Chapter Nine: In Which I Have Some Flashbacks

Tactician Side Story

"Your parents still haven't returned," said Aunt Lerone, rolling up one of the newly made maps and tying it closed with a red ribbon. "Early May, they told me, but it's almost June and they still haven't come back from Ilia."

I took the rolled paper from Aunt Lerone and placed it on the shelf along with the other maps of Bern.

"They probably saw a new mountain flower and decided to camp in Ilia for an extra month to study it." Aunt Lerone glanced over at me. "They do know your sixteenth birthday is in six days, right?"

I bit the inside on my cheeks to stop myself from retorting. After all, Aunt Lerone was right—my parents were probably camping in the Ilian Mountains, my birthday long forgotten in the face of a wildflower or pegasus. It wasn't that my parents didn't love me, just that I didn't interest them. What was the appeal of a moody, teenage daughter when there was a whole continent to explore? Still, Aunt Lerone didn't need to point out my parents' absence so bluntly.

She had always been like that though. Aunt Lerone would be left in charge of the store while Mother and Father went gallivanting across the continent, returning every once in a while to provide new map designs and staying maybe a month before taking off again. The longest my parents had ever stayed in Trunnel was for the last three months of my mother's pregnancy. After she'd recovered from childbirth, my mother was on the road once again after leaving me in Aunt Lerone's care.

"You need to make a delivery to Sir Ordin," said Aunt Lerone, handing me a hollowed, wooden tube that contained a rolled map. "The order's already late so don't dawdle."

I had never been one for "dawdling" ever in my life, so I wasn't sure why Aunt Lerone felt the need to tell me this. I took the map from her before grabbing my cloak from the hook by the door.

"Be back for supper," called out Aunt Lerone. "And stay out of trouble."

"If I get into a fight, it's because someone else started it," I said, slinging the leather strap over my shoulders so that the wooden tube rested against my back.

"Nora."

But before Aunt Lerone could scold me, I slipped out the front door and started down the street towards the south section of the city. It was usually about a fifty-minute walk there and back combined, but I didn't want to miss dinner, so I walked at a swift pace.

"Nora!" cried Melanie, the young woman who owned a fabric store next door. She was standing in the street, washing the windows of her shop while her husband, Lyle, oiled the hinges on the door.

Lyle glanced at me and, seeing the wooden tube on my back, said, "Not now, Melanie."

"Can't talk," I said, deliberately not looking at her. "Working."

I didn't care for Melanie. She liked to think of me as her charity work—acting as a motherly figure to the poor, abandoned daughter of the eccentric cartographers. I couldn't stand her lectures on good, social behavior and the proper ways a young lady should act. The only reason I sometimes put up with her was that she brought me homemade pastries from time to time. I was never one to turn down free food. Especially Melanie's cooking.

"I don't know why you're so insistent on talking to her," said Lyle when he thought I was out of hearing distance. "The girl seems just fine as is."

"Seems just fine," scoffed Melanie. "Her parents are never around and her aunt is foul to her. The poor girl is suffering, even if she doesn't want to show it."

It was a relief to put some distance between me and them. I didn't want to listen to another one of Melanie's "that poor, sad girl" speeches. Unfortunately, Melanie had other ideas, and she actually started following me down the street.

"It's almost sundown," said Melanie. "Surely, your aunt doesn't want you to be out in the streets after dark."

"It's fine." I picked up my pace a little bit.

"Nora!" Melanie grabbed me by the wrist, forcing me to turn and face her. "A young lady shouldn't be out by herself at night. There are dangerous men out."

"It's fine," I said again.

"It can wait until tomorrow," said Melanie. "I'll have a talk with Lerone and explain why you can't deliver the map right now."

I gritted my teeth. "No."

"I can't believe Lerone could be so careless." Keeping a firm hold of my wrist, Melanie started walking back toward the store, practically dragging me through the street. "You're going to be sixteen soon, old enough to marry, but she's going to ruin any chance of you getting a husband if you run into a bad man."

"I'm fine." I wrenched my arm out of Melanie's grasp. "As if I'd want a husband who'd reject me over something like that."

"Nora Everett!" cried Melanie. "Stop right there!"

I kept walking. Food or no food, I'd be damned if I ever let Melanie interfere in my life again after this. I already had my mother and Lenore, I didn't need another maternal figure—especially not one who insisted on me finding a husband.

"Nora, get back here! Nora!"

"Melanie," groaned Lyle. "Stop."

"Nora!"

