Eyvind leaned forward, bracing elbows on his knees. “Listen, Lynx,” he said in that stern leader’s voice. She felt the name right down to her toes.
Let me see how deep I can get, Lynx.
Hekla exhaled shakily.
“You cannot speak to me like that. Not before my men and especially not before Loftur and Konal.”
“They’re not here now, Hakonsson,” she said roughly. “So I think I’ll speak my piece. You want this job to go smoothly? It won’t happen if you follow Loftur’s deranged plan. We must visit the site of the first attack, and wemustventure into the woods.”
He shook his head. “Ever impatient, aren’t you?” he murmured, and she made the mistake of locking eyes with the man.
No, Lynx, don’t come for me yet.
To her great irritation, Hekla found her cheeks warming, and she forced her gaze away.
“Our orders are to appease Loftur. He’s not the sort of man we can plow over.”
“Orders?” said Hekla, with mock innocence. “Has there been a missive from Axe Eyes? I should like to see it.”
Eyvind’s gaze slid away as a muscle in his jaw feathered. “What I’m saying,” he continued, “is that we must find a way to work with Loftur.”
“I’ve tried working with him forweeks, Hakonsson,” snapped Hekla. “The man’s skull is filled with rocks!”
Those hazel eyes narrowed on her, and she felt him weighing this new version of her against the one he’d met last night. Combative and headstrong. Intolerant of fools.
“Try to exercise some self-restraint, Hekla.” The man’s commanding voice was threaded with amusement—a fact which made her blood simmer. “Give me a few days. See if I might soften Loftur to the idea of visiting the site of the first attack.”
His words gave her pause. Perhaps Eyvind Hakonsson had some brains in his skull, because it sounded to Hekla like the meeting she’d just witnessed had been meant to appease Loftur. And yet, Eyvind was clearly the kind of man who enjoyed games of politics—who would use other people as pieces on his game board.
Instinct urged Hekla to fight back against such games, but what she’d been doing for weeks had gotten her nowhere. Perhaps it was best to keep an eye on Eyvind Hakonsson and see if he could gain any traction.
“Fine.”
The corners of Eyvind’s lips twitched. “That was hard for you, wasn’t it?”
She sent him an irritated look.
“No more disrespect before my men.”
Her brows lifted. “And alone?”
Eyvind fought against a smile. “If you must.”
“Oh, I must.”
He ran a large hand down his face in a poor attempt to conceal his glee. “You’re going to make this difficult for me, aren’t you?” At her casual shrug, he sighed. “I ought to have known you weretheHekla Rey wrote of?—”
“What, precisely, did Axe Eyes say?” asked Hekla, spine stiffening.
“Only that you’re one of the most competent warriors he’s ever led.”
“Not competent enough to lead this job, apparently.”
His gaze grew contemplative. “Rey sent for me because he needed someone who could...understand Loftur. Who can appease and flatter him, and”—Eyvind lost the battle to his smile—“I can see your talents are better suited for the battlefield.”
“More likely, I do not have the rightequipment,” quipped Hekla, jerking her head toward his groin. “I wager if I had one of those, Loftur would have listened to me now. The mist would probably already be vanquished.”
“But you don’t,” said Eyvind, his smile deepening. “I know that for certain.”
