XLI. Reckoning Dawn

Elva pressed a soft kiss to Eksels temple. She smiled to himself as his brow twitched from the contact.

He lay on his stomach, his back exposed and covered in new salve. His breathing was heavy as he slept and all tension was gone from his shoulders.

He looked so peaceful.

Elva ran her hands through his hair and he sighed in his sleep. Everything was coming together. Elva bit her lip, giving him one last look before exiting their room and stepping out of the longhouse.

Sten stood outside and smiled gently at her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

She nodded.

Sigrid stood from where he sat. “You’re sure you don’t want to wait for him?”

Elva frowned, “This is my fight. Eksel’s done more than enough for me. I can’t put this on him, too.”

Sigrid tilted his head. “He wouldn’t see it like that.”

“I know.” Elva smiled, her heart jolting in her chest. Eksel loved her too much. She knew he would move the moon for her if she asked, which is why she had to do this on her own.

“I’ll watch over him.” Sten nodded toward the tent.

“Let’s do this then.” Sigrid gripped the hilt of his sword and began to lead her toward the cells on the outskirts of the village.

Gleneg had been slowly piecing itself together. Though Eksel’s and Alden’s men did as little damage as possible, people still ran. They hid out in the forest for a day. But upon realizing that Eksel wouldn’t attack them, they inched their way back into the village and their homes.

The mead hall still sat in a heap of rubble, joined by Agnar's longhouse. They would rebuild those, and Elva and Eksel would build their own home.

Butterflied erupted in her stomach at the thought.

Sigrid cleared his throat and she lifted her gaze, stilling for a moment as Alden approached them.

He frowned at her, tilting his head before looking over his shoulder. He was looking back to where he had come from.

The cells.

Elva pressed her lips together, her nostrils flaring. “Y-you went to see him?”

Alden nodded, avoiding her gaze.

Sigrid looked between the two of them, feeling the tension.

“What’s wrong?” Elva whispered.

Alden had been by her side the past couple of days and the way he avoided her eyes now sent a wave of painful shock through her. Alden looked down at his hands and she parted her lips upon seeing the swollen skin covered in blood.

She snapped her gaze to Alden, her father, and swallowed the lump in her throat.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I-I shouldn’t have-”

Elva stepped forward, placing her hand on his and shook her head. “It’s okay.”

He looked at her with a smile that hardly lifted his lips. He looked ashamed, his features twitching with a grimace. “It’s not.”

Elva bit her lip. “I-I don’t know what I would do if someone stood between Eksel and me. If someone took him from me and he died before we-”

She shuddered, not liking the thought of Eksel’s demise.

Alden cupped her cheeks, wiping the tears that had fallen down her face.

“You do know.” Sigrid broke his silence.

Elva and Alden looked to him with questioning frowns.

“You would stand up to them. You would fight the only way you know how.” Sigrid smiled with admiration and Elva still looked at him like she did not know what he spoke of.

Alden nodded. “You stood up to Agnar.”

Elva’s spine shivered. She had been read to surrender her life and even though she now understood the absolutely terrible fear that came with that, she knew she would do it again.

For Eksel.

But she hoped she wouldn’t have to prove herself anytime soon.

Or ever again.

“Would you like me to go with you?” Alden whispered.

Elva noticed the clench in his jaw and understood from that movement that even though he was asking, he was determined to not leave her side. Not while she confronted the real monster in her life.

She was grateful for the sentiment, so she nodded. “But I-this is for me.”

Alden nodded. “I won’t say a word.”

She smiled and looked at Sigrid, who was ready to follow her too. He reached the door and opened it for her. Elva and Alden stepped through and he followed behind.

The shadows covered them in darkness. There was only one opening in the space and one stream of light lit the single occupied cell.

Arrion sat with his head hanging between his shoulders and blood dripping down his mouth. He didn’t even look up before scowling. “Back so soon, brother?”

Alden didn’t respond and kept himself hidden in the shadows. Elva looked up at him for a beat before gathering her courage and stepping into the light.

Arrion shifted, inhaling sharply when he saw her approach. She stopped in front of the bars and tilted her head, her eyes filling with fresh new tears.

Arrion frowned, looking over her shoulder, narrowing his eyes to try and see whoever it was that followed her here. But he could see nothing but pitch black.

His face was bruised, his eyes swollen and a split lip that dripped blood. He swallowed loud grunting as he pushed himself to his feet.

“Elva, my dear.” He reached for her through the bars.

The endearment caught Elva off guard and she was further thrown into her rage when his hand reached for her face, but she stepped back refusing to let him so close.

His eyes widened and he gripped the bars, “Elva, please get me out of here.”

Her skin lit up with heat and she struggled to breath. Had he always been so selfish? She tightened her hands into fists.

He shook his head, “Surely, you know I only did what was necessary. I had to make sure our people were safe.”

She pressed her lips together. What about her safety?

“I can go back home. I will bend the knee to Eksel. I will-”

“The deal must remain.” She whispered.

“What?”

“That’s what you said.”

Arrion dropped his hands from the bar and stepped back, shaking his head and she struggled to find words. “It-it was-I had-”

“I begged you.” Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and she stepped toward the bars.

Arrion stepped back again. “It was what had to be done, Elva!”

“I screamed.”

“Elva-”

“He touched me.” Her voice shook with her rage. With her built up nerves.

Arrion grimaced. “He was your husband-”

“No.” She gritted, stepping closer until her chest pressed against the bars.

Arrion’s chest heaved with every breath and his eyes widened with the realization that the one person who could’ve been on his side was more ready to kill him than save him.

“You were supposed to protect me,” Elva whispered, her tears still falling.

“I protected you as much as I could.”

Elva scoffed, “And giving permission to a man to force himself on me is protecting me?”

Alden hissed behind her and she closed her eyes, inhaling, as if she could bottle up the feeling of protection that he offered.

Arrion shook his head, “You had to leave.”

She snapped her eyes open, “What?”

“I fed you. Clothed you. Gave you a roof over your head. For twenty years.”

Elva frowned, her nostrils flaring.

“And all that time, and you were never my daughter. Do not tell me I owed you more than that.”

Elva pressed her hand to her chest. She knew he felt that way, but having the words shoved in her face was a painful slap of reality.

But it only strengthened her resolve.

She looked over her shoulder.

Sigrid and Alden were tense, glaring at Arrion with hatred in their dark pupils. Elva refused to wear her wounds like shame and she was more than proud of herself for saying what she did, and more than relieved to have these men at her back.

She returned her eyes to Arrion, who breathed heavily as his lips parted but she did not let him speak.

“I won’t let them kill you.”

Relief flooded his features.

“But I will not free you either.”

“Elva-”

She shook her head, stepping back until she was covered in the darkness once again.

“Elva!” Arrion gripped the bars and shook them as he bellowed.

Alden gripped her arm, pulling her toward him in a tight embrace. “I’ve got you.”

He whispered into her hair and she let the tension fall form her shoulders. Healing from this relationship will take time, but her father’s warmth would be a helpful balm to her bleeding heart.

“Elva!” Arrion kept screaming.

Just like Elva had done.

And just like Arrion had done, Elva ignored him.

“Fucking coward,” Sigrid grumbled to himself as he led them back outside to the light of day.

Elva kept herself close to her father’s side and shut her eyes tight from the brightness of the sun. But as the warmth of the day hit her face, she understood one thing. The same thing Eksel had understood.

It was over.

And they had won.