#Review - Gods Beneath the Ice by Alexandra Kennington #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Blood & Souls Duology
Format: 464 pages, Hardcover
Release Date: February 17, 2026
Publisher: Ace
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Heartbroken and grappling with unwanted powers, Revna must work with the person she swore to forget if she’s to lead her people and unravel the secrets behind her new magic in this page-turning conclusion to the Blood & Souls Duology.

After winning the Bloodshed Trials, Revna has the crown she wanted. What she didn’t want was the newfound Lurae abilities she manifested. Still, she’s determined to bring equality to her people and end the holy war draining her kingdom’s resources. But the godtouched fear her, the godforsaken don’t trust her, and her best friend doesn’t know the truth she’s been hiding. When the war-ending treaty is signed, Revna will reveal her secrets and finally put the Hellbringer behind her.

Except the Kryllian Queen refuses to sign the treaty when she discovers how volatile Revna’s bloodsinging is. Desperate for any alliance, Revna begrudgingly agrees to the queen’s proposal: if Revna can learn to control her magic in three weeks, negotiations will resume. But there’s a catch—the queen’s general will be the one training her.

Revna will work with the Hellbringer once more, though she won’t make it easy. But when the general discovers that the dead are unable to pass on, they realize there’s more at stake than their tangled relationship. Ancient, powerful secrets tie the realm—and Revna and the Hellbringer—together, and their only hope of lasting peace is to unweave them.

Gods Beneath the Ice is the second and final installment in author Alexandra Kennington's Blood & Souls duology. This is a series inspired by Norse Mythology. A romantasy duology that follows a princess who, after winning the crown, must grapple with what it means to rule. The story picks up with Revna, our fierce and complex protagonist, now burdened by newly emerged, unwanted powers after the dramatic events of the first book. 

Heartbroken and still reeling from betrayal and loss, she finds herself forced into an uneasy alliance with the very person she vowed to erase from her life. She's keeping secrets about murder from her best friends, and she's mourning her favorite brother. However, everything changes when she sees the Hellbringer again while trying to negotiate peace with the neighboring Queen. 

This forced proximity reignites the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers (or perhaps more accurately, rivals-to-lovers) tension that was one of the standout features of the duology. The narrative centers on Revna's struggle to lead her people amid political upheaval, uncover the ancient secrets tied to her magic, and confront the lingering gods and souls that haunt this frozen world. 

The wintry, Norse-inspired setting—complete with icy landscapes, ancient rituals, blood magic, and divine interference—feels fully realized and immersive. The lore surrounding the gods, souls, and the mysterious powers feels richer, with revelations that tie back cleverly to threads planted in book one. The politics of rival kingdoms, succession struggles, and the clash between traditional faith and forbidden magic add satisfying layers of intrigue and stakes. 

Revna's growth from a rebellious, justice-driven figure to a reluctant leader grappling with power she never wanted is portrayed with nuance and realism. Her internal conflict—balancing duty, grief, anger, and vulnerability—makes her deeply relatable. The romance, while angsty and devastating at times, earns its payoff through earned moments of trust, vulnerability, and hard-won understanding. 

There are numerous reasons for my rating, including the author's own personality, but I am not going to discourage others from reading this book. Overall, Revna got on my nerves a lot with her whining about everything. I found Revna's responses to be obnoxious at times. At first, she was just plain bull-headed & childish & thinking only about herself, all the while parading it as if she was really thinking about her kingdom or friends. I could not stand how she was justifying her anger at others & making all these excuses for herself while making the worst decisions. 

The self-sabotage was bordering on absurd, & I started to get really annoyed with her. Trust me, others have had a harder time than you. A few plot threads resolve a bit neatly, and certain secondary arcs could have benefited from more space. Although I skipped a large part of the second half of this book, I think the romance really saves Revna, as does the plot & most definitely the middle of the book.

1

Revna

I looked out at the crowd of exhausted soldiers, tense Nilurae, and scowling citizens and clenched my jaw as my thoughts told me again what I already knew to be true: every person here today hates you.

My eyes caught Freja's where she stood, just in front of the temple steps. Her foot tapped a steady, anxious rhythm against the cobblestones and she tried to muster a smile. It was a poor attempt-the result was far more grimace than anything else. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and tried not to think about how much more she would hate me tomorrow, when the treaty with Kryllian was officially signed and I told her the full truth of everything I'd been hiding.

