Page 50 of Blood of Ancients

Head swimming, I took in my surroundings—white walls, bright lights, gurney. “Fuck,” I groaned, my first waking word. “I’mhereagain?”

It might not have been aboveground in Eir Wing, but the shitty plastered white walls weren’t fooling anyone. I knew where I was.

Rolling my head back on my pillow, I let out a frustrated sound.

Chuckling filled the room from a familiar female voice.

“Randi, now is not a time to be laughing,” said another voice, this one from Arne, stationed near my feet. He had a scowl on his pretty face.

My friend pushed her way through a wall of muscle beside me and poked her dark face between the shoulders of Grim and Sven. She looked so tiny between them. “Sorry, I laugh at inappropriate times. Someone has to keep things light!”

It was hard to keep a frown when she beamed at me like that. Her hair had some blue mixed in with the red ends now.

Struggling to stay angry, I sighed and shook my wobbly head. “What happened?”

“You’ve been out cold for a bit, bestie.”

“How long is . . . a bit?”

“Two days,” said a morose voice, from my other side.

I whipped my head over to Dagny, my eyes wide. I was blanketed, but I felt something tight around my middle—a bandage, if I had to guess.

“Shit,” I croaked. “What happened to me?”

“Everyone give her space to think, dammit,” Sven growled, shaking his head.

It was unlike him to be the voice of reason. I raised my brow at him, shifting where I lay. He had a worried look on his face. Sven never lookedworriedabout anything. Angry? Sure. He had that in spades right now, too. I could see it in his dark eyes and the shadow cast over the ridge of his brow.

Slowly, as the room fell quiet, fragmented memories drifted back to me. I recalled my first day of class, shipbuilding with my new Hersir, Ingvus Jorthyr. Ingvus getting pissed at Grim . . . walking with Grim, talking about his upbringing . . . running into my brother Damon . . .

“Oh sweet gods,” I hissed. “I lost my duel to fuckingDamon?!”

“Not through any fault of your own, little sneak,” Grim grumbled, flaring his nostrils. “The bastard poisoned your morning meal. He challenged you, and you accepted.”

“That doesn’t sound like me.”

Sven barked a humorless laugh. “Impulsive? Soundsexactlylike you, menace.”

I smirked to show him I was joking. It was all I could do to keep from losing my shit over losing a fight against my younger sibling. A man I hadneverlost a fight to.

“How many people saw my humiliation?” I asked, my throat dry.

Grim looked away. “That’s not import—”

“How. Many.”

His big shoulders slumped. “Damon’s two friends, me, Eirik, and his three comrades. Don’t worry, love, no one needs to know—”

“Everyone fucking knows, big guy,” Randi cut in. “Be real.”

Grim’s shoulders slumped even more in defeat.

“Your reputation is not important right now, Vini!” Arne yelled. “What’s important is you’re alive. Gods, woman.” He put a palm to his forehead, exasperated with the way this conversation was going.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but everyone else in the room nodded their heads slowly.

“That,” Sven said, “and the vengeance we’re going to exact on your enemies. That’s also important.”

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