better, then we need them here, protecting us. ”
“The Queen has spoken,” King Evert decreed. “Now I suggest you pack your things and get on your way as soon as you can. They are expecting you in Storvatten by tomorrow morning. ”
“Yes, Your Majesty. ” I bowed before him and the Queen. “Thank you for the opportunity. ”
THIRTY
shamed
I’d offered to drive, but Ridley had insisted he could do it. That was the last time we’d spoken to each other, and that had been over ten hours ago. We’d stopped for gas, bathroom breaks, and cheap gas station food, and we had managed to do it all without exchanging a word.
Our conversation before we left had been quick and to the point. My dad had been there—either fortunately or unfortunately, I wasn’t sure which—and he’d relayed the parameters of the mission to Ridley, so there had been little need for us to speak.
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Ridley occasionally hummed along to whatever song was playing on the stereo, but that was it. I stared out the passenger window, watching the barren landscape change from snow-covered plains and lakes to green tree-covered forests the farther south we went.
“It’s getting dark,” I said finally and turned to look at him.
Ridley’s hand tightened on the steering wheel, and he kept his eyes locked on the empty stretch of highway before us. “So it is. ”
“We can switch. I can drive through the night,” I offered.
“No need. ” He tilted his head, cracking his neck. “You haven’t slept this whole time, so it doesn’t matter if I drive or not. We’ll be in the same boat. ”
“Do you want to stop for the night?” I asked, even though I thought I already knew the answer.
“We’re expected in the morning. We don’t have time to stop. ”
I sighed, and then gave up on talking. I slumped lower in my seat and pulled my knees up, resting my bare feet against the dashboard. But now the silence somehow felt even more unbearable, so I looked over at him.
“I’m sorry. ”
His jaw tensed, and he waited a beat before asking, “For what?”
“Whatever it is that has you so pissed off at me,” I said, because I really didn’t know why he was mad. Something to do with us kissing, obviously, but I didn’t know what, exactly.
“I’m not mad at you,” Ridley said, but he sounded exasperated. “I just…” His shoulders sagged, and his hand loosened on the steering wheel. “I don’t know what to say to you. ”
“Things are … awkward,” I agreed. “But maybe if we talk, it’ll be less awkward. ”
“All right. ” He rubbed the back of his head and took a deep breath. “That kiss last night was a mistake. ”
I knew it was. Deep down, I knew it was a mistake. But still, after hearing
him say it, my heart felt like it had been torn in half. The pain in my chest was so great, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to speak. But I did, and I did it while keeping my voice and my expression blank.
“It was,” I said, sounding astonishingly normal, and I pushed the heartache down.
He was right, so I had no reason to feel bad about it. And if he hadn’t said it was a mistake, I would have. Because we both knew it was. We both knew it was something that could never happen again.
“It happened…” He trailed off, like he didn’t remember what he wanted to say for a second. “I don’t know why it happened, I guess, but it did. ”
“It did,” I said, unsure of what else to say. “But it’s over now, and it’s probably for the best if we just pretend it never happened. ”
“Right,” he said under his breath. “That’ll make everything okay again. ”
“Do you have any better suggestions?” I asked him pointedly.
He pressed his lips together in a line, and his eyes darkened. “Nope. Your plan will work great. ”
I ran both my hands through my hair, pushing it back from my face, and I wished he wasn’t being so difficult. “Did you tell Juni about it?”
“No. I haven’t yet. ”
I rested my head against the seat and watched as the first stars began to shine in the darkening sky. “Maybe you shouldn’t. ”
“Why not?” Ridley asked.
“I just think maybe it’d be better if nobody knew about it. ”
“Okay,” he said after a pregnant pause. “I mean, if that’s what you want. ”
“With me being the liaison for the King and Queen, and you coming with and being my boss, I just don’t think it would look good. Especially now that I’m getting more responsibility. ”
“Right. Of course,” he said, and the edge to his voice was unmistakable.
“How about some music?” I suggested, since the conversation hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped.
Instead of waiting for him to answer, I leaned over and turned up the stereo. It was Bastille’s song “Pompeii,” one that I normally loved to sing along to, but now I just wanted it to blanket the silence between us, so I could go back to staring out the window and pretending that it didn’t kill me to be this close to Ridley.
We drove all night, and with the aid of energy drinks that Ridley really hated the taste of, he managed to stay awake. I slept some in the very early morning hours, with my head resting against the cold glass of the window, but he refused to let me drive, so I didn’t feel guilty about it.
The name Storvatten when translated roughly meant “great water,” which was fitting, since the Skojare capital was located on the northern coast of Lake Superior, not far from where the province of Ontario met Minnesota.
When we were about twenty minutes away, Ridley pulled over to the side of the road so we could freshen up. It wouldn’t be proper for us to meet with the royalty looking all disheveled and unkempt. He stood to the side of the Land Rover, changing from his jeans into a sharp suit, while I crawled into the way-back of the SUV.