Page 86 of The Serpent’s Shadow

Because Eirik—despite all his strength, bravado, and the unorthodox situation with his lovers—was a stickler for the rules. And, right now, I was very much opposed to the rules.

Which meant I was opposed to him.

Eirik was a Drengr—the top-grade of his initiate class, a warrior—because he had pull with the Hersirs. He had pull with the Hersirs likely because of my stepfather, his dad Hallan, who was allegedly a big deal somehow.

I felt more removed from my half-brother right now than I ever had before. It made me feel hollow and sad inside. Grief-stricken, like I was losing . . . well, a family member.

I recalled how excited I’d been to see him emerging from the magical fog of theGray Wraith, in Selby Village, months ago. I’d looked up to him—admired my elder brother. After two years away from him, and seeing how strong and strapping and commandeering he’d become, I wanted to learn everything about what he’d done, where he’d been.

Now, I felt nothing but a sick sense taking root in my belly when I looked at his smiling face.I trust Magnus and Grim—two strangers before this term—more than my own blood.

It was a sobering notion. If I told Eirik about my planned “rebellion,” he would scoff, not understand, or worse, snitch on me.

He was wrapped up in keeping his reputation with the Hersirs. He had the best field-duty for a second-year cadet. He got to sleep his days away mingling and fucking his roommates, and didn’t seem to worry about his bog-blood younger sister because I would “figure it out” myself.

Eirik was a friend to everyone and an ally to none.

I couldn’t tell him the truth about the elves, or at least what I knew about them. He would turn straight around and tattle to Sigmund Gothi if I wasn’t careful around him, or if I gave him information he thought I shouldn’t have.

Eirik’s brow furrowed after I stared at him in sorrowful disbelief for a long moment. “Sister? Is everything okay?”

I blinked, my eyes burned. “W-What? Oh, yes.” I gave him a weak smile. “Everything’s fine, brother. I’m just happy to see you,” I lied.

He nodded, his smile faltering. “Are you sure you don’t want to come inside? Sun’s about to go down. I could cook something up and you could regale us with your tale.”

My . . . tale? Does he think my time with the elves was just one big hearty adventure? Not a fight of life and death against Huscarls he probably calls friends?

I didn’t know what any of this meant about the future between us. The future between my planned obstruction and his Vikingrune toeholding.

Soon, we’ll be on opposing sides. You may not know it yet, brother, but it’s true. Unless you have a drastic shift.

The hopeful woman inside me wondered if I couldn’t somehow change him to our side—get him to see the truth of this place.

Staring into his dark eyes, I knew it was too late for him. Eirik stood by his convictions, however honorable or dishonorable. He thought he was doing what was right by trying to eradicate the elves, like everyone else in this school.

My mission is going to be way harder than I thought,I realized glumly.

“Vini?” he asked again.

I choked back a cough and shook my head, waving a hand at him nonchalantly. “No, no, it’s okay, E. You go ahead inside. I think I’m just tired, is all. Can’t get my thoughts straight.”

“Oh.” His brow arched, like he was trying to see through me. Like he didn’t believe me and was suddenly suspicious about something. “Then you’d better go and get some rest.”

Panic jarred me, and I nodded quickly. “I’ll see you again soon, brother.” I tossed a wave over my shoulder and turned away before my face could betray how I felt.

I hurried out of there as fast as I could, feeling my brother’s gaze on my back the entire time.

Eirik is not the answer to start this rebellion. Not by a long shot.

Gods, what was I thinking coming here?

Luckily, I had other people to talk to about jumpstarting my revolution. People who might be more conducive to listening to me.

Hugging myself as I exited the small copse of longhouses, I shivered with awful thoughts running through my head. I desperately didn’t want my brother to become my enemy.How can I stop it, if I go forward with this?

Trying not to think about my brother any longer, and move my mind forward to the next stage of my plan, I escaped into the darkening western woods near his longhouse village and Tyr Meadow.

It wasn’t until I made it well out of eyesight of Eirik’s longhouse, walking alone through the woods, that tears trickled down my cheeks and I silently started to sob.

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