Page 111 of Blood of Ancients

Gritting my teeth, I tried to put the future behind me.

The weight on my soul was too much.

“It’s my fault,” I croaked, trying to take the burden off Arne by shouldering some of the blame. Blinking back a tug of emotions, I added, “If I had not opened that stupid fucking portal—”

“Don’t,” Magnus grunted, with everyone looking at me. “Don’t do that to yourself, silvermoon. It’snotyour fault.”

Arne gave me a tiny, sad smile—even if he couldn’t feel better, he was determined to makemefeel better. “He’s right, little fox. You didn’t turn Frida into what she is now.”

“But she wouldn’t have had the means to do what she’s doing without the portal.”

Grim said, “What’s done is done, Rav. You did what you did to save a man you love. Anyone of us would do the same to saveyou. We’d risk our entire world, as foolish and selfish as it may be, to make sure you are safe.”

Sven grunted, “Well said, bear.”

“Best to move forward, love,” Grim added.

I glanced over at Corym, who marched in a hurried pace. He made no comment, staring straight ahead, and I dropped the topic.One fire at a time. They’re right.I took a deep breath, with my throat wheezing.

None of us were in any shape to run to the portal like we had to get to Elayina. The brawl had exhausted us. Yet we moved on, and I cherished each of my men for digging deep and staying upright long enough to do the right thing.

Another reason I thought ofonly themas my family now.

Tension was high among our group as we moved in silence, listening for any sounds of enemies nearby.

Magnus said, “Frida lost herself to greed and a hunger for power.”

Leave it to him to not mince words.

Corym shot back, “Such is the way of humans.”

“Not all of us,” I snapped.

He bowed his head, his biceps flexing with Elayina cradled in his arms. “True,lunis’ai. Apologies.”

“It’s okay.”

I was angry, but deep down, I knew he was right. Frida was not the first human who had tossed aside her conscience and become power-hungry, and she definitely wouldn’t be the last. Itwasour way, more often than not.

Even stretching back to the time of King Dannon. Why had the man wanted the Runesphere for himself, and was willing to nix his alliance with the elves to get it? For power, of course. Tomake sure he was the top dog, and could take on his “allies” if it ever came down to it, by using their own magic against them.

That was why Midgard needed people like me. Like my mates. Men and women who would stand up and say, “Wait a minute, this is wrong. This doesn’t belong to us, and we don’t need it.”

It was like a millionaire’s incessant drive to become a billionaire. Vikingrune students alreadyhadmagic and could Shape runes. Did we really need that next billion, when we had enough? What did we need it for? What was the target—the marker that constituted “enough”?

Through some twisted internal thinking, I was starting to understand I had no desire to “retrieve” the Runesphere for Vikingrune Academy. I never had.

Gods save me, we didn’t even know what it did!

Therein lies the problem. People think it’s the answer to our issues, and that it’ll help us ward off the elves, goblins, jotun, and other adversaries from other realms.

I knew it wasn’t so simple. Whatever it did, it was just a tool. A powerful one, undoubtedly, but not a necessary thing to own and hoard like itbelongedto us. The elves had possessed it for a thousand years.

While it only took little more than an hour to get to the Niflbog from the portal, it took us nearly two to get back. My men were breathing heavily—not complaining, making no sounds of concern or worry, yet I could tell easily enough.

Grim wore only some scraps of clothes he’d picked up before we’d left, since his has exploded when he shifted. He looked freezing. His multiple flesh wounds across his giant body had bled until they were scored shut by the cold. The man looked grisly.

Magnus panted the hardest, clenching his jaw as he moved. Bloodrending always cost him immediately after, and I had afeeling he’d expunged a lot of energy to fight like he had against those dark elves.

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