The thought was another chip out of my carefully constructed, utterly porcelain armor. I winced as the slipup of my thoughts avalanched into something far worse.

Music.

My mother's lullaby was never far from the surface, but today, I'd shoved it down as far as possible. Now, of all times, was not an option for breaking. It was too late, though. The thud of my own heartbeat in my ears was now echoed by dozens, hundreds more as thin threads, invisible to everyone but me, stretched from my chest outward to latch my Lurae to everyone present.

Start the speech, I told myself, shuffling the papers in front of me on the podium we'd had carted down in front of the temple dais. My face itched, but I didn't scratch. The scars left by Björn three weeks ago were nearly healed now. That didn't keep them from pulling the skin of my cheekbones and forehead taut, leaving me constantly aware of the way my features were now mangled. Focus on the people. The Nilurae. You're here for them.

I opened my mouth. Words emerged, the product of nothing more than hours upon hours of rehearsing until I knew the speech better than I knew the foreign magic that was somehow a part of me now. But even as I spoke, the song of my Lurae crooned in my ears, and I heard none of what I said.

As I continued to read, more rote than anything else, I scanned the crowd again until I saw Volkan. My ex-fiancé stood at the back, arms crossed over his chest, brow furrowed with concentration as he listened.

My thoughts hissed, unwanted. How long until he looks disappointed in you again? Or worse-afraid?

My hands gripped the edges of my notes hard enough to nearly crumple them. And still, I kept speaking, allowing the memorized words to flow from me. Platitudes about peace and community despite our differences, congratulations to the soldiers for their valiant efforts in the war against Kryllian. The latter rang false, I was sure of it. Volkan had insisted on putting them in.

And still, the familiar melody in my mind had hold of me. My Lurae crept over my skin with every shuddering breath, desperate to take hold of the threads gathered in front of me and pull until the bodies in the crowd were broken and lifeless and-

"As we readjust to life without a looming battle around every corner, only generosity and a willingness to see each other as equals will allow Bhorglid to become the blessed land it longs to be. Thank you."

The end of the speech was so rushed, I would be amazed if anyone could decipher it. But it was over. I stepped down, away from the podium, and into the shadow of the temple rubble. Behind me, I heard the murmurs of the crowd grow louder as everyone chatted and caught up with their friends and loved ones returned from the front.

The song quieted a bit, but it was an ever-present grip along my spine now. There was no ridding myself of it. I allowed myself to rub my fingertips softly over my scars, easing the itch slightly, and looked up at the towering statue before me.

Aloisa. She was the only remaining statue from the pantheon of gods our country worshiped at the command of the priests. Ironically, her statue had refused to fall when Halvar and the other rebels took hammers to them all.

Before the Trials, Aloisa was the only deity I related to at all. I'd wondered whether she was lonely, the only woman in a room full of men. Even my freshly forged sword, only a couple of months old, was named after her.

Now, though, I found myself looking to the statue for any small semblance of comfort more often. Loneliness didn't even begin to cover the gaping hole living inside of my chest, caving in more and more every day. Once, it had been filled with purpose, with anger, with my mind-reading older brother and his endless jokes.

"She's not real," I whispered to myself as the crowd continued to disperse behind me. I knew some of the Nilurae had set up shopping stalls around the courtyard, hoping to capitalize on the returning soldiers' hunger for familiar fresh-baked goods. Plenty of people would linger. I straightened my shoulders and shoved a new piece of porcelain over the spider-webbing crack forming in my fragile armor.

"Everything okay?"

I turned as Volkan approached, his face carefully unreadable, and offered him a tight smile. "Good enough for now."

He hummed, hands in his pockets, and a bit of a wry note took residence in his voice. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but there's no prize for giving the speech as fast as possible. Even if you likely broke your own personal record."

A huff of laughter escaped me. "Maybe we can race next time. Start the speech simultaneously and see who finishes first."

Freja joined us on the dais, far less amused. Next to her was a woman around our age-early twenties. Her dark black hair was cut just above her chin, and her eyes radiated wariness. She rubbed one of her hands against the opposite wrist, and I noticed the grooves dug into the skin there. Only years of being handcuffed frequently chafed in such a way.

