“What blood?”
“I…” He sighs. “My blood is Jotnar.”
CHAPTER 53
Iscoff at the half-naked man before me.
“Jotnar?”
“Jotnar.”
“You think I’m stupid?”
“I said you wouldn’t believe me.”
I’m ripping flowers from their stems and dropping them to the floor as I pace around his barren house.
“Jotnar are gone, Ari,” I say. “Myths from the olden days.”
“You know better than that.”
“How so?”
“You perform magic you didn’t know existed just a week ago.”
I shake my head. He makes a good point. But seriously. This man. A Jotnar? Has he gone crazy? Has he always been crazy? Maybe he likes to suck on rocks after he has talked to them too.
His steely gaze rests on my face. He is calm as a windless night. I felt the flash of frost beneath my hand. It was definitely magic. A magic older than the very mountains we walk on. That feeling reached my bones. I keep his gaze, refusing to buckle and break eye contact.
“What the fuck are you staring at?” I shout.
“Sorry, I… Listen…” He strokes a finger along the scar tissue. “I’ve only told two other people.”
“Oh, that makes it better? It’s your little secret?” I snort, like I’m being funny. “You’re not right in the head, making this shit up.”
“I’m not making it up.”
“Your mama was a giant then?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe your papa was fucking giants?”
“Kilda…” he rolls his eyes with a smile. “I don’t know.”
“This is funny to you?”
“No, I’m very serious.” His grin stays on his face.
“So, what do you know?”
“Very little, I’m afraid.”
“Well shit.” I hold my chin in my fingers. “Jotnar. Doesn’t know. Father is a giant fucker.”
“Relax, please. Sit.”
He taps the bed next to him. What does he think? That I’m just going to sit down and continue our little game of intimacy? A Jotnar and a thrall, just having a good time? He really must be crazy.
