“Here, let me,” says Odgar.
I lift my head to find him sitting in front of me. He pats his lap, and when I frown at him questioningly, he reaches out and grasps my ankle. I bite back a yelp as he tugs my foot onto his lap, but as soon as his thumbs press into my instep, a tiny groan slips past my lips.
I close my eyes and lean back, my palms against the bedding behind me. Odgar continues the massage, and it hurts so good that another tiny moan escapes.
A quiet, deep chuckle reverberates in his chest. “If a massage can elicit such sounds from you, raven warrior, I wonder?—”
“Don’t you dare,” I say, cutting him off.
But when I peek at him from beneath my half-closed eyelids, the sparkle in his eyes and his playful smirk coax a smile from me. His hand wraps around my other ankle, but this time, when he tugs on my leg, I’m yanked so close to him that my arse makes contact with his thigh. He lowers his face to mine, and I halfexpect him to kiss me. My heart kicks into double the speed, but from what, I’m uncertain.
“Tell me what you like,” he says in a hushed voice.
“Pardon me?!” The words erupt from me, far louder than I intend. I keep my gaze on his face, on his eyes that appear dark blue under the cover of night. Around us are a few flickering torches that screamfire hazard, and in my periphery, Briony is sitting upright, her face angled my way as if she’s ready to jump to my rescue.
“What kinds of things do you like?” Odgar asks calmly. “Favorite scents? Foods? Colors?”
The tension that I hadn’t realized gripped my shoulders melts away. “Why in hells do you want to know that?”
“Why not?”
“Alright—then you tell me first. What areyourfavorite scent, food, and color?”
Another low rumble of laughter in his chest. “The earth after a fresh downpour of rain or snow. Unless it smells like damp horseshit. Venison. Black, blue …” He lifts my braid from over my shoulder and slides his thumb over the golden streaks. “Gold.”
When he looks up at me again, my stomach does a somersault. I tug my leg away from him and slide backward, putting space between us. “I … should try to get some sleep.” I pull the thick socks up and retie the ribbon around the top to keep them in place beneath my knees. “I’m not used to so much on-foot travel,” I admit.
Odgar smiles and nods. He doesn’t seem phased by the very obvious distance I put between us, but I’m certain he notices. “Good night, raven warrior.”
I’m no warrior, I want to say in return. “Good night, Odgar.” I roll onto my side and try to find sleep but with no luck.
I shut my eyes and cling to the little mental strength I have so I can keep up a wall between the enchantress within me and my own thoughts; she has a habit of slipping into my mind when I’m off guard. I’m not sure which of our thoughts are more daunting at this point, but I focus on the sounds of an owl hooting in the distance and the occasional rustle of the leaves, hoping that sleep will soon come.
Chapter 13
Our travels commencethe next day without a hitch. For a while, Odgar walks ahead with King Freyr, whose wavy blond hair shimmers in the sunlight. There’s another man among them, stockier than any of them, his bald head covered in tattoos. I vaguely remember the mention of him being Freyr’s advisor or right-hand man. Or both.
I hang back with Briony, who whispers to me, “How are you faring?”
I pull the fur-lined cape tighter around my neck and roll my shoulders. The farther we walk, the colder it gets. “Just fine,” I respond at last.
Boisterous laughter sounds, followed by shouting and the clang of steel against steel. We all turn as the crowd parts, getting out of the way of two men circling each other. The sun glints off the larger man’s sword as he holds it up, prepared to strike. My heart leaps into my throat and I stagger backward with the memory of Eefa’s knife across my face.
A small cry escapes before I press my hand over my mouth, over my face, squeezing my eyes shut. Phantom pain sears across my skin, and my heart hammers in my ears. When I feel the rising heat of my own hands against my skin, I clench myfists and hide them behind my back. Several eyes are on me when I look at the crowd again. The fighting has subsided, and now I’m the one everyone is staring at.
A hand rests on my back, and an authoritative voice rises behind me. “Are we all going to just stand here, have a little tea party while we’re at it? Or is Sumarvegr upon us?”
The crowd cheers, fists and weapons pumped into the air. I turn to find Valdis’s blue eyes on me with calculating concern.
“You’re burning your cape,” she says calmly.
“I’m—” Looking down, to where my fists now hang at my side, the fur of my cape has, indeed, ignited. “Shit.” I smother the flames with my palms.
“You have got to learn how to control that,” says Valdis.
“You don’t think I know that?” I snap.
She looks down her straight nose at me, then tucks some of the hair that’s come loose from her braids behind her ear.
