Entrapment (Thor's Dragon Rider #3) - Katrina Cope Page 0,10

I know, she doesn't even live on Asgard.”

In truth, I spent time with Freya a couple of years ago. Despite being the goddess who rules over the Valkyries' natural enemies, the angels of death, she helped me protect Asgard. She instructed our known enemies to fight for Asgard’s safety against the dark elves’ invasion and Loki’s army of wild dragons with dwarf giant riders. From my brief encounter with Freya, I learned she is sensual and thrives on love and understanding, the opposite of the fiery abnormality standing in front of me, the leader of the fire giants. He doesn’t deserve Freya's affection, and I could never see her giving it to him. Furthermore, because she has been kind to us and helped against the attack on Asgard, I could never give up her location even if I did know where it was—which I don’t.

Since my association with Freya isn’t a secret on Asgard, as it’s known that I called her for help, I tell him part of the truth. “I don't know where she is. I haven't seen her for at least two years. As far as I understand, her residence is shrouded in secrecy.”

He clasps the entrance of the cave with both hands and glowers down at me. “But I have it on good authority that you have been to her residence.”

I gulp. Somehow, he has gathered information on me and my movements. “She did have me taken to her location. But I still don't know where that is. I was blindfolded and kept from knowing the location of her camp.” And now that I hear this giant demanding her location, I understand the reason behind that secrecy.

More rocks crash around us as his grip of the cave tightens. Elan and I dodge the falling debris until the chaos stills. I stand on a large boulder that landed near me. If he keeps this up, the level of the rocks will lift us closer to him. A growl rumbles down through the entrance, whose shape accentuates the volume, and I clench my teeth, cringing.

His gaze is threatening. “I do not believe you are telling the truth. Would you like to start again?”

“I am telling the truth. I haven't seen her since that time a couple of years ago. I don't know where she is or where she stays.”

After another crash, more rocks rumble into the cave, and I miss deflecting one that rebounds and crashes onto Elan’s side. She flinches as it tumbles over the canopy of her extended wings, attempting to protect me, and I flinch as it falls to the ground.

Another loud grumble reverberates through the cave. “I know you know more than you're letting on. You must come clean with me. The sooner you do this, the sooner I'll let you out without harming you… and your dragon,” he adds at the last second. “But if you don't come clean with me, this promise is void. I will leave you in here, stewing over the consequences of your silence. You cannot leave this realm without my help or the help of my pets.”

My silence only seems to aggravate him more. He pushes off the cave and stomps off, the ground rumbling with each step.

- Chapter Six -

* * *

Setting my jaw, I gaze at the last spot I saw Surt. I don’t like our situation, but I couldn’t give up Freya’s location even if I knew. The canopy of Elan’s golden wing retracts from over me, accompanied by a wince, pulling my attention back to my friend. The offending rock lies only a few feet away. It’s huge.

Rounding her large form, I try to peer at the spot the boulder hit on her back. “Are you okay, Elan?”

She attempts to cover a small grunt that escapes her when she moves to face me. Yes. A little bruised, but not too bad.

“You didn't have the saddle to protect your back.” Regret nibbled at me even though it was an honest oversight, considering I didn’t know we were about to be kidnapped by a lava monster. “I left it next to my apartment after I took it off Sobek, I mean Loki.” I growl at my error.

Elan nudges me with her snout. I’ll be fine. It’s just a bruise. My scales protect a lot of that, remember?

“I know. But it still would've hurt. I heard the impact, and it was a huge boulder.” I continue to assess her scales. “Any broken bones?”

Kara! Stop fussing. We have to