Page 65 of Heart of Fire
“And so I did,” Rurik replied. His temper got the best of him. “They’d tied her to a stake in the village green, and threw rotten food at her. What would you have me do? Leave herthere?”
“Didyou....”
He grasped what the old man wanted to know. “What happened between us is a matter purely forus.”
The old man was gasping quite hard now. “No. No.” He shook his head. “She is a good girl.” His gnarled hands curled into fists. “Both Benedikt and you have ruinedher!”
Rurik knelt in front of him. “You knowdrekicannot lie. You said so yourself. So, know this... I love your daughter and I wish, in another world, she could be mine. I would not abandon her, not willingly, not if I had a choice. And I will never harm her, or place her in danger, which is why I cannot marry her. If I could—” His voice broke a little. “If Freyja would accept such a thing... then I would do so in a heartbeat. But to mate with Freyja is to place her in danger. I finally understand that. I cannot have her, not without bringing darkness into her life, no matter how much I wish to. But I also cannot leave her defenseless, and as much as she could bring this small village to its knees if she wished to, she is also remarkably vulnerable against those threats she has no power tocontrol.”
Rurik captured Einar’s face in between his hands. “She needs you to protect her. And she needs you to be well, because she loves you. She will accept no other gift from me, but perhaps she will acceptthis....”
Power welled within him. Einar gasped as that honey-trickle of it slid through hisskin.
“My cousin Magnus has accepted my challenge. I go now to face him.” He let his power threaten to brim over, finding the shadow in the old man’s chest, the one that was slowly killing him. “Think of me as the devil, or think of me as a monster, but the truth remains I might not vanquish twodreki. I would not leave your daughter unprotected in the wake of mydeath.”
Healing was not his greatest strength, but he knew well how to manipulate flesh and bone, and shift the core of the body. The shadow sat there, resisting him, a cancerous growth within the old man’s lungs. Rurik poured more power into the working, using lashes of fire to burn away the shadow, then sweeping the cobwebs from the old man’s vision, until Einar gasped, slumping against the table as though he breathed hotash.
“Done,” Rurik gasped, and took a shuddering stepsideways.
Something was wrong. He felt hollow and empty; his bones curiously light, as though he’d expended too much rawpower.
Einar clapped a hand to his chest, his skin glowing with health and vitality. “You... healedme.”
Rurik could barely acknowledge him. “For Freyja,” he said, then staggeredoutside.
The storm battered at him. He’d cost himself a great deal of power in healing Freyja’s father, but it was worth it if by doing so, he could protect her. Rurik spread his arms wide, fanning the kernel of golden heat deep within him to flames. The change lashed through him, shockingly slow. By the time his wings unfurled, he felt almost breathless and a faint hint of nervousness lit hisstomach.
Had he expended too much energy in healing Freyja’sfather?
No. Of course not. He was a prince of his people, not a weakling. Magnus had dared to challenge his territorial claim, and such needed to be answered. He’d beaten his cousin before. He would not fail thistime.
But as he launched himself into the air, wings thrusting down in furious beats, he couldn’t hide the hint of doubt in hisheart.
Seventeen
HOOF BEATS DRUMMEDacross the rocky soil. Freyja drew to a halt, tugging her shawl tight around her shoulders and sucking in a shattered breath. Loki caught up to her, circling her skirts with a desperateyip.
Not now, she told him, brushing the hair from her eyes as Haakon reined in his enormous stallion. She’d been trying to take a walk to clear her mind, dwelling on Rurik. She couldn’t escape the memories of their night together, and he’d come for her, courting her with gifts she could not avoid. This was not done between them, no matter how many times she told herself it was, but she couldn’t quite work out what the decision meant. She wanted a future with him. She wanted him. If she swept aside all her doubts and misgivings, that was the one fact she kept returningto.
But did she have a place in hisfuture?
“Mistress Helgasdottir.” Haakon seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. The stallion beneath him sawed at the reins, sweat darkening its flanks as it danced in small impatient circles. Bruises darkened his skin, and blood had dried on hiseyebrow.
“What do you want now?” she demanded, though his injuries botheredher.
“I came to find you,actually.”
“Oh?” Thunder echoed in thedistance.
The stallion’s eyes rolled, and Haakon brought him back under control. “I came to apologize, and to warnyou—”
“Apologize? For what?” Lightning split the skies, far too swiftly on the heels of Thor’s thunder to be entirely natural. Freyja could feel her fury spitting beneath her skin, and curled her fingers into fists. She was so angry, and she didn’t know if it was at Haakon, the world—or herself. She took a step closer to him. “For bringing your hatred to my village? For destroying the village’s treaty with thedreki, the consequences of which could rain down upon innocent people? For tying me to a stake and using me as bait? For ruining any reputation I ever had, and stealing away any chance I might ever make a goodmatch?”
She saw her words strike him. He flinched, but Freyja was merciless. “I know what you lost was not insignificant. I know you can never get your wife back. But did you ever once consider what you were doing to the people around you? What do your family think? How many other villages have you brought your hatred to?” She paused. “How many innocent dragons did you kill, who had no hand in what was done toyou?”
“Freyja.” His voice came hoarsely. “Youdon’t—”
“Perhaps thedrekistole your wife, but you are your own worst consequence. All you are is hatred and ruin, and while I might pity you for what happened, I cannot forgive you for allowing your hatred to consume you. What would your wife think of you now, if she could seeyou?”
