Another breath, the waves seeming to sense my need, pulling me toward shore.
I would make it. I was going to make it.
Then hands closed around my waist, hauling me upward.
“Is getting away from me worth getting yourself killed?” Bjorn shouted, his hair plastered against the side of his cheek. “Is getting away from me worth crawling back to Snorri so he can use you to achieve his ends?”
“Yes,” I gasped, kicking at him, then trying to wedge my knees between us to force him away, but he only spun me in the water so that my back was to him. “You’re a fucking liar!”
“I’m sorry!” He struggled to keep us both afloat because I’d stopped kicking, intent on dragging us both under to drown if that’s what it took. “But you of all people should understand going to any length to protect family!”
“Snorri is your family,” I screamed, choking as a wave splashed me. “Leif is your family! Skaland is family! I don’t care what poison Harald whispered in your ears, he stole you from them!”
“No!” His grip tightened. “He saved me from them!”
“It’s all lies.” My eyes burned, because the drakkar was close. I’d lost my chance to escape. “He murdered your mother!”
“He didn’t!” Bjorn turned me to face him, eyes bright. “It was Snorri who tried to kill my mother. Who tried to kill both of us, because Ylva convinced him it was necessary so that Leif might inherit. But my mother escaped the fire and fled with me to Nordeland, where Harald protected us. Freya, my mother is alive!”
Shock rippled through me. “But the specter. Saga is the specter.”
“More of Snorri’s manipulation. It was my mother I spoke to in Fjalltindr, my mother whom I convinced that you could change your fate, and who subsequently convinced Harald of the same. She’s alive and well back in Nordeland.” He pulled me closer, the heat of him seeping into my body despite the chill of the sea. “Let me take you to her, Freya. Listen to what she has to say before you cast judgment. She will have the answers you seek.”
I didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to hear an explanation. Wanted to hold on to my anger and rage at what he’d done.
“Please.” He said the word between his teeth, jaw clenched. “I know I have no right to ask it from you, but please do this last thing for me. I need you to understand.”
“I’ll never understand,” I spat.
Yet neither did I struggle when hands reached down and dragged me into the ship, saying not a word as the sails were lifted, Skaland slowly disappearing in our wake. I only stared forward as the coast of Nordeland appeared, rocky and harsh and gray.
A place where I’d find answers, yes.
But also where I’d begin to control my own fate.
For Tamar—I’d be lost without you!
Acknowledgments
Like so many of my novels, A Fate Inked in Blood lived in my head for years before I opened my laptop to begin writing, so my fierce shield maiden already feels like an old friend. I experienced a great deal of catharsis writing Freya’s story for many reasons, but not the least is that I was again writing for myself, with no deadlines or expectations to hamper my creative process. It was an incredibly enjoyable novel to write, and my enthusiasm only grew when it found its home with Del Rey.
As always, I’m indebted to my family for their endless support of my writing career, despite the demands it puts on everyone. I would not be able to create without the love you give me, and I am so grateful to have all of you in my life.
So many thanks to my incredible agent, Tamar Rydzinski, who championed this novel from the first read and found it a worthy home! Thank you for everything you do! To the team at Context Literary Agency, as well as my foreign agencies, thank you for all the work you do behind the scenes getting my novels into readers’ hands around the world.
Team Del Rey and Del Rey UK, I will forever be grateful for the passion and enthusiasm you have for Freya and Bjorn, but a special thanks to my editor, Sarah Peed, who stayed up all night reading the manuscript and called the next morning with the best words an author on submission can hear. Working with you has been a delight every step of the way, and I’m looking forward to round two!
So many thanks to my amazing friend and assistant, Amy, who was the captain of #teamfreyorn from day one. My readers owe you a debt of gratitude for Bjorn’s BVD energy, because you encouraged me to level him up every step of the way. Freya thanks you, and so do I!
Elise Kova, you are both a friend and an inspiration, and my days would be darker without your messages and support. Melissa Frain, you are a gift from the gods—thank you so much for your help with early drafts! To the ladies of NOFFA, I feel fortunate to know all of you, and our conversations take so much of the stress out of this crazy job we all do.