was in Sudvic.
Skylar was squeezing between the big men setting trays of cheese, meat, crackers and pickles on the table. He’d already seen to making sure all the men had horns of ale, save Frey, who’d ordered and received a glass and a bottle of whisky from which he partook immediately and I did not think this boded as a good sign.
As was apparent since refreshments had been readied and served by an eleven year old boy, Kell took his time showing up at our party which made me, as the seconds ticked to minutes then those minutes ticked to more minutes (and not a few of them), very uncomfortable. The men didn’t seem to mind it although they kept their silence as Frey’s seething anger filled the space.
“We are not, old man, we’re back early because Broderick and Phobin were both with Baldur we discovered Phobin is not nearly as clever as he thinks. We arrived, surveyed the situation and were in and out in a day,” Frey returned.
Kell’s brows shot up as he planted his ass in a chair and immediately reached for a hunk of cheese.
“You get the branch?” he asked.
“Yes,” Frey bit off, my heart jumped and I turned to look at him.
“You did?” I breathed.
Frey’s angry eyes sliced to me, I pressed my lips together and he growled, “We did.”
I decided, considering his expression, now was not the time to jump up and give him a sloppy kiss in an effort to reward him for succeeding in a quest where others, for centuries, had failed.
“So, we’re celebratin’,” Kell stated then looked to Skylar. “Boy, get me a horn.”
“Kell, we are not celebrating,” Frey ground out, his infuriated eyes locked on his friend then he stated angrily, “By the gods, you walked my wife into the tent of a man who may be plotting her murder.”
Kell sat back and agreed, “Yup.” Then he popped the hunk of cheese into his mouth.
Ho boy.
The fury rolling off Frey increased about seven levels. I felt it, fancied its heat burned my skin, bit my lip and avoided looking at him.
“Gun, Steph, would you like to explain why you not only didn’t stop this venture but participated in it?” Frey asked, obviously giving up on Kell, and I watched Gunner look at Stephan and Stephan looked at Gunner then they both looked to Frey.
“You left Kell in charge, Frey, and you were pretty clear about that,” Gunner answered.
“Indeed. And this will be a mistake I do not make again,” Frey stated low and I watched Kell roll his eyes but, other than that, he didn’t seem too upset.
There was more silence, more fury waves from Frey and then Frey called, “Wife.”
Ho boy.
I gave Kell a raised-brow look indicating I could use his assistance. Kell’s response was to grab another hunk of cheese and pop it into his mouth. My look became a death glare when I realized Kell was throwing me right under the bus then I sucked in breath, rearranged my features and turned to my husband.
When he had my eyes, he asked in a soft voice that was not his gentle soft but an altogether different kind of soft, “Would you like to tell me, when I believe while you were trembling in my arms after seeing three men die, that I informed you specifically your uncle is a threat, why you would board a boat, sit in it while it was rowed ashore and attend a man who, it is highly likely whether he’s acted on it or not, wishes you dead?”
Actually, no I wouldn’t like to tell him though I didn’t think I had a choice.
“Um…” I started, Frey’s eyes narrowed and I clamped my mouth shut.
Then he clipped, “Finnie, you saw a woman spewing blood and that woman was supposed to be you.”
I got my wits together and began, “I know, Frey, but –”
“You had entirely no idea what you would be walking into when you walked into that tent,” Frey cut me off to say.
“Listen, I –”
Frey interrupted me again and I could tell by his eyes, his tone and the way he held his body that he was getting angrier and I didn’t need our afternoon with the adela cup to read it.
“I could have come back with a bloody branch to find myself without a bloody wife.”
I leaned toward him and said, “Frey, listen –” but I was cut off again.
This time by Kell.
“Got a sharp wit, that one,” he stated and Frey’s eyes cut to him so mine did too. “We were in a bad position Frey, you off doin’ what you were doin’, Baldur suspicious. Got nerve, your woman does,” he jerked a head my way, “got smarts too. Was her idea to fake bein’ sick and how she did it. We’d already used that ploy to call ‘em off, they weren’t fallin’ for it but her act was so good, man, even I thought our lie was true. And the way she faked bein’ sick meant she didn’t have to talk much so I could do the talkin’ for her, which helped hide who she is. In the end, she made a show of takin’ pains in payin’ her respect to a man who don’t deserve it but sure as hell demands it and he came off lookin’ like an arse. Quite a play, all ‘n’ all and worked out fine. So calm, man, pull up anchor and let’s get outta here.”
I thought this was an excellent suggestion, not to mention I was pleased that I’d impressed Kell.
Frey did not agree.
“It worked out well by pure chance,” he growled and when I turned to him and opened my mouth to speak, his eyes cut to me and he kept growling. “And don’t, Finnie, don’t you tell me it was a risk worth taking. Three times,” he held up three fingers, “fortune has smiled at you and, wife, if you keep riding that particular blade of luck, you’re going to get sliced wide open.”
Eek!
All righty, clearly it was time to soothe the pissed off Raider.
“Honey,” I whispered, hoping my tone would calm him, “what did you expect us to do?”
“Not bloody walk into a tent with only two trained guards when Baldur had twenty-four and sit down for a bloody chat,” Frey returned, not soothed even a little bit by my soft tone.
Hmm.
Unfortunately, it seemed I was getting mad.
“We needed to buy time,” I informed him.
“As it works out, love, you didn’t,” he informed me.
“Well we didn’t know that!” I shot back.
“You waited an hour, you would,” he retorted.
I glared at him and then scooted my chair around to face him.
“Listen, Frey, we were in a situation. They weren’t falling in with our efforts to stall. And you were out there,” I swung out an arm, “doing something I didn’t want you to get caught doing. We thought you wouldn’t return for days, not hours and, for God’s sake, I couldn’t huddle in your cabin biting my nails and hoping for a miracle rescue!”
“Finnie –” he started but I talked over him, leaning toward him to do it.
“You know, marriage is marriage, a partnership. You aren’t the only one who needs to step up and keep one of us safe. It’s my job as your wife to do the same if a time comes when I have to and it’s my job to do it however that might need to come about. We were exposed and I didn’t want you to be exposed so I did what I did in an effort to keep you safe. It was dangerous, yes, I’ll grant that. But we had no choice.”
“Fin –” he tried to get my name out but I kept right on going.
“You’re angry because I was in danger, again, well, you were in danger too! You rode right up to those tents and came charging in to keep me safe. What? I don’t get to do what I have to do to return the favor?”
“Love –” Frey began but yep, I kept right on talking.
“I get you’re angry because it was dangerous and you’re concerned. I’m sorry about that. But I’ll tell you this, given the chance, I’d do it again, no joke. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
Frey was silent after that and I was too but I was communicating through my angry glare. Frey, on the other hand, was not communicating; he was simply holding my glare.
Then he asked, “Are you finished?”
“I don’t know. Do I need to go on?” I asked back.
His tone was quiet when he said, “I think you’ve stated your case, wee one.”
“Told you she had a sharp wit,” Kell put in and Frey and I looked at him to see him gnaw a piece of meat in