I knew exactly who this woman was. My shoulders tensed and the song in my head perked up with awareness, eager to latch on to another instance of conflict between Freja and me. But I took a deep breath and forced my voice to remain calm when I turned to her, lowering my voice as I said, "We talked about this."

Freja crossed her arms. "No. I talked and you argued. How else are we going to get to the Kryllian palace in the morning? If we were going to travel on foot, we needed to leave three days ago. A teleporter is our only option now."

I clenched my hands into fists, nails digging into my palms. I reminded myself that the square was still full of people-all of whom wanted to watch me fail, all of whom were waiting for me to slip up. I was no longer magic-less enough for the Nilurae, the people I'd fought for. And my Lurae abilities manifesting so late marked me as an impostor to the pompous upper class of Bhorglid. My taut leash on my magic was stretching thin, and the melody of my mother's lullaby twisted on a sharp note that made my ears ring.

Freja waited until now to ambush you with this, my thoughts whispered. She knew you weren't going to agree otherwise, and this is her revenge for your decision to bring the army home despite her arguments against it.

"And," Freja continued, lowering her voice and stepping closer to me, "we can't afford to waste our time on logistics tomorrow. Not when we know Queen Anja wants something from us, but we aren't sure what it is."

I stiffened. "I'm well aware." It was all we'd talked about over the last three weeks: her, Volkan, and me running over the possibilities again and again, trying to parse what we had to offer Kryllian to persuade them a treaty was worth it. None of us understood why the queen had put so much effort into securing my spot on the throne.

Volkan stepped up next to me and smiled at the woman, who had said nothing but was studying us all intensely. He extended his hand. "My name is Volkan. You're Astrid, right? Freja has told us a lot about you."

Indeed she had. Freja had spent more than six weeks in prison while I trained with the Hellbringer in the northern wastes and my family continued fighting the war against Kryllian. But her time in a cell hadn't been lonely. She'd been released with new friends-namely Valen, a Seeing One, and Astrid, a Lurae woman locked away for refusing to fight in the war.

I hadn't realized until a few days ago just how close Freja and Astrid had grown. When I'd mentioned we probably needed to find a teleporter loyal to our cause to ferry us to the upcoming treaty negotiations, Freja had volunteered Astrid immediately.

Astrid shook Volkan's hand quickly, but pulled back. I waited for her to speak, but instead, her hands moved as she signed her response. Blinking, I attempted to follow what she was saying, but it had been years since Halvar had taught us the basics of sign language to communicate without alerting the priests to our plans. Over time, we'd stopped using it as consistently, but Freja and I had been nearly fluent for a while.

I managed to catch a few words. War. Lurae. Deaf. Loyal. Queen.

Desperate, I waved my hands and she paused. "Slow down?" I signed. "Please?"

A half smile and a nod as Astrid acquiesced. "The war was wrong. I did not want to fight. If I was a soldier, my needs would never have been accommodated. My Lurae peers made my childhood miserable. Prison was a luxury, one I accepted happily."

There was nothing disingenuous about her movements or her body language-it all spoke of sincerity.

Still, I was wary. After the Trials, after the betrayal, I had to be.

My Lurae hummed at the thought of my brother's body frozen in the snowy wastelands, the melody of my mother's lullaby dancing tantalizingly just out of reach. I imagined myself pulling it back, strangling it, squeezing the life out of the magic.

I could not afford a mistake. Not here. Even now, I felt eyes on me from all sides. People watching, waiting for me to show weakness.

I studied Astrid for a long moment. Her gaze remained sharply on mine, never wavering for a second to ogle my scars.

My gut instincts? They told me she was trustworthy. But my instincts had done irreparable damage to me recently-the sting of the Hellbringer's betrayal still flooded my mind every time I allowed my thoughts to wander. And with everyone in the country calling for my head on a pike, trusting a Lurae was not easy.

Trusting anyone was not an easy task.

But Freja and Volkan were right, as much as I wanted to deny it. The meeting to sign the treaty between our warring nations was tomorrow, in the Kryllian palace. We needed a teleporter to get there on time. I didn't want to bring another person into my small circle of trust. But there was no other option.

I signed, stumbling over my words, "You must be loyal. Sharing secrets... not allowed."

A smile cracked across her face, brightening her features. She nodded enthusiastically.

"The war is over," I continued. "We plan to make the Lurae and Nilurae equals. We need a teleporter to join our cause."

