Page 93 of Polestar
“Sire?”Havard queried through the door.The latch turned, and Elias threw himself under Bjorn’s bed.Havard’s boots appeared, inches from Elias’ nose.“Rest, sire.Mistress Ulla will return tomorrow with more medicine to give you strength to oversee the execution.”
The edge of the covers shifted as Havard adjusted them over his king before returning to his post outside.
As soon as the door closed, Elias slid out from under the bed.
“Go,” Bjorn said with some of his usual steel returning to his voice, though he kept it low.
“I can’t leave you like this, Grandfather.”
“I command it.”
There was no more room for argument as Elias held Bjorn’s clear gaze.
Deep down, Elias feared he wouldn’t see his grandfather alive again.Shoving his dark thoughts aside, he said, “I love you, Grandfather.”
Bjorn’s expression softened as he brought his hand to Elias’ cheek.“And I, you, my boy.Now save your father, since I can’t.”
TWENTY-TWO
Anasatonacomfortable high-back chair, arms crossed, hoping she exuded enough boredom and annoyance to mask her anxiety.
Her captors had marched her through their operations complex in a warehouse and out to a pier, where they pushed her into a boat for a brief ride across a narrow stretch of water.From there, they led her to a small cottage overlooking the Barents Sea.
On reaching the small house, Ana turned back to see how extensive the island base camp was.Two cargo ships waited, with goods being shuffled across the compact harbor between them.She noted the logo on several of the shipping containers.
Embraceable Energy?Where Have I seen that before?
“I’ve seen it too,” Antony said.
There was no time to ruminate on the familiar image as they shoved her inside the cottage and into her current chair.
They were all speaking English, and she guessed it was to intimidate her.
Hence her determination to look bored and annoyed.
Never let a predator smell your fear.
“I don’t care if you think she has abilities.I want you to get rid of her,” Magnus’ ex-wife, Ulla Matochkin, said, scowling in Ana’s direction.“She has no use to any of us other than what you can get for her on the black market.Sellher.”
“Ulla,” the creepy accountant, Adolf Wulker’s, voice was placating as he looked her way.“We can use her as leverage first.”
“And I told you, whatever you think Magnus knows about this old thing Yvan is looking for doesn’t matter.He’s a stubborn bastard that won’t tell you anything.I know him.He’ll go to his execution in silence just to spite me.”
Execution?Ana’s hands fisted before she forced herself to unclench them.
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Antony said.“Sounds like your rescue party hit a snag.”
He’s notmyrescue party.I’mhis.
Antony snorted.“You’re going to rescue the big polar bear shifter from an island full of more polar bear shifters and whisk him away to safety?Right.”
The big guy strolled into view from somewhere behind her chair, grinning down at her.
Fuck, I forgot about him.
“Me too, sorry Ana,” Antony said, looking contrite.
He laughed, drawing Matochkin and Wulker’s attention.“What’s so funny, Yvan?”
