She scowled at the table. First impression indeed. Their new leader was nothing but a hound on his father’s leash. He’d just silenced her before a hall full of warriors. He was no ally of hers. She ought to march out of this mead hall. Send a missive to Axe Eyes at once. But as Halldora swirled up with a fresh kettle of róa, Hekla was reminded that the citizens of Istré were innocent in this. Someone had to protect them.
She drew a deep breath and gathered the information she had. Hekla did not know Axe Eyes’s current location and storming from the hall would only leave Istré in the hands of incompetents.
No. If she wanted to help the people of Istré, Hekla would have to play the games of these men and let them think they were winning.
FOUR
Hekla tapped her metal fingers against the mead hall’s table, waiting as House Hakon’s warriors extracted themselves from the benches and made their way to the yard out back. She itched to leave and join their morning sparring session, but Eyvind had asked her to stay behind. Based on the condescending looks his warriors had sent her, she was fairly certain she was about to be scolded.
Slowly, the warriors cleared out of the mead hall, Konal lingering so long, she thought he would stay. Hekla couldn’t help but scowl at the man. Why in the eternal fucking fires did Eyvind Hakonsson need an advisor?
But Eyvind sent Konal a pointed look, and with a curt nod, the older man shuffled out back. And then they were alone. Hekla swiveled on the bench, folding her arms over her chest.
When first she’d discovered Eyvind’s identity, Hekla had been knocked off balance, but now, her feet were firmly planted on the ground. The way he’d disregarded her opinions, not to mention his obvious favoritism of Loftur, made Hekla eager for his suffering.She stared at Hakonsson expectantly, hoping to knock him askew—perhaps make him squirm a little.
But Eyvind did not have the good sense to look concerned in the least. He flopped onto the bench across from her and folded one leg over his knee. The gesture was maddeningly casual considering his treatment of her before his men. And then he had the audacity to smile.Smile!
“So,” he said.
Hekla’s glare intensified. “So...what?” she burst out, then chastised herself for letting him get under her skin.
His hazel eyes roamed her face. “Why did you sneak out this morning?” he said, just as Hekla blurted, “Thisis your second chance?”
A groove formed between his black brows, his gaze coming to rest on her mouth. Hekla’s gods-damned heart kicked up a beat.
“Mistake,” she muttered. “Last night was a mistake. Had I known who you were, I’d have put a stop to it.”
Eyvind blinked as her words landed. He ran a hand along the side of his head, where neat rows of braids gleamed under torchlight. “I do not regret it,” murmured Eyvind, meeting her gaze and holding it far too long for her liking. “How could I?”
“Spoken like a man,” huffed Hekla.
“There were two of us on that riverbank,Lynx,” he said with a glint in his eye.
Hekla tried to ignore the roll of her stomach. “Of course you would not consider it,” she snapped. “What would your men think of me should they discover I took you to my furs?” How did she explain to a man who’d been handed everything in life how hard she’d had to fight to get where she was now?
Eyvind’s gaze grew distant as he pondered her words. “Aye, but you’re right.”
Shock bristled through her at this admission, but Hekla quickly schooled it from her expression.
“I can promise you, Hekla, I won’t speak a word of it.” Amusementwas back, dancing in his eyes. “And as much as I’m tempted to repeat last night?—”
Images of scarred golden skin and a poorly drawn dragon tattoo skimmed through her mind, but Hekla shoved them sternly aside.
“—we cannot,” Eyvind concluded.
“That suits me just fine, Foxie,” said Hekla, frowning as his eyes brightened at her use of that name. “Best we forget it ever happened.”
“Yes,” he said, his cunning smile widening. “Though it did. Happen.”
Hekla pursed her lips, her insides heating through.
“Three? Four times?” prodded Eyvind, arrogant male pride shimmering in his gaze.
She scoffed, then looked away. “I suppose that’s squared,” Hekla muttered, making to stand.
“So we’re clear,” Eyvind said, and she could tell he was trying to rein himself in, “this jobmustgo smoothly. It is a tremendous opportunity.”
“Opportunity,” repeated Hekla, all amusement draining from her. “For whom? Istré’s citizens, who are being slaughtered?”
