Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly

Author:Jennifer Donnelly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group

“No!” Astrid cried out. “Oh, gods…no.”

She was too late. Rylka had gotten to her father before she could. She’d given him a lethal dose of poison.

Astrid tried to swim down the hall, swim away from the tearing pain, but she faltered and caught herself against the wall.

A strong pair of hands lifted her up. “Lean on me,” Desiderio said.

But Astrid pushed him away. She bent double, her chest heaving. The pain was going to overwhelm her if she didn’t find a way to stop it. And she had to stop it. Desiderio’s life—and her own—depended on it. Closing her eyes, she pictured the blue arctic water of Ondalina flowing into her, swirling all around her heart—and hardening into ice. That was the way she always stopped pain.

But this time it didn’t work.

She straightened. The emotion was too much. Grief and rage tore through her like a hurricane.

“I’m going after Rylka,” she said. “She killed my father and she’s going to pay.”

“Astrid, no. That’s suicide.”

But Astrid didn’t listen. She swam up to a pair of crossed sabers on the wall and yanked one free.

Des swam up to her, holding his hands out. “Astrid, put the sword down,” he said.

“You need to get out of my way, Desiderio,” she said menacingly.

But he didn’t budge. “Earlier tonight, Rylka accused you of poisoning your father. He just died. If she finds you, you’ll be charged with murder.”

His words pierced through the hurricane howl inside her. If that were to happen, she realized, even Ragnar couldn’t help her. The law was the law.

“She’ll lock you up in a dungeon cell. Like she did to me,” Desiderio continued. “She’ll turn everyone against you. We can’t stay here. Neither of us.”

“What are you saying? That I should just turn tail and leave? Abandon Ondalina? Do nothing about my father’s death?” she asked, her voice shaking.

Slowly, carefully, Des pushed the tip of Astrid’s sword down. Then he took it from her. Her hands dropped to her sides.

“What I’m saying is this: Your father was a warrior. Your brother is. You are. And a good warrior knows when to lose a battle so she can live to fight the war.

Astrid clenched her hands. Her mind started to clear. She remembered the terrible pain Desiderio had been in only hours ago when she told him what had happened to his parents. He’d managed to put it aside, and she had to do the same.

“We’re going to get out of here now, okay?” he said. “We’re going to go to the Kargjord.”

“The Kargjord? Why?” Astrid asked, alarmed. Everything was happening so fast. Part of her wanted to join the others, but part of her was still scared.

“Because that’s where Sera is. I need to be with her. To help her fight. And so do you. Didn’t you tell me that the witch—Vrăja—wanted you all together? Didn’t she say you were stronger that way?”

“Yes, but…”

“But what?”

Astrid couldn’t tell him the truth. He wasn’t Becca. He wouldn’t understand.

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Good. We’re going. So you need to focus now, Astrid.

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