The words seemed to echo in the unnatural hush that had fallen over the tent, while I racked my brain for everything Theo had told me about blood debts.
There wasn’t much, though. Only that they were enforceable across clans. I had focused so much on the Clan Wife thing, I hadn’t given it much thought. But surely I would have had to kill someone? I hadn’t done anything to stupid blasted Evander or his clan.
“On what grounds?” Arès asked what I wanted to know.
Evander’s gaze flicked over me, his features tightening with disdain.
“Her parents facilitated and witnessed the wedding that broke the agreement with my father, which led to the war.” He looked around at the clan leaders, meeting each of their eyes.
“I wasn’t even born then!” I protested.
“It doesn’t matter,” Evander shrugged. “It’s your family’s debt against mine, and it is within my rights to pursue that.”
“A broken agreement does not constitute a blood debt,’ Iiro hissed.
“No, but the resulting war does. More specifically, the murder of my father’s brother that King Logan committed when he blew up the tunnels.” He looked pointedly at the men of the council, his tone dripping with condescension. “Remind me, does that constitute a blood debt?”
“It does,” Mikhail helpfully chimed in. Bastard.
I had so many questions about what was going on that I couldn’t seem to voice a single one.
“Regardless,” Iiro cut in again. “Before I was interrupted by a boy who shouldn’t have a voice in this council at all, I was preparing to announce my brother’s betrothal to the princess.”
Theo got to his feet, standing behind me and placing his hands on my shoulders in a clear message.
“Remind me,” Iiro said sarcastically to Evander. “Are clan wives subject to blood debts?”
“Of course not.” Evander didn’t miss a beat. “But a betrothed does not a wife make.”
“Then they will wed tonight,” Iiro supplied.
I leaned back into Theo, trying to take comfort in his steady presence, but his body was thrumming with fury or panic.
“You cannot enforce the protection of a clan wife after I claim my blood debt. That would make a mockery of our most sacred laws.” Evander looked to the other dukes for support.
I studied their features, looking for a single reason to hope that there might be a way out of this—whatever this was—but that hope died when I saw the resignation on Arès’ face.
“Lord Evander is correct,” he said reluctantly. “If we allow marriage as an avenue of escape from a blood debt after the claim is staked, the law would be all but useless.”
I finally found my voice. “Is someone going to tell me what this blood debt even means?” Am I going to die, after all?
“It doesn’t matter,” Theo growled, “because he isn’t taking you.”
Evander responded as though Theo hadn’t spoken. “It means your life belongs to my clan for the one that was stolen from us.”
“So you’re going to kill me because my mother helped her best friend avoid a marriage to a barbarian, and my father defended his kingdom from a war your people started?”
Evander’s eyes narrowed at my insult, but he shook his head. “No, I don’t think I’ll kill you yet. I think you’ll make a very entertaining pet.”
Theo lunged forward, his sword already in his hand, and blind panic overtook me. The punishment for shedding blood at the Summit was, hadn’t he said it was death? Or was it worse than death?
Either way, I couldn’t let that happen to Theo. Not because of the abhorrent lord from Clan Bear, and certainly not because of me.
“No!” I shouted, moving to stand between them. “Don’t. I’ll go.”
I met Theo’s incredulous stare with pleading in my own.
“Stand down, Theodore,” Iiro ordered in a harsh voice. “You know what I will have to do if you spill blood here.”
Theo looked more furious than I had ever seen him, his hazel eyes practically glowing with ire. His jaw worked, and he shook his head furiously, no words coming.
“Very well,” Arès said, his calm tone at odds with the regret in his features. “It is decided. Lord Evander will claim his rightful blood debt. Princess Rowan is now the lawful property of Clan Bear. Any preexisting arrangements, including…betrothals, are henceforth terminated. She will return with Evander to his lands, where she will live out the remainder of her life, and…” He looked pointedly at Evander then. “And Bear alone will deal with whatever consequences the Lochlann brings upon them.”
My heart stopped beating in my chest as the reality of my situation hit home.
The rest of my life as Evander’s…slave? Plaything?
Suddenly, the Summit’s many creative ideas for my death weren’t sounding quite so bad.