A rough hand grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. I found myself face to face with a young man, his blond hair a ruffled mess and his long coat mud-stained at the bottom. Though he was over a head taller than me, he couldn't have been more than nineteen. A sword was strapped his side with a leather belt and a red sash tied over a black shirt. His hazel eyes were alight with curiosity as he stared down at me, but instead of asking questions, the young man only said, "Someone is calling you."

"Nora!" Melanie rushed forward and pulled me out of the young man's reach. "What are you doing to her?"

The young man raised his eyebrows. "I was stopping her so you could talk."

I shot a sharp glare in his direction before stepping out of Melanie's grasp. "I have a delivery to make before supper. Let me go."

"It's dangerous," said Melanie. "Just explain to your aunt—"

"No." I turned around and started down the street again. "I have a job to do. The sooner I finish it, the sooner I will be home for supper."

"Nora!" Melanie wasn't giving up.

"I could escort her." The young man's words stopped both Melanie and me in our tracks. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the young man had an easy smile on his face and his stance was relaxed despite how awkward the situation must be for him.

Melanie turned her big, blue eyes on him and asked, "Who are you? Why should I trust you? You could be one of the men I'm trying to protect Nora from."

"Lloyd Reed of the Black Fang," he said, with a slight bow of his head. "It's my duty to protect the citizens of Bern."

I had overheard the neighborhood children talking about the Black Fang. Started half a year ago by Brendan Reed, the Black Fang was an assassin's guild that dispensed justice on those who abused their power. Already they had murdered a southern lord who had taken young women against their wills and a northern merchant who had conned an entire village out of their savings. Word of the Black Fang had spread like wildfire through Bern, and citizens had begun to praise the guild, cursing the nobility with the promise that the Black Fang would visit in the night.

And now, Lloyd Reed, the eldest son of the Black Fang's leader, stood before me, offering to escort me to Sir Ordin's house.

I stared at him for a second before turning around and continuing on my way.

"Wait!" cried Melanie. "Nora!"

I didn't break my stride in the slightest as I said, "If you make me late for dinner, I will tell Lyle that you're having an affair with the butcher's son."

That stopped Melanie from following me. "What? How did you—?"

Ignoring her spluttering words, I headed down the street. To my horror, a few seconds later Lloyd had caught up with me.

"I don't need an escort," I said.

"Someone has a bad habit of spying, I see," said Lloyd, completely ignoring my comment.

"I wasn't spying," I said, increasing my pace. "I just happened to overhear them talking while washing ink pots out back."

"If you say so." With his long legs, Lloyd easily matched my pace.

"You don't need to come with me," I said. "I'm fine on my own."

"Humor me."

"No."

He looked surprised for a second, but then a smile spread across his face. "So what are you delivering?"

I glared at him. "A map."

"A map?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"Bern."

"That's all?" He seemed unimpressed.

"My parents are cartographers," I said. "They travel all over Elibe, drawing sketches for maps. Then, they come home and drop off the sketches for my aunt and me to recreate and sell. Sir Ordin requested a specific Bernese pattern around the edge of a map that he could use for decorative purposes." I closed my mouth. I hated talking so much, but I hoped if I gave him the information he wanted, he would stop asking questions and leave me alone.

However, I had no such luck. Lloyd listened to me attentively, and then asked, "So you help make the maps?"

"I make the ink," I said. "And do deliveries."

"Will you take over the business after your aunt?"

I frowned. I hadn't ever thought about what I would do in the future. Every day was just a repetition of the previous day, making maps, delivering them, and hoping my parents would come home soon. Take over the business after my aunt? I didn't exactly enjoy making the maps. Sure, geography was interesting, but I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in that cramped shop where the only interesting thing to do was eavesdrop on the neighbors.

"No," I said. "I want to travel. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Trunnel without even leaving the city."

Lloyd was genuinely surprised. "Your parents have never taken you with them?"

Well, that one stung. I looked away so he couldn't see the hurt in my expression. "No."

"Actually," said Lloyd. "The farthest I've ever been outside of Bern is Lycia. My father went to Nabata a few years ago, but he refused to take my brother Linus and me because we needed to focus on our studies." Lloyd laughed. "You've never met Linus, of course, but trying to make him focus on his studies is as easy as taming a wyvern."

I kept my mouth shut. Maybe if I said nothing, he'd get the idea and leave.

"I've always wanted to visit the Western Isles," said Lloyd thoughtfully.

"Isn't that a lawless land where pirates rules?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well, yes," said Lloyd. "But that's what makes it so interesting. I've always wanted to see if I could hold my own there."

