Chapter 20
20
FRIDA
T he next morning, I felt like I had to tiptoe around the cottage to avoid the feelings that had sprung free last night, worried I’d step right into another trap of them. Every time I looked at Rune, I felt ensnared again. And when he passed me a mug of tea across the table, I could have sworn his eyes were burrowing into my mind and reading my thoughts. I couldn’t possibly bear the thought of him knowing I had feelings for him. My pesky emotions needed to get a grip. This thing between us—a very one-sided thing, that much was abundantly clear—could go nowhere. Rune had never shown even an ounce of interest in me that way, and even if he had, I’d sworn a vow of celibacy.
More importantly, I had to leave this island soon.
Still, that knowledge didn’t stop me from staring at his powerful, calloused hands as he hauled the door open to go to work. An image rose in my mind of those hands wrapped around my thighs, and I let out a strangled noise. Frowning, Rune looked over his shoulder at me, his broad shoulders outlined by the sun’s morning light.
“Everything all right, Frida?” he asked, my name curling off his tongue.
“Yes, fine,” I said, brushing invisible crumbs off the front of my tunic.
He squinted at me. “If you’re sure…”
“Very sure,” I chirped.
A beat passed. “Are you going to visit Eldi this afternoon?”
“That’s the plan.” I’d mulled over Rune’s words from the night before, and I’d come to a decision. Eldi did need my help. He clearly wished for the skies, but fear kept him grounded. I would try to get him airborne, if only for his sake. And if he was willing to fly to the mainland after that, I’d welcome his help. But only if he had conquered his fear. I wouldn’t push him beyond that.
“Good. I’ll come with you,” Rune said with a nod.
I swallowed. As much as a part of me yearned for his company, the other part—the part that couldn’t stop imagining how it would feel to have him kiss me—wanted to run screaming in the other direction. I’d planned to avoid spending time alone with him until I had to leave. But this would be a two-hour trek, then two hours back. That was a lot of time with just the two of us. Alone.
A lot of time where I’d have to force myself to ignore my blossoming feelings.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I thought you were too busy with Helga’s house build to spend an entire afternoon hiking to the mountains and back.”
He smiled. “The villagers saw how much work needed doing, and they’ve all chipped in to help. I tried to tell them I could handle it myself, but they’ve insisted. So it’ll be done in no time.”
“Really?” I smiled back. “That’s so lovely of them, Rune.”
“They’re good folk. I should have known they’d be eager to help in any way they could.”
This place. These people. Now I understood why Rune wanted to protect them, beyond even what the magic could do.
The magic .
Suddenly, I understood what I must do. I didn’t have to deliver Erik a dragon, and I certainly didn’t have to return with my first kill notched into my belt. All we needed was for Erik to believe that the magic of this place had held firm against his machinations. He needed to think his loophole hadn’t worked. That there was no way for someone in the guild to reach this island, no matter what tricks he tried, which meant he’d have to give up his quest of ever finding Rune. He had to believe there was no hope.
I shook my head, smiling. How had I not seen it before? It was the best solution for everyone. When I returned to the guild, I would tell Erik I’d never stepped foot on these shores. The magic had stopped me.
T hat afternoon, Rune and I made the journey to Eldi’s cave on two pairs of tired feet. Despite the volunteers assisting with Helga’s build, Rune wore weariness like a heavy cloak, and my muscles ached from my days spent building Arvid’s fence. This past week had involved more physical labor than I’d ever done until now. Still, neither of us complained. We walked in a companionable silence, our elbows occasionally brushing. Every time the edge of his sleeve touched mine, I had to steel my spine and focus my gaze on the path ahead. I refused to let him see how much I wanted to turn an unintentional graze into something far more.
After a time, I couldn’t bear the silence any longer. “What’s your favorite thing in the world, Rune?”
I thought he might scowl or grumble at the abrupt question, but he cocked his head and furrowed his brow as if he were seriously considering his answer. “Your drawing of Arvid’s fence.”
I snorted a laugh. “Well, it is a very good drawing, if I do say so myself. I bet you could probably sell it for a trunk full of gold.”
“Hmm. Or perhaps I should send it to the academy, so the art students can study it in great detail. They might learn something from your scribbles.” He gently elbowed me. “Though now that I’ve heard you snort when you laugh, I might have to change my answer.”
My lips spread into a smile so wide my cheeks ached. “Really, though, what’s your favorite thing? Give me a serious answer this time.”
His eyes locked on mine. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. And then, with an expeditious clearing of his throat, he answered, “I suppose I’d have to say Moira.”
“Aww. You really do love that bundle of fluff. I can’t wait to tell Arvid your answer. Who will then tell Mellor, who will pass it on to Helga. And then the whole village will find out you’re as mushy as a bowl of barley.”
