lives again. We’d banished the name Galin from our realms. But now, the curse is lifted. His soul is restored. He’s Galin again. The greatest elven sorcerer who ever walked this earth.”
I stared at him, and an icy tendril of horror coiled through me, winding around my insides.
This was the man I’d spent all my life wanting to kill, and he’d lied to me this entire time. But Galin had miscalculated. With that kiss, he’d just given me my strength back. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
As quietly as I could, I whispered, “Skalei.”
Chapter 60
Marroc
My memories of the people around me were flooding back into me in streams. King Gorm—my father—had ruled over Elfheim when it had still existed. My sister Revna and I had hated each other since we were young. Sune had always been an idiot. In Elfheim, I’d retreated to the mountains and mastered the power of sorcery greater than any elf who’d ever lived.
But I had to push out this overwhelming flood of memories to focus on the tragedy unfolding before me.
“You—” Ali’s voice cracked.
I’d been beaten, branded, stabbed, tortured, lived a thousand years with a curse that boiled my blood, but none of it compared to the pain that clutched at my heart as I saw the look of horror in Ali’s eyes.
I opened my mouth to explain this to her, why I’d done what I’d done. But the crown on my head shot a charge of agonizing magic into my skull. My father, King Gorm, was in control of me now.
Ali’s rage was palpable.
“You,” she repeated, more slowly, in a surprisingly even voice. “You never mentioned that you were Galin, the great sorcerer. You were the one who locked the Dokkalfar in the Shadow Caverns. You’re the reason we’ve been living in the dark, dying of cave sickness. You never had any intention of helping me to free the Night Elves, did you?”
That wasn’t true.
Now, with the memories of my old life returned to me, I remembered it all. I remembered the terrible day when I’d cast the spell to imprison the Night Elves in the Shadow Caverns forever. And I remembered exactly why I’d done it. The way the crown worked, it would burn me if I disobeyed the King’s will. But at this point, I was plenty used to the pain.
“It was the only way,” I said. A flash of pain seared my skull. I would find a way out of this. The King was a monster, but he wasn’t a genius.
The King was shouting at me to stop, but I kept going, my head shot with agony. “I did it to protect the Night Elves, to hide them from my kind. The decision cost me my life and turned me into the monster I was for the past thousand years. The alternative for the Night Elves was death, and the Shadow Caverns were the only way to save—” The searing pain now grew too intense, choking off my words.
“Silence!” shouted the king.
“You must trust me!” I said to Ali.
She was still staring at me, but I could see her mind working. She was planning something, wasn’t she? I needed to get her out of here before she did anything rash.
The king paced around her. “Well, this is an interesting conversation, but I do believe I have an oath to make good on, sending this creature back to her pits. Make your portal, Galin.”
Magic sparked down my arm, and my hand moved at his command. Power flooded my veins. With Levateinn clasped in my hand, I wove the runes through the air. This spell was perhaps the most crucial one of my life.
I began to chant.
Magic flowed from me, and for the first time in a thousand years, my skin didn’t smoke and my body didn’t burn. With Levateinn, I traced the rune isa. In front of me, the air brightened until it formed a pale circle, larger and larger, until it was big enough for a person to pass through.
“All right,” I said, gasping with exertion. “It’s ready.”
Chapter 61
Ali
With subtle movements, I sawed at the rope binding my wrists. Skalei was razor-sharp, but with my hands tied behind my back, I couldn't see what I was doing. I didn’t want to cut myself or drop the blade.
“Go through the portal, girl,” King Gorm commanded from the far side of the dais.
Dammit, I need more time to get answers from Galin. “It’s just been so magical watching this family