I ’d lost sight of Rivelin in the chaos. The rough bark of the chair scraped my skin every time the villagers of Wyndale hoisted me higher in the air. A part of me wanted to relax and enjoy this unexpected celebration—were they that impressed by my mother’s cupcake recipe? But my focus was on Rivelin and our interrupted conversation.
Where was he? Had he gone after Gregor? And why did I have a sick feeling in the back of my throat?
The chair jolted as the procession finally returned to the stage, and the villagers lowered me to the ground. I smiled my best fake smile at all of them and thanked them for the honor. Elma was there, and so was Tilda in a bright sunny dress that matched her beaming smile, and Milka the dwarf baker, too. I still didn’t see Rivelin, or Odel, or Haldor anywhere.
I wandered through the crowd, searching for his silver hair. When I walked down the row of merchant stalls, I found Lilia leaning across her bar top and waving me over, her kind smile as bright as ever. But when she got a look at my face, the brightness dimmed.
“Everything all right, Daella?” She dragged a rag across the bar top, keeping an eye on me.
“I can’t find your brother anywhere. Have you seen him?”
“Sure have. He left with Odel and Haldor a few moments ago. Looked like they were heading toward the east side of the village.” Her hand slowed. “Has something happened?”
“No,” I said, then shook my head. “I don’t know.”
As I turned to go, she reached out and gently touched my arm. “Don’t let him push you away. He’s been better these days, with you around.”
“Better?”
“You know, with how closed off he is. He really struggles with the past—what the emperor’s mercenaries did, what he did in response. I think he’s been punishing himself for it all these years by hiding away from the world. But you’ve gotten him out of that damn house.” She smiled gently. “If he’s somehow messed things up between you two, just try and give him a chance to fix it, eh? I like you a lot. It’d be nice if you stayed.”
I smiled, but it felt strained. “Thanks, Lilia. I mean that. I just need to talk to him, that’s all.”
I accepted one of her offered tankards of sweet ale and then wound through the crowd to the other side of the meadow. It was quieter on the dirt path that cut into the village, and it would likely stay that way for a good long while. Today’s celebration seemed like it was only getting started.
Lilia had seen Rivelin and the others heading east, so I took the fork in the path that led to the cluster of homes on that side of the village. From up ahead came familiar voices. Rivelin was speaking urgently, though I couldn’t make out his words from this distance. I picked up my pace and turned to the corner to find him standing in the middle of the road with his missing swords scattered on the ground all around him.
I slowed to a stop. Odel caught sight of my movement and looked up with a fierce scowl, her pink wings twitching wildly. I’d never seen her look so angry. Haldor stood on Rivelin’s other side. He rubbed his chin, sighing with closed eyes.
“You.” Odel pointed a shaky finger at me. “You did this to Rivelin, didn’t you?”
All the blood drained from my face. “What?”
“That’s right.” Viggo emerged from the open door of a small timber home, where boxes of red roses decorated the two ground-floor windows. He glared in my direction. “I didn’t even know Rivelin had swords. There’s no logical reason to suspect me of stealing from him. It was her.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at the four of them, trying to piece this together. The house must be Viggo’s. Odel and Haldor had found Rivelin’s swords inside. But instead of suspecting he’d stolen them, they blamed…me?
“You think I stole Rivelin’s swords and planted them in Viggo’s house? But why would I do that? I’m on Rivelin’s side. I’m his assistant in the Games,” I told them, furrowing my brow. “I didn’t even know where Viggo lived until just now.”
Haldor nodded, absentmindedly scratching the base of his red horns. The demon usually wore an expression of delight, but he just looked tired now. “Yes, that does seem to be the case, but there are, unfortunately, other things we must take into consideration. Such as where you’ve come from and how you arrived with a murk sigil on your Grundstoff Empire armor.”
I flinched. “I thought we’d gotten past that. I have no true loyalty to Isveig.”
“Well, see, that’s what you’ve told us, love,” Odel said with an apologetic smile. “But we only have your word for it and nothing more. And then all this happens…” She gestured vaguely at the swords. “Ever since you’ve arrived, someone has had it out for Rivelin.”
I tried to catch Rivelin’s eyes, to search for confirmation he felt the same, but he wouldn’t look at me. A sharp stab of pain went through my heart. “And so you believe I’m behind it all.”
“If you have a better explanation, I’m all ears,” said Haldor.
I motioned at Viggo, who stood on his steps watching the exchange. “The swords were in his house. Or perhaps it was Gregor. Have you suddenly forgotten about him?”
Odel sighed. “He maintains he had nothing to do with the destruction at the forge and that he was set up to take the fall for that.”
“And you believe him?” I asked, my heart pounding. “He’s sabotaged other Games in the past. You watched him goad Kari into attacking him.”
“He has always played within the confines of the rules, which is why it’s been so difficult to do anything about him.” Haldor sighed and started to elaborate, but he was interrupted by a thunderous boom from the sky above.
Inwardly, I groaned. This was just what I needed—a rainstorm. I had no salt or tent with me to protect my skin, which meant I needed to get inside. I needed to go…home. But I did not think my home here was mine any longer. It never had been.
My heart ached as I tried, once more, to catch Rivelin’s gaze. His hands were on his hips, and he stared at the ground, at the swords that surrounded him. Everything about his posture and crumpled expression screamed resignation.
He truly believed I was behind this.
Unshed tears burned my eyes. I had not cried in so very long—I never gave Isveig the satisfaction, even when I was alone and knew no one would see. There’d always been a chance he was listening at the door, waiting for me to break. So I had always held it in. I’d never cracked. And yet I could not stop the tears that now streaked down my face.
Blinking them away, I turned toward the road that would lead to the western side of the village, and eventually, out of this place.
And then a shadow passed overhead.
Wind gusted against me as thunder boomed once more. I looked up, and my heart nearly stopped. That hadn’t been thunder. Heavy wings beat the air as a dragon landed on the road just in front of me, his monstrous claws slamming into the ground, his leathery tail whipping back and forth. Dirt sprayed behind him like a cloud of mist. He flared his nostrils, sniffing, his luminous eyes bearing down on me like the weight of an anvil. Bright light flared beneath his emerald scales.