Bride of the Sea (The Prophecy of Sisters #2) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,65

like friends, they have never meant much to him. Even when it came to my bed slave, he thinks that though I gave her to him, that he has somehow come out on top with something that I still desire.”

The men let out grunts of agreement, nodding their heads along to everything that I’ve said. They know Fiske almost as well as I do. We have all fought side by side for decades. If anyone knows what Fiske is capable of, it is these men surrounding me.

“So what do we do?” I ask.

Gunnar stands, placing his fist on the table as he leans over, his eyes focused on my own. “We do nothing, my Konungr. We go into battle on our raid. We let the gods handle the fate of Fiske. If they do not, then we will go from there,” Hagen states, his jaw clenched as his teeth grind together.

“We will ask Runa for protection in the battle,” Gunnar adds.

“We will bring our dróttning for good luck. For she has the protection of the gods,” Sten booms.

We all raise our cups, Kjeld stands, and we follow suit. “To our dróttning, our goddess sent to protect us, to create a new dynasty with our konungr. May the prophecy bring great bounty on our people and Wolfjour Ail and all of your holdings,” he toasts.

We all shout and cheer before taking healthy drinks from our cups. A few moments later, not feeling any better about the situation, but at least feeling as though a small weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I head back to home, to my víf.

Before I make it to the húsgørd, someone runs into me. All I see is a flash of blonde hair. Wrapping my hands around slim shoulders, I look down into the frantic eyes of Isolda.

“Oh, it’s you, Aaric. You must help me, please,” she whimpers.

Shaking her slightly, I frown as I watch her. “What is it?” I demand.

She looks behind her, then shifts her gaze back to me. “It’s Fiske, he…”

“He has done nothing that is not within his rights to do,” my brother shouts.

“Help me,” she whimpers.

Looking at Fiske, I see the blackness swirling in his eyes, the demon is close to his surface. Releasing his bed slave, I take a step back and shift my gaze between them. Fiske crosses his arms over his chest, his demon swirling as he waits to see what I am going to say next.

“What’s happened?” I ask him, ignoring Isolda.

He smirks. “It seems my bed slave wishes that she were lying with you instead of me. She made it clear. She would not open her legs for me, Aaric. I was forced to take other parts of her body. She didn’t like that apparently.”

“Fiske,” I warn.

He shrugs a shoulder. “It’s within my rights, Aaric and you know this.”

“It is never good to abuse the women in our beds, bródir, it was not what father taught us,” I remind him.

He grunts, taking a step toward me. “It may not be what he taught you, Aaric, but I was treated to another side of our dear fadir, than you were,” he reminds me.

Nodding, I bypass Isolda and close the distance between Fiske and I. Reaching out, I clamp my hand around his shoulder, shaking him gently.

“I know this, Fiske. If I had known then, I would have done something. I would have tried to shelter you from that side of him. You were but a child. Do not take your childhood angers out on your bed slave, on anyone.”

Fiske’s eyes soften for a moment, turning their natural color before they go right back to black. He shakes his head, taking a step back, away from my grasp. He barks at Isolda to come to his side.

“Will you interfere, Aaric?” he asks.

“Normally, I would not. However, she is still technically my slave. I have allowed you to possess her, but she is still under my control. She is my thrall.”

Fiske smirks. “Then you can have her back, bródir.”

He turns and walks away from me, at the same time Isolda throws herself in my arms. She burrows deep against my side and I am forced to wrap my arm around her shivering body to provide her comfort.

“Aaric,” Liv calls out.

Isolda curls closer, at the same time I slowly turn around. Liv watches us, her eyes flick from me to Isolda, then back to me. I watch as her face falls. She spins around and hurries back into the