Page 5 of Soul of Fire

Arik turned, and I felt his strong fingers weave through my hair to scratch my scalp. I closed my eyes as Idunn purred, the sound rumbling through my chest and making Arik laugh.

“I gave you the real reason.” Arik’s hand smoothed once over the back of my neck, massaging the sore muscles there. “If we flew in tonight, you’d be too exhausted to defend yourself if anything happened. Better to wait until we’re rested and prepared.”

“I told you—“

The room around us gave an ominous rumble as the walls of the inn shook. The rickety table in the corner rattled, sliding several inches across the floor, and dust fell from the ceiling in a small cloud.

Arik’s fingers stilled in my hair as we waited for the shaking to subside.

There had been several of these small quakes since the Rifting, and every one made Arik more tense than the last.

This one seemed to last a fraction longer than usual.

“These will stop soon, yes?” I asked, rolling onto my side to look at my mate. I brushed my fingers through his beard, admiring the strength of his jaw as he frowned.

Idunn whined in protest as he withdrew his hand and stood.

“I’m not sure.” He didn’t look at me as he strode to the tiny table, pushing it back into the corner of the room.

“What are you doing?” I turned back over onto my back and yawned so widely my jaw popped.

“Writing.” I heard the scratch of quill against paper, as Arik wrote. It must have been a very short missive, because a few moments later he neatly folded the paper and tilted the nearest candle over the edge, sealing it with a few drops of wax. “I’ll be back. You should be naked when I return.”

I smiled at the ceiling as color rose in my cheeks again, and I had every intention of following his suggestion. But when I nextblinked my eyes open, Arik was lifting me into a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

“Eat this, then go back to sleep,” he murmured, pushing a warm bowl into my hands. He kneeled before me and began tugging at the laces of my boots.

I felt a surge of affection for this man who took such good care of me.

“What about being naked?” I clumsily spooned what tasted like extremely bland gruel into my mouth and grimaced. “This tastes terrible.”

“Food is fuel,” Arik said, watching me intently as he removed my boots, then sat on the edge of the bed.

I swallowed down a few more bites, but it was impossible to keep my eyes open any longer. Arik grabbed the bowl just as I dropped it, and I gratefully sank back into the bed.

“I’m ready for ravishing now.”

“You look it.” He tucked his cloak firmly around my shoulders and blew out the candle.

“I’m awake,” I argued, trying to smother another yawn. “You promised me things.”

“I did.” Arik kicked his boots off and curled his body protectively around mine. “Sleep, Kjære. We’ll have time later.”

Always later.My jaw felt suddenly too heavy to form the words as Arik’s scent and heat surrounded me.When, later?

When you’re not falling asleep.He pressed a scratchy kiss to my cheek.

I turned in his arms, fighting the pull of unconsciousness.I’m awake.

Arik chuffed a laugh and kissed my forehead chastely as he tucked me more tightly under his chin.You’re a menace.

If he had more to say, I didn’t hear it.

Chapter two

Eisa

Iawoketothesound of running water. Arik’s side of the tiny bed was cold, and I fumbled for him in a minor panic.