"I will do it." Her jaw set with determination, and a flicker of something like excitement grew behind her eyes. "Just tell me what-"

Her attention flickered past me, to the desecrated remains of the temple.

Astrid lunged for me, wrapped her arms around my middle, and threw me to the ground. I may have been suspicious of her, but I was fully unprepared for her to tackle me. The back of my head slammed against the ground, and black spots danced in front of my eyes. Astrid's entire body weight pressed me into the ground. Freja was screaming something unintelligible, and cries of shock echoed across the buildings, bouncing back and forth to twine with the song of my Lurae.

My magic woke with a vengeance, moving without my permission. It latched on to Astrid and tossed her off me. She landed heavily with a grunt and a groan but didn't move. I spared half a thought to feel guilty, but my head was spinning.

When I sat up, my dress was covered in blood. Wounded. I was wounded. Shit. I ran my palms down my front, searching for the open gash I couldn't feel. Was I in shock? There was no other explanation for why I couldn't-

Freja's voice solidified. "Volkan! Help her!"

My best friend knelt beside Astrid, whose hands clutched her abdomen on the right side. The hilt of a dagger peered out from them, and I realized suddenly that it had been meant for me. Astrid had seen the danger and attempted to push me out of the way.

I stood and the world swayed around me. An assassination attempt. I wanted to laugh, but my head throbbed so painfully I almost collapsed again. The perfect timing for a true test of Astrid's loyalty-one she'd passed with flying colors.

The song of my Lurae swelled, taking over until I could hear only the melody. It moved in tempo with my rushing heartbeat. I watched Volkan run over to Astrid, kneel beside her. The threads stretching from me yearned to move closer. There, there, where the blood is pooling on the ground-

I forced myself to my feet. I couldn't look out at the crowd of once-friendly Nilurae and returned Lurae soldiers, not when I already knew the variety of expressions that would face me. Instead, I focused on Freja's tear-strewn face, Volkan's concentrated expression as he ran his hands over the wound. He grimaced when he grabbed the blood-slick hilt and wrenched the dagger from Astrid's flesh. She groaned, the sound making its way straight to me.

Someone had tried to kill me. To remove me from the throne permanently. And in the process, they'd hurt an innocent person instead.

The song in my veins rose in a crescendo.

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#Review w/Excerpt - Blood Beneath the Snow by Alexandra Kennington #Fantasy

Series: Blood & Souls Duology # 1
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Publisher: ACE
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

A heart-pounding romantasy following a rebellious princess who must compete to the death against her siblings for the crown to ensure justice, while fighting her feelings for her country's most powerful enemy by debut author Alexandra Kennington

Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake by her kingdom and a blight on her bloodline. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.

Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own secret reasons.

Blood Beneath the Snow by Alexandra Kennington is a striking debut that plunges readers into a frostbitten world of Bhorglid where there's political intrigue, brutal competition, and a slow-burning romance. This first installment introduces readers to Revna, a powerless princess in a kingdom where magical ability defines worth. As the only royal without elemental gifts, she believes that all of the 7 deities in this world hate her; Revna is an outcast in her own family, dismissed as a disgrace by her parents and overshadowed by her four magically adept brothers. 

Yet, what she lacks in arcane power, she makes up for in resilience, defiance, and unyielding loyalty to the marginalized "Gods forsaken" she’s come to call her true family. The story kicks off with a gripping premise: when Revna’s closest friends fall into peril due to her rebellious actions against the kingdom’s oppressive caste system, she rejects an arranged marriage and throws herself into the Bloodshed Trials—a deadly, sibling-against-sibling contest for the throne. What follows is a whirlwind of twists, including her abduction by the enigmatic Hellbringer, a masked general from an enemy nation who claims he wants to train her to win. 

This sets the stage for a classic enemies-to-lovers arc, steeped in tension and laced with questions about trust, power, and hidden agendas. Kennington crafts a vivid, wintry atmosphere that mirrors the harshness of Revna’s world. The stark divide between the god-touched elite and the powerless Godforsaken is palpable, and the political undercurrents—complete with shadowy motives from rival queens and scheming factions—keep the stakes high. Revna herself is a standout protagonist: scrappy, resourceful, and refreshingly human. Her lack of magic doesn’t render her weak; instead, it fuels her determination to carve out her own strength, making her a heroine worth rooting for.

