Page 30 of Heart of Fire
“Stay,”he cajoled. “Talk withme.”
“Talk of what?” Freyja demanded, but the light in her eyes was back, her fear fading. Indeed, her tone had changed and she sounded more certain of herself when he was in thisform.
Because you’re no longer a threat to her as adreki.Only as aman.
Which meant someone else hadbeenthatthreat.
The thought made all sorts of possessive, violent male impulses whirl within him. Rurik contained it. He already knew he felt protective toward her, but the idea someone else had hurt her stirred the heart of thedrekispirit withinhim.
“Yourself. Tell me why Freyja Helgasdottir is nofool.”
Freyja gathered her skirts primly, and settled on a jutting rock. The look she gave him was faintly cunning. “And what will you give me if Ido?”
Oho. Delight ran rampant through his veins.“For all your talk, youhaveheard stories ofdreki.”
“Bargain with them at your own risk,” Freyja replied. “Keep your wits at all moments. And never, ever offer a truth for free, for they are curious creatures and cannot deny their interest. Next to their mortal form, their curiosity is their second major weakness. My mother told me manystories.”
All of it was true.“Did she also tell you adreki’s second greatest strength is theirpatience?”
“No.” Freyja looked interested. “What is their greateststrength?”
“Nowthatis asecret.”
“And if I’m counting correctly, you owe me one.” Was that a smile that played around her stubbornlips?
“Perhaps. What do you want in exchange for your story? More gold?”He didn’t know how he felt about that. His gold washisgold. But would it be worth it, to learn the heart ofFreyja?
Yes.And not simply because he was failing in his efforts ofseduction.
He wanted to know her. She would be his lover—that was a foregone conclusion in his mind—but the fascination for him extended beyond thephysical.
“A truth for a truth,” she toldhim.
Which was potentially dangerous. His eyes narrowed. Denial here could cost him any chance at bridging the chasm she’d set between them.“A truth for a truth.So beit.”
Freyja held up a finger. “And not a random truth, but you must answer a question Ipropose.”
“What if I do not care to answerit?”
“Then I may feel free to ask another question,” she countered. “Out of three questions, youmustanswerone.”
Trouble. But damned if he did not wish to play this game with her. Hisdrekinature loved the challenge.“Agreed. Now answer my question.Why is Freyja not afraid of me? Why did she dare confront me in my lair, when others wouldquail?”
“You can see my eyes,no?”
“Such wondrouseyes.”
Her smile stilled, but didn’t entirely die as she gazed at her lap. “They call me elf-cursed,” she admitted slowly, as if the weight of this secret weighed upon her somehow. “Or think I make deals with the devil. When I was a little girl, a priest came to our village, where my father was selling geese in the marketplace. I was playing and happened to look up, and the priest reared away from me and made a sign of the cross. He was horrified, and it scared me. It was the first time I ever realized I wasdifferent.
“I don’t fit in to my world, not very well. So perhaps that is the reason I am not scared of you, nor believe in provoking you. Because you are different and so am I, and maybe I understand what that feelslike.”
“You make no mention ofmagic.”
Another of those slow, careful glances she was known for. “Is that anotherquestion?”
“Perhaps it is merely a challenge. For you gave half an answer. You know you have power, and that made you fearless when you came to confrontme.”
“I was scared,” sheadmitted.
