Instead he stood his ground, holding her hand as his wonderful lips curved into that smile of his that seemed to reach down into the depths of her innards and tug at them.
When he stroked the side of her cheek with his big, warm finger, she wondered if she might have died in that accident, for surely this had to be her own personal piece of Valhalla.
“In spite of my little indiscretion back there,” he said, again with the grin, “I want you to know I meant every word I said. I’m here for you. Whenever you want to leave Tordenet, just say the word. I’ll take you away, wherever you want to go.”
His reaffirmation of his vow shot fear through her heart, replacing the wispy yearnings floating there. She couldn’t let him return to Tordenet with his eyes so blinded. That would be like swinging him from Torquil’s gallows with her own two hands, since she bore the responsibility of having brought him here in the first place.
“You’ve no understanding of the power you challenge. My brother may look like any other man, but he is no mere man. He is more. Much more.”
“I’m no mere man, either, Christiana. I, too, am more.”
She did not question his manhood or his valor, but she had to make him understand. Even if it meant she would have to tell him everything.
“Perhapsmoreis the wrong word. Perhaps I should have said he is...he isother. Though my father’s blood gifted me with prophecy, the preponderance of our ancestor’s powers flowed to Torquil as firstborn son of our line. He’sotherthan man. And lately I’ve begun to fear he’s possessed of more than just the gifts of Odin.” Those red glowing eyes staring back at her in Torquil’s solar had not belonged to her brother, or to anything she had ever seen in this world.
“Odin?”
“Aye. Has the soldiers’ gossip no covered that bit of family lore? I carry the bloodline of the Tinklers on my mother’s side. Some would say of the Faeries as well, but I can neither confirm nor deny that. On my father’s side, though, there’s no question of our heritage. Our line extends back to the halls of Asgard. Whatever power we house within our bodies all descends directly from the Allfather, Odin himself. What you must accept of this, Chase, is that Torquil’s purpose is not merely to eliminate every trace of my brothers from this world—but to take back the world for the glory of the ancient gods, with him enthroned in Odin’s seat.”
Any hope she had that her confession might convince him to the side of caution disappeared in the cynical curve of his mouth.
“So Torquil plans to rule the world, is that it?” He shook his head. “Listen to me. Better men than him have tried and failed. He doesn’t frighten me, Christiana. The world’s a much bigger place than he realizes. He’ll soon discover there are those with greater powers than his with which he’ll have to reckon. As for you, all you need to remember is that your freedom is as close as I am.”
She would have to try another tactic.
“Very well, then. I will accept your pledge of assistance, if you will promise to accept the danger you face at Tordenet. Accept it and prepare yerself against it.”
It was the best she could do without confessing that she was responsible for bringing him here to do exactly what he was offering now. She and the Elf. Of course, that had been before she had known him. Before she had considered what could happen to him. Before she had started having all thesefeelingsfor him.
“We have a deal, then,” he agreed, stepping back from her and tugging at her hand. “Come on. We need to get you back inside before your Shen-Ora comes out blaming me for keeping you out in the cold after dark.”
It would have to do, that little concession of his. At least until she could convince Skuld to allow her back into the Norns’ world to travel the Visions. Only there could she see what path Chase needed to follow to keep him safe.
Christiana started forward, but stumbled as her ankle gave way. Wrestling with the cloak wrapped around it had obviously been a bit more than her healing muscle could take.
“Whoa, hold on.” Chase grabbed her arms, supporting her. “Here, let’s not push our luck anymore.”
One second she was smiling up at him, grateful for his strength and sensibility, and the next she was airborne, lifted up into his arms, her head tucked against his broad chest as he carried her back to the house.
If she’d known that was all it took to get back into his embrace, she would have stumbled much, much sooner.
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Twenty-two
THE THWANG OFmetal striking frozen ground reverberated up Chase’s arms and into his shoulders. No wonder the old woman had wanted him to dig her waste pit for her. He doubted she could lift the spade he held, let alone dig the damned hole.
He hoisted the pitiful excuse for a shovel and slammed it down once more, digging into the earth a quarter of an inch.
“Bullshit,” he muttered, tossing the spade down in favor of the miniature pickax Orabilis had brought out for him. Adolabra,she’d called it.Ancient toy pickwould have suited it better. This thing looked as though it must have been old when Orabilis was born.
“You’ve no made much in the way of progress, have you, lad?”
The old witch wobbled in his direction, one hand held above her eyes against the sun.
“You do know that the ground is frozen, right?”
The old woman shrugged one shoulder. “Aye. But I dinna expect a big, strong lad such as yerself to be giving up so easily.”