I turned my head so I could look at him properly. There was something about his smile that filled me with conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted him to fulfill his dreams and succeeded in the Western Isles, but another part of me was horrified at the idea of him living on the other side of the continent with lawless pirates. I shook my head and said, "You wouldn't last two minutes in the Western Isles."

"Merciless," said Lloyd, though he didn't seem offended by my words. "And I've been working so hard to master the sword."

I glanced at the blade strapped to his side. "Are you any good?"

"I can defeat my brother in a bout nine-times-out-of-ten," said Lloyd after some consideration.

"That's not saying much."

"He adapted his fighting style from the heavy-hitting Lycians," continued Lloyd. "Whereas I learned from the swift and deadly Sacaean myrmidons."

"You learned from a Sacaean?" I asked, surprised. Sacaeans weren't thought well of in Bern, or anywhere else in Elibe for that matter. According to my parents, people disapproved of the Sacaeans' nomadic lifestyle, seeing it as barbaric and uncivilized.

"Yes." Lloyd placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "It's a beautiful form of art. You should see me and my brother fight some time."

"I've been to the arena before," I said.

"And what do you think?"

"Dull."

Lloyd laughed. "Why do you say that?"

"There's no intellect involved. It's just two people whacking at one another with blades until one of them surrenders."

"Perhaps you're not looking at it correctly," suggested Lloyd. "The way I see it, there are tactics to one-on-one combat just as there are tactics to war. There are different moves to take down different opponents. For example, I wouldn't use the same move on a swordsman as I would on a paladin. I have to predict and defend against my opponent's attacks while simultaneously trying to land my own blows. But all of this strategizing happens so quickly that the untrained eye cannot see the intelligence behind one-on-one combat and ends up calling it 'dull'."

He grinned, and it took me a heartbeat to realize that he had just insulted me.

"You should come see Linus and me fight some time," said Lloyd. "I'll teach you how to appreciate the arena."

"We'll see," I said. As someone who had always enjoyed tactical board games, a small part of me was curious to learn about the combat Lloyd described.

We reached Sir Ordin's house and I left Lloyd waiting outside the gates as I headed in to deliver the map. Ordin was pleased with the design, and he praised Aunt Lerone highly for several minutes before letting me leave. When I stepped back out onto the street, I spotted Lloyd leaning against the stone wall across the street, his eyes half-closed.

For a second, I considered slipping away and heading back without him. I didn't need his protection, and I hated company. However, I managed to get one step in the direction of home before I realized that I didn't want to leave. I enjoyed Lloyd's company—actually enjoyed it. I used to be able to count on my fingers the amount of people whose company I actually sought out: my mother, my father, the bookseller and his daughter who played chess with me, the patrol man who had saved me from robbers one night, the Pegasus knight from Ilia who liked to tell stories when drunk, the baker who gave me free bread, and the three gamblers on Hara Street who were always willing to let me play a hand. Lloyd Reed was the eleventh person. As of meeting him, I could no longer hold up ten fingers and say that's the number of people I liked. Eleven. What a strange number.

I crossed the street. Lloyd's eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching footsteps, but he remained calm when he saw that it was just me.

I stopped in front of him and asked, "Why did you volunteer to escort me?"

Lloyd's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Why did you volunteer to escort me?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Answer."

He smiled. "I thought you were cute."

"Answer honestly."

"Is that so hard to believe?"

I folded my arms over my chest.

"All right," said Lloyd. "I have a hero complex and I had to keep a damsel like you safe from all the ruffians who lurk in the streets of Trunnel."

I snorted. "You're an idiot."

He laughed and pushed off the wall so that he stood upright, towering over me. "I thought you were interesting, so I wanted to spend time with you. Is that a problem?"

We stared at one another, my dark eyes to his hazel ones. Then, I said, "My name is Nora Everett. I think most people are annoying. I get grouchy when I'm hungry and I hate to lose. I think the Black Fang is pretentious in their desire to 'save the common folk', but I think their actions have merit." I paused and then added, "I probably have abandonment issues."

Lloyd blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"If we're going to be friends, you should at least know what you're getting into," I said, turning away and starting back in the direction of home.

I didn't see his reaction, but after a moment, I heard footsteps and then Lloyd was walking next to me again.

"I can't stand disloyal people," said Lloyd. "I have a strong competitive streak, always testing myself to see how strong I can become. I believe in family above all else, and I fully support the Black Fang. Bern's nobility has been allowed to do whatever they please for too long, filling our country with corruption and suffering. Even if its murder, the Black Fang does what it can to protect those who cannot defend themselves." He paused and then added, "Also, I probably have a brother complex."


"Nora?"

