But Kesst was raising his hand and whirling around, his black hair flying out behind him. “No,” he hissed again, without looking. “No more of your rubbish, you great greedy prick. I amfinishedwith you,forever!”
And with that, he grasped Efterar’s arm, and stalked away toward Orc Mountain, without looking back.
21
For all Geva’s previous impending dread of Orc Mountain, it turned out that she scarcely noticed it as she stiffly strode beside Rathgarr through its wide, lamplit stone corridors.
They were following Sigarr and Abjorn again, who — much to Rathgarr’s obvious embarrassment — had unfortunately been present for that entire disastrous little scene. And who were now casting uncertain glances over their shoulders toward him, as though he was now liable to forever abandonthemat any moment, too.
“Here you are,” Abjorn said, his voice falsely jovial, as he waved toward one of the many tall doors cut into the thick stone walls. “We were told this room shall be yours, for as long as you wish, and you have this whole corridor all to yourselves, also. Should you like to join us for a meal soon? Or mayhap a tour? I ken the captain and his mate are most eager to see you both.”
The captain. That had to be the captain Rathgarr hated, surely? And Geva couldn’t suppress a compulsive shiver at the thought of yet another catastrophic meeting, especially with Rathgarr still in such an utterly incompetent state.
“That sounds very lovely,” Geva replied, as brightly as she could, sparing only a glance toward the well-appointed, lamplit room around them. “But I’m afraid we’ve been travelling all day, and I’m completely dead on my feet! I would be very grateful for an opportunity to rest and refresh myself, and perhaps we can visit more thoroughly in the morning? I’m sure there is so much to see, and I would love to be properly awake to enjoy it all.”
At this, Sigarr betrayed a dubious-looking frown, but thankfully Abjorn was already nodding, his eyes warm and sympathetic. “Ach, ach, we follow,” he said firmly. “There is a latrine down the way if you need this, and if you should like to wash, the Skai bath is not far from here — you yet ken where this is, Rath? Is there aught more you might need?”
Geva didn’t even bother looking at Rathgarr for an answer this time, and instead gave Abjorn and Sigarr her best, biggest smile. “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “We’re so grateful to you both for all your kindness.”
Abjorn broadly smiled back, but it rapidly faded as he glanced toward Rathgarr again. And evidently, Rathgarr had finally deigned to take some notice of his surroundings, because he abruptly grasped for Abjorn, and yanked him close into his chest.
“Thank you, my brother,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “More in the morn, ach?”
Abjorn was looking thoroughly gratified again, sinking into Rathgarr’s embrace with easy familiarity, and Geva once again found her teeth clenching, her eyes flicking away. And catching once more on Sigarr, who was again meeting her gaze, and giving a wry, tolerant shrug. As if to say,what can be done about this, but Geva’s patience was already badly fraying, her temper rising far too close.
“Well, goodnight, then,” she said loudly, through her gritted teeth. “See you soon!”
Thankfully Abjorn took the hint, even if Rathgarr couldn’t, and he gave Geva a quick, sheepish wave as he hurried to follow Sigarr out the door. And finally,finally, Geva and Rathgarr were alone again, and she could whirl around to glare at him, her fury flashing sharp and white behind her narrowed eyes.
“What the hell, Rathgarr!” she breathed, as quietly as she could, under the circumstances. “What in all the gods’ scorched stinking earth wasthat?!”
For a brief, alarming moment, Rathgarr just kept gazing at her, long enough that she felt a faint, genuine flicker of fear. Perhaps all this had truly shattered him, somehow? Perhaps seeing Kesst had broken something forever? Perhaps this was already over?!
She reflexively stepped forward, gripping at his arm, giving it a little shake — and at the touch, Rathgarr seemed to shake himself awake again too, the movement jerky, strangely uncontrolled. “Why — why do you say this,” he said, his voice still not quite his, but that was surely him behind his eyes again, in that contemptuous curl of his mouth. “I am here. Is this not enough?”
“No!” Geva spluttered at him, snatching her hand away again. “No, damn it, it isn’t! I thought you wanted to reconcile with Kesst! But instead you barely speak awordto him, or to his mate?! Wait” — a horrible suspicion was dawning — “is it because you’re upset his mate isn’t awoman?”
It was unfortunately an all-too-common sentiment, though luckily Geva’s own parents had refused to tolerate such narrow-minded judgements — and Rathgarr visibly balked, and then spun and stalked away from her, pacing across the small, stone-walled room.
“You ken I am vexed overthat?!” he demanded, as he whirled around, and stalked toward her again. “Ach, I have known Kesst since he was an orcling, and I should only be vexed if hehadgone off and mated a woman!”
Oh. Well. Geva allowed herself a brief moment of relief, but then pulled herself up taller, folding her arms tightly over her chest. “Well, if you know him so well, why did you try to give him that damned dagger?” she shot back. “Did you not notice that he wasn’t wearing any weapons, the way Sigarr and Abjorn were? He was wearing jewelry! Surely you still have anynumberof other pilfered baubles you could have offered him?”
She shot an uneasy glance down toward her own wedding-ring, and Rathgarr had surely noticed, angling her a dark, baleful look from where he was still pacing back and forth, now yanking at his hair. “This has no bearing upon you, woman,” he snapped. “It is none of your concern!”
Geva couldn’t help a shrill, wild-sounding laugh, a desperate shake of her head. “Thisismy concern, and you know it!” she growled at him. “This is my —”
But before she could finish, Rathgarr had clapped his hand powerfully over her mouth, his big restless body shifting far too close. “Hush, woman,” he breathed in her ear, his voice hot and low with menace. “Should you keep speaking of this here, and risk ruiningallfor me, I shall happilygagyou!”
Ohwouldhe, the utter bastard, and Geva felt herself bristling, hissing through her teeth. “You will not,” she breathed back. “You have no rightwhatsoeverto —”
But her voice again broke off, this time because Rathgarr had snapped up his hand — and in his claws was a shiny gold coin. Another ten-piece, damn him to hell and back, and Geva’s traitorous eyes stared at it for an instant too long. To which Rathgarr gave a grim, harsh little laugh, and tossed it onto the bed.
“Undress,” he growled at her. “Now.”
Undress. And curse it, Geva should have argued, fought it, thrown his infuriating coin straight back in his infuriating face. But instead, she was looking at that face, which — angry as it was — still looked like… him. Like the Rathgarr she hadn’t seen, perhaps, since the night before.
“Fine,” she snarled back at him, as she began unfastening her lovely blue dress, and yanked it off over her head. And then she hurled it straight toward him, an action that should have been satisfying, but for how easily he caught it, folded it, and draped it over a nearby chair. And then he impatiently snapped his claws toward the rest, the great greedy brute, so next Geva went for her boots and shift and stockings, and threw all that toward him, too.
