The Parley Offer

The Parley Offer

POV: Seth

The room spun. Magnus. Here. At the fort. My knees went weak. I grabbed the edge of the table to keep from falling. Around me, voices erupted in argument, but they sounded distant, muffled, like I was underwater.
He was coming. The wolf who'd claimed me as his prize. The nightmare I'd been running from for months. And he knew. He had to know I was here. Why else would he come?
"This is madness," Carrick was saying. "We can't trust Magnus Blackclaw. The man is a butcher."
"But if he has information about the traitor," another officer argued, "we need it. Our defenses are compromised."
"It's a trick. He'll use the parley to scout our weaknesses."
"Our weaknesses are already on display. Half the eastern wall is rubble."
I couldn't breathe. The air felt too thick, too hot. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision. Magnus's face filled my mind. His cold smile. His possessive hands. His voice calling me "little bird" while my mother's blood pooled on the floor.
A hand touched my elbow. Kieran. His steady presence anchored me, pulled me back from the edge of panic. He said nothing, just stood close enough that I could feel his warmth.
"We could refuse," Brannor said slowly. "Send the messenger back empty-handed."
"And provoke a full assault?" the grizzled sergeant countered. "We barely survived last night. If Magnus brings his entire force against us..."
"Then we all die," Carrick finished grimly.
The silence that followed was heavy as stone.
Brannor's jaw worked. His eyes swept the room, taking in the exhausted faces, the wounded pride, the fear no one wanted to name. Finally, he spoke.
"We agree to the parley."
No. The word screamed through my mind but died in my throat.
"But on our terms," Brannor continued, his voice hard as iron. "Neutral ground. The clearing half a mile south of the fort. Magnus Blackclaw comes with no more than three escorts. We bring the same. Any sign of treachery, any hidden soldiers in the trees, and we put an arrow through his throat."
"When?" Carrick asked.
"Tomorrow. Noon."
Tomorrow. Less than a day. My chest constricted.
"I want our best archers positioned in the surrounding hills," Brannor ordered. "Hidden, but with clear lines of sight. And I want a fast rider ready to bring warning if this goes wrong."
Officers began moving, accepting orders, planning logistics. The meeting dissolved into controlled chaos. I stood frozen in place, still gripping the table.
"Seth." Kieran's voice was low, meant only for me. "Breathe."
I realized I wasn't. My lungs had locked. I forced myself to inhale, but it came out shaky and weak.
"Come on." His hand on my elbow guided me toward the door. "You need air."
I let him lead me out. The corridor felt too narrow, the walls pressing in. We climbed stairs, turned corners. Finally, we emerged onto a rampart overlooking the mountains. Cold wind hit my face, carrying the scent of pine and snow.
"Better?" Kieran asked.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
We stood in silence. Below, soldiers moved through the courtyard, already working to repair the damage. Hammers rang against stone. Orders were shouted. Life went on, even as my world crumbled.
"Seth." Kieran's tone was careful. "Last night, when those wolves surrounded you..."
My whole body tensed. Here it was. The question I couldn't answer. The truth I couldn't tell.
"I saw something," he continued quietly. "Your eyes. They changed color. Just for a moment."
"The firelight," I managed. "Tricks of shadow."
"It wasn't firelight."
I turned to face him. His green eyes searched mine, looking for answers I couldn't give. Looking for trust I couldn't afford.
"Kieran, please." My voice cracked. "Don't ask me questions I can't answer."
"Can't or won't?"
"Does it matter?"
He flinched like I'd struck him. "Yes. It matters." He took a step closer. "Because whatever you're hiding, whatever you're running from, it's killing you. I can see it. Every day you're more afraid, more trapped. And now Magnus Blackclaw is coming here, and you look like you're facing your own execution."
Tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked them back furiously. "You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
"I can't." The words tore out of me. "If I tell you, you'll either turn me in or try to protect me. And both of those things will get you killed."
Kieran's expression shifted. Something fierce and determined settled over his features. "Let me make my own choices about what risks I take."
"No." I stepped back, putting distance between us. "You don't get to throw your life away for me. I'm not worth it."
"That's not your decision to make."
"Yes, it is." My voice rose. "You think you understand, but you don't. You don't know what Magnus Blackclaw is capable of. You don't know what he does to people who get in his way."
"Then tell me."
"I can't!" The words echoed off the stone walls. I pressed my hands to my face, fighting for control. "Please, Kieran. Just leave it alone."
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, softly, "All right. But I'm not leaving you alone. Whatever happens tomorrow, whatever Magnus wants, you're not facing it by yourself."
Before I could respond, he turned and walked away. His footsteps faded down the stairs, leaving me alone with the wind and my terror.

I didn't go back to the barracks that night. I couldn't face the others. Couldn't pretend everything was fine. Instead, I wandered the fort like a ghost, moving through shadows and empty corridors.
Eventually, I found myself in the barracks common room. A single lamp burned low on the table. The fire had died to embers. I sat on one of the benches and stared at nothing, my mind spinning in circles. Magnus will be here tomorrow. He would see me. Recognize me. And then...
I couldn't finish the thought.
The door creaked open. I jerked upright, hand flying to my knife. But it was just Elias, looking as exhausted as I felt. His uniform was still dirty from the battle. Bandages wrapped his left forearm.
"Can't sleep either?" he asked.
I shook my head.
He crossed the room and sat on the bench across from me. For a while, neither of us spoke. The silence was comfortable, easier than words.
"You know what I think?" Elias finally said. "I think Magnus is looking for someone. Maybe someone who escaped him."
My breath caught. I stared at him, trying to keep my face neutral. "Why would you say that?"
Elias shrugged. His eyes, usually bright with mischief, were serious now. "Just a feeling. The way he operates. It's not just military strategy. It's personal. Obsessive, even." He leaned back against the wall. "A man doesn't attack a border fort with that kind of fury unless it's about something he wants. Something specific."
My hands clenched in my lap. "Lots of people want things."
"True." He studied me, his gaze uncomfortably perceptive. "But Magnus Blackclaw doesn't strike me as the type to want territory or gold. Men like him want power. Control. They want to own things. Own people."
The accuracy of his words made my skin crawl. That was exactly what Magnus wanted. What he'd always wanted. To possess. To dominate. To break.
"You're thinking too much," I said, trying to sound casual. "It's late. We should both get some rest."
"Seth." Elias leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "If I were running from someone like Magnus, I'd want friends I could trust. People who'd stand by me no matter what I'd done or who I really was."
My throat closed. I couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
Elias stood slowly, stretching his shoulders. He walked toward the door, then paused with his hand on the frame. He didn't turn around.
"I'd be that friend, Seth," he said quietly. "Remember that."
Then he was gone
, leaving me alone in the lamplight with tears streaming down my face.