Where the story truly hooks you is its relentless momentum. The Trials, the betrayals, and the looming threat of a kingdom on the brink of collapse keep the pages turning. Her only failure is thinking that she needs to add every single trope when it comes to diverse cast members. Kennington’s prose is sharp and immersive, balancing visceral action with moments of quiet rebellion. However, the worldbuilding occasionally leaves you wanting more—details about the gods, the magic system, and the enemy nation feel teased rather than fully explored, perhaps saved for the sequel. The romance, while a slow burn, is where the book both shines and stumbles.

Hellbringer’s brooding, lethal presence—complete with a mask and a soul-rending reputation—checks all the boxes for a swoon-worthy antihero. The forced proximity and simmering chemistry between him and Revna are undeniable, but the pacing feels uneven. His reticence early on makes it hard to fully invest in their dynamic until later, when his character opens up and their banter ignites. Fans of tropes like “only one bed” and “romantic kidnapping” will find plenty to enjoy, though the romantasy label might oversell the love story’s prominence—it’s more a thread woven into a broader tapestry of action and intrigue.

This isn’t a flawless debut. The romantic subplot could use more depth to match the richness of the fantasy plot, and some supporting characters feel underutilized. But these are minor quibbles in a book that delivers on its promise of a “heart-pounding romantasy.” It’s a dark, addictive ride with an ending that leaves you desperate for the next chapter. If you’re a fan of Shadow and Bone’s gritty rebellion or From Blood and Ash’s forbidden tension, Blood Beneath the Snow deserves a spot on your shelf.

1
I stood shivering beneath my cloak in the temple plaza and wondered what would happen if I spat in the face of a god.

The press of bodies against me on every side still wasn't enough to keep the chill at bay in the frigid early-morning temperatures. I glared up at the statue in front of me, one of the seven adorning the steps of the temple. The god of fire, Hjalmar, stared off into the distance, with stone flames dancing over his outstretched palms. It was fitting I'd end up in front of him, considering he'd blessed the worst of my brothers.

If I spat in his face, would gasps echo across the crowd? Would priests descend from the temple steps, scythes in hand, to haul me away? Would Hjalmar himself cause me to burst into flames where I stood until I was nothing more than a pile of ash?

The gods of air, water, earth, sky, and body on either side of him were almost identical, the only differences lying in the depiction of their abilities carved in the stone. To the right of Hjalmar, directly in the center of the seven, was the only goddess: Aloisa, who gave gifts of the soul.

Seven deities. And every single one of them hated me.

My best friend nudged me, clearly sensing the emotions bubbling beneath my surface. "You good?" Freja muttered, quietly enough that only I could hear. Around us, the buzz of excited conversation hummed. The streets were packed to the brim, and we were surrounded on every side by the godtouched.

Freja and I blended in with those standing in the front of the crowd-today we looked like wealthy citizens and obedient worshipers. Our realities couldn't have been further from our disguises. The hoods of our cloaks were pulled tight around our faces, obscuring us from easy recognition in the dawn light. The last thing we wanted was anyone noticing two of the most infamous godforsaken hiding in plain sight at the front of the crowd on a ritual day.

As Freja waited for my answer, a single curl slipped across her forehead, unable to stay contained. I calmed the anger flaring in my chest and reached out to push the lock of hair behind her ear once more. Glancing down for what must have been the tenth time in five minutes to check that the bundle of decoy fabric was in Freja's arms, I nodded sharply. "Fine."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other; whether from cold or nerves, I couldn't tell. This small act of rebellion felt heavier than the others we'd carried out before. Today was my last chance to make an impact before I was carted off to another country to become the wife of a man I'd never met.

When the godtouched whispered of our anarchy, they often used the word barbarous. But I doubted anything Freja, Halvar-our other partner in crime-and I concocted was as "barbarous" as using one's only daughter as a political pawn.

"You shouldn't have given me your breakfast," Freja said, crossing her arms. "You always get irritable when you haven't eaten."

I forced a smile. "I wanted to make sure you had a clear head for this. Don't begrudge me that."

With the war draining our supplies so quickly and this winter being so harsh, there was never enough food to go around. Of course, that meant Freja and the other godforsaken were rationing their food, while the godtouched still managed to eat three meals a day. I tried to offer a portion of my food to her or Arne-our other friend-every day, but they usually refused. If not for her trepidation about this morning's plan, I doubted she would have accepted my offering today.

