“Olive,” she said, “I’m glad you’ve come. We were just discussing you.”
“You were?”
I glanced at Kull, but he offered no explanation. Heidel also kept her mouth shut.
“Yes, we were,” she answered. “My name is Halla, by the way, although I feel like we already know one another. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Oh. That’s good, I guess.”
“Yes, it is. It means we can avoid awkward small talk and get to the actual conversation.” She had a musical voice, although I couldn’t mistake her tone of warning. “Now,” she said, “Kull has just informed me that the sword of his ancestors is lost to us forever, and that you are the one responsible.”
I cringed. This so isn’t good.
Kull spoke up. “She had a good reason.”
“I don’t care,” Halla answered. “There is no greater act of betrayal than destroying a sacred sword. She would have known this if she were Wult.”
She turned to me. “I want to hear how it happened. Maybe it will give me some sort of comfort to know how the deed was done.”
My thoughts turned frantic. What should I say? I suddenly lost the ability to make coherent words come out of my mouth.
“I never meant to destroy it. It was… because if I’d known, if there had been any other way… because if I’d had any other choice, I…”
She held up a hand, stopping me. “That’s enough,” she said quietly. “Olive, I know you are not familiar with our ways. You see merely a weapon. In truth, the ancestral swords are sacred family heirlooms. There were seventeen swords forged by Kull’s great-great-great grandfather in the fires of the volcanoes of the outer isles. He gave the swords to his children and grandchildren. Before he died, he left each of his children and grandchildren with a warning. To destroy one of the swords would bring a great curse to our entire family.
“To this date, only one of our swords has been destroyed. Bloodbane.”
Well, darn.
I would never in a million years dig myself out of this one. Any good impression I might have had on her was completely wasted.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. It was the only thing I could think to say.
She gave me a small smile before leaving the room and shutting the doors behind her.
My hands had grown clammy and my stomach soured. Worse, I had the insane thought that I would never marry Kull—not that he’d even asked—but if he were to ask, now it seemed he would never gain his mother’s permission.
I slouched against a bookcase as the floor felt unsteady. Kull walked to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“This will blow over,” he said.
“There, you see?” Heidel said as she walked toward us. “Olive, you should have saved the sword and left my brother to die.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“We should have thought this through better,” Heidel said. “You could have conjured a new sword with magic and Mother never would have known.”
“She would have known,” Kull answered. “She always finds out.”
Heidel sighed. “Well, it was a thought at least.”
“Don’t let my mother worry you,” Kull told me. “This wedding happened all of a sudden, and she’s been doing nothing but making preparations since she found out about it. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t slept for the last three days. She always says things she doesn’t mean when she’s like this. I can ask her for her blessing another time.”
I glanced up at Kull. “Her blessing for what?”
He ran his thumb across my cheek. “Her blessing for…” he paused, “for Björn’s one-year consecration.”
“I see.”
“All babies of noble blood are required to get the queen mother’s permission before their consecration blessing. Did you think I would say something else?”
“No, Kull. I didn’t. I never know what will come out of your mouth.”
He gave me a lopsided grin. “You’re so pretty when you’re upset.”
“I don’t feel very pretty.” Sighing, I stared at the floor. “I don’t have much luck with your parents, do I?”
“Don’t worry about it. As I said, give her some time and let her get some sleep. She’ll come to her senses.”
“Sure. She’ll miraculously forgive me for destroying an irreplaceable family heirloom. Aren’t you the one who told me she holds grudges?”
Heidel spoke up. “Only for a decade or two.”
Kull shot her a dark look. “You’re not making this any better.”
“I’m only being honest.”
“Stay out of this, Sister, or I may start asking you questions, like what happened between you and that thief in Earth Kingdom.”
Heidel’s face paled. “Nothing happened.”
“No?”
“You know my memories were erased,” Heidel said.
“Yes, but remembering memories and recalling emotions are two different things, aren’t they?”
“Nothing happened,” she ground out.
“Right. If that’s true, then tell me why you two can’t stop looking at one another, or why he’s still hanging around the keep after returning the staff, when he should have left hours ago?”
“I’ll not be spoken to in such a manner. You know I will never love any man ever again.”
“Then why are you falling for him?”
“I’m not. I hate him.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Heidel stormed out of the room and then slammed the doors behind her.
“You sure know how to push her buttons,” I said.
Kull stared at the doors, working his jaw back and forth, the way he did when something was bothering him.
“That thief can’t be trusted,” he said. “He’s got too many secrets, and no one seems to know anything about him. I don’t even know where he comes from or who his family is, much less what he’s capable of. I hope she’s not losing her head over him.”
“She’s a grown woman. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”
“She is also still recovering from an abusive relationship that took her years to get out of. She can’t afford to fall for
