Page 46 of Heart of Fire
She’d purchased a new book in Akureyri, and normally such a thing asGulliver’s Travelswould cause the room to vanish around her as she lost herself in the world within thecovers.
Time to herself.... It seemed a dream, until one lived in the moment and realized all shehadwas time toherself.
Freyja closed the book with aslap.
“What’s wrong?” her fatherasked.
“Nothing.” And everything. Freyja found her feet. “I just feel restless, that’s all. I’m going out to check thefences.”
“Restless, hmm?” Her father closed his eyes, drowsing in the sunlight that spilled through the window. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with Master Rurik, wouldit?”
Freyja went still. “Why would you saythat?”
“Because he is clearly interested in courting you, and you’ve been distracted ever since hearrived.”
Freyja toyed with the edge of her skirt. “Don’t get your hopes up,” she said quietly, though she wasn’t certain whether she was speaking to her father—or herself. “There is no future between Rurik and I.” Snapping her fingers, she headed for the door. “Come,Loki.”
The little fox sprang to her side, licking his lips, as they exited the small house. Freyja tidied her braid as she strode for the barn. Memories of his hands coursing through the silken waves of her hair heated her body. She had no intention of ensuring the fences were tidy. No. What she wanted was to find him. The earlier dismissal vexedher.
Rurik was the one who’d decided to chase her, wasn’the?
And now,“we’re done here....”Just when she was starting to feel something for him. Just when she’d allowed him to take certainliberties.
Freyja knew she was being unfair. She’d kept him at arm’s length, and insisted nothing was going to happen between them, so why should she be so upset when he turned the tables onher?
Because he’d let her into his life a little, with the talk of his exile and his home. For a second, she’d felt as though she knew himintimately.
Because I’m lonelytoo.
The small herd of ewes hovered against the stone fence outside the barn, eyeing her with wild eyes. Ever since that blasteddrekistole her ram, they’d been riding on the edge of their nerves. It was a wonder her goat was still producing anymilk.
The barn lay empty, though Hanna snorted when she saw her, as if asking for reassurance. All the jobs she’d given Rurik were completed, thought there was no sign of the manhimself.
“Not you too,” Freyja grumbled to Hanna as the mare whickered with nervousness. Sunlight spilled between cracks in the loft floorboards, and dust spiraled through eachshaft.
Loki bumped into her ankles, almost trippingher.
“Rurik?” she called up into theloft.
A shadow moved up there. She hadn’t seen him since they’d spoken of dreams, and a part of her felt sympathy for what he’d shared of his past. Enough sympathy that she’d brought out thehangikjötand carved it, broiled some potatoes and set a loaf ofrúgbrauðbaking in the warm spring behind the house. It was the type of meal she might serve at Christmas, and the scent of smoked lamb already filled her small kitchen. The bread would almost beready.
“I wanted to invite you in for dinner,” she called, craning her neck. Floorboards in the loft creaked, but why hadn’t he replied? “I made something special.” Freyja hesitated. “To remind you of home,perhaps.”
Still noanswer.
All the hairs on the back of Freyja’s neck rose. “Rurik?” she called, crossing toward the ladder to theloft.
Loki barked, and Freyja tried to hush him. Then he darted into the shadows, growling deep in his throat in a sound she’d never heard from himbefore.
“What is it?” she asked, taking a step back. There was something about the sullen silence in the barn that bothered her. Someone was there. And she didn’t think it wasRurik.
A man cursed under his breath, and then Loki yelped and fled. “Littlebastard.”
“Who’s there?” she demanded, peering into the shadows of the stall. “Loki?”
Noise whispered behind her. Freyja whirled, and another man stepped out of the shadows. Darting toward her pitchfork, she turned and almost ran him through, baring her teeth at him. “Rurik!”
“He’s not here,” someone said behind her. “Seems you ran himoff.”
