Beyond a Darkened Shore(48)

Heat scorched my cheeks. “What right do you have to say such things to me?”

“I have no right, and I can’t make you trust me either. You can always come up with a counterargument, but in the end, you will have to choose: Will you be my ally and trust me, or not? Besides,” he said with a grin, “did you believe I could ever hold you captive against your will?”

The last of my anger escaped me in a sigh. “I don’t know what to believe of you, that much is clear.”

“We’re allies, and I would never betray my ally. I am a man of my word. Honor is the only code we uphold, and I would die for it.”

His words rang true, and I had to admire that about him. It almost made me feel bad that I’d doubted him. “Then how did you leave things with the king? Was he not angry when you refused to hold me captive?”

“Furious, actually. But not enough to dare test his might against mine. You have nothing to fear from him.”

“There are worse things in this castle than a pompous little king,” I said.

Leif stilled. “What do you mean?”

“I came upon one of those hideous men from last night . . . cannibalizing my maidservant. He may not have been the size of a giant, but his strength was far beyond a mortal man’s. Can you make any sense of it?” I was reminded, suddenly, of the old gods appearing to us as crows and ravens and stags. “Do they have the power to transform themselves?”

His brows furrowed. “Many of the j?tnar have power over the elements, even over nature itself, but I haven’t heard of the ability to transform.”

I thought of the awesome beauty of nature, and nightmarish images of the snake-nosed Northman tearing into Aideen’s arm filled my mind. “But surely their behavior goes against nature. . . .”

“Not all the j?tnar are evil. Even Lord Odin’s mother is j?tnar.”

I shook my head at him. “And you didn’t think this was information I should know?”

“It never came up. The j?tnar we must destroy are the ones who call themselves the Bane of Odin.”

I remembered the king saying that during his conversation with Leif, and I frowned. “Are those . . . creatures we saw last night in league with Sigtrygg?”

Leif considered for a moment. “Sigtrygg is constantly seeking strong allies, and I’m sure they took advantage of that. I wouldn’t put it past the king to join forces with them. I think Sigtrygg may be even more interested in raids than my own people. He isn’t satisfied with merely being king of Dyflin; he wants to be king of all of éirinn.”

My stomach dropped at the news. “I knew he had designs on Mide, but I didn’t realize he was that power-hungry.”

“Enough so that he would form an alliance with abominations,” Leif said, disgust clear in his voice. “We shouldn’t remain in this city for much longer. The creature that attacked you—where is he now?”

“I killed him.” I touched my neck and took a shuddering breath. I could almost feel his hands around my throat once again.

“Alone? If he was truly j?tnar, then how could such a thing be possible? Did the Morrigan lend you aid?”

I shook my head, for once unoffended by his skepticism. The snake-nosed Northman was a superior foe; by all rights, I should have been dead. “I can’t explain it. He nearly choked the life from me, but I was able to grab hold of his mind and fight back. When I did, something strange happened. . . .” I trailed off as I tried to think of the right way to explain what had happened when I could barely understand it myself. “I separated my spirit from my body and was able to crush the giant’s heart.”

He nodded slowly, and I could tell he was as perplexed as I was. “I thank the gods you were able to—it scares me when I think of what could have happened . . .” He glanced at my throat and swallowed.

I lifted one shoulder and let it drop as though the mere memory of the battle with the giant—and what I’d found it doing to that poor girl—didn’t absolutely fill me with terror.

“Had you ever done that before—separated your spirit from your body?”

I hesitated. “Just once. After the battle in the Faerie Tunnel. I had no idea it was a new manifestation of power.” That thought reminded me of Leif’s kindness in caring for me, and I felt a blush creep over my bruised throat.

He reached out and ran a finger gently along my jaw. “Are you in pain? I cannot stand the thought of you being nearly killed.”

I stifled the delicious shiver that trailed along my spine at his touch. Why did he have this effect on me?

His eyes swept over my body, to the bed behind me. My pulse quickened. Unbidden, wanton thoughts of tearing the clothes from his body, my nails digging into the flesh of his back as I pressed myself against him came upon me. My body filled with heat. At the same time, disgust churned within me. What maid had thoughts such as these? About a murderous Northman, no less.

And now, a boy who had no intention of marriage—did the Northmen even marry?—who surely only wanted a night of pleasure, watched me with desire. He was my ally now, yes, but how could I forget that he had been my enemy? My lips parted to bid him good night, but the words would not come.

He took a step toward me, his gaze intent on mine. He was close enough to touch. Close enough to kiss. My breath hitched in my throat. I wanted him. For a moment, the temptation was so intense, I nearly succumbed to it.