Page 156 of The Serpent’s Shadow

“The Runesphere.”

That ancient artifact, of which I knew little about. It was not spoken about in my Histories & Tomes class, other than in passing, because it was a well-kept secret that students didn’t need to know about. Not if Vikingrune wanted to keep up the charade of their “Good Guy” attitude.

Lord Talasin, the Deceiver in Gold, had kept the Runesphere for the elves. It was an object said to power the magic that coursed through our veins. Talasin surmised it would become a dangerous weapon in the humans’ hands.

“Probably a good assumption.”

King Dannon had stolen Talasin’s sister, Amisara, for himself—an elven queen who was wed to Dannon’s own damned sister—in order to get his hands on that artifact.

Over three agonizing years, Lady Amisara was missing. The entire time, she whiled away, shackled in the dungeons of Dannon’s castle. Right under the nose of Dannon’s heartbroken sister, Amisara’s wife.

And that entire time, Dannon forced himself on the poor noble elf and made her pump out children. Three of them, in rapid succession.

“One of them is Lady Elayina,” I murmured, shaking my head incredulously.

In the end, Dannon had promised Talasin a trade: Lady Amisara for the Runesphere. Talasin accepted the hostage exchange, but was betrayed by thetruedeceiver, and killed by King Dannon.

Somewhere along the way, the historical memories became murky. Dannon died of disease—karma, I liked to think—and the Runesphere went missing from Midgard, popping back up in Alfheim years later.

I wished I had a roadmap to how things got so bleak, to then having the artifact back in its rightful place in Alfheim.

Alas, I didn’t. I could only go off what I knew, and what I knew was damning enough.

Vikingrune Academy, or someone high in the ranks, was attempting to fulfill a vow King Dannon had made a thousand years ago.

The school was trying to retrieve the Runesphere.

And they needed to get to Alfheim to do it.

Which meant they needed to open a portal.

And they needed an elven descendant to do that.

More puzzle pieces fell neatly into place, quickly smothering my thoughts and tugging at my heart.

Now I understood why the Huscarls had captured me following my first meeting with Lady Elayina, when Arne had led them right to me.She doesn’t talk to humans. But she spoke with me, and showed me something the academy must have assumed was important to their cause.

So they had wanted to take me. To question me.

My stomach dropped to the floor when I realized what Vikingrune now had in their possession,because of meand my treacherous heart.

“Corym!” I yelled frantically.

My voice bounced off the walls of my small dorm room, slapping me in the face. I put a hand to my rapidly sputtering heart. “Oh . . . gods above,” I croaked. “What have I done?”

Corym E’tar was a proud man, like all elves. He was a warrior, and would never back down or surrender.Unless I told him to, like I did in the tunnels.

He had only listened to me to spare bloodshed.

What hewouldn’tdo, I knew, was give up his people.

Vikingrune Academy had my elven lover captive. Right now, while I paced my bedroom, devious men and women were probably trying to get him to talk, to aid them.

He never would. I knew him. Not in a million years would Corym E’tar be the one to open the portal to Alfheim.

It was at that moment that a choice presented itself to me, clear as day in a summer swelter.

One side of that choice risked ruining everything I had built, the bond I had formed . . . all for the sake of protecting people I didn’t even know.

---