The door to the shop opened and Aunt Lerone stepped inside. She took one look at me, dressed in a long, white gown, squatting next to a chessboard, and she let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Thankfully, the groom can't see you right now or he'll want to cancel the wedding."

I glanced across the board and rolled my eyes at my opponent, a young man with long, silver hair and a scar across his face. I'd met Legault, the Hurricane of the Black Fang, a few months ago when Lloyd had first introduced me to his father. Somehow, Legault and I had discovered our mutual love of tactical games and we'd ended up having a match whenever he was in the area—which, this time, just so happened to be morning of my wedding.

"We still have half an hour before I have to meet Lloyd at the temple," I said, before moving a rook to take out one of Legault's pawns.

"Shit," muttered Legault as he realized what I was trying to do.

"Nora," said Aunt Lerone with a dramatic sigh. "Must you do this?"

Legault moved his bishop, so I slid a pawn forward a space, causing Legault to curse again.

"You should really surrender the game, Nora," said Legault. "I would hate for Lloyd to cancel the marriage because you're playing chess in your wedding gown."

I grinned. "Your move."

"I can't move," said Legault. "You're going to win next turn no matter what."

"I know. So take your turn so I can win and Aunt Lerone can quit her nagging."

Reluctantly, Legault moved his king piece one space to the left, and then I moved my queen, putting him in checkmate.

"I remember the early days when I could still win," said Legault, getting to his feet with a sigh. "You learn quickly."

"I've been playing with Brendan and Lloyd, while you've been off on missions," I said.

"Of course," muttered Legault.

"Well, you've won," snapped Aunt Lerone. "Now may we head for the temple?"

"Are you worried that Lloyd will refuse to marry me?" I asked.

"I'm still amazed that anyone would ask you to marry him," said Aunt Lerone, handing me a green cloak. "So, yes, I'm worried."

She stormed out the shop, leaving me to follow. I exchanged glances with Legault and he offered me a grim smile.

"She's quite the charmer," said Legault. "I see where you get your personality from."

I scowled at him as I fasted my cloak around my shoulders. Then, I headed out the front entrance of the shop where a cart was waiting for us. Aunt Lerone locked up after Legault and me, and soon were on our way to the temple where I would stand before a priest of St. Elimine and promise to spend the rest of my life with Lloyd Reed.

The thought didn't terrify me as much as it did when he first asked me to marry him. Over the past couple months, I'd come to realize that I probably liked Lloyd more than I would ever like anyone else so not marrying him would be a waste. I mean, I liked Legault and Linus and Brendan, I even liked my aunt to some extent, but there were limits to my liking of them. Lloyd, on the other hand, never ceased to interest me.

Over the past year, he 'd challenged me and pushed me to do more than I ever thought myself capable of. He'd introduced me to new people despite my reluctance, he'd helped me understand the Black Fang's intentions since I initially disapproved, and he'd encouraged me to learn battle tactics when I expressed an interest.

He'd been the one to mention love first. Six months after our friendship began, he told me that he probably loved me. I'd fled at the use of the word, but he followed and told me repeatedly that love wouldn't hurt me. After a month of his persistence, I gave in and decided to try out this new emotion. And now we were getting married. That sly bastard.

The cart came to a halt outside the three-story stone temple. The columns in the front loomed overhead, reminding me that I was about to enter a holy agreement, pledging love to one person for the rest of my life. Personally, I didn't understand all the pomp and circumstance. I would've rather just gotten married in a back alleyway—only Lloyd and me and the priest—and been done with the whole mess. Of course, Aunt Lerone would've had a heartattack and Brendan would've been disappointed he wasn't invited.

Legault led the way up the gray steps to the wooden doors of the temple. They opened before Legault could touch them, and Lloyd's younger brother Linus stood in the entryway, dressed in his usual black cloak and travel-worn boots, his brown hair slicked back.

"So you've finally arrived, sister-in-law," said Linus, grinning.

"My apologies," I said with a small smile. "I was delivering a crushing defeat to the Hurricane of the Black Fang."

Linus glanced over at Legault, who was avoiding eye contact. Linus shook his head. "You bring shame upon us, Legault."

"Where's the groom?" asked Aunt Lerone, pushing past Linus and entering the temple. "Tell me he hasn't fled."

"He's talking to the priest," said Brendan, stepping past his youngest son to see me. "He'll be here in a minute."

I smiled up at the gray-haired brute of a man. Brendan Reed looked exactly how I had pictured to leader of the Black Fang to look—tall, intimidating, and covered in scars. Rather than wear the traditional velvet and fur Bernese garments, Brendan was dressed in armor, ready for battle.

