Page 10 of The Serpent’s Shadow

“As soon as you stuff that puny thing you call a cock away,” Edda shot back.

Ulf continued chuckling, and Olaf wheezed with trembling shoulders.

Sven glanced over at the two men, the four of them walking abreast through the forest. “What’re you two laughing at? I’m bigger than both you measly fucks.”

Edda laughed loudest this time. “We’re not comparing dicks right now, dear Sven. But if we were . . . did you see the jotun-sized man behind us? Nowthatis a co—”

“Shut up, Edda,” Sven cut in before she could finish.

Edda continued laughing with a guttural, manly rasp. She clapped Sven hard on the back, making him cough.

Gods, this family is fucking strange.I shook my head as I followed ten steps behind them, listening to their ludicrous banter.

It strangely made me feel . . . better. More sane. Like thingscouldgo back to normal, somehow, in time.

But not without Ravinica wrapped in my arms.

“Sven,” I called out.

The foursome stopped strolling. Sven glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow.

“Perhaps we should speak with Eirik Halldan about his missing sister before we go attacking anymore students.”

He crossed his arms, facing me fully. “What has he done for Ravinica so far?”

“He has more access to Hersirs than I do. Says he’s been talking with higher-ups about getting a scouting team together to go looking for her.”

Sven scoffed and flapped a hand at me. “Bullshit. You ask me, Kollbjorn, it was a blessing you got out of that gang when you did. They’re weak.”

It wasn’t out of choice.I had left Eirik, Gryphon, Tyrus, and Eila because they’d forced me out after Anders Rennarfen’s death at my hands.

“Fine, then we won’t talk with Eirik first,” I said. It was the first time I could remember agreeing with Sven.

My eyes darkened, a grim disposition coming over me as my eyes locked with his dark, depthless orbs. “We may have to make our own search party, wolf, if the academy doesn’t make a damn move soon. Because I’m telling you right now, if Ravinica doesn’t return to my side soon, the berserkerwillcome to life. And then no one will be safe.”

There was a glint of excitement in Sven’s wicked face. I could feel the primeval rage pushing through my barriers, trying its damnedest to take over. And Sven, being the sadistic, brutishshifter I knew him to be, relished the idea of my downfall, and the carnage that would come with it.

“Understood,” he said with a simple nod. “And agreed.”

With a wink, he turned back around to walk away, but not before quipping, “Let’s just see if we can keep you out of Hersir Jorthyr’s prison cells while we do this little mission, eh? I don’t want to have to save your big hulking ass again.”

Chapter 5

Magnus

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