Page 38 of The Shipwreck
But maybe, now that his brothers were here, now that he was no longer shipwrecked and alone, now that he had a small army at his disposal…
A brilliant idea took form in his mind, and for the first time in a year, he began to think he might not be cursed after all.
To commit to slaying Brandr if it came to that was the most difficult thing Avril had ever done in her life.But her precious daughter was at risk.Nothing was more important than Kimbery—nothing.
“Avril,” Brandr said, “listen to me.You know you don’t want to kill me in cold blood.It’s not the honorable thing to do.And you always do the honorable thing.”
She clamped her lips together.But though her vision grew watery and a tense knot formed in her throat at what she might be forced to do, she held her ground.She realized that when it came to her daughter, Kimbery was more important than honor itself.
“Make them put her down,” she said hoarsely, “or I swear I’ll slay you where you stand.”
He seemed to believe her.“All right.”He said something to his men.They argued back and forth.But in the end, they put away their weapons, muttering in disgust as they did so.
“And Kimmie,” she choked out.“Give me my daughter.”
“Nay!”Kimmie complained.The wayward little sprite tucked her lip under her teeth and held tightly to the man’s head.Kimbery knew she was in trouble for disobeying Avril’s orders and didn’t want to be punished.
But punishment was the last thing on Avril’s mind.All she wanted was to get Kimbery back, safe and sound.
“I didn’t set foot outside the cottage, Mama,” Kimmie said.“I didn’t.The Frost Giants picked me up.”
“Brandr,” Avril demanded, willing her voice to remain steady, “make them put her down.”
He relayed her message.Despite Kimmie’s protests, the man peeled the little girl’s hands from his forehead and lifted her off of his shoulders.
“Come here, Kimmie,” Avril said, her heart in her throat.
Kimbery reluctantly began to saunter over, and for one tiny instant, Avril lost her focus.But in that instant and without warning, Brandr used his arm—the arm Avril had splinted for him—and knocked her sword aside, and then used his good hand to wrench it from her grasp.She was still gasping in dismay when he wrapped his splinted arm around her neck, trapping her against him.
She clawed and kicked at him, but nothing would dislodge the brute’s grip on her.In desperation, she cried, “Run, Kimmie!Run!”
Kimbery might be a willful little girl, but she recognized the alarm in Avril’s voice.Obedient for once, she spun and began tearing across the sand toward home.The men casually watched her go.
Brandr blew out an annoyed breath.“All right,” he said, “we’re all going back to the cottage.Avril, you and I are going to have analthing.Do you remember what that is?”
She wasn’t interested in conversing with him.All she cared about was keeping the men away from Kimbery.She twisted violently in his grip.
He ignored her struggles.“You and I are going to talk things over,” he explained.“Together.Civilly.”
With unflappable calm, he began to haul her, kicking and screaming, along the shore and back to the cottage, with his men in tow.By the time they arrived, she was hoarse and exhausted, but at least she had the satisfaction of knowing she’d put up a fight.She’d been no victim this time.She’d done everything she could to protect herself and her daughter.
“Kimmie!”Brandr called.
“Nay!”Avril yelled.
“Kimmie, come out!”
Kimbery popped her head out of the door.
“Nay!”Avril shrieked.“Stay there.”
“She’ll come to no harm, I promise,” Brandr told her.“The men will watch over her.”
He spoke as if she had a choice.The truth was she was at their mercy.Yet, when she thought about it, Brandr’s men had done Kimmie no harm thus far.They could have kidnapped her when they first discovered her.They could have leveraged her life for Brandr’s.But they hadn’t.
She swallowed hard.“If they lay a finger on her…”
“They won’t.I swear it.She’ll be safe.”One side of his mouth curved up.“She likes them.She thinks they’re Frost Giants.”
