Page 74 of Storm of Desire
"N-no." She crawled to her feet, one hand held out beseechingly. "Not mymate."
"Your scent is all over him. You aremated."
"Marriage is like mating, in the human world," she said, trying to explain. "But your souls do not combine. You are not one. You merely choose to live together. And we have shared blankets, hence why he smells ofme."
"I'm not talking of his odor, you foolishkit."
Árdís grew very still. "What do youmean?"
Fáfnir withdrew to look at her again. "You are linked somehow, but there is a chasm between where your souls touch. If he is yours, then why is there achasm?"
Yes,why?
Haakon slowly gained his feet, but all of his attention was locked uponher.
Árdís hesitated. "I amdreki, and he is mortal. We have been estranged, but..." She took a quick breath. "Haakon is trying to help me remove this cursedbracelet."
A discontented rumble sounded, as if Fáfnir sensed her skirting thetruth.
Haakon quite agreed. Anger suddenly flared, hot like a coal in his belly. "She vanished in the middle of the night. I thought she was taken by adreki," he said softly, "only to discover shewasthedreki. If we have been estranged, it's because she left me, greatlord."
Árdíspaled.
"You left your mate?" Fáfnir sounded surprised. "Ah, that explains this chasm. Two halves that do not touch, and perhaps neverwill."
"Will you grant us passage, great lord?" Árdís blurted, with an intensity that made Haakon look at hersharply.
She was hidingsomething.
Fáfnir's eyes narrowed, and a wicked gleam shone there. "There is a cost involved fortrespassing."
"What do you want?" Árdís asked carefully. "Our horses are long gone. You cannot eat them. And we have little of value uponus."
"Then that is a problem for you. Give me something precious. Or one of you must stay, until the other fetches a prize to temptme."
Árdís trembled as she reached up to the back of her neck. What was she doing? Her face had gone deathlypale.
She unlocked the simple chain around her throat, and poured the ring and chain into her hand, holding it outflat.
"No!" He stepped toward her, but drew up short as that enormous head swiveled in his direction. He looked past the enormousdreki. "Árdís,no."
Not herring.
He didn't know why, but until she gave that ring back—or cast it aside—he felt like there was some hope betweenthem.
"We don't have anything else," shewhispered.
"This is barely silver." Fáfnir looked disgusted. "Do you mean to insultme?"
Árdís released a slow breath. "You're right. Itisonly silver. But it's also the most precious thing in the world to me. If I had gold or gems upon me, I would give them to you without hesitation, before I offeredthis."
Haakon's gut twisted. What was shesaying?
Fáfnir eased back down into a crouch. Rain began to patter down. "You are speaking the truth. I do notunderstand."
Árdís swallowed, and offered him the ring. Her hand shook. "My husband gave this to me. It is a sign of our commitment to eachother."
Fáfnir looked like he was enjoying her pain. "This is indeed a gift. I will acceptit."
