“Why did you go back?” I asked thickly.
“Because if I stayed, it would break the embargo, or he could argue that it did,” Loki said. “So the King could come and take you.
I didn’t want to risk that.”
I didn’t even notice how close the passing SUV had gotten until it squealed to a stop next to us, nearly hitting our Cadillac. Loki moved toward me, and Tove jumped out of the driver’s seat. Finn ran around the car and charged at Loki.
Finn punched Loki in the face, and Loki raised his fist like he meant to strike back. That wouldn’t be so bad, except Loki was about fifty times stronger than Finn and would bust his face in.
“Loki!” I yelled. “Don’t you dare hit him!”
“You are so lucky.” Loki glared down at Finn and wiped at the blood on his nose.
“What the hell were you doing?” Finn shouted at him. “What’s wrong with you? You had no right to take her anywhere!”
“Finn,” Tove said. “Stop. Calm down. She’s fine.”
Duncan and Willa climbed out of the backseat of the SUV, and my heart sunk. Loki had been right. They had been part of the rescue mission too, and if we’d left an hour later from the Vittra palace, Duncan, Willa, Tove, and Finn would all be dead.
“Like this was my idea!” Loki yelled back at Finn. “She’s the Princess. She commanded, and I obeyed!”
“You don’t obey a suicide mission!” Finn shouted.
“It wasn’t a suicide mission,” I said, loud enough to be heard over their yelling.
They stood in front of the Cadillac, staring down at each other, and strangely, I was grateful that Loki was so much stronger than Finn. If they were equally matched, Loki probably wouldn’t hold back, and it would be a fist fight.
“Are you okay?” Willa asked, walking over to me.
“Why are you on the side of the road?” Duncan asked.
“I needed fresh air,” I said. “Everything’s fine. I got the Vittra to back off until I’m Queen. They won’t attack any of us, no matter where we are.”
“What the hell did you agree to?” Finn asked, breaking his icy stare with Loki to look at me.
“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “We’ll stop them before it comes to that.”
“Wendy,” Finn sighed and shook his head, then turned back to Loki. “And you, Markis, I lost any respect I had for you.”
“She was going to go whether I went with her or not,” Loki said. “I thought it would be better if she didn’t go alone.”
“She shouldn’t have gone at all!” Finn yelled.
“Yes, I should have!” I shouted at him. “If I hadn’t, the Vittra would still be killing our people. I bought us more time, and I saved lives. That is my job, Finn! I did what I had to do, and I would do it again!”
“You didn’t have to do it like this,” Finn said.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “It’s done. Now I’ve had a very long morning, and I would just like to go home.”
“Come on, Wendy.” Willa put her arm around me.
“Duncan, would you mind riding with Loki?” Tove asked. “I’d like to talk to my wife.”
“Yeah, sure,” Duncan nodded.
Willa led me around the SUV, and I glanced back once over my shoulder at Loki. He was still standing in the road, and he was watching me walk away. Something in his eyes broke my heart, and I looked away from him.
I climbed into the SUV, and Willa got in the seat behind me.
Finn stayed outside, and it looked like he wanted to say something to Loki, but Tove sent him to the car. When he climbed in back next to Willa, Finn was still seething and glared out the window.
Tove stayed outside a bit longer, talking to Loki, and I wished I could read lips.
“What were you thinking, Wendy?” Finn asked, barely restraining the anger in his voice.
“I did what was best for the kingdom,” I said simply. “Isn’t that what you always told me to do?”
“Not at your own peril,” Finn said. I looked in the rear view mirror so I could meet his eyes.
“You’ve told me over and over again that I shouldn’t make decisions because of you,” I said. “That I should think of the greater good of the kingdom. You were right, but this isn’t about me either.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Willa said, breaking the tension. “And I know that you’re badass and all that, but you don’t have to do this alone. You could’ve asked for help.”
“Everything turned out fine,” I said.
Outside the car window, I saw Loki nod and get in the driver’s side of the car. Tove walked back to the SUV and got in. Loki’s Cadillac sped off down the road, and Tove did a U-turn and drove behind him.
“You didn’t tell me,” Tove said at length.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I did what -”
“Don’t,” Tove cut me off. “This isn’t about what you did or why you did it or if it was the right thing to do.”
“What is this about then?” I asked.
“We’re married, Wendy,” Tove said. He glanced over at me.
“Do you know why I asked you to marry me?”
“No,” I said, and I could feel Finn and Willa watching us from the backseat.
“Because we could be a team,” Tove said. “I thought you needed someone to support you and stand by your side, and I know I needed the same thing.”
“We are a team,” I said meekly.
“Then why did you go behind my back?” Tove asked.