Crystal Crowned [ARC] Read Online Free PDF Page B

through his oily hair. “It’s decided. Now, put some food in you and rest. We’ll move at sunlight.”
    Daniel choked down a tiny portion of their rations, the act calming him some. The rest of them used the opportunity to settle down, hoping Daniel would follow their example. He did, curling into a ball near where Vhalla was tucked against Aldrik. Jax positioned himself in the corner between them. The flutter of his eyelashes betrayed him. As long as Daniel was unstable and near her, Jax was going to sleep with one eye open.
    Aldrik’s touch, his warmth, his breath, it washed away some of her nerves as Vhalla bundled under his cloak. Her eyes settled on Daniel, and Vhalla instinctually shifted closer to Aldrik, feeling him passing judgment on them both. Daniel had known almost as long as Vhalla and Aldrik had been aware that they were more than prince and subject. But this was the first time he’d truly seen them together.
    “You will be Empress?” he whispered.
    “She will be,” Aldrik answered this time.
    Daniel cackled. “No, no, you won’t be. There is no throne for either of you any longer. Only blood.”
    She watched as the shell of her friend, the man who could’ve been her lover, settled back after his decree. Daniel studied them with a wild glint to his eyes. A secret look that spoke of horrors only he knew.

CHAPTER 4
    Vhalla’s shoulder was so stiff the next morning that it was practically immobile. She hadn’t thought about how she had slept—pressed against Aldrik, scrunched up all night. She massaged it gingerly.
    “What will we do about the horses?” Fritz asked with a glance at Daniel.
    “We need to stop somewhere for supplies today,” Vhalla mused aloud. “We’ll see if we can find another.”
    “Horses are rare,” Daniel spoke. “With everyone trying to flee the South. It’s why I-I was going to . . .” His eyes looked at the faint red line at her neck, and Daniel swayed, stumbling a half step away. “I’m sorry, Vhalla.”
    “It’s fine, Daniel.” She gave him a brave smile and set the example for everyone. A silent reminder that he was part of the group. “We’ll ride to the next village. There’s one near the cut off for the East. We’ll look for supplies and horses there.”
    “Until then?” Fritz rephrased his prior question.
    “Vhalla and I will share,” Aldrik announced. “We will use Lightning.” He motioned to the horse that Vhalla had been riding, the one she’d ridden on to the end of the continent during the march. “Give Daniel your cloak, Vhalla. You can sit under mine.”
    “This, it, it’s too much. I don’t deserve it.” Daniel’s shaking fingers hesitantly accepted the cloak she pressed into his hands. “Thank you. I’m sorry. Thank you.”
    “Take the help, brother,” Jax encouraged.
    Aldrik swung up into Lightning’s saddle, scooting forward and removing his foot from the stirrup so Vhalla could also mount. She shifted, figuring out how they needed to sit so that they could both fit comfortably.
    “Get under my cloak,” Aldrik reminded her.
    “But then I can’t see.”
    “You are already shivering. And you’re not holding the reins anyway.”
    Vhalla gave a silent farewell to her friends and lifted the edge of his cloak to bring it over her head. It completely covered her as she sat flush against him, her arms around his waist. Vhalla rested her cheek flat on his back. He was as warm as ever, her personal pyre, and it was almost comfortable under the heavy fabric. The world vanished into his slow and steady breathing, the sound eroded away her tension in the same fashion as waves on a shore. As Lightning began moving, Vhalla closed her eyes and pretended that they were not on the run, that they were headed off for a grand adventure.
    She’d had enough adventures. Vhalla sighed softly. Perhaps they were headed simply to visit her father.
    “Will Lightning be all right?” she asked, tilting her head up. The horse wasn’t