Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(37)

Chapter Ten


“Let’s go,” Anders said. “We need to reach our next location before nightfall.”

“Don’t worry,” Vidar said, noticing my missing sack. “I have plenty of food.”

We hiked the rest of the day and into the evening among the gigantic, towering trees. When the sun set, the temperature rapidly decreased. The scenery also changed as the trees thinned and massive boulders rose out of the ground.

“Are we nearing the edge of the forest?” I asked.

“Yes,” Anders replied. “The mountain range straight ahead is where your weapon is located.”

“For now,” Vidar cut in, “we’re going to that cave.” He jerked his chin toward a boulder.

Heading that way, I searched for the entrance in the fading light, not finding it. Smiling, Vidar pointed to the ground. At the base of the boulder, there was a three-foot-wide hole. Anders squatted and grabbed a branch, wrapping dry leaves around the top of it, and lighting it on fire. “Wait here,” he instructed, sliding his legs into the opening and dropping down.

I peered into the hole. Light from the makeshift torch bounced off the rocky walls. “All clear!” Anders hollered.

I mimicked what he did and dropped about six feet into the cave, landing on my feet. Vidar threw a pile of wood down after me and then gracefully jumped in. Anders arranged the logs and lit them on fire, the smoke exiting through the opening. There were notches on the wall so we’d be able to climb out.

I eagerly sat and removed my boots, stretching my legs out before me, exhausted from being on my feet all day.

Vidar pulled out two chunks of cheese, handing one to me. I took a bite, noticing him staring. “What?” I asked.

He smiled, shaking his head. “You have pine needles stuck to your knit cap.” He reached out, plucking them off for me.

Anders made a sound of disgust as he unrolled his blanket. “Do you have to flirt with every girl? Kaia is a Kriger, not some barmaid.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t think Kaia is pretty,” Vidar said, folding his arms and pointedly staring at Anders.

My entire body prickled with heat. “Don’t talk about me like that. Especially when I’m sitting right here. It’s insulting.” And extremely embarrassing.

The corners of Vidar’s mouth turned up. “Here,” he said, handing me a loaf of bread. “For the record, I think you’re beautiful. A little short, but pretty nonetheless.”

My fingers curled into a fist. A thought suddenly occurred to me that might be more effective than punching him. “Why thank you,” I cooed. “I think you’re mighty pretty, too. A little tall, lanky, arrogant, and conceited, but handsome nonetheless.”

Anders laughed, the sound echoing in the small cave. “I think you’ve met your match Vidar. She’s not going to let you get away with anything.”

Vidar smiled and scooted against the wall, leaning his head back. “Speaking of getting away with things … do you know how Morlet came into power?”

My interest rose. “He killed the king and queen and seized the throne,” I replied. “However, I’m not sure why he did it.” The book Vidar had given me didn’t contain any clues as to a motive. It never occurred to me that Vidar might have firsthand knowledge of events. I ate my bread, waiting for him to shed some light on the past. Anders remained quiet, sharpening a dagger.

“At the age of nineteen, Morlet craved power,” Vidar said, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. “It wasn’t enough for him to wield Skog Heks’s magic; he had to usurp the royal family, too.”

“How do you know he was the one who murdered the king and queen?” Maybe Skog Heks had killed them. I looked at Anders. His shoulders were hunched while he continued to sharpen his weapon. How did the assassin fit into all of this? My heart pounded, scared by the possibilities.

“Heks can’t murder royalty,” Vidar said. “A spell was cast five hundred years ago when the war between our kind and theirs finally ended.” He shifted on the ground, bringing his legs up, his arms resting on them. “Thankfully, Grei Heks was in Nelebek when Morlet sealed the borders. Since the powers were out of balance, she was able to cast a spell to counter what Morlet had done with Skog Heks’s evil magic. She created the Krigers.”

“You told me Morlet made a bargain with Skog Heks and that was how he acquired dark magic which enabled him to kill the king and queen and take the throne. What did Skog Heks get out of the deal? Is she aligned with Morlet? Do they work together?” The story didn’t make sense. Skog Heks wouldn’t have given up so much without getting something in return.

Anders sheathed his dagger.

“Then the reign of terror began,” Vidar continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “When Morlet learned about the Order of the Krigers, he started torturing people in his quest to locate them. He killed the young and innocent alike. He is, and always will be, a monster.” Vidar looked at me. His dull eyes came back to life, and he smiled. “Enough talking for one night. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Get some sleep.” He kicked dirt onto the fire, putting it out and sending the cave into utter darkness.

The word monster screamed in my head. Morlet was a monster, a murderer. He deserved to die for his crimes. Yet, something told me there was more to it than that.