Carefully, I covered each welt with more of the salve until I’d tended to every one. Rune loosed a long, rattling sigh when I put the cap back on the tin. He eased into his chair and closed his eyes.
“Thank you for that,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” I went to stand, but he grabbed my hand. His touch was gentle, yet firm.
“I mean it, Frida. You didn’t have to do this. I appreciate that you did.”
Heat consumed my face. “It’s not that big of a deal. You would have done the same for me.”
“Hmm. You tired?”
“Very,” I said. “Actually, I think I’ll try to get some sleep now, unless there’s anything else you need.”
He shook his head. “Night, Frida. Get some rest.”
I started to walk away, but the rocking chair suddenly creaked, putting a halt to my steps. Rune’s heavy footsteps soon sounded.
“Wait,” he said. “Take this.”
I turned to find Rune by his bookshelves. He searched the array of books, then pulled a leather-bound tome from the highest shelf.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“It’s no Silva Sweetwater, but I think you might like it.” A small smile danced across his lips. “It’s a romance novel.”
“Youhave a romance novel?”
“I’ve got a couple. Granted, I didn’t know what they were when I bought them.” He held it out to me. “Want to have it?”
My heart swelled. A smile stretched across my lips as I dashed across the room, took the book, and held it against my chest. I hadn’t read a book in well over a year, thanks to my new position in the guild. Reading one here was still against the rules, of course, but…they’d never have to know.
“Thank you, Rune,” I breathed. “Genuinely, you have no idea what this means to me.”
He swallowed and looked away. “Hmm. Well, you’re welcome. Now go on. I’m pretty tired myself.”
I took that as my cue to get out of his hair. We’d spent every moment of the day together. He was likely sick of my company by now. Fine with me. I had a novel to read. Anovel. With romance and adventure and hopefully a bit of spice.
Grinning, I minced across the floor to my bedroom door. When I reached it, I cast another glance over my shoulder. Rune still stood by his shelves, staring after me. The hearth-light danced across his features and highlighted his broad shoulders, the powerful flex of his arms, and the endless brown of his eyes.
And if I was being honest—which Idefinitelywasn’t going to be—I might admit that he looked an awful lot like a romance novel hero himself.
11
FRIDA
Despite my every intention to read the entire book in one sitting, I only got a chapter in before my heavy eyelids refused to open again. At some point, the book slid from my fingers and tumbled to the floor, but even that didn’t wake me.
Several hours later, it was the glowing light of the oil lamp that finally pushed through the fog of sleep. I cracked open my eyes, squinting into its insistent yellow flame. Rain and wind still pounded against the side of the house, and the wooden walls groaned in response. I flopped onto my back and stared up at the low ceiling. Despite the storm, I felt safe and warm inside this cottage. And more at peace than I’d felt in months.
But then I thought of what I’d come here to do. It was like a bucket of ice on the small flame of hope I’d kindled.
Rune was nothing like the guild’s normal marks. I knew it in my bones, even if I’d never been on an assignment until now. My brother and father had regaled me with enough stories over the past year that I knew one thing for certain: everything about this situation washighlyirregular.
There was more to this story—far more than what Erik had told me. This wasn’t about the dragon. It was about Rune, and I hadn’t the foggiest clue what to do about it. The only thing I knew for certain was that things couldn’t continue as they were. I couldn’t stay with Rune for three weeks, pretend to be his assistant, and then turn the tables on him. It feltwrong.
If I stole his dragon, it would be the ultimate betrayal of his kindness.
I knew he didn’t trust me, and I knew he was trying to confirm his suspicions. But he’d still treated me with decency when he truly didn’t need to. The longer I stayed here, the worse I would feel when I had to take something from him—something that was clearly important to him. He wouldn’t have carved all those dragon figurines if the creature didn’t mean the world to him.
