ingrained behavior all by himself? They"ll tear him apart.”
“After everything that"s happened to you, how can you just sit here with him, cozy in Denver, knowing what goes on everywhere else? Have you forgotten how terrible it is to be in a real brood?” The anger shook her voice. She detested that she begrudged Alice her years of safety. Alice had been with Brand, while Dagny had been tortured and shamed by Ansvarr.
Alice made a disgusted sound in her throat. “I know more of what happens in a brood than someone like you could ever understand.”
“What"s that supposed to mean?”
“You"re stronger than most males. What do you think 146
it"s like being as weak as I am, Dagny?”
“That"s why I did this, to protect you, to protect all of us.” The petulant tone that had crept into her voice annoyed her.
Alice glared. “Don"t pretend you did this for me. I never asked you to save me. I"ve come to terms with my lot.” She lifted her eyes to meet Alice"s angry stare. How was it possible that she"d misjudged everything so badly? Her mother had portrayed her part in this as the avenger for every female who had been wronged over generations.
After a few seconds, Alice walked to the door.
Dagny asked, “Where are you going?”
“I"m going to try to convince him that he shouldn"t kill himself.”
“May I come with you?”
Alice turned back to her. “Only if you"re going to tell him the truth.”
Dagny sighed. “Telling him that I betrayed him won"t save him.”
“Maybe not, but telling him how you feel about him might.”
“I told you, it was all an act, part of a plan my mother devised to manipulate him into claiming his kingship.” Alice"s mouth lifted into a crooked smile. “That may have been how it all started, Dagny, but that"s not all you feel.
You can"t fake what I felt from you.”
“Is everyone but me a damned empath?” Alice shrugged. “Brand and I might be the last.” Dagny joined Alice at the door and reached for the handle. “You should let me go first. She"s going to freak out.” Ingrid confronted them on the other side of the door.
“Where in Helheim do you think you"re going?” Dagny cleared her throat. “I"m going to talk to Brand.” Ingrid glared at Alice. Next, she turned her stare to Dagny. “That"s a bad idea. Ansvarr will be here in a few hours to collect you.”
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She gaped, unable to understand her mother"s admission. “What? My going back with him wasn"t part of the plan.”
Ingrid smirked. “I had to improvise. We need to increase the incentive to get Brand to kill Ansvarr.”
“You"re a raving lunatic.”
“Perhaps, but you"re going back with Ansvarr.” She wouldn"t walk back into that sadist"s hands. She"d tie her mother up if she had to.
Alice came forward, putting a hand on Dagny"s arm.
“Your plan isn"t going to happen if Björn kills Brand.” Ingrid turned to Alice. “The days Björn might have been able to kill Brand are long past.”
“Even if Brand doesn"t fight back?”
Ingrid made a dismissive noise. “He wouldn"t do that.
He"s too proud.”
Her face adamant, Alice advanced toward Ingrid. “You counted on him feeling responsible for her, but he feels much more. Without her, he"s desolate.”
Ingrid cast a glance at Dagny. “I don"t believe it.”
“He severed my brood ties with him right after you left.
He was in agony already, and he yanked them all loose at once.
There"s no other reason he"d do that.” The words cascaded out, her voice unwavering.
Dagny had never seen Alice so animated, so alive.
Ingrid"s lips pursed. “Go.” She pushed past them to enter the cabin, her face drawn in thought.
* * *
Dagny stepped out of Alice"s car into the cold winter air and listened. With sound dampened by a fall of fresh snow, the night was nearly silent.
Alice moved to where she stood. “I"ll wait in the lodge.
No idea where he is, but I know he hasn"t been inside since we left three days ago.”
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“I don"t know how I"ll find him in that case.”
“He"ll find you.” Alice patted her on the back before she began walking to the lodge.
Dagny wasn"t so sure. Her stomach clenched, as if filled with something heavy and cold. She suspected he wouldn"t want anything to do with her. Even if she found him, she didn"t have any idea what she should say. She pondered that as she struck out through the knee-deep snow in a random direction.
Alice had made it sound so simple, but the reality was anything but. If she bared