So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)

Stefan winced. “One time, the Tourinian navy sneaked up on us in the fog during the night. We could have lost all our men and ships. Rupert was so frantic to save their lives that he unleashed too much power. The naval ships ended up blasting each other, and some men died.”

This must have been the incident Lieutenant Helgar had talked about, Brigitta thought. The Tourinian naval officer had ended up scarred for life.

“We tried to save as many as we could,” Stefan continued. “Some of them joined us, but the officers demanded to be put ashore.” He shrugged. “And then there was the time in Danport when…”

“What happened?”

Stefan snorted. “When Rupert found out about Gunther’s competition, he nearly caused a tornado inside a room.”

Her mouth twitched. “Really?”

Stefan chuckled. “After that, Ansel and I kept hounding him to admit that he cared about you. But he wouldn’t.”

Her smile faded. He’d never confessed to her, either, even though she’d told him that she loved him. “I suppose it’s hard for him to admit.”

Stefan nodded. “He’s lost everyone he loved. And then for years, I kept telling him the same thing—don’t trust anyone. So it’s not easy for him to trust.”

“Especially when my father killed his father,” she muttered.

Stefan gave her a wry look. “There’s that, but I don’t think he ever blamed you for it.”

No, he just wanted to kill Gunther. After he killed a dragon. She groaned inwardly. There had to be a better way.

Every now and then, they checked on Mador’s and Tarvis’s progress. The two horsemen weren’t too far ahead. They’d been forced to slow down when the path in the valley began meandering between piles of white ash and bubbling cauldrons of mud. Every now and then, a breeze would bring the stench of rotten eggs to Brigitta, but for the most part the forest smelled of fresh pine and rich earth.

After a while, a small grassy clearing opened up on the hillside. A small waterfall trickled down the mountain, snowmelt from the white-covered peak.

“Oh, how lovely.” Brigitta sauntered onto the meadow, dotted with wildflowers. This was heaven compared with the hellish scene of hot cauldrons and geysers in the valley.

Without a canopy of leaves overhead, she could see the sky. An eagle flew overhead, and she waved in case it was Brody.

It was! He landed by the edge of the meadow where Stefan was standing by the horses. Stefan pulled some clothes from a saddlebag.

“Oh.” Brigitta backed away. “I’ll leave you alone for a moment.” She hurried across the clearing so she could relieve herself behind some bushes.

After she was done and she could hear two male voices, she ventured back into the meadow.

Brody waved at her, then finished buttoning his shirt.

A screech sounded overhead, drawing her attention. The dragon was circling. It screeched again. Was it trying to communicate? She gave it a big smile and wave.

“Did you find Rupert?” she asked Brody as she leaned over the stream to wash her hands.

“Yes,” Brody replied. “He’s close to the canyon at—”

A huge roar sounded behind Brigitta, and she straightened with a jerk.

Stefan held up a hand. “Don’t move.”

Her heart lurched. What was behind her?

Stefan quickly nocked an arrow in his bow, and Brody palmed a spear. She slowly turned her head.

A bear! With a huge jaw and enormous claws. It stood on its hind legs and growled.

Panic slithered ice-cold down her veins.

“Don’t run,” Stefan ordered. “Hold steady.”

Tears filled her eyes. Was she going to die?

Suddenly a burst of fire shot down from the sky, hitting the ground hard enough that it trembled beneath Brigitta’s feet. With a gasp, she fell to her knees.

A wall of fire rose up between her and the bear. Close enough to the bear that she could barely make out his form through the flames. With an angry roar, the bear turned and charged up the mountain.

Stefan and Brody ran toward her to make sure she was all right, but she hardly heard them. Stunned, she sat back on her rump. The green meadow swirled before her eyes, and she peered up at the sky. The fire-breathing dragon screeched. She lifted a hand toward him. Thank you.

Stefan and Brody quickly emptied saddlebags and filled them with water from the waterfall. Soon they had managed to extinguish the fire.

With trembling legs, she rose to her feet.

“We should go,” Stefan said, glancing up at the dragon. “We’re too exposed here. It could shoot more fire and roast us alive.”

Brigitta shook her head. “It won’t hurt us. It saved me.”

Brody snorted. “It may have been trying to save the bear. We’re the invaders here.”

“We should go.” Stefan reloaded a saddlebag.

Brigitta glanced up at the sky as the dragon disappeared from sight. Was it true what they said, that the dragons stole children? But this one had saved her, she was sure of it. Could she stop Rupert from killing one of them? But if he didn’t, he would fail the quest and be executed, along with the other losers who were waiting in jail cells back in Lourdon. He would also lose his chance to win back the kingdom. And she would be forced to marry either Captain Mador or General Tarvis.

She wandered back to the horses. “We need to talk to Rupert.”

Brody winced. “He doesn’t want to see you.”

She jolted to a stop. “What?”

“I told you he would be pissed,” Brody muttered. “He wants us to take you back to Tourin. He said it was an order.”

Brigitta scoffed. “I’m not very good at following orders.”

Brody smiled. “Neither am I, actually.”

Stefan shook his head. “If he ever becomes king, he’ll make you eat those words.”

“We have to keep him alive for him to be king.” Brigitta took a deep breath. “Then we keep going?”

“Aye.” Stefan mounted his horse. “Let’s go.”





Chapter Twenty-Nine

High up on a cliff, Rupert watched Captain Mador and General Tarvis urge their horses up the ridge on the northern side of the valley.

He’d been happy when Brody had appeared earlier and grateful to hear that Stefan was following him. But when Brody had mentioned that Brigitta was also coming, Rupert had immediately reacted with shock, then anger. So much anger that he’d caused a strong wind to whistle down the valley, shaking the trees.

Even now, on the cliff, he fumed whenever he thought about how much danger she would be exposed to. Had Stefan and Brody lost their minds? Dammit. Dead leaves fluttered on the ground as his power threatened to erupt with the full force of his fury.

Control, he warned himself. If he lost control here on the mountainside, he could cause a rockslide or avalanche. And that would endanger Brigitta even more.

There had to be a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t have come. Wild animals, dragons, Norveshki warriors, and dangerous terrain that either could smother her with snow or boil her with hot mud or steam. And what would Gunther do to her if he suspected she had allied herself with Seven?

Dammit, didn’t she realize that putting herself in danger would terrify him? He’d already lost everyone he loved. He couldn’t bear to lose—