“Clearly, it worked,” Alvarsson prompted. “Yes. I didn’t expect it to go as smoothly as it did,” said Eirik. “Lord Andersson’s retinue made us a camp, and I began to work. Between restoring her body and returning her spirit to … Continue reading
“The beginning?” Baltasar suggested. Alvarsson was a bit more helpful. “With what you were doing to bring yourself in contact with the girl.” Eirik inclined his head a fraction. “At the request of the Guild, I was in Joarsgard for … Continue reading
Two’s body lay disassembled on the floor, and its head sat atop a nearby crate, watching Rakel work. She sat cross-legged by Two’s knees, a shin piece and a thigh piece in her lap. Her eyes were closed, hands resting … Continue reading
Rakel irritably refolded Henrik’s letter and stuffed it back into the envelope. The man had a finely-tuned ability to get under her skin, and it seemed to Rakel that he never missed a chance to use it. She reflected that … Continue reading
Mikel led them out of the Septumvirate’s chamber and read the question off Hans’ face. “It could go either way,” he said. “You seem to have convinced Ansgar Leifsson—the old man,” he clarified. “He’s the senior member of the Septumvirate. … Continue reading
The Septumvirate seemed to be content to allow the old man to speak for them for the time being. To Anja, it looked as though they’d regained their studied impassivity. She couldn’t read a thing in their faces. She glanced … Continue reading
“We come now to Anja Grevdarsdottir,” the clerk announced. Every person in the room was on the edge of his seat. Eirik had, by way of whispered conversations with nervous colleagues, discovered that they were almost uniformly uninformed about the … Continue reading
Eirik harbored the belief that Baltasar might have been a bit too hasty in his judgment of Anja Grevdarsdottir. The girl had been through a lot, Eirik would allow, but the very fact that, by all appearances, she hadn’t died … Continue reading
Rakel Magnusdottir: I hope your preparations are going to your satisfaction. I understand you’re still staying at the Hammer and Anvil, if my agent is to be believed. He says you took the table for more than a crown, … Continue reading
Rakel woke to the clatter of metal on metal. She had halfway unsheathed the dagger beneath her pillow before she realized what the noise had been. She climbed out of bed, sheepishly buckling the sheath at her side, and groped … Continue reading
