Page 35 of Soul of Fire

He reached for me in a sudden movement, and I let him catch me around the waist.

“It’s not kind to speak ill of the dead.” My comment was rather breathless as he kissed the spot below my ear and made me shiver.

Arik pulled back and gave me a sardonic look. “That was the kindest thing I’ve ever said about Einar. It was almost praise.”

I wove my fingers through his hair, the ashen strands soft and still slightly damp. His eyes darkened, and he resumed his attention on my neck. “Do you regret it?”

Regret what?he asked in my mind, his lips too preoccupied to form the words.

“Killing him.”

Arik stilled, studying me. “Do you wish I hadn’t, Kjære?”

I shook my head, pressing my lips to his in reassurance. “I told you then that I was glad you did it. My opinion hasn’t changed.”

“Then why ask?” He held me slightly away from him, a frown creasing his brow above his nose.

“Because it led us here.” I stroked my thumb over his cheekbone, admiring the way the light from the fireplace danced across the tattoos on his scalp. “To face your father and your brother and memories I know you’d rather not face.”

Arik’s expression cleared as he pulled me flush against him and pressed his lips back to mine in a firm, consuming kiss.Nothing is too difficult to face with you beside me, Kjære.

I sighed into him, feeling heat curl in my belly as Idunn rumbled her approval.

Idunn liked watching you this afternoon.

Only Idunn?Arik’s eyes gleamed silver as he pulled me atop him and lay back into the pillows. His hands slid beneath the nightgown and traveled up my thighs, leaving goosebumps in the wake of his calluses on my flesh. He growled as he found me bare underneath.I take it back. This nightgown is glorious.

She enjoyed watching Arne too,I teased, nipping at his lower lip as he squeezed my backside.

I don’t want to hear you thinking of my uncle right at this moment.He moved his mouth back to my neck and sucked so hard I knew I would bruise.Or ever.

Arik tugged firmly on the hem of the nightgown and pulled it up over my head, throwing it carelessly to the floor. At least it was in one piece.

He sucked in a breath, stilling as he held my hips in place.

“Who did this to you?” His eyes had turned to silver slits as he caught sight of the purpling bruise in a thick line across my thigh.

“Branka. She caught me with the stick when we were sparring earlier.”

I heard Baldur growl so loudly, the shutters on the windows rattled.

I’m fine,I soothed, running my fingers over his scalp and through his hair as I pressed kisses across his chest.It barely even hurts.

“I don’t like that Idunn’s magic won’t fix this,” he said, his hand pressing over the bruise. I sucked in a yelp as I felt a pulse of heat, Baldur’s magic flowing over the marred purple streak.

“Stop that.” Aside from shifting into the fire-breathing beasts, this was the only other magic I knew the drage possessed, and it only worked on mates who shared a soul bond. I had healed Arik with Idunn’s magic before, but his injuries had been life threatening, and it was extremely draining. “Arik.”

He lifted his hand, the bruise having faded to a muddy brown. I laughed at his look of irritation and pressed my forehead to his.You can’t fix me, Kjære.

I never called him the nickname, which meant something along the lines of ‘beloved’, out loud. It felt too intimate. Too much of something I wasn’t yet ready for. But mind to mind, it wasn’t quite as terrifying, and it seemed to soothe some jagged edge in him that formed whenever he saw me sick or injured.

“Idunn was supposed to fix this,” he conceded, lifting a hand to weave his fingers through my hair and cup the back of my head. “The Chaos was supposed to heal you.”

Dragons are notsupposedto do anything,Idunn rumbled indignantly.

None of that.I ignored Idunn and pushed Arik back against the pillows until I was straddling him. I was completely bare above him, and his need had grown thick and hard beneath the cover that hid his lower half.You’re not to pity me. Not tonight.

I pressed a kiss to the spot where the thick line of a tattoo grazed the top of his nipple, and I felt him shudder against me.