Page 78 of A Darkness So Sweet

“You shouldn’t bleed after sex,” he snarled. Ragnar scooped her out of the water and walked with her to the stones on the other side. “It’s not natural to do so. If I hurt you, you’re supposed to tell me.”

“You didn’t hurt me.”

“I thought we had gotten over this. I am not owed your silence or your suffering. You argue with me, tell me what to do. If you are injured, you tell me. These are things we’ve already had conversations about.” He set her down on the stones and then cupped her mound. “Now stop talking and let me heal you.”

“I don’t need healing!”

But she stopped talking, and let his magic do the trick. Her wounds were entirely superficial, he realized as soon as his magic was able to crawl through her body. None of it was life threatening, and he certainly hadn’t hurt her enough that she wouldn’t be able to walk. Still, blood after sex terrified him. He didn’t want to cause her injury. In the heat of passion, he’d forgotten all the things that he had to keep in mind. She was small, her skin was easy to break, he could bruise her if he wasn’t careful.

Maia cupped his jaw with both of her hands, pulling him forward to kiss just underneath each of his eyes. “Do you feel better now?”

“I do.”

“It was nothing, wasn’t it?”

“Not nothing. But you would’ve survived.” And he shouldn’t have used his magic when there were people who needed it more. Sighing, he drew her tighter into his arms and hugged her fiercely. “We have to go.”

“Where are we going?”

“There was another attack at the base of the mountain. A war band was sent there to warn the humans that the mountain is now off limits to your kind, and that we’ll kill any human who steps foot onto our home. The fight did not go well for either side.”

He had thought she would flinch. Perhaps she would admit to being nervous and not wanting to go. But she didn’t. His brave little wife straightened her shoulders and gave him a quick nod.

“Let’s go, then.”

“It will be a long journey.”

“Just let me hold on to your back rather than tossing me over your shoulder, and I’ll be fine.”

They shared a small smile with each other, perhaps both of them thinking about the many times she’d vomited when they’d first met, before he turned and offered her his back. Maia clambered on, and then they were off.

He took one of the lesser known entrances to the mountain, risking that the humans hadn’t found it just yet. But it was a tighter opening, and fewer people could get through it while walking beside each other. Ragnar was just able to fit through the passage with her on his back, and then they were out into the sun. He didn’t pause to let his eyes adjust, he just powered forward. Lunging into the bright light and trusting his body would carry him where they needed to go.

Then there was only the sun and the wind. Blasting, cold air that scraped at his cheeks and stole the breath from his lungs. Air that reminded him they were very close to winter. That if they weren’t careful, they would get stuck in a snow squall and it would be very difficult to come home.

Soon, the humans wouldn’t be able to reach the mountain, anyway. Winter would protect the trolls from whatever else her people had planned.

It took them half a day to reach the others, although Ragnar was certain that was partially because they could move so quickly. He didn’t have large packs to carry or equipment to bring. There were few weapons on his body, and only the lightest of humans clinging to his back.

The closer they got, the more he felt like he had to warn her about what she was going to see. “Humans are not kind to trolls when they fight,” he reminded her. “The weapons your people have devised leave wounds that are hard to look upon.”

“I understand, Ragnar.”

“And I don’t know what bodies we’ll find left behind.” He cleared his throat. “The bodies of your people.”

“I also knew that was likely.”

He just hoped there weren’t bodies already flayed and in the trees. The last thing Maia needed to see was her people like that, while he was asking her to heal the trolls who had done such terrible things. He had done them as well, but now it felt wrong. Or perhaps the act didn’t hold quite as much justice as it used to.

They headed toward a group of trolls, all standing watch. They gave him small nods, but he could see their wary glances toward the woman on his back. Even now, they were afraid of what she could do, of what shemightdo.

He helped Maia off his back and steadied her when she landed on the ground. She was still a little weak-kneed from what they’d done in the forest, and likely from being carried such a far way. He couldn’t blame her.

But as the trolls stared at her with mistrust and no small amount of fear, she walked through them without looking back. Ragnar was struck with how terrified she must have been when he’d first taken her from her home, how hard it must have been for her to be surrounded by trolls and not wonder how they were going to kill her.

And somehow, still, she had kept going. She had learned to argue with him. She’d thrown herself into working on whatever he’d given her, and even then, she’d somehow asked for more. Never once had she complained about the different clothing, food, or even the lack of light. Instead, she had wholeheartedly decided to make the best of what she had been given.

Even now, when his people thought she was little more than a monster herself, Maia stood with him. Ready to do whatever it took to save the very people who had rescinded the trust they’d given her.

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