Page 93 of The Midnight Death Match

“You can come with us,” I tell them, my voice softer now. “It’s not too late.”

“We’ll wait for Leif,” Bjorn says firmly. “He’ll come back, and then we’ll decide what to do. As a family.”

The words sting because I know I’m no longer part of that family in his eyes. Gunnar has poisoned my brothers against me, and even with him gone, I can’t reconnect with the boys.

“If you change your minds,” I say, “send word to Mirendel. I’ll come for you.”

Bjorn doesn’t reply, but I see Ketil’s eyes widen at the mention of the fae city. Maybe there’s hope for some of them yet.

When I leave, I take my four sisters with me. They gather their few belongings quickly—some clothes, a few precious items, Helga’s favorite books. Runa clutches a wooden horse that Gunnar carved for her when she was small.

Our brothers stay behind, waiting for Leif’s return. They watch from the windows as we make our way to the back of the farmhouse, their faces pale and uncertain.

The rest of us must get back to Mirendel quickly. We make our way out of a hidden door Harek leads us to.

The dragons are waiting in the field beyond the village, their massive forms dark against the evening sky. My sisters stop short when they see them, awe and fear warring on their faces.

“They’re so big,” Runa whispers.

“And beautiful,” Torvi adds, her artist’s eye catching the way the dying light plays across their scales.

Harek and I quickly help them mount the dragons. Brynja and Torvi climb onto Vash’s broad back, while Runa and Helga settle onto Sapphire. The dragons remain perfectly still, sensing the newcomers’ nervousness.

“Hold tight,” I tell them as I swing up behind Runa and Helga. “And don’t be afraid. They won’t let you fall.”

As we rise into the darkening sky, I look back at Skoro one last time. The village lights are beginning to twinkle in windows, and smoke rises from chimneys in lazy spirals. It looks peaceful from this height, like the home of my childhood memories.

But I know the truth now. I know what lurks beneath that peaceful facade, what fear and hatred can do to even the kindest hearts. My brothers made their choice, and I have to respect it, even if it breaks me.

The four sisters I carry with me are my family now. Them, and Harek, and the dragons who chose to love me despite what I am.

We fly toward Mirendel, toward a future none of us can fully imagine. But for the first time since this all began, I feel like I’m flying toward something instead of away from it.

And that makes all the difference.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Einar’s mountainhouse never stops humming. Magic lingers in the stone, in the dragon-fire-heated walls and winding halls carved straight from rock. Einar built it to be a fortress, a refuge. But this week, with laughter echoing down the stairwells and mismatched boots abandoned by the door, it’s become something I’m not used to.

Home.

Runa chases Helga around the courtyard, both of them shrieking with laughter. It’s been a week since we arrived in Mirendel, and already color has returned to their cheeks. The haunted look that shadowed their eyes in Skoro is fading, replaced by something I’d almost forgotten they possessed—joy.

“Brynja, blade up!”

Harek’s voice carries across the training circle outside, firm but not unkind. My sister scowls, sweat matting her dark gold curls, and lunges at him again. Her form is improving, but I can see the frustration in the tight line of her shoulders. She’s always hated being told what to do.

He parries with fluid grace, redirecting her strike rather than blocking it outright. The move sends her stumbling past him, and she spins with a curse that would make a sailor blush.

“Language,” I call out, though I’m smiling.

Harek glances at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “She’s getting better.”

“She’s always been a fighter,” I say, stepping out into the courtyard proper. “Even as a child, she never backed down from anything.”

“I can hear you,” Brynja pants, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “I’m standing right here.”

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