At the western side of the square, which leads to the docks where our fleet of fishing boats is moored, the men and women who sail our Motherlake wave their caps in the air. Their wind-chapped, rosy-cheeked faces are a sight to see, and—
Several of them stumble forward as they’re hit from behind. Four men, their faces sweaty and red with exertion, push their way through the crowd as whispers roll through the square. “Valtia!” one of them shouts, his voice cracking. “Valtia, you must come!”
The Valtia raises her arm, and the crowd parts to allow the men through. They stumble up the steps and throw themselves at her feet, their chests heaving. “Please, Valtia,” the oldest one says between ragged breaths, sweat dripping from his iron-gray hair. “We were bringing in our catch about ten miles off the tip of the peninsula, and we saw . . . we saw . . .”
He succumbs to a fit of coughing, and a younger fisherman pushes himself up to kneel in front of us. His blond, curly hair sticks out in crazy hunks around his head, and his eyes are glazed with horror. “The Soturi. We rowed back to shore as quickly as we could,” he says between panting breaths.
A violent twist of heat and cold shoots up my arm, and I cannot suppress my gasp. The Valtia holds my hand tightly as Elder Aleksi steps forward, his jowls trembling. “How dare you interrupt the harvest ceremony to tell us of a petty raid,” he hisses at the man.
The older fisherman groans and shakes his head. “Not a raid! Two hundred longships at least. We were only a few miles ahead of them. They’ll be here before the sun sets.”
Two hundred longships. Raw fear blooms inside me. The barbarians from the north aren’t raiding this time—they’re invading. I stare at my Valtia. We all do. Waiting for our queen to save us from destruction and death.
Her skin is ice cold as she releases my hand. And when she speaks, her voice is quiet but startling in its steadiness. “Take me to the docks. I’m going to need a ship.”
CHAPTER 3
The square erupts into worried muttering. A few people race for their homes, but most of the crowd seems riveted in place, still gaping at us. I stand stiffly on my paarit as the Valtia touches the cuff of Astia and turns to me. “You must go back to the Temple on the Rock,” she says. Her perfect white makeup is chipped and cracking around her mouth, and the hair at her temples is damp with sweat. “Aleksi, take her.”
For a moment I allow myself to be pulled backward by the elder, but then a wave of pure urgency crashes over me. “What are you going to do?”
She gives me a small smile, but her pale-blue eyes glint with ice. “I’m going to bury their ships at the bottom of the Motherlake.”
The fishermen look up at her in awe. “Valtia,” says the old one, his voice hushed, “there are so many. It will take more than a cold wind to throw them off their chosen course.”
She gazes down at him. “I know.” Her eyes meet mine again. “Go. You belong in the temple.”
Something about the way she says it makes my entire body clench. “Take me with you,” I blurt out. For some insane reason, I feel like I should go. Like I must go.
Her brow furrows, further cracking her formerly perfect shell. “Darling, there’s nothing you can do. Someday this will be your duty. Today, it’s mine.”
Because today I’m a powerless, ordinary girl. An empty vessel, waiting for the magic to fill it. Aleksi’s fingers close around my upper arm and guide me to my chair. “My Saadella, you’ll be safe in the temple.”
“Safe?” I blink at him. There is worry in his eyes, and it makes me want to slap his smooth, round face.
His cheeks turn red as if I already have, and he bows to me. “The Valtia will keep us all safe, but her mind will be more focused if she knows you’re well protected,” he says in a tight voice.
My Valtia regards the elder coolly, then steps forward and takes my hand. “Tonight we’ll dine together, just like we planned.” She squeezes my clammy fingers and sends warmth flowing along my skin. “Elli,” she says quietly. “I’ll see you very soon.”
Even though I don’t want her to go, fierce pride beats within my breast as I look at her. “I can’t wait for that moment, my Valtia.” I will my voice into steadiness, just like hers. “And I’ll keep watch from my balcony so I can see you return in victory.”