I stuffed the note in my pocket and whispered, “Finnask,” again to hide the workbench. He was right. I still had to do whatever I could to save my people, even if we’d lost the Winnowing.
I was turning to leave when I heard voices in the hallway. I glanced at the door and remembered that the lock had been smashed.
Revna’s voice floated through the stone hallway. “The tunnel-rat is missing, but at least Galin is going to get what he deserves. Fratricide. It’s the worst sort of murder, except maybe regicide. And it was practically that, too! The monster was killing anyone with a claim to the throne.”
I dove behind the bed just as the door to Galin’s room swung open and High Elf guards began to pour into the room.
Chapter 36
Galin
I stood bare-chested on the dais, peering over into the Well of Wyrd. They’d taken my coat and shirt. A soldier pointed a wand at my heart. The obsidian lid that normally capped the well had been removed, and I stood inches from the depths. If I made one false move, the hex would slam me back into the void, and I’d plummet all the way to the roots of Yggdrasill.
In the night sky, the moon shone brightly. Nearly full.
High Elves crowded the amphitheater seats on the roof of the Citadel to watch my execution. It wasn’t every day the crown prince was accused of treason. Of murdering his brother. And while I’d planned to destroy my family all along so that I could assume the throne, this hadn’t been part of the plan.
I’d done what I’d had to do to keep Ali safe.
Perhaps there was still time for me to find a way out. Ganglati, at least, had gone quiet in my mind.
A trumpet sounded, and my father strode onto the dais, not far from me.
I peered down at the Well of Wyrd. This was where it had all begun—only, this time, Ali wouldn’t be here. This time, they intended for me to plunge to my death alone.
Gorm looked like he wanted to gut me himself. Even his fear had burned away with rage. He knew he was next. “I should throw you in without a trial.”
“The law says otherwise.”
“Silence,” he snapped, and turned away from me to face the crowd. “I have asked you all to come here to pass judgement. My youngest son, Prince Sune, is dead. My eldest son, Galin, is accused of killing him.”
A hush passed over the crowd. For many of them, this was the first time they’d heard of this.
I looked around the amphitheater. There was no sign of my sister. “Where is the witness?” I asked.
“Revna!” bellowed the king.
His voice echoed in the wintery air. Silence greeted him. The frozen wind whipped over me.
It began with hushed murmurs, then movement in the back of the crowd. Then more voices. At last, Revna appeared at the top of the steps. She wore a long, flowing gown of lace and fur. A bright red slash ran diagonally down her face where Ali had cut her.
She raised her arms. “Father, I am here,” she said, loud enough that every elf in the amphitheater could hear her. “I am here to tell the truth about what Galin did.”
Then, slowly, making a grand show of it, she began to walk down the steps. By the time she reached the dais, the crowd was murmuring with excitement.
Revna stopped next to my father, then pointed her index finger at me. “This is the man who murdered my brother. But after careful consideration, I request mercy for him. The Night Elf cast a love spell on him. He is helplessly in her thrall.”
The High Elves cheered wildly.
Only when they quieted was I able to speak. “And how exactly was I able to murder my brother?”
Revna looked at me like I was a complete idiot. “You threw him off the top of Washington Tower.”
“Right, but how could I have done that?”
She shook her head in disgust. “Is this going to be your defense? Parroting questions back to me? I saw you do it—you picked him up by the collar and tossed him over the side.”
“But how could I have attacked him, dear sister, when I wear the Helm of Awe?”
Revna was trembling with rage. “I don’t know how in Hel you did it! I know what I saw. I want you in chains, brother. In chains and under my command.”
I didn’t want to entertain what disturbing fantasies she might have in mind.
“Clearly, the helm is broken,” the king’s voice boomed. “You’ve used your magic.”
“Absurd!” I returned, pretending to be shocked. “It’s unbreakable.”
King Gorm’s eyes narrowed. “Prove it. You swore an oath to me, that you would remain loyal. As my loyal subject, I need you to prove your fealty.”
“How would you like me to do that?”
The king reached into his belt and withdrew a long dagger. Gold plated, of course. He tossed the dagger at my feet. “I order you to cut off the ring finger on your left hand.”
Gritting my teeth, I reached down and picked up the dagger. This was … not ideal. And of course he would choose something twisted.
“If you don’t do it, I’ll have you thrown into the well!” yelled King Gorm. And there it was again—that fear. He was terrified of what I’d do without the helm, if it didn’t work.
I could ask Ganglati to take over now, to kill him. But this wasn’t the time. Not with all the wands pointed at me, ready to slam me into the well if I failed to prove my fealty.
I gripped the blade tightly. It was just a finger.
A heavy silence fell over the amphitheater. “As you wish,” I gripped the blade and pressed it against the first knuckle of my left-hand ring finger. With a sharp movement, I cut it off.
The pain was unimaginable, taking my breath away, but I held up my hand and blood pumped from the bloody stump.
The crowd roared, and that was when I knew I’d won.
“You see,” I shouted, gripping my wrist, “I have proven my fealty undoubtedly. I’m afraid my sister was confused.”
Quietly, under my breath, I whispered a spell to start healing the severed finger.
“This is all the fault of the Night Elf,” said Revna. "The sorceress. Bring her out. We will have her confess her trickery.”
An icy trickle of fear began to fill my veins. I didn’t want Ali anywhere near this.
A guard appeared at the top of the amphitheater. Next to him, gagged and bound, was Ali. He shoved her down the stairs, and she stumbled.
“She was a witness,” said Revna. “Let’s hear what she has to say. She’s a dark sorceress who has enchanted my brother. It is she who must die.”
I felt a strange sort of déjà vu as Ali stumbled onto the dais. She couldn’t speak, but her eyes locked on mine.
Revna ripped off the gag. “Tell them what happened. What really happened.”
“You killed Sune. I saw it.” said Ali slowly. “You lied.”
Now that was interesting.
“No!” Revna clutched her hair, looking like she might rip it out. “You ruined everything. I knew you would ruin everything. Why are you even still alive? They were supposed to have killed you!”
Ali’s nose wrinkled. “Who?”
“The Shadow Lords! I sent a letter, telling them exactly what you’d done. That you betrayed your own people. That you helped Galin. Why did they let you live? You are a traitor to your own kind.”