Chapter 18Torunn had arrived too bright and too early to attend to Kallan's laundering, saying no more than what was necessary as she bustled around the bower. With a mind-numbing pulse that drummed her head, Kallan placated the castle's keeper, who laced Kallan's bodice with a ruthlessness that left her ribs bruised.
Standing in Gunir's deep, vibrant reds, Kallan yielded to the numbness leftover from the night before as she gripped the table for balance.
With a final jerk, Torunn tied off the end of the gown, tucked the laces from view within the folds of the bodice, and whisked herself from the bower, picking up a bundle of laundry on her way out.
Biting back the need to cry, Kallan swallowed her anger and fastened her pouch to her hip. As she lowered her hands to her sides, Kallan st