"Jan, Uhai, and Igor told me to pass on their congratulations and condolences," said Brendan. He sent a pitying glance in my direction—after all, what kind of groom planned to depart for battle right after the ceremony?

"Damn Lord Arey," said Linus. "We spent months planning this wedding and now all the guests are away preparing to defend the keep from his army."

I raised my eyebrows. "Did you think I wanted a large wedding?"

Linus laughed. "You probably hired Lord Arey to attack our guild so no one could come today." His smile faded, and he stared at me suspiciously. "You didn't, did you?"

"No."

"So there's just the four of us?" asked Aunt Lerone, looking mortified. "I should have invited Melanie and Lyle if that were the case."

"Thank you for not inviting them," said Legault, who had the misfortune of meeting Melanie on a few occasions.

I sighed. "She claims to be a matchmaker now, since Lloyd and I met when he saved me from her."

Brendan threw back his head and laughed. "Tell me she hasn't gone into the business."

"Lyle convinced her not to," I said. "The unwed people of Trunnel thank him every day."

"Are we talking about Melanie?" Lloyd appeared in the doorway with the silver-haired priest beside him. Lloyd glanced at my white gown, taking in everything from my ash-brown hair that Aunt Lerone had spent hours getting to stay in place with silver pins to the puffy material that emphasized my non-existent hips. He smiled. "You dressed up for me? I'm flattered."

Lloyd wore a long, black coat with the usual leather buckles and red sash wrapped around his waist. His hair was still a mess in the front and he hadn't shaved the stubble from his jaw.

So there he was, my future husband, looking ready for a battle rather than a wedding. Our lives as husband and wife wouldn't start until he returned from south Bern—if he returned at all.

Lloyd caught me looking and, smirking, asked, "What do you think?"

I shrugged. "You'll do."

"Shall we start this wedding then?" asked Brendan. "Arey's forces are only a day away from the keep."

Brendan, Linus, Legault, Aunt Lerone, and the priest went in ahead of us. Lloyd glanced down at me before offering his arm, but he stopped when he saw the frown on my face.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked, his voice betraying the slightest hint of worry.

"Don't die." I lifted my gaze to meet his. "You know, I see your vision of a Bern now. A Bern where the nobles care for the populace, where assassins are no longer needed, where the commonfolk have a voice. What you want, I want too, and I'm glad you give so much of yourself to the Fang. However, I have that one selfish request of you."

"Don't die?" repeated Lloyd. "I don't plan to."

"I told you," I said. "Before we became friends, I told you what you were getting yourself involved in. I told you that I have abandonment issues."

Lloyd's jaw tightened. "Your parents probably didn't get the message about our wedding. It got lost on its way to Etruria. That's why they haven't come."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm fine." My grip on his arm tightened. "It's only you. You're the only one not allowed to abandon me. If you die, I will bring you back so I can kill you again in the most painful, brutal way I can imagine."

A smile flickered across his face, and before I realized what he was doing, Lloyd kissed me. Soft and careful, his lips touched mine. But just as I started to immerse myself in the moment, to enjoy the surprise, he pulled away and said, "Let's get married."

"Well, of course," I muttered. "That's why I'm in this impractical dress."


I had never hated anyone in my life as much as I hated Sonia Reed. From the first day that Brendan brought her to our home in Rian and introduced her to us, to the day of their wedding, I hated that woman. At first, it was just jealousy—she was a beautiful woman with a bust to die for and a body that caused men to salivate—but the more time I spent in her presence, the more I began to loathe her. I watched the man that I admired, Brendan, the unbending and resolute leader of the Black Fang, became clay in her hands. Everything she wanted, he gave her. He didn't seem to understand that Sonia could be wrong. He even threatened his faithful servant, Jan, when Jan suggested that Sonia's idea for the assassination of the violent Lord Gausman was ill-planned.

Lloyd and Linus, while they weren't ensnared by Sonia, refused to admit she was a danger. Their father had been miserable after their mother's death, Lloyd had explained, and only by throwing all his efforts into the Black Fang had Brendan been able to regain himself. Even if they didn't particularly like Sonia, the brothers were willing to tolerate her if it made their father happy.

"She's arrogant and unsociable, I agree," said Lloyd. "But if I disliked people based on those qualities, we would never have gotten married."

I glared at him from across the kitchen. Linus, Brendan, Sonia, and Sonia's daughter Nino were visiting us in Rion for our monthly dinner as a family. I had cooked a traditional Bernese steak and nut dish, and as I put the finishing touches on the food, Lloyd and I were arguing in the kitchen.

