The guards and soldiers parted before her as she stormed through the grounds. The bottoms of her split skirt brushed upon the hard-packed, sandy dirt, wind flying under her toes. Vhalla clenched and unclenched her fingers.
“Major Jax,” she called the moment she spotted his high bun among a group of soldiers performing drills.
Jax paused. Aldrik had trained her well because Vhalla didn’t miss the flash of panic in his eyes. Her expression had instilled the appropriate amount of concern in him. Maybe this time it’d be enough for him to tell her the truth.
“Why, Lady Yarl, been some time. And here I thought you’d forgotten about little ol’ me,” he chuckled.
“Not quite.” She folded her hands at the small of her back. “I require you.”
“That’s what they all say.” Jax gave a lecherous wink to a nearby soldier, who laughed uncomfortably.
“In there.” Vhalla pointed to a castle entry, a gust of wind unlatching and opening a door.
Jax followed her orders, and she followed him into the privacy of the small storeroom. Her hands were nearly shaking as she eased the door shut, trying not to slam it.
“As much as I appreciate your Western-clad beauty, I feel obligated to tell you that the men will talk.” Jax leaned against a table, adjusting his high bun.
“Why are the records missing?”
Jax froze. His hands slowly fell from his hair. Vhalla watched as the madman began to take over.
“What records are you asking about?”
“Don’t play coy, and don’t lie to me. Your records,” she snapped.
“I never lied to you.”
“How dare you.” The hurt was real. It was just as bad, perhaps even worse, as Jax’s original tale. “You told me I could trust you with my life, and you didn’t trust me with your truth.”
“I did not lie.” The man gripped the table, digging his nails into the wood. “Don’t chase this.”
“You did. I know you did,” she insisted.
“You drew your own conclusions, and I didn’t correct them.” Jax slapped the table and stood upright. “Now leave this be.”
“No.” Vhalla moved in front of the door. “If you are my friend, you will tell me.”
“Who said I wanted to be your friend?” Jax snapped back. “Let me leave, Lady Yarl. And don’t go chasing ghosts again.”
“I will not!” She had such precious few people in the world. The idea of losing Jax to old crimes immolated her senses. Their friendship would only be salvaged if he could trust her.
“Why don’t you just ask Aldrik?” Jax was suddenly unable to look at her.
“I want to hear it from you.” Vhalla lifted her hands, trying to calm them both. “I need to hear it from you.”
“You already heard what I had to say. I owe you nothing more.”
“You didn’t kill her, did you?” Vhalla rested her hands gently on his upper arms.
He flinched at the touch. “I did,” Jax insisted, but his resolve had fractured just enough that he continued. “But I never meant to.”
“What happened?” Vhalla prodded gently.
“Nothing that should have.”
“Was it an accident?” She tried to tilt her head to meet his eyes.
“Partly.”
