Page 70 of Blood of Ancients

I laughed and stood, shaking my head and crossing my arms—trying to look imposing like her other men. “Sorry. Is this better?”

When I struck a mean pose, she laughed at me, palm over her lips to hide her cuteness. It only made me love her more—made me smile harder.

“Who am I snooping on, love?”

Rav sat up straighter, leaning over the edge of her gurney conspiratorially. “A few people, actually. Ineedto know how Corym is doing.”

“Done. I’ll figure out where he’s being held and what’s being done to him.”

“I also want to know what in Hel is going on with Sven. He’s been on a rampage while I’ve been bedridden. Assaulting the entire Lanfen pack,solo? What is his deceitful family planning?”

I pulled at my chin, pursing my lips in thought. “Might be a bit harder than the Corym situation, given how expertly closed-off the wolf shifter is, and how much he despises me.”

“He doesn’t despise you. He’s just . . . quirky.”

I barked a laugh. “Sure. Quirky. We’ll go with that.” I took a step away from the bed, pacing alongside it, starting to get into the notion of dusting the rust off and getting back into my schemes.

Using my mind had always benefitted me more than using my sword.

“As to his family . . .” I started, trailing off. “It is an interesting situation with him. I heard he was ousted from the leadershiprole of his pack. Everyone’s heard about it. But no one is going to fuck with him after what he did to the Lanfen’s. Except maybe . . .”

“Maybe who, Arne?”

“Your brother. Damon. That man is as reckless as you are, and only half as skilled. Sven put his hands on Damon’s girl, Gertrude Lanfen, and I know that doesn’t sit well with the whelp. He’ll be plotting.”

Ravinica sighed, rolling her head back to stare up at the ceiling. “He always is. Try not to focus too much on Damon, Arne. Please.”

“You can’t protect him forever, Vini.”

Another sigh. Heavier this time. “I know. I just . . .”

I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, gently running my hand through her silver strands. “I understand, love. He’s family.”

Like Frida. Family we can’t trust.

It was a damnable position to be in, but if anyone understood Ravinica’s reticence, it was me.

Over the next few days, I shadowed Sven Torfen like a hawk.

He was unruly, as usual, and short with me as I followed him across Vikingrune Academy—on his fieldwork patrols, to the classes we shared together, to the cafeterias for eating.

“Why are you pestering me, iceshaper?” he asked after the first day, realizing I wasn’t going to stop.

I was a general nuisance to the man. That much was clear.

“Perhaps I just enjoy annoying you, wolfie.”

“Don’t call me that, dandy.” His eyes turned into slits as he ate his meal. “This has the stink of awatchdogall over it.”

I shrugged, casually ignoring him.

“Did Ravinica put you up to this?” he asked.

“Well, Grim failed in his task to watch you—”

“So you’re next in line?” he growled. “What if you end up like the Lanfens?”

I understood the threat, yet I simply smiled. “You wouldn’t try it.”

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