Page 82 of Storm of Desire
"A tithe for Fáfnir." Some of the villagers in Iceland had arrangements with the localdreki, to keep their livestock safe. "He's not going to behappy."
"Good."
He offered her a joint, and Árdís picked at the meat hungrily with her blunt teeth. She hadn't been eating enough since she'd been trapped in this mortal form. While her energy requirements weren't as significant as thedreki's, she still needed to consume more than she hadbeen.
Her stomach grumbled as she licked at her fingers. Haakon sliced another piece of goat for her, and offered it to her on the flat of his blade, their eyes meeting. Árdís leaned forward to take it from the blade, her teeth closing carefully around themeat.
"Are you trying to tempt meagain?"
"Is itworking?"
The faintest of smiles curled the corner of his mouth up. "Always. Despite my best intentions, despite the past." His eyes filled with sudden shadows. "Despite thefuture."
His faceshuttered.
The past. The future. All of it knotted into one tangled web she didn't think she could everundo.
"I never wanted to hurtyou."
The words were raw, stripped from her soul. In them, she could hear the quivering loss of all those years, all those moments when she'd been alone and hollow, and wished she could reach for him, justonce.
It was only in his arms that she'd ever felt whole. Orsafe.
And he stoppedtalking.
Stopped breathing, infact.
But he was listening, as if he sensed the sudden shift in the air betweenthem.
And suddenly it all seemed to want to spill from her. Every last damning word. Every dark secret. Árdís curled her fingers into her palms. She didn't dare. This was only the lingering aftereffect of passion. He'd brought her undone in so many more ways than merely thephysical.
"Let's not think of the future tonight. Or the past." Árdís leaned up to kiss his cheek, before easing back onto her bottom. "Please."
He'd refused to kiss her on the mouth, and she didn't dare push forit.
One night. Those were the terms she'd setherself.
And if it hurt, then it was her own damnedfault.
Haakon sat stiffly, as if heknewshe'd been on the verge of confessing, and had chosen cowardice instead. But he looked away, staring into the flames, his fingers toying idly with the fabric covering his knee. "As youwish."
Just like that, the moment wasgone.
"You've lost weight," hemuttered.
"Ithappens."
Such inconsequential words. Safe,nothingwords.
Árdís ate swiftly, ignoring the long, slow looks he gave her, as he fed her more and more of the delicious meat. Eating it from his knife and hand felt somehow intimate. As if he needed to provide for her. Protecther.
"Why didn't you tell me you were hungry?" A faint frown crossed his brow. "You always had an appetite, but it didn't seem as strong back inViksholm."
"It was, but I hunted," she admitted. "When you were working the fields, or away. I managed to keep the worst of the hunger at bay, and your mother always fedme."
Because she wanted me to be fit and strong enough to bear yourchildren.
Suddenly, her appetitevanished.
