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I refuse to back down, though she makes it hard. She's a bright flame. And just like a flame, she burns hot. Her temper is as fierce as any Valkyrie's. But when she loses hers, I want to kiss the fire from her mouth to see how it burns.
"Fine," she says, elbowing me in the stomach as she slips past me to the window. She makes a production of throwing it open, making sure I know she's annoyed with me.
I watch her carefully as she attempts to shimmy her way up onto the sill, only to slip back down again. After the third try, she gives up, spinning to face me.
"If you want me up ther–"
I'm on top of her in a split second, backing her up against the wall. My lips come down on hers, my kiss hard and hungry. Her lips part on a surprised gasp, allowing me entry. I take the unwitting invitation, stealing her breath as she melts into me.
Heat flows between us, quickly morphing into an inferno. Gods. Is this how it's to be between us then? Fire and ice? A constant push and pull until we both ignite, too wild with want to contain it any longer? It's Niflheim and Muspelheim all over again, the runoff of two polar opposites crashing together to raise giants.
Only this time, it's Valkyrie and Fae, Light and her Guardian. And not even the Forsaken themselves will be able to pry her from my arms when she finally accepts the bond she forged between us.
"Believe whatever you want to tell yourself about me,elskan-ljós. Convince yourself that none of this is happening if that's what you must do to protect yourself. Butdo not everput yourself in danger," I snarl against her lips. "Or you'll answer to me."
"I thought you said you wouldn't hurt me."
"Ja, I did. But who said spanking you would hurt?"
"You arenotspanking me."
"Then forget whatever plans you've been up here making. You'll break your fool neck trying to escape out of the window, or get lost in the forest, or be eaten by any number of wild animals. We're miles from anything resembling civilization, and I didn't bring you out here to die."
A hysterical laugh bubbles up from her throat. "Yes, you did. That's exactly why you brought me here, Dax. To die fulfilling some prophecy you claim I'm supposed to fulfill."
"Nei," I murmur, stroking my thumb down her cheek. "Every Fae here will fall to darkness before we allow you to do so."
She meets my gaze, a question swirling in hers. "Why?"
"Because it's who we are. Because it's our duty. Because you called my soul and gave every single one of us what we haven't had in three hundred years.Hope."
She stares at me for a long, silent moment, and then sighs. She doesn't panic at my admission that she called my soul. She doesn't deny it, either. She simply ignores that I brought it up at all. "How did you know I was going to try to sneak out?" Horror and suspicion overtake her gaze. "Can you read my mind?"
"Nei, elskan-ljós. That isn't one of the Fae gifts."
"Oh." Her shoulders droop, relief coloring her tone. "Then how?"
"Come downstairs and I'll show you." I hold my hand out, leaving the choice up to her. Praying to the old Gods that she takes it.
She hesitates for only a moment before gingerly placing her hand into mine and claiming another piece of my soul.
Chapter Five
Rissa
Dax lives in afairytale mansion. At least that's how it seems to me. The house was obviously built by hand…his unless I miss my guess. And either he's had practice at it, or working with wood comes naturally to him because every hand-hewn wall stands in testament to the skill and craftmanship that went into it. Every massive log was carefully placed, the seamsso tightly compacted that it's hard to tell where one log ends and another begins.
Large windows nestle high up, allowing natural light to flood into every corner. It should be cold inside, considering the thick layer of snow and ice coating everything outside. But it's warm and inviting.
I understand why when we make it down the giant staircase. A fireplace takes up half of one wall, flames dancing from thick pieces of wood inside. Half a dozen people stand around it, staring at us.
My steps falter.
"Easy,elskan-ljós," Dax murmurs, his hand at the small of my back. He hovers over me like the world's most protective prison guard. Except I've mostly accepted that he didn't kidnap me and I'm not a prisoner here. I think I may even believe what he told me.
That's what terrifies me. Ibelievehim…and I don't want to. I want to go back to a week ago when my life made some semblance of sense. It's never been easy. There have always been little things that made me feel like I didn't quite belong. I've always felt things I shouldn't, heard things that weren't there, but those little whispers never led me astray. Until now.
Aside from one tiny girl who can't be older than sixteen or seventeen, everyone else in the room is just as big and intimidating as Dax. Two of the men—Fae? —seem familiar, as if I should be able to place them.