"There are different types of unsociability," I said. "Sonia's type is unnatural."

"Unnatural?" asked Lloyd, nicking a bread roll from the basket.

I glared at him until, smiling, he put the bread roll back where it came from.

"She gets this look in her eyes when she thinks no one is looking," I said, unsure of how to explain it. "It frightens me. I don't like it."

Lloyd frowned. "Does she bother you so much?"

"Yes."

He moved across the kitchen to wrap his arms around my waist and rest his chin on top of my head. "But nothing frightens you."

"Don't be an idiot."

Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew Lloyd was smiling.

"Are you going to let go of me?" I asked. "Your family's waiting in the dining room. Linus will tear down the house if we don't feed him soon."

Lloyd sighed as he released me. "You know I can't do anything about Sonia. She's married to my father."

"I know." I picked up the tray of meat and nodded at Lloyd to get the other two plates. "Just be wary of her."

We carried the food down the hallway to the dining room where the rest of the Reed family sat around our wooden table. Brendan was at the head, of course, with Sonia at his right, Linus on his left, and Nino beside Sonia. Brendan was guffawing at something Sonia had said, his dark eyes glowing with delight. Sonia's red lips were curled into a smirk as she learned forward, showing an unnecessary amount of her bust. Nino was smiling at her plate, her bright green hair falling into her eyes. Linus kept shifting about in his seat uncomfortably, refusing to make eye contact with anybody.

A look of relief flashed across his face when he looked up and saw us in the doorway. "What have you prepared for us tonight, sister-in-law?"

I placed the tray in the center of the table before settling in my seat next to Linus. Lloyd set the other plates down before sitting at the end of the table, opposite his father.

"It looks delicious, Nora." Brendan picked up his knife and fork, ready to dig in.

"It looks rather dry," said Sonia, peering down at the steaks.

I scowled. "A guest shouldn't say such things."

"But we're all family here," said Sonia, smiling just enough to reveal her white teeth. "A family should be honest, don't you agree?"

"You're right," said Brendan as he transported one of the steaks to his plate. "It is rather dry."

Lloyd and I exchanged glances across the table. I tried not to be condescending, but well, Sonia's influence was clearly present.

"I don't think it's dry," said Nino, cutting open the steak on her plate.

"Well," said Sonia. "Some people have more sophisticated pallets."

I debated throwing my knife at Sonia. If I was lucky, the blade would find her heart, and I could tell Brendan that the knife had slipped through my fingers. Unfortunately, I had more self-restraint than that.

"The meat's done well," said Lloyd taking a bite.

"You have to say so," said Nino with a giggle. "Or Nora will cut off all your hair while you sleep."

Lloyd turned to me. "What have you been telling her?"

I smiled, but didn't say a word. My eyes flickered down the table. Nino and Linus began speculating what Lloyd would look like without any hair, which frustrated Lloyd to no end, since he was proud of the blond mess atop his head. Brendan was looking at his two sons with clear fondness in his eyes. And Sonia… I shivered. She had that look again. Something in her golden eyes seemed almost…hungry. Like she was only biding her time until she could devour each and every one of us.

Her eyes snapped to mine, and for a second, we stared at one another across the wooden table. Her lips pulled back into a sneer as I held her gaze. But a heartbeat later, as Brendan turned to ask her a question, Sonia slipped the seductive smile back in place.

The rest of the meal went by as it usually did, Lloyd and Linus teased one another while Nino watched them with a look of pure delight on her face. I quietly ate my meal, listening to the brothers and occasionally offering a comment, but for the most part content to let them do all the talking. Brendan would laugh at his sons' antics until Sonia called his name and suddenly all his attention would be on her. I didn't know what she was saying to him, but he couldn't take his eyes off her even if Lloyd or Linus tried to talk to his, Brendan would ignore them. I felt sick to my stomach just watching.

After dinner, Nino and I headed to the kitchen to wash dishes while the others went to the sitting room to talk about the Black Fang's next move.

"Your cooking's gotten really good," said Nino as we placed the plates and wares on the wooden counter. "You've improved so much."

"Thanks."

"Lloyd and Linus were really lively tonight." Nino grinned. "Always talking about who would win in a fight."

"Lloyd," I said without hesitation.

"I've seen Linus fight in the arena once," said Nino. "He's really strong."

I shook my head, smiling. "Lloyd is faster."

"You've seen him fight, then?"

"I've seen them fight each other, though that was almost three years ago."

Nino's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Lloyd wanted to show me his Sacaean fighting style." I leaned back against the counter, smiling a little at the memory of the excited, nineteen-year-old Lloyd dragging me to the arena. "His form is stunning."