The temple loomed in front of us. As was the case every time I observed it, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Once, in my grandparents' time, the building had been an homage to our country's roots-but after our neighboring country to the south, Kryllian, opened their borders to visitors, those same grandparents decided they appreciated the smoother lines and expensive stone of foreign architecture. The old temple was torn down and rebuilt into what it was today: a creation of white stone so pure, the falling flakes disappeared in its orbit. The roof pivoted into two sharp angles representing two hands reaching for the heavens, where the pantheon of gods we all worshiped remained.

I tapped my foot, growing impatient. The ritual and ceremony were supposed to start first thing in the morning, while the sun rose over the hills in the east. But here we all stood, blowing hot puffs of breath over our numbing hands, still waiting as the sun ascended in the sky.

The chatter of the crowd closed in around me and I fumed at how normal the godtouched sounded. They discussed what might still be available at the market despite the shortages, what parties they were attending later this week, whether their spouses and children were due back from the front lines in this round of military rotations. All the while, their expensive jewelry flashed in the dappled sunlight and they basked in the warmth of their fur-lined cloaks-as if they all weren't here to witness a murder.

I tried not to think about the godforsaken-my own people. The ones at the back of the crowd, dreading what the next hour would bring. Knowing they'd see blood of their own spilled on the altar of the gods and then be expected to go about their day as if nothing had happened. I wondered if any would lose toes or fingers from frostbite after enduring the frigid conditions of midwinter in their worn shoes and their thin cloaks, fraying at the edges. Whether their children's ribs were showing in the wake of a war they despised. Whether they'd go home and cry silently for a few moments, hugging their families tight as they wondered why it was worth living another day.

My thoughts were interrupted by the temple doors swinging open. The crowd fell silent immediately, every head bowing low. I stared at the priests for a moment too long before Freja elbowed me, and I directed my gaze to the ground as well.

The holy men still managed to make me shudder, even after having spent a lifetime in close contact with them. They dressed entirely in white, in robes stretching from their necks to their wrists and ankles. Veils covered their hair and faces so that they blended in perfectly with the snowy landscape-except for the eyes.

The fabric of their veils was pinned to the necklines of their robes, meaning not a single inch of skin was visible on any of the priests. Above each one's forehead was an eye embroidered with bloodred thread, eerie enough to make both the godtouched and the godforsaken feel the priest was peering directly into the depths of their soul.

I hated the priests almost as much as I hated the gods.

An endless stream of them flooded out the doors until they had filled the steps of the structure, the blades of their scythes winking in the sun. The last to exit brought with him a white cloth with another embroidered eye on it to drape over the altar. Fury ripped through me at the sight, but I forced myself to stay still. My fingernails bit half-moons into the flesh of my palms and I busied my mind with the reminder of what I was here to do.

"Every priest in the country must be here," Freja whispered as we surveyed them. "I've never seen this many in one place before. Do you think they traveled for the ritual?"

"Who knows," I murmured, feeling the telltale furrow of my brows appear. "I wasn't expecting them all to be here. This might be harder than we thought."

My friend nodded, readjusting the bundle of fabric in her arms. "Guess we'll see how fast we can run."

Another figure exited the temple. The queen. She'd once confided to me when I was a small child that the crown she wore today was her favorite: an arch that stretched from behind one ear to the other, hugging tightly to her hair, rays projecting out like a halo to frame her face. The gold of it glimmered in the morning sunlight, contrasting against her dark black hair. Her gown was a deep blood red, one of our national colors. It flowed like liquid, and I found myself wondering if she was freezing beneath the fabric. It certainly didn't look warm.

She stepped to the center of the dais and stood before the altar. My eyes found my feet and I clenched my jaw as if the tension would prevent her from seeing me, recognizing me. A priest came forward to stand next to her, facing the crowd. In one synchronized movement, the other priests pounded the wooden handles of their scythes on the temple's stone steps, sending a booming echo through the square. The ceremony had begun.

"Ready?" I asked Freja. My heart pounded with anticipation.

She nodded. "Let's hope this works."

