It was a wedding ring, a silver band of intricate knotwork that shone in the firelight. He had kept it for this moment. ‘I swear it, on my mother’s ring.’
There was another bang at the hall doors. Some of his men began to shift nervously.
Skadi gestured with her chin towards the doorway, but he’d seen the curiosity in her gaze when she’d looked at the ring. It was meant to be hers, had always belonged to her in his mind. ‘My men will break through and they will kill you all!’
Agnar laughed, throwing his head back with a false throaty chuckle. The men joined him, chuckling lightly, the tension in their bodies easing as if soothed by his confidence.
As his head dipped forward again to meet her eyes, his smile fell and his voice dropped into a deadly warning, ‘Believe me, you do not want that to happen, my Queen. It would leave me with only one choice.’ Deliberately he let his gaze shift towards the sea chest and the two people hiding behind it. The child was no longer visible, the servant must have told her to huddle down. But he didn’t need to see Skadi’s daughter to make his intentions clear.
When he looked back at Skadi, he saw her confidence had drained away and all that was left was a mother’s fear. He knew that look well. He had seen it on his mother’s face countless times and he felt no sympathy for Skadi because of it. Her actions had brought her to this moment and she was bound to him forever.
It was fate and neither of them could deny it.
Skadi tried to bargain with him. ‘There is another path. You could leave Thrudheim and never return. I will not tell Sven that you came here. I will not demand retribution for Heimdall. Go back to the Rus and live in peace.’
His smile tasted bitter on his lips. He did not smile often and it didn’t sit well with him. Just like his next words, even though he spoke honestly, ‘I will have all or nothing. Makeyourchoice,Skadi.’
She growled at him through gritted teeth, but refused to answer. She was waiting, hoping for her men to break through.
Hope was a dangerous thing.
He knew he couldn’t look away from her. Couldn’t have her doubt him for a single moment. He had killed Beske in front of her to prove the conviction of his word. But it still wasn’t enough…she still had hope.
His plan was despicable. Corrupt. The words of a dishonourable and cruel man.
But he had never claimed to be good and life was never fair.
He had fought for too long and suffered far too much to give up now. He would have her as his Queen, whether it was by deceit or cruelty, he did not care.
Hewouldhave her.
Stepping forward, he slowly raised his sword. ‘If you do not accept, or delay any longer…the child dies.’
Chapter Four
No!
Denial and fury screamed through her body and, with a strength and speed she hadn’t realised she possessed, she flew forward as Agnar took a threatening step towards her Astra.
Instinctively, she knew Agnar was the greatest threat and she hoped to kill him before his second had time to react. The redheaded warrior had looked distinctly uncomfortable with the direction of the negotiationsand she knew Brenna had a greater chance at protecting Astra from him than from the beast in front of her.
Charging forward, she threw her shield back at the red-haired warrior, hoping to wound or distract him long enough to give Brenna and Astra more time. Unfortunately, the warrior was able to strike it away with his own and it rolled towards the sea chest.
Perhaps Brenna could make use of it? Unfortunately, Skadi didn’t have time to check what became of it because she was already within reach of Agnar.
Leaping high, she held her sword with both hands and struck with all her might, the sweeping arc of her blade ready to cleave Agnar from shoulder to hip. It was a move that had floored or killed other men in moments. But as she suspected, Agnar was made of steel and cunning. He matched her strike with a block of his own, her blade scraping down his sword with a screech of clashing metal as she returned to the ground.
It was like trying to cut down a tree made of stone.
An arrow flew to the side of her, but it bounced uselessly off the red-haired warrior’s shield and she realised Brenna was running out of time. She spun away from Agnar and attacked the warrior, striking him hard in the same way she’d tried with Agnar. She ignored the pain of her wounded leg and the tiredness in her arms, landing the blow as if she were trying to fell a tree with one hit.
This time she had better success, although he was still quick enough to raise his shield. It cracked in two, one half falling to the ground as he stumbled away, knocking into the bed. Unfortunately, she hadn’t managed to do anything more than stun him and he was already rising to his feet.
She spun back towards Agnar, grateful that the man lacked speed despite his god-like strength. He was closing in, but still a few feet away from her, his sword raised high.
Shifting, so that she could just about see both men, she prepared herself to fight again with a few gasped breaths and readjustment of her grip. Ready to take the terrible blows that were sure to rain down on her, to battle with all her might for her child’s survival.
Agnar continued to prowl towards her and she clenched her sword tightly.
