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"And did she teach him?" Khan asked.
"She did, but in order to understand the runes, Odin had to suffer and sacrifice for them because it was power not meant for men. He hung himself on Yggdrasil, the World Tree, for nine days and nights. The runes revealed themselves to him on the very last night when he was close to death. Everything in the world is made up of them and their power."
Khan tilted his head a little, disarming her with a curious smile. "Does that mean you won't teach them to me if I ask you?"
"I don't know. I would have to be convinced." Fen bit her lip, thinking it over. "Even if I did, you might not be able to wield them magically as I do. You might be able to read them or scry with them, but that would be all."
"How about I teach you something in return?" Khan asked, crouching down in front of her. He was close enough that she could smell his spicy heat, and she tried not to think of his lips on hers and her hand inside his shirt. Fen pulled herself back from destruction. Therewassomething she wanted to know.
"If I teach you to read my words, I want you to teach me to read yours," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You have so many books in there. I know that I could learn much if I could read them. I need something to keep me amused while I'm here."
"I'm not amusing enough for you?" Khan said with mock outrage.
"Parts of you are," Fen replied before flinching. "That came out wrong. What I mean is I like talking about magic and myths with you, but you have other duties, and reading would keep me occupied while you work."
"It's true. I've been busier than I thought I would be lately. I'd be happy to teach you to read, Fen, and when I can't, I can get you a tutor. Kash and Kemes would help you too," Khan replied. He lifted her chin. "You will tell me if there's anything I can get for you to make your stay easier, yes?"
"I will. If you help me read all those books, you probably won't hear a word out of me until they are done," she said, leaning a little into his hand because she was weak.
"You will just have to tell me about what you're reading. I like having someone to talk openly with." Khan's eyes softened. He opened his mouth to say something else when Kashmet interrupted them.
"Here you are! I thought we were meant to be training, not mud painting with Fen. Your goddess looks a little flat there, witch," he teased, pointing to the punched clay. Fen threw the piece she held at him, smiling when it splattered against his chest. Kashmet flicked it off his skin.
"Want to play, do you?" He reached to wipe it on her, but Khan's hand knocked him away.
"No time for playing, Kash. I don't know how long I have before my father wants me for something," Khan said, making Kashmet roll his eyes.
Fen waggled her dirty fingers at them. "Have fun, boys."
"Join us if you get too frustrated with your goddess-making," Khan said, brushing his fingers over her bare shoulder on his way past. It was a casual touch, but Fen felt its warmth long after he had gone.
She looked down at what remained of her statue of Freya.
"This is all your fault," Fen complained, and she could've sworn she heard the goddess's laughter.
Twenty
Kashmet waited until they were in the training room before opening his big mouth. Khan knew his cousin well enough to see some kind of teasing was coming.
"What was that I just walked in on?" Kashmet asked, waggling his eyebrows.
Khan played dumb. "I was talking to Fen?"
"Yeah, we both know there was a bit more than that going on." Kashmet put an arm around his shoulders. "Come on,?e?ru, you don't have to hide things from me."
"I'm not hiding anything," Khan replied, knocking Kash's hand away and heading for the racks of wooden spears. He had been a wound-up ball of tension for days. The assassination attempt had only made it worse.
"You two have been weird since the party the other night."
"Of course we have been. I was almost murdered?"
Kash grabbed one of the spears and whacked Khan on the ass. "Stop avoiding the obvious. You like her. You don't have to lie to me about it. The whole city is talking about you two making out like horny beasts."
"Fen did it to stop me from drinking the wine, that's all," Khan replied.
Kash shook his head. "She forgot how to use her voice? Or her hands, for that matter? Don't be dumb,?e?ru. She kissed you because she wanted to."
Khan tried and failed to ignore the heat burning the back of his neck. He used the spear to help stretch out the tightness in his shoulders.
