Chapter 12
Zarabeth stared up at him, watching his eyes darken, his expression become more intent, color stain his cheeks.
But he wasna??t looking at her face, he was staring down at her naked belly, at the fiery red curls, as vivid and bright as the hair of her head.
Strangely gentle, as if uncertain of himself, he lowered his hand and his fingers lightly skimmed through the curls to find her.
She couldna??t believe he was touching her like this, couldna??t accept it.
She felt such shame, such fear, she thought she would choke on it.
When his fingers slid between her legs, she cried, out, bucking wildly upward to dislodge his hand.
But instead of defeating him, she felt his middle finger push slowly into her, widening her.
She cried out.
Magnus closed his eyes against the onslaught of feeling.
It was just lust he felt, nothing more, just lust for a womana??s body, any womana??s body, but the heat of her and her smallness were overwhelming, and he knew his finger was hurting her, stretching her, for she was narrow and dry, her body fighting him.
He pressed with difficulty further into her.
She was crying now, twisting madly to get him away from her, but she couldna??t move him, couldna??t make him stop.
She reared up suddenly, freeing one of her hands from his grasp, and struck him on the mouth as hard as she could.
He simply thrust his finger further into her and watched as she gasped with pain, her eyes going blank, all movement frozen in that instant.
Their eyes met in that moment and he cleared away all expression and stared at her.
He smiled at her as he shoved his finger in more deeply.
He pushed her back down, holding her there with his palm splayed on her belly.
She was striking him, but he felt no pain, felt nothing but the heat of her body, the softness of her, the paina??no he wouldna??t accept that, he wouldna??t care about that. What she felt mattered not to him.
By Odin, he couldna??t believe her still a maid, yet her passage was so narrow, so tight, he thought she must be. He felt his member swell and harden; he was in such need he knew he must come into her now or he would spill his seed.
He withdrew his finger suddenly, wanting to retain his control.
He felt her flinch as he did so, but she didna??t quieten, but only increased her struggles against him.
He paid her no heed. He said nothing, merely jerked her legs apart and rolled over on top of her, pressing himself against her.
He reared up then to free himself from his loincloth, his hand trembling, his body quivering with the pulsing need that was filling him to overflowing.
Suddenly, his hair was being yanked off his head.
He heard a shrill mewling sound and he felt small fists pounding at his shoulders.
With an animal growl, fury blinding him, he jerked about to fight off his attacker. It took him a moment to realize that it was Lotti, trying to save her sister.
From his rape.
He didna??t believe it was happening, but it was, and he was both enraged and bewildered. He heard Horkel then, saying from without, a??Nay, go not in there, Tostig. Magnus will deal with the child. It is not our business.a??
a??Aye, but we should have stopped her! By Thor, he will not be pleased about this.a??
He wasna??t pleased; it was a vast understatement.
Magnus wondered just what he was to do with a writhing woman beneath him, a sex that hurt him so that he thought he would die with it, and a small girl striking him with all her strength.
He suddenly laughed, at himself, at the ridiculous situation.
He gave it up; his need dwindled as the ashes on a summer hearth.
He released Zarabeth and quickly rolled off her, coming up on his knees, quickly covering himself.
Zarabeth hadna??t at first understood. Then she saw Lotti and realized that the child had thrown herself on Magnus.
Lotti drew away from Magnus now, her eyes on her sister, tear streaks down her dirty cheeks.
The child was terrified, but still she stood her ground between Zarabeth and Magnus, her mouth quivering, her small shoulders squared.
Zarabeth wanted to weep at the loyalty of her little sister.
a??Come, sweeting,a?? she said quickly, scrambling to her knees and holding out her arms, a?? a??tis all right.
Ia??m all right. Nay, dona??t weep, and dona??t be frightened.
Magnus and I were just playing, aye, thata??s it, playing, wrestling the way boys do, but he wanted to show me some of the moves he knew, nothing more. Come and let me hug you.a??
She gathered the child to her, and soothing Lotti calmed her.
She pressed the childa??s head to her shoulder and looked up at Magnus, who sat cross-legged not two feet from her.
He was still breathing heavily, but had himself well in hand now.
