“I already got what I wanted, or did you already forget that?” she asked coyly.

My mind flashed back to her arms covered in blood, and the pain in the big red eyes as the albino elk died before me.

“Fuck you,” I growled, for real now, because my rage brought my strength back with it.

I lunged at Illaria, but she jumped out of the way like a damn grasshopper, and I slammed into the desk. It was hard enough that it went flying backward, and Ragnall dove out of the way in time to avoid being pinned against the wall.

Tuva wasn’t quite as quick and agile as Illaria, but she still jumped up and landed on the desk with ease, riding it like a surfboard until it crashed into the wall.

I wheeled around and ran at Illaria, but Tuva jumped off the desk and landed on my back. In an instant, she had the stick end of the bardiche against my throat, pressed so hard I could barely breathe.

“Ulla, there’s no need for this.” Ragnall rounded us so he stood in front of me, and he was smoothing out his suit. “I meant for this to be a pleasant conversation.”

“What the hell is going on?” I croaked out around Tuva’s weapon.

I tried to push the stick back, and it started to give—I had to be stronger than her—but then she kneed me in the back, so hard I felt a white-hot pain shoot from my back and through my entire abdomen. I fell forward on my hands and knees, gasping for breath.

“We haven’t even been properly introduced yet,” he said.

I took a deep breath and fought back the angry tears stinging my eyes. I lifted my head slowly, and when Tuva didn’t strike me with the stick, I sat back on my heels so I could look up at Ragnall.

“You know me as the Korva of the Mimirin Talo,” he said with his dreadful smile. “But for a very long time, I have been the chieftain of the Älvolk. I am your father’s boss and mentor.”

Apparently, they really did believe that Indu Mattison was my father. Since I suspected that was something that might help keep me alive, I decided that now wouldn’t be the best time to correct them.

“That makes you sort of like my uncle then?” I asked.

Tuva struck me in the side of the head with her stick, so fast and so hard I barely had time to register what happened. Everything flashed white, and I was dimly aware of Ragnall laughing, a bombastic sound that echoed off the stone walls. I blinked and looked up at him, and when I put my hand to my head, my fingers came back wet with blood.