"It must be, for you to praise it," said Nino. "Normally you don't compliment anyone."

I laughed. "You're a good kid, Nino."

She let out an exaggerated gasp. "Two compliments in one evening. What have you done with my big sister, Nora?"

I glanced over at the pile of dishes on the counter and sighed. "Do you mind fetching some water from the pump?"

"Not at all," said Nino. She grabbed the basin from counter and headed for the back door.

Not long after I heard the wooden door slam closed behind her, a sickly sweet voice filled the kitchen. "My daughter likes you very much."

Sonia stood in the doorway, towering over me in her black heels.

"Yes." Settling on a wooden stool, I picked up the first plate and used a metal knife to scrape the leftovers into the scraps bucket.

Sonia stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. "You don't like me, do you, Nora?"

I didn't see any point in answering the obvious.

"You've been telling Lloyd not to trust me, haven't you?"

I stopped scraping the plate. My grip on the knife was becoming painfully tight. "What do you want, Sonia?"

"Nothing," she said airily. "I just don't like humans like you."

Without another word, she turned and left the kitchen. I sat on the stool, still holding the knife and dirty plate over the scraps bucket. The dish was shaking. I blinked. No, it wasn't the dish—my hands were shaking. I set the plate and knife back down on the counter and placed my hands on my knees.

"Nora?" Nino had returned from the water pump. She hoisted the basin of water up onto the counter before turning to stare at me. "Are you feeling all right?"

I picked up the next plate and started scraping off the leftovers. With a little laugh, I said, "Your mother is a scary woman."

"Yes, I know," said Nino. "People she doesn't like tend to end up dead."

And then she looked at me. A long, sad look filled with meaning.


Ten days passed without incident, but I could feel Sonia's golden eyes on me everywhere I went. I couldn't explain how I knew that she was planning to kill me—Sonia's stares, my conversation with Nino, my gut instinct, all of it added together and I knew, just knew, that she'd had enough of me.

I suspected that she wouldn't do anything while Lloyd was in the house. After all, if she wanted to keep Brendan at her side, she couldn't have Lloyd or Linus openly against her. No matter how obsessed Brendan was with Sonia, he didn't put her above his sons. He wouldn't. So, I spent those ten days attached to Lloyd's side, keeping a careful eye on Sonia and telling no one about the rucksack of food, clothing, and maps that was hidden under the floorboards in my bedroom.

I thought about telling Lloyd that Sonia planned to kill me. Lloyd had always been reluctant to listen to my rants about Sonia; he didn't want to believe that his step-mother was that vile and treacherous, and well, I couldn't entirely blame him for that wish. Telling Lloyd might also put him in danger, I realized. Sonia wanted to kill me because I kept voicing my suspicions. If Lloyd started to question her motives, his use to her alive might end up being less than his use to her dead.

In the end, however, the Black Fang had a mission dealing with some bandits in the southernmost mountain range of Bern. Brendan and his sons packed up their belongings, saddled their horses, and prepared to depart for a couple months.

"Sorry for leaving you behind," said Lloyd, tying his red sash around his waist.

"You could bring me with you," I said, glancing towards the door, hoping Sonia wasn't on the other side. "Traveling with the Black Fang is always…interesting."

Lloyd smiled. "Don't lie. There's always too many people traveling with the Black Fang."

"But I like discussing tactics with your father," I said.

"I know." Lloyd grabbed his bag from the bed and slung it over his left shoulder. "I'll bring you next time."

I stared at him. Over the years, Lloyd had lost the last of his baby fat. His body was all toned muscle and sharp edges. Of course, even though he was twenty-two now, Lloyd still had the same unkempt appearance as when we first met.

I should tell him, I thought. I should tell him about Sonia.

But the idea of her killing him—her magic striking him when he least expected it, his body pierced by the ice of her fimbulvetr spell—sent shivers of misery through me. I couldn't lose him. The rest of the world could die on the end of a sword for all I cared, but not Lloyd. Not Lloyd.

I crossed the room and stepped into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Promise me that you won't die."

Lloyd chuckled. "After all this time, you're still worried about that?" He kissed the top of my head. "I won't abandon you, Nora. I promise."

I closed my eyes and didn't say a word. Just hold onto him, that was all I could do. Hold on and hope that his warmth never left.

"Nora," murmured Lloyd. "I have to go."

"I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too. I'll return. I'll come back and hold you like this again, so wait for me, all right?"

Finally, I released him and stepped away. "Go."

Sighing dramatically, Lloyd ran his fingers through his hair and said, "One moment she can't let go of me, then next she's turned cold as ice and tells me to go so bluntly."

