Page 24 of Into the Isle

I pouted. “You’re no fun. It’s your sister he’s harassing. Alas.” With a flourish of my hand, I dispelled my rune and the ice melted into the floorboards.

Ulf rubbed his legs and knees, and then glowered at me before scurrying off to another part of the ship to lick his wounds.

Eirik glanced at his sister. “The hell, Vini?”

“I didn’t do anything!” she yelled, throwing her arms up.

Eirik shook his head and wandered off. Ravinica rolled her eyes and snarled in frustration. I smiled at the girl as she hesitantly approached me, eyebrows raised.

I held out my hand. “Arne Gornhodr.”

She didn’t shake it. Instead, she looked at it, then up at my face. “I had that handled.”

“Did you? I figured I’d make it easier for you.”

“I don’t need easy.”

My hands rose in surrender. “We’re not even at the academy yet, lass. Seems you’re quick to make friends, quicker to make enemies.”

“You’re not my friend.”

My chin twitched. I held back a snarky retort.

A quick beat of silence passed between us, and then she sighed. “Thank you. I suppose.”

Humility is not a weakness, girl.

“I’m quick to make enemies through no fault of my own, Arne,” she said.

“It’s your name that’s doing it.”

“Aye. As I said—”

“No fault of your own.”

She took the measure of me, staring into my face with her bright golden eyes that sizzled like the sun. “Maybe I should change it.”

My head lurched, surprised at her answer, recognizing the look of a brat on her fine features. “Change it?” I said incredulously. “You can’t just go changing your name—changing who you are.”

“I am not my name, Arne.”

“Then who are you?”

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”

She pumped her hip out as she finished. Honestly, I greatly enjoyed our little battle of tongues. She was fiery in all the right ways, and I was even more drawn to her than before.

“Guess I will,” I said, smirking at her.

Our eyes locked.

She looked away first. “That suffix on your last name. ‘Hodr,’ was it? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Aye. You’ve heard of the god Hodur, certainly?”

“The blind god of winter and darkness.”

I bowed halfheartedly. “I was given that name for my specialty in Shaping ice. It’s a type of rune . . .” I shook my head, cutting myself off. “You know what? You’ll learn about it at the academy.”

---