He grunted in response. “Don’t get carried away now. What’s yours?”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly choose. I love my horse, and I think about her all the time. I wish I’d been able to bring her with me. And I adore my cottage back home. Oh, I can’t forget about purple lilies, and cheese, and the way the sky looks at sunset, and romance novels, and dancing in the rain, and the feel of the grass beneath my bare feet, and the redwoods on this island, and—” I stopped, catching the amusement in his eyes. “What?”
“I thought we were asking each other about our favorite thing ,” he said, elbowing me again. “If I hadn’t stopped you just now, I think you could have kept going all day.”
“There’s a certain kind of joy in letting yourself love,” I said.
His face darkened. “Joy and pain.”
“Love doesn’t have to be painful.” Though I was starting to think it might. I couldn’t remember a time when love had caused me anything but grief. Still, I wanted to believe there was a way for it to be better. Silva Sweetwater seemed to think so, anyway.
“And sometimes, the pain is inevitable.” Sighing, he motioned ahead. “It looks like your new friend has come out to meet us.”
Indeed, Eldi had ventured even further beyond his cave than the day before. He sat squarely on the path at the base of the foothills, his tail swishing through the grass. As we approached, he lowered his head and extended it toward me, as if he were asking for a pat.
And so of course I had to indulge him. Grinning, I scratched beneath his chin, and his body hummed against my fingers. Even without taking any of the Hugur sand yet, I swore I could feel happiness radiating from his soul and brushing against mine.
“Fucking fate, would you look at that,” Rune murmured from behind me.
I turned toward him, smiling. “Me being able to touch him? I thought it was strange, too. Don’t dragons burn anything they come into contact with?”
“No, they learned to control that.” He searched my eyes. “But it’s more than that, Frida. Eldi has bonded with you.”
I drew back. “What?”
“Can’t you feel it? The magic pulsing between you?” His smile widened, genuine happiness shining out of him. The sight of it left me dumbfounded, and for a moment, the world around us faded into the background. There was a twinkle in his eyes I’d never seen. Fate, he looked so handsome like this. So alive .
But then my mind registered his words, and a bolt of fear went through me.
“I can’t have,” I said, looking from Rune to the dragon and back again. “Only orcs can withstand dragon magic without it destroying them. I’m an elf. It’ll turn me into a Draugr and drive me mad.”
“I don’t think so.” Rune still smiled. “As I said, magic has changed these past few decades, and Eldi chose you. You didn’t force him into this, like other folk did in the past. Besides, you’re not the first. Lilia bonded with her dragon, and a dwarf named Astrid, who lives in the mountains, bonded with one, too. It hasn’t turned either of them into a Draugr.”
Heart pounding, I turned back toward Eldi. His crimson gaze bored into mine. And yes . There it was. Magic—delicious, beautiful magic—spun like weaving threads between us, dancing in the late-spring sunlight. I breathed it in, letting it fill me. But just as soon as it pressed against my soul, the dread came. If the guild knew I’d bonded with a dragon, they would use him in any way they could. They’d want him to kill their every enemy.
“Erik can never find out about this,” I said roughly.
Rune’s smile vanished. “No, he certainly can’t.”
“Don’t speak of this back in the village. I doubt they’d purposely share it with anyone on the mainland, but you know how gossip spreads. We can’t risk speaking a word about this to anyone.”
“It’s your news to share,” he said, though his voice sounded strained, like he wasn’t as happy about this as he’d been a moment before. And I didn’t blame him. He didn’t want the Hugur sand to end up in the wrong hands, and that was nowhere near as powerful as a dragon.
I took his hand in mine and held it against my heart. “You don’t have to look so worried. I swear I won’t let Erik find out.”
“I know you won’t, sunshine. I know you won’t.”
After that, Rune and I spread out a picnic to share with Eldi. We feasted on berries and a fresh loaf of bread slathered with butter. Rune had brought a bottle of wine, much to my surprise. We shared the whole thing. Even Eldi joined in, eagerly tipping back his head to drink. Laughter and stories passed between us. We didn’t discuss the bond again, and I didn’t dare bring up the guild. Not when the haze of happiness had settled over our little trio. I couldn’t bear to chase it away with the dark cloud of our looming reality.
When the sun set, we climbed to our feet and bid a goodnight to the dragon. We were no closer to solving his fear of flying than we had been before, but something felt as if it had shifted. Maybe it was the newly discovered bond or the realization that I had a real plan. But I felt hopeful for the first time since coming here—truly hopeful.
Everything would turn out all right. I’d return to the guild, where I’d be surrounded by my family. Erik would believe the magic had stopped me from reaching the island, and he’d give up his hunt for Rune. I’d find a way to get Eldi in the skies before I left. He’d have enough confidence to visit the village, where the kind townspeople would bestow lots of gifts and affection upon him. He’d never feel lonely again.
Nothing could stop me from making this happen. Except, perhaps, the ache in my heart when I thought about saying goodbye to Rune.