Page 176 of Into the Isle

That wasn’t who I was. It never had been.

I was stern, stubborn, and I felt things way too hard.

But I wasn’t a heartless, cold-blooded killer.

“This man betrayed you,” the elf who had handed me the dagger said behind me. “What will you do to avenge that despicable act?”

I snarled over my shoulder, “I owe no loyalty to you!”

He nodded easily, hands clasped behind his back. “I know. Yet do you not owe loyalty to yourself? How far are you willing to go to protect your secrets, your power? Your heart?”

My fingers trembled on the handle of the dagger.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head incredulously.

“No,” I said. “It’s not me. I won’t do it.”

Arne didn’t deserve a quick death, anway. Not without telling me what I wanted to know . . .

Again, I didn’t want the answers in earshot of the elves. I didn’t trust them. How could I? They had just slain six Vikingrune soldiers—humans—who at one time had probably attended the academy themselves . . . to fight against the very people that now threatened humankind.

So far, the elves were not making a great case for why they weren’t the bad guys.

When I opened my eyes, Arne was staring at me in shock. “R-Ravinica, I’m—”

I spun the dagger in my hand and smashed the hilt against the side of his head to shut him up.

Chapter 49

Arne

“ARNE, WAKE UP!”

Hands jostled my shoulders, shaking me hard.

I blinked up at the flat, frantic face of Grim Kollbjorn. I’d never seen him so animated, so alert, and so worried.

Behind him was the oddest grouping, and I wondered if I was dreaming, or dead.

Is that . . . Sven Torfen? Standing alongside Grim Kollbjorn? Beside them were Magnus Feldraug and Dagny Largul.

I rubbed my eyes and shook my head. “W-What’s going on?”

“You tell us, iceshaper,” Grim said with a grunt. “We followed your trail for hours outside the academy, until we came to this spot. Not a pretty outlook.”

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