Page 72 of Heart of Fire
I never told him how I feel. I never told him I lovehim.
Pure stubborn pride and a healthy dose of fear had stopped her from letting him inside her guarded heart, and she had the horrible suspicion that now she was going to be toolate.
“Freyja!” Haakon bellowed behind her, but Freyja leaned low over Hanna’s shoulder and urged the startled mareon.
Blow after blow was rained upon Rurik. Hanna balked at the top of the hill, nearly throwing Freyja over her shoulder. Three duelingdrekiwere probably more than the mare couldhandle.
Freyja wasted no time. Slinging her leg over the mare’s back, she landed on her feet and let the mare flee. Then she was running, her skirts flapping around her calves as she hauled herself across the barrenterrain.
The earth rumbled beneath her feet. Freyja’s lightning flickered in the southern skies, but it wasn’t anger she felt now, not when Rurik’s was so hard-pressed, but fear. And fear kept her thunderquiet.
“Rurik!” she screamed, hitting the crest of thehill.
Freyja spread her feet, grinding her teeth together as she locked eyes on the silverdreki. Magnus and Rurik were too close together for her to attempt to take the black, but the silverdrekiwas like a dart in the skies, hammering at Rurik’s golden back. She lifted her arms and felt the rush of lightning begin to skitter along her nerves. She’d never attempted something so powerful or focused before. The very air felt like it grew thick and static with electricity. Freyja unleashed everything she had in her toward the silverdreki.
And then ithappened.
Rurik must have felt it, for he lurched into Andri’s path, knocking the youngdrekijust enough to take the brunt of her energy uponhimself.
She almost thought the silverdrekiwas going to overshoot Rurik, but then Magnus slammed into his golden body, just enough to send him straight in to the path of Andri. It happened in an instant that felt like an hour. Rurik’s wing tore under Magnus’s second strike, and those deadly claws went straight through his preciouswings.
“Rurik!” she screamed, and scrambled down the rocky path, cutting hands and fingers as she ran for him. “Rurik!”
A flood of golden heat swept her up as he plummeted, and for a second she was seeing through his eyes as they linked. Warmth surrounded her in a golden haze. An absolute rightness of being that felt like she walked with her power braced against his. There was no him and her in this moment. No secrets, no lies. And she knew instantly what he was trying to tell her. What he’d been trying to tell her allalong.
“I’m sorry, Freyja. My fierce, beloved mouse.”And the feel of it was like liquid gold bursting over her skin, like molten warmth rushing through her veins. A feeling so pure and strong she knew she could never feel aloneagain.
Then something cut thelink.
No!She tried to grab hold of him, but the feel of Rurik’s touch slipped from her grasp like mist dissolving in herhands.
Suddenly she was alone and falling to her knees, the pain of the blow shocking her back into her own skin, her ownmind.
Just in time to watch her beloveddrekiplummet from the skies in front ofher.
Nineteen
“NO!”HER SCREAM seemed to echo in the air, in her mind, and even in others. She felt Haakon and his men fall to their knees behind her, and realized she’d somehow extended her horror beyond herself and connected with other minds in thevicinity.
The silverdrekiplummeted after Rurik, cutting through the air like a knife. Freyja slammed her hands over mouth in horror as the silverdrekiattacked.
She had never, in her life, felt sohelpless.
Rurik fell backward through the air, his claws scrabbling for purchase and his wings splayed flat. Andri almost caught him, claws reaching for him. And just when she thought he would cut herdreki’sunprotected belly to pieces, he tried to catch Rurik’s talons inhis.
Andri’s left talon caught Rurik’s right, and it was just enough to turn him so he was no longer flat on his back. Rurik slammed into the shale-covered side of the mountain with his left side. Andri tried to let go at the last minute, but it was too late. He crumpled atop Rurik, then flung apart when they both rolled and tumbled down the slope. Wings flashed and rock flew as both of themvanished.
“Rurik!” She was running before she knew it, watching hopelessly as he bounced and jolted down the shale, his wings held clear. Andri hit with a jarring thud, and slid past Rurik, sending a rain of shale down thehillside.
Freyja found herself caught in it, her boots finding little purchase beneath her. She reached out and the earth slowed beneath her feet as she manipulated it, letting her ride a flat piece of shale to a safe plateau. Freyja grabbed at a boulder and hauled herself to a halt as the avalanche swept pasther.
Dust obliterated her vision and settled thickly in her throat. Freyja coughed, trying to sweep it from her eyes. Where was he?“Rurik?”She threw the thought into the void aroundher.
She couldn’t see him. But she could feel his touch flicker against her own, a smoldering ember against the rush of heat it usually was. Their minds meshed again, just for asecond.
“...sotired....”
“Hold on, you stubborn male! I am not done with youyet.”
