Page 42 of A Bond in Blood

“Write to them and see what they say,” he said calmly. “Write to your father. Beg, Brenna. Beg for help.”

His shadows moved him across the room. The unnatural magic crawled toward me as though it were trying to suck the life right from my lungs.

One tendril of the demonic power gripped my cheeks, pulling me toward him. Placing my face inches from his.

“No one will answer,” he sneered.

He dropped me, allowing my barely healing body to crash to the ground.

“I hate you,” I cried.

“Since you claim I’vetakenalmost fourteen days of your life, I’ll give you fourteen back,” he replied, not responding to my decree of hate. “Return to that little room, princess, and pray to your useless Gods to come and save you.”

He walked away, with his shadows trailing behind while he walked through the door I’d noted earlier. Alone, I let out a sob, thankful Frode had healed me with his salves and tonics. Leaving only sensitive pink scars littering my back.

My tears wetted my cheeks then I wiped them away, pulling myself to my feet. I glanced back at the door Olen had led me through and turned in that direction.

I wouldn’t let this king break me. I would, however, take full advantage of my gifted freedom.

Chapter 11

Iwalked the halls of the palace with Olen in beast form at my side. It had been five days since my dinner with Ulrich. Five days of silence from the king.

And five days of exploration.

With my keeper always at my side.

In that time, I’d learned the attendant creatures were calledtroll,whose life purpose was to serve. At least from what I’d observed. I’d also learned Ulrich’s palace was surprisingly not just laid with stone but was carved into a mountain. A towering giant that overlooked the city of Muspell.

I’d discovered this when Olen had guided me to the library and the jagged edges of the mountain wall, making up the back of the room, had startled me. As Olen explained, the mountain was believed to have been the previous home of Muspell, the God the city was named after. Other tales claimed the mountain was Muspell himself, turned to solid stone when his fire had grown too hot and melted him to the island floor.

A shocking tale I’d never been told, despite my tutors’ determination for me to learn everything I could about the Gods the mortals bowed to.

My hands ran along the stone wall as we walked down the hall I’d come to callthe looking glass,and I admired the windows running the length of the space. Brilliant glass panes that overlooked the city.

I found the beauty best at night. When the blood moon that had ushered in my birth shone through, painting the halls with a red no one in this world could mimic.

“Something on your mind?” Olen growled beside me.

“I was born under the blood moon,” I said airily.

“I’m aware,” he grunted.

I stopped my walking and turned to one of the many benches on the wall opposite to the windows. My gown shifted as I crossed one leg over the other and leaned back against the cold stone.

“My one hundred and fiftieth birthday is the last day of the blood moon.”

Olen settled before me, letting out a groan. “I’m also aware. It’s the last day of your service.”

“The service I’m not currently fulfilling?” I asked.

His black eyes met mine and then they rolled with annoyance. “Don’t question the king’s logic. He’s doing you a favor. He could have forced you into another kind of servitude.”

My stomach tightened but I grinned through my fear. “It has been some time…” I eyed the beast before me, watching the fur on his back ripple with my words.

“Ulrich says you’re rowdy.”

Olen was on all fours once more in an instant, his snout barely touching my nose while his voice rumbled. “Want to find out?”

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