The priest at the altar began speaking in a resounding voice. "Welcome to the Winter Ritual, beloved citizens of Bhorglid. Today marks the beginning of a new year, one filled with great hope for our country. Even now, we wage holy war against Kryllian, our armies drawing closer to taking over the southernmost country in the Fjordlands."

A cheer erupted around us, and I suppressed a sigh of irritation. The godtouched in the crowd, whose partners, parents, and children fought on the front lines, were ecstatic to hear it repeated: their loved ones weren't fighting in just any war. No, it was a holy war. Decreed by the gods.

The priest continued, "Generations ago, the Fjordlands were stolen from us. We, who communicate directly with the gods. Instead of harmony, discord was wrought and the Fjordlands were split into three. For thirteen generations, the gods have mourned with us as we have waited for their perfect timing. Now you are blessed to be part of the chosen few alive to see this miracle come to pass. Kryllian shall be rightfully ours. The gods have declared it."

I tried not to let my emotions show on my face. The speech had been the same every year since the war began, but it never failed to make me wince. Halvar had been the one to explain to me years ago how the priest's version of this story had been edited in Bhorglid's favor. Only those who passed on the original stories verbally still knew the truth. He'd been lucky enough to come from a family that didn't embrace the revisionist version of our history.

In actuality, the Fjordlands had been filled with wandering people, those with magical abilities and those without living in peace-until a pair with powers far beyond what was necessary for mortal man decided they could speak with the gods. And according to them, the gods said those with abilities had been blessed. Godtouched.

The rest of us were godforsaken. Forgotten by our holy pantheon, called unworthy from the moment we entered the world. While the godtouched enjoyed innate abilities that allowed them to manipulate elements of the world around them, the way the gods had once done as they walked the land millennia ago, the rest of us were normal. Shunted to the edge of a society where an invisible group of gods claimed we were lesser.

The speech grated against my nerves like the screech of a metal fork across a ceramic plate. Enduring the rest of this drivel was going to kill me. I was ready to move, ready to wreak havoc, ready to wrap my hands around the nearest priest's throat and rip their veil off. Only watching the light fade from their eyes would be enough to calm me.

Freja snatched my hand and squeezed. "No," she hissed. "We have to wait until they've brought out the child."

My hands shook with fury against hers. But she was right. The priests enabled the foul treatment of the godforsaken, but we weren't here to rid ourselves of them. Today was about saving a life, not taking it.

Even if I wished it were possible to do both.

The priest droned on, but I focused on Freja's words and nodded, forcing myself to breathe deeply. The godtouched around us were too intent on listening to the priests to notice me acting strangely.

The ritual speech continued despite my swirling thoughts. "As we perform the new year ritual, this unholy blood will be a tribute to the gods. In exchange for our sacrifice, they will grant us their power. We will gain a powerful advantage in this war; with the vanquishing of this life, we will be able to defeat the Hellbringer. The gods have declared it so."

Freja squeezed my hand again, barely in time to keep an indignant huff from escaping me. This part of the speech was new, the logic as incomprehensible as the rest. How would killing an infant grant us the power to stop the most powerful godtouched being to exist in any of our lifetimes and end the war? As Freja released my hand, the queen gestured to the side of the stage for several acolytes to bring someone forward. I glanced over but couldn't make out the woman's face; the figure was hunched at an odd angle and a low moan emanated from her mouth. There was a wriggling bundle clutched to her chest. My stomach sank, the way it did every year.

The priest took the infant out of the person's arms and began to move toward the altar.

The figure left in the shadows-undoubtedly the child's mother, a godforsaken woman-let out a haunting scream, her wail of anguish echoing through the square and silencing everyone, even the godtouched. I clenched my teeth. The screams were always the worst part. Worse than the blood. The mother collapsed to her knees and howling sobs cracked the silence.

Freja and I were the only ones who appeared affected. The priests' expressions were carefully hidden behind their face coverings and the godtouched on either side of us were reverently silent, waiting for spilled blood to spell their salvation. The queen curled her lip at the bundle in the priest's arms as he set it carefully on the altar.

As he laid it down, it wriggled, and a tiny hand emerged from the blankets.

Seeing the movement made my throat raw. The last child born to godforsaken parents each year was always culled-a horrifying euphemism-as a sacrifice to the gods. Only the youngest, freshest blood would do for this brutal tradition, repeated winter after winter.

"Now," I said to Freja as anger sparked in my stomach. "We go now."

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