“Hush, love,” Lilia said. “You’re an excellent miner. And baker. Nilsa sends her love.”
My heart swelled, even as a stab of pain went through it. I hadn’t seen my cousin, Nilsa, in years, though I didn’t much blame her. It was a long trek from Riverwold to the mountains. She had her own life and her own inn to look after. She journeyed here as often as she could.
If only I could travel to Riverwold.
“How is she? And Herold? They sent a letter a few months back, but—”
A hush descended upon the tavern. It was so sudden that my own words died in the back of my throat. Lilia and Ragnar both turned in unison, eyes sweeping toward the tavern’s entrance. Three shadow demons with dusky, midnight blue skin stood just inside, their curving black horns scraping the ceiling. They wore black fighting leathers and had small daggers strapped to their thighs and hips. Two of them—a man and a woman—were the big and burly type, like Ragnar.
But the one in the front…he was tall, but not quite as looming as the others. And he moved with a preternatural grace that defied logic. Shadows swept across his neck, curling in intricate patterns. He was slightly shorter than the others, but something about him sucked up all the space.
“Can we get some of those pins?” he called out, his lyrical voice echoing through the silent tavern. “We’ve come to join the competition.”
2
ASTRID
“See?” Lilia said with a knowing smile. “I told you that one has something about him.”
I nibbled on the inside of my cheek, watching the shadow demons. They’d shoved themselves into a table that was squashed into the back corner of the room. Two of them barely fit, their arms and legs twisted at odd angles. But the one—the unnerving one—relaxed on the chair like he belonged, despite being broad and muscled, just like Lilia had said.
They all wore the pin now. Balder had waddled over and had proudly handed each of them the metal fist pendant before wishing them Thor’s blessing and luck.
And they’d certainly need it if they had any hope of not coming last.
“I don’t like him,” I said over my shoulder.
“You’ve not even met him!”
I eyed the shadow demon. He lounged there with his arms folded like he owned the damn place. “He has too much swagger. You can tell he thinks he’ll win.”
“Likely for good reason.” Laughing, Lilia slid a bar of chocolate wrapped in golden foil across the table. “Does this help?”
Greedily, I snatched the treat into my eager little hands and hastily unwrapped the foil. The dark cocoa practically shone beneath the orange glow of the tavern. I took a bite. Liquid pleasure coated my tongue, and I moaned.
“Fates,” I murmured, closing my eyes. “There’s literally nothing better than this in the whole bloomin’ world, and I don’t have to venture outside this mountain to know it.”
“I can think of a thing or two,” a lyrical voice said, so close to my ear that I tumbled off my stool. My backside sparked with pain when it hit the stone. Narrowing my eyes, I looked up. The swaggering shadow demon peered down at me, his lips curved into a wicked smile.
“I can’t say this is the first time a woman has collapsed in my presence, but it’s definitely the most amusing.”
I scowled. “Watch out. If your ego gets any bigger, you won’t fit inside this tavern. No more ale for you.”
He laughed—actuallylaughed—damn him. And before I knew what was happening, he’d wrapped his hands around my arms and hauled me to my feet. The warmth of his skin burned through my tunic. Scowl deepening, I twisted away from him and brushed the dirt off my backside.
“My name is Tormund,” he said, like he was oblivious to my annoyance.
“Wonderful. Thanks for telling me,” I replied, turning away and doing nothing to hide my eye-roll.
A pause. “And your name is…”
“Astrid,” Lilia called out rather helpfully, or so she thought. I just wanted the swaggering shadow demon—Tormund, he’d called himself—to go away now. At least half a dozen dwarveswere watching us intently. The weight of their stares settled on my back like a mine cart overladen with sunstones.
“Astrid.” Tormund tried out a suave smile, then motioned toward the bar of chocolate on the table. “I was wondering, could I try some of that?”
I blinked at him. “Wait, let me get this straight. You came over here uninvited, knocked my off my chair, and now you want to eat my chocolate?”
“Uh oh,” Ragnar muttered.