I glared at him.

"I'm going." With one last kiss, Lloyd headed out the door, leaving me alone in the house.

Two nights. That's how long I stayed in that house alone. Each night was spent under the wooden bed, clutching a kitchen knife and my rucksack, waiting for a sign, anything, that Sonia had come for me.

I should've told Lloyd, I realized, on the third night. He would rather that I told him—even if it meant putting his life in danger—than have me curled up under the bed like this. He fought battles and assassinated lords on a regular basis; what was one more mage trying to kill him going to do? Nothing. I should've told him.

I buried my face in my hands and listened to wind howl down the streets of Rion. There was nothing I could do now. I couldn't change the past. Regret would do me no good.

Footsteps sounded in the hall outside my bedroom, and I held my breath. So I'd been right. She had finally come. The door opened and a mercenary's boots appeared in my line of sight. I crouched under the bed, watching and waiting for an opportunity to run.

I'm sorry, Lloyd.

"She's not here," said a man gruffly.

"She must be." Sonia stood in the doorway, the sound of her smooth voice filling the room.

"She could be visiting a friend," said the man.

Sonia scoffed. "I told you, Beyard. She doesn't have friends, and her family left her in Bern without a care. Lloyd Reed married her because he couldn't bear to leave such a pitiful person alone."

Bitch, I thought viciously.

"Come," said Sonia. "We'll check the other rooms."

I watched as the man's boots and Sonia's heeled shoes left through the door of the bedroom and headed down the hallway. Seconds after they were out of sight, I slid out from under the bed and, clutching my rucksack and knife, headed for the window. I vaulted up onto the sill and pushed open the shutters. A blast of bitter wind hit my face, making me gasp in shock and pain.

"Did you hear that?" asked Sonia.

Heavy footsteps sounded down the hall and I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see a blond, bearded mercenary in a red cape and heavy armor.

I'm sorry, Lloyd.

I jumped out of the window and landed on the patch of grass below. There were voices behind me, but I refused to look back. I sprinted to the right, taking the alleyways between houses, heading north, always heading north. The wind slapped my cheeks and my hair was tugged out of its ponytail. The moon was hidden behind a cloud, the darkness obscuring my vision. My feet stumbled over roots and rocks, sending me crashing to me knees several times. I kept running, though, never ceasing, always wondering how close Sonia was to catching me.

I reached the city limits and continued running to the base of the Bernese Mountains. If I kept heading north, I could climb the mountains and descend into Sacae. I didn't know how determined Sonia was to kill me, but I didn't think Sacae was far enough. I could head to Etruria after that and maybe to the Western Isles after that—Lloyd had always wanted to go there.

Pain flooded my chest, and I almost tripped as images of my husband filled my mind. Lloyd—

A tree, several feet away, exploded in a burst of flame.

Swallowing a scream, I dove behind a rock.

"Nora." Sonia's sweet voice could be heard over the roar of the wind. "Nora, Nora. Why are you running from your mother? Brendan would be disappointed in you."

I kept my mouth shut.

"You brought this on yourself, Nora."

I wouldn't say a word. My life depending on this hiding spot.

"You're leaving Bern, aren't you?" Sonia laughed. "What will dear Lloyd think? His wife has run off. What should I tell him? You fell in love with another man and eloped?"

I bit back a bitter laugh. Like Lloyd would ever believe that story. I hated talking to strangers more than anything in the world.

Sonia seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because she said, "No, no. Maybe I could tell him it was in your blood. Your parents ran off, didn't they? Kept running and running to different countries, never staying home to look after their daughter. Like parent, like child, I suppose."

No. I wasn't anything like my parents.

"He'll come to hate you, I suspect," said Sonia. "Your precious Lloyd will never forgive you."

She was right. If there was one thing Lloyd valued above all else, it was loyalty. He could never forgive a wife who left him while his back was turned, no matter the reason why.

Salty tears had started to drip down my cheeks. I held my breath, refusing to give in to the sobs. Crying would definitely reveal my position.

"Come out, Nora," said Sonia. "If you die here, tonight, I'll tell Lloyd you died loving him. I'll tell him that the Black Fang's enemies came to kill you as revenge for the death of their lord. Come out, and you can die still loved by him."

I'm sorry, Lloyd. You made a mistake. You may have promised that you would never abandon me, but you forgot to make me promise I would never abandon you.

Keeping my head down, I stepped away from the rock and started to head towards the mountains. The darkness kept me hidden from Sonia's sight. I left her and her cruel words behind and headed to Sacae.