She watched a strange smile curve his lips as he said, a??Aye, wrestling.
Naught but a game, just as you told the child.
Aye, but a game you will lose, Zarabeth, for I am your master in all things.a??
a??You are an animal,a?? she said clearly, and was surprised at the calm of her voice.
a?? a??Tis no game to you, but a savage contest of might.
You are the stronger, so you think you can take what you want from someone weaker.
You disgust me.a?? She looked away from him and continued stroking Lottia??s back and whispering soft sounds to her.
His mouth tightened and he felt the familiar burning anger at her twist in his belly. But now wasna??t the time. He waved his hand at the child. a??What is wrong with her? She makes strange noises. Is she half-witted?a??
a??No, she is without hearing.a??
Magnus looked disbelieving. Suddenly he reared up on his knees and clapped his hands loudly at the back of Lottia??s head. The little girl didna??t move. He looked perplexed, then sat back again.
a??Was she born this way?a??
a??Nay, Olav struck her when she was but two years old.
She was unconscious for two days after, and when she awoke, she was without hearing.a?? She paused, remembering her fear, her fury at Olav.
a??I wanted to kill him for what hea??d done, for he didna??t even care.
She could have died and it wouldna??t have touched him.
To excuse what he did, he pretended she was a half-wit, and that is what he told others.a??
a??You did get your revenge on Olav,a?? he said, then immediately added, a??She says your name, but ita??s in a slurred way.a??
a??Aye, she could say several things before he hit her. And since she knows some sounds and some meanings of things, with patience, she can learn to speak more words.a??
a??You should have told me this.a??
She stared at him, amazement, contempt, writ clear on her face. a??Why? So that you could have planned your brutality with more craft? So that you would have but another weapon to use against me?a??
a??I would not use a child against any man.a??
a??Aye, but Ia??m not a man, merely a woman.a??
a??Nay, youa??re a slave first, and then a woman.a??
She looked down, not responding to him. What was the use? She patted Lotti and spoke quietly to her, pulling away so she could see the childa??s face. It was as if she no longer recognized that he was there. Shea??d simply retreated from him, withdrawn into herself. It enraged him.
a??If the child cannot hear, how came she to enter in here?a??
Zarabeth didna??t bother to look up. a??I do not know. I suppose that she saw you come in and pull the skins down. She is afraid of you. She sought only to protect me. I ask that you do not hurt her.a??
a??I have told you before that I do not harm children.a??
a??That is a lie. I know of Vikings such as you, and of your raids and the fighting madness that consumes all of you. You kill without reason and with no hesitation. King Alfred must continually fight you to keep his lands intact and his people from slaughter.a??
He was silent for a moment, for that was true.
He shrugged then. a??It is our way. Sometimes things happen that are not what I would wish.
But it is the way such things are. Why do you feel pity for Alfred?
He is naught to you, a chimera, a fable with no substance, spoken of by unhappy Saxons over their fires during winter nights.
If Alfred were their king, he would abuse them endlessly.
Guthrum is your king and their king and your dead husbanda??s king.
Your loyalty is to a Viking, not to the Saxon king.a??
She shrugged. a??I hate all of you, truth be told, your senseless violence that leaves people dead or broken or slaves. All of you are savages, and I doubt not that the noble Alfred is just as savage as are you. You are right about that.a??
a??Now you are the slave of a savage. I will hear no more of your plaints.a??
a??I do not wish you to rape me.a??
a??I dona??t particularly wish to force myself on you, but I will if you so foolishly continue to fight me.
If you do, your pain will be but worse. I care not about your pain, but perhaps you will wish to think about it.
I will take you, Zarabeth, make up your mind to it.
What you want, what you feel now, make no difference to me.
You are still a maid, are you not?a?? He did not wait for her to answer, merely spoke his thoughts aloud.
a??You were stretching around my fingers.
Aye, no man has been inside you yet. So, you wed with an old man .
. . perhaps you knew he couldna??t take you and that you would not have to suffer him mauling you?
Aye, or is it true that you began to poison him the very day you wedded him so you wouldna??t have to suffer him in your bed? That he would not have the strength?a??