Chapter Twenty-Nine

Brand awoke with a startling sense of déjà-vu. He was face down in sand and a large fur boot lay in his field of vision as he blinked. Faen! This time when he tried to push up, however, his arms would not cooperate. Iron manacles were locked around his wrists. Heavy chains rattled behind him as he struggled to turn over. He felt the pinch of the blade and smelled the coppery tang of blood as a rivulet ran down his neck. He froze, panting.

"So, The Destroyer has awoken!" Magnus' voice boomed over the crashing of the waves, mocking him. Brand heard the mumbling and shifting of a crowd. He said a silent prayer to the gods that Astrid and Ulfhild had somehow escaped.

"Get him up," the Chieftain commanded, and the now familiar giant hand grasped his upper arm and yanked him to his feet. He glared at Sigurd as he spat sand from his mouth. The man smirked at him, and Brand's wolf snarled. This time, he didn't try to mask the sound and was rewarded with a look of uncertainty crossing the gian