My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 488

488 /526

Sera

I stared at Mina, barely seeing her. The smoke of the woods still filled my nose. She was saying something, her lips moving, but I couldn't quite bring it into focus. Amara sat silently beside me, unmoving.

"What...?" I whispered. "Who?" I blinked, trying to clear the haze from my mind.

Mina's hands clenched, shaking. "Vidar Sarn, Sera, he's here. With men, armed men, dozens of them. They're waiting at the gate, waiting for us to let them in." Her voice cracked. "We need to know what to do, now."

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. When I opened them again, Mina was still there, her face pale and scared. Still not real. "Vidar..." I breathed.

Mina gripped my shoulders, shaking me. "Sera, listen to me, please. We don't have time. Vidar Sarn and his men, they're here. We can't let them in, we can't... You have to do something, Sera..."

Time stopped as it finally hit me, gutting me with its weight. My body went stone still, hands halting mid-motion, skin clammy and bloodless.

"Damn it."

In the heavy silence that followed, I gripped the edge of the blanket, fingers twisting into its coarse fabric, knuckles turning white from the force.

"Get me Bram," I said.

Mina's eyes went wide. "You expect Bram to face Vidar Sarn? Are you mad? He knows nothing of Kael's life beyond the few facts we've managed to impart." Her voice rose in pitch. "One question from Vidar about their childhood and Bram will falter. If Sarn sees through him we're done for, Sera. You have to go as Luna. Only you can speak for Ironmaw."

I met her gaze, unwilling to explain my reasoning.

I leapt to my feet. "Shut up, and get me Bram, Mina!"

She flinched at my shout. "Yes, Sera," she whispered. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

I collapsed back onto the edge of my bed, pressing my hands together until my knuckles turned white. My mind raced as I tried to think of some way out of this. Some way to stall Vidar, to keep him from discovering the truth. I glanced at the window. The sky was gray, the sun just a pale glow on the horizon. Not enough time. Not enough time...

I turned, my gaze falling on the woman in my bed. Amara. I had given her that name... Her real name was Runa.

I studied her features as if seeing them for the first time, in the dim light of the morning. The sharp angle of her cheekbone was more pronounced than I recalled. Her fingers curled gently on the sheets.