Page 97 of Soul of Fire

Stop it,I hissed at her.

I merely look.

“There,” Arne growled, tossing the bowl and spoon to the floor, where they clattered under the bed. “Can I go now?”

“You were poisoned, Arne,” Jorgen said, pushing him back into the bed as he tried to rise. “Give it a rest.”

He struggled to rise again, but Jorgen held him fast. Sweat dotted his brow, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was in no shape to get back on a horse. He’d fall from his saddle within five minutes, let alone five days.

Stubborn man. Why in the name of the Hearthmother would he not have taken guards with him to Stormhold?

Sounds like you,Kindra said, her tone teasing.Did you not fly out onto the Odemark alone only days ago?

I ignored her and folded my arms across my chest. “Let him go, Jorgen.”

Both Jorgen and Arne looked at me in surprise. “What?”

“Let him go,” I repeated. “We’ll follow and retrieve him when he inevitably falls from his horse. He’ll be much easier to manage with two broken legs.”

Jorgen laughed, lifting his hands in surrender. “As fine a plan as any I suppose. Come on, love. I need my beauty rest if I’ve to go out rescuing belligerent jarls.”

Branka raised a brow at me as Jorgen escorted her out. “Bryndis says Baldur is also back. We’ll let him know that Arne will be fine.”

“Thank you.”

“You sure you have this?” Branka gestured to Arne, and I nodded. I could handle this. I’d kept Arik alive for two decades, after all. How much more difficult could his uncle be?

Incredibly difficult, it turned out. Arne was all the way down the hall after hurriedly dressing, casting wary looks at me the whole time as I remained unmoving in the chair beside his bed, when I heard the crash.

“Bugger it all to Helheim!”

I sighed, trying to rally my patience as I went to help him.

The innkeeper was already there, dodging Arne’s swinging hands as he tried to right himself.

“Goddess blasted fucking stairs!”

“Even less time than I thought,” I said, somewhat smugly. “Will you come back and lie down now, or will you continue until you break your neck?”

Arne grunted and swore profusely, but he allowed me and the innkeeper to help him back to the room we’d commandeered. He flopped onto the bed, and I noted that he had paled significantly. His shirt was already soaked with sweat.

“I suppose yer happy, then,” he grumbled, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Go on then, do yer worst.”

“No.”

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “What d’ye mean, ‘no’?”

“I mean you may ask me for my help, and I will gladly provide it,” I replied, looming over him. “Providing you ask nicely.”

Arne spluttered, and I held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not sure you appreciate how close you were to death. Or how hard I worked to keep you from Helheim’s shades. But I am done. If you wish to go off and kill yourself, destroying all of my hard work in the process, go right ahead. I’m happy to watch.”

Kindra hissed.You would not.

Of course not.I rolled my eyes.Buthedoesn’t know that.

Arne gaped, and something flashed in his eyes that I would have thought was amusement if I didn’t know better. He closed hismouth, his lips forming a snarl. “Would yepleasehelp me get back into bed, then?”

“With my name.” It was petty to insist, but I wanted to hear him say it, and Kindra was pacing with increasing irritation as the argument went on.