“You…” The word came out hissed and dripping with anger through her clenched, chattering teeth. “You selfish, ungrateful, absolute fool!”
“I’m sorry…”
“You… you…”
She pushed herself away from the stove and with a trembling hand, smacked him over the head.
He drew his shoulders in and tried to make himself small, as if that were even possible.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying you’re sorry!”
It crossed her mind that Seraphina was right. Before she’d run away from him, she’d yelled at him, over and over, to stop saying he was sorry.
“You witless creature,” Briar spat. “How long were you at the bottom of the lake?”
“I don’t know. Long enough.”
“To… what? You can’t die, you idiot! What was the plan?”
He shrugged.
“What was your brilliant plan, Rune? To float with your lungs full of water until spring, when some fisherman would’ve found you? Or until you got bored?”
“I don’t know. I just didn’t want to be anymore.”
“Do you think I want to be? Do you think anyone in this God forsaken…”
She stopped herself and felt for the crucifix, hoping she hadn’t lost it. Her fingers wrapped around it, and her heart slowed its hammering.
“God, forgive me.”
Then promptly started hitting him again, though in her weakened state the damage she was doing was more spiritual than physical. The man had wrenched a branch out of his chest. Any damage she’d ever manage to inflict on him would have to be categorized as spiritual.
“Next time, I will leave you there to soak, and come back for you on a nice, sunny day, and only if I feel like a swim.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured pathetically.
“Ugh!”
She yanked at the rope around his waist, found one of her daggers, cut it, then cut it again to adjust its length. She took hold of his right arm, secured his elbow between her knees, and tied one end of the rope around his wrist. The other end, she tied around her left wrist.
Rune tilted his head but didn’t say anything.
Briar pulled at the rope hard but not much happened. She rolled her eyes. Had he been a normal person, he would’ve fallen over at her feet. But no, fate had it that he was a massive oaf with supernatural strength that he most certainly did not deserve. Meanwhile, Briar was a slip of a woman, and she had to do everything.
“You will never get out of my sight again.”
His answer was to hang his head in shame.
“I know you can easily get out of this bind,” she continued, “but I want it to be clear. If you do, I will be very cross with you.”
Rune nodded.
“Good. Now let’s get out of these wet clothes and eat dinner.”
His head